Efectos del programa de gestión personal en la promoción de la actividad física en adolescentes

Las enfermedades cardiovasculares son la principal causa de muerte prematura en todo el mundo. La prevención del sedentarismo es pues una preocupación de la salud pública. El desarollo de hábitos de actividad física debe ser uno de los principales objetivos de las políticas de educación para la salud en las que la Educación Física en las escuelas tiene un papel fundamental. El objetivo del presente estudio es verificar la eficacia de un programa de promoción de la actividad física en adolescentes en el medio escolar. El programa se ha desarollado en ocho sesiones (una a la semana) en las cuales se han enseñado estrategias cognoscitivas y de comportamiento que facilitaran la implicación en actividades físicas a lo largo de la vida. Se evaluaron las intenciones de comportamiento, en cuatro momentos distintos a lo largo del año lectivo: evaluación de control, pre-test, post-test y evaluación de seguimiento. Estos momentos delimitan tres fases del estudio: periodo de control (cuatro semanas), periodo experimental (nueve semanas) y periodo de seguimiento (ocho semanas). Los niveles de actividad física han disminuido de una forma significativa durante los periodos de control y de seguimientos y han aumentado durante el periodo experimental, aunque no de forma significativa. Las intenciones de comportamiento han aumentado significativamente durante la intervención y disminuido durante el periodo de seguimiento. Se sugiere que una intervención más prolongada podría ser necesaria para alterar de un forma consistente los hábitos de los individuos.Cradiovascular diseases actually are the main cause of death all around the world. Sedentarism prevention is a first line preocupation for the public health authorities. The development of physical activity habits must be one the main aims for the eduaction on the youth. The objective of the present study, is to verify the efficacy of a program of physical activity promotion of teenagers in the school. This program was developed by the physical education teachers, and directed to the different groups of young schoolars. The duration of the program was a total of eight sessions. Each session was performed one time at week. The content of each session are programed in order to provide strategies both cognoscitive and behavioural to the students, which facilitate their adherence to the physical activities lifelong. We evaluated the behavior intentions, at four different moments during the school periode: control, pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. These moments are the three phases of the study: control (four weeks); experimental phase (nine weeks); and follow-up (eight weeks). The results shown that the physical activity levels decreased during the phases number one and three, and increased during the experimental phase, but not significatively. However, the behaviour intentions increased significatively during the intervention phase, and decreased at the follow-uperiod. We suggest that one intervention more extented could be necessary in order to obtanin a singificatively change over the individuals behavior

A intervenção da União Europeia e a crescente presença na região de atores internacionais

O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar o posicionamento de Portugal no quadro da estratégia da União Europeia para o Sahel. Para tal, procede-se à análise dos atores, sua relação, alinhamentos e interdependências e dá-se continuidade através da análise da estratégia da União Europeia, no quadro da qual se conclui com o posicionamento de Portugal que, coincidentemente, assumiu, no primeiro semestre de 2021, a presidência do Conselho da União Europeia. Como metodologia, utilizou-se o raciocínio dedutivo, baseado numa estratégia qualitativa, e o estudo de caso como desenho de pesquisa. Da investigação resultou que a estratégia da União Europeia requer uma abordagem multidimensional, centrada na boa governação e com o comprometimento dos governos locais. Acresce referir que estão presentes na região atores com diversas estratégias, onde as atuações de grupos jihadistas aproveitam as relações frágeis entre os Estados e as comunidades, instrumentalizam grupos étnicos e clivagens comunitárias. Concluiu-se que Portugal, no quadro da estratégia da União Europeia, tem um empenhamento multilateralista na linha de defesa sul da Europa, onde, à sua dimensão, é um ator importante, nos domínios militar e político, que lhe dá credibilidade para influenciar, no seio da União Europeia, as decisões dos Estados-Membros relativamente a África.This study aims to assess Portugal’s positioning within the framework of the European Union strategy for the Sahel. To this end, an analysis of the players, their relationship, alignments, and interdependencies is carried out and then continued through the analysis of the European Union’s strategy, which concludes with the position of Portugal which, coincidentally, assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2021. As a methodology, deductive reasoning was used, based on a qualitative strategy, as well as the case study as a research design. It resulted from the research that the European Union strategy requires a multidimensional approach, focused on good governance and with the commitment of local governments. It should be noted that there are players with different strategies in the region, where the actions of jihadist groups take advantage of the fragile relations between states and communities, instrumentalize ethnic groups and fractures within the communities. It was concluded that Portugal, within the framework of the European Union’s strategy, has a multilateralist commitment towards the southern European defence line, where, relative to its size, it is an important player in the military and political fields, which gives it the credibility to influence, within the European Union, the decisions of the Member States regarding Africa.N/

Protective factors of performance-enhancing substances use in a sample of Portuguese gym-goers

This project was supported by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia: FCT/MCTES (UIDB/05608/2020 and UIDP/05608/2020).Background: Nowadays, the increased Performance Enhancing-Substance (PES) use in fitness centers is seen as a problematic phenomenon, since it has the potential to grow, and could be seen as an emerging public health and societal concern. Studies focusing on PES use among gym-goers are few and they do not provide information concerning protective factors that justify the refusing intention to use these substances. Understanding the underlying psychosocial mechanisms of PES use and the protective factors of the gym-goers who refuse the use of these substances could help identify those who are most resistant to PES use. Aim: To investigate the protective factors (e.g., sociodemographic factors, exercise profile, gym modalities, peers, social influence, attitudes, subjective norms, beliefs, and intentions) of PES refusing intention in gym-goers. Participants: A convenience sample of 453 Portuguese gym-goers having a mean age of 35.64 (SD=13.08) Tool: Web self-administered questionnaire containing questions related to sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported use of PES, as well as the QAD-Fit based on the Theory of Planned Behavior which is composed by questions grouped on four dimensions (attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and subjective norms). Procedures: Data was collected using an online self-administrated questionnaire, and results were analysed using Decision Trees, which are a method widely used in classifying and identifying profiles, in machine learning and data mining. Results: 88,9% of gym-goers reported the refusal of prohibited PES, showing that being a woman, training less frequently, not practicing bodybuilding, and having a negative intention to consume PES, could be considered protective factors for PES use. Conclusion: Results identifying the protective factors associated with PES refusal intention, which may support public health and clinical interventions to prevent abusive use of PES and improve the health and well-being of gym-goers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Adding mindfulness practice to exercise therapy for female recreational runners with patellofemoral pain:a randomized controlled trial

Context Considering current models that highlight the role of psychological components in pain management, mindfulness practice may be an effective strategy in the management of pain. Objective To examine the effects of adding an 8-week mindfulness program to exercise therapy on the perceptions of pain severity, knee function, fear of movement, and pain catastrophizing of female recreational runners with patellofemoral pain (PFP). Design Randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting University laboratory. Patients or Other Participants Thirty female runners (age = 28.3 ± 7.08 years) with PFP were randomly assigned to the exercise or mindfulness-exercise group. Intervention(s) The exercise-only group followed a protocol (18 weeks, 3 sessions/wk) that featured training modifications to help control injury-related symptoms. The mindfulness-exercise group received an 8-week mindfulness intervention in addition to the exercise protocol. The mindfulness component started 4 weeks before the exercise component; therefore, the 2 components overlapped during the first 4 weeks of the intervention. Main Outcome Measure(s) Usual pain, pain during stepping, and pain during running were assessed using visual analog scales. Functional limitations of the knee were assessed using the Knee Outcome Survey. Fear of movement, pain catastrophizing, and coping strategies were measured via the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, respectively. These outcomes were assessed at baseline, at week 9, and after 18 weeks. Results Pain during running, pain during stepping, and functional limitations of the knee were less for the mindfulness-exercise group than for the exercise-only group (P values < .05). The mindfulness-exercise group reported greater perceived treatment effects than the exercise-only group (P < .05). Pain catastrophizing was less and coping strategies were more favorable for mindfulness-exercise participants than for exercise-only participants (P values < .05). Conclusions Mindfulness practice can be an effective adjunct to exercise therapy in the rehabilitation of PFP in recreational female runners

Assessing ethical behavior and self-control in elite ultimate championships: a cross-sectional study using the spirit of the game scoring system

IntroductionImplementing a self-refereeing system presents a unique challenge in sports education, particularly in academic and training settings where officiated sports prevail. However, Ultimate Frisbee stands out by entrusting players with both athlete and referee roles, introducing distinctive ethical complexities. This manuscript is intended to evaluate ethical behavior and self-control within the Spirit of the Game (SOTG) scoring system in Elite Ultimate. To address these, Ultimate employs the (SOTG) scoring system, integral since the sport's inception in the late 1980s. SOTG aims to enhance and evaluate athletes’ ethical conduct. This study evaluates SOTG's effectiveness in elite-level Ultimate, analyzing variations across divisions and age groups in three high-level tournaments.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, data were collected from five international Ultimate tournaments in 2022. Teams spanned diverse age groups (under 17 to over 50) and divisions (women's, mixed, open). Post-match, teams assessed opponents’ SOTG in five domains: Rules knowledge, fouls, fairness, attitude/self-control, and communication. Ratings used a 5-point Likert scale (“poor” to “excellent”). An overall SOTG score was calculated by aggregating domain scores.ResultsOur study consistently revealed high SOTG scores, reflecting strong sportsmanship. “Positive attitude and self-control” consistently ranked highest, while “Knowledge and use of the rules” scored lowest. Divisional differences in SOTG were statistically insignificant. Notably, WMUCC2022 (participants aged 30+) had significantly higher SOTG scores, possibly indicating age-related self-control improvement or evolving sport culture. Lower rules knowledge scores may stem from linguistic translation challenges.ConclusionSelf-refereeing promotes ethical behavior across divisions and age groups. SOTG underscores sportsmanship's importance and aligns with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, 4, 5 and 16 fostering a fairer, healthier, and more peaceful world

Reusable and highly sensitive SERS immunoassay utilizing gold nanostars and a cellulose hydrogel-based platform

This work was funded by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Programme and National Funds through the FCT---Fun-dação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I. P., under the scope of the project. This work also received funding from the European Community’s H2020 program under grant agreement No. 716510 (ERC-2016-STG TREND), 640598 (ERC-StG-2014, NEWFUN), and 685758 (1D-Neon). This work was supported by the Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit – UCIBIO and Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry – LAQV which are financed by Portugal national funds from /2016 and SFRH/BD/132057/2017 from the FCT/MCTES and MIT Portugal PhD Program (to I. C. and M. J. O., respectively). Professor César Laia (LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal) is acknowledged for permitting the use of DLS equipment. Professor Ludwig Krippahl (NOVA LINCS, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal) is acknowledged for developing the gel analysis application eReuss. M. J. O. acknowledges Rocío Palomares Jurado PhD for visualisation/data presentation support and continued interest in the project. M. J. O. acknowledges David Peitinho MSc for help and advice in Python script. Diego Wiechers de Carvalho BSc is acknowledged for purifying the recombinant Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 sample and Daniela Gomes PhD for providing SEM images. Publisher Copyright: © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2021.The development of robust and sensitive point-of-care testing platforms is necessary to improve patient care and outcomes. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based immunosensors are especially suited for this purpose. Here, we present a highly sensitive and selective SERS immunoassay, demonstrating for example the detection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), in a sandwich format. The strength of our biosensor lies in merging: (i) SERS-immunotags based on gold nanostars, allowing exceptional intense SERS from attached Raman probes, covalent attachment of anti-HRP antibodies by a simple chemical method providing exceptional antigen binding activity; (ii) the ease of preparation of the capture platform from a regenerated cellulose-based hydrogel, a transparent material, ideal for microfluidics applications, with low background fluorescence and Raman signal, particularly suited for preserving high activity of the covalently bound anti-HRP antibodies. The sandwich complexes formed were characterised by atomic force microscopy, and by scanning electron microscopy coupled with electron diffraction spectroscopy; and (iii) the robustness of the simple Classical Least Squares method for SERS data analysis, resulting in superior discrimination of SERS signals from the background and much better data fitting, compared to the commonly used peak integral method. Our SERS immunoassay greatly improves the detection limits of traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay approaches, and its performance is better or comparable to those of existing SERS-based immunosensors. Our approach successfully overcomes the main challenges of application at point-of-care, including increasing reproducibility, sensitivity, and specificity, associated with an environmentally friendly and robust design. Also, the proposed design withstands several cycles of regeneration, a feature absent in paper-SERS immunoassays and this opens the way for sensitive multiplexing applications on a microfluidic platform.preprintpublishe

Efectos del programa de gestión personal en la promoción de la actividad física en adolescentes

Las enfermedades cardiovasculares son la principal causa de muerte prematura en todo el mundo. La prevención del sedentarismo es pues una preocupación de la salud pública. El desarollo de hábitos de actividad física debe ser uno de los principales objetivos de las políticas de educación para la salud en las que la Educación Física en las escuelas tiene un papel fundamental. El objetivo del presente estudio es verificar la eficacia de un programa de promoción de la actividad física en adolescentes en el medio escolar. El programa se ha desarollado en ocho sesiones (una a la semana) en las cuales se han enseñado estrategias cognoscitivas y de comportamiento que facilitaran la implicación en actividades físicas a lo largo de la vida. Se evaluaron las intenciones de comportamiento, en cuatro momentos distintos a lo largo del año lectivo: evaluación de control, pre-test, post-test y evaluación de seguimiento. Estos momentos delimitan tres fases del estudio: periodo de control (cuatro semanas), periodo experimental (nueve semanas) y periodo de seguimiento (ocho semanas). Los niveles de actividad física han disminuido de una forma significativa durante los periodos de control y de seguimientos y han aumentado durante el periodo experimental, aunque no de forma significativa. Las intenciones de comportamiento han aumentado significativamente durante la intervención y disminuido durante el periodo de seguimiento. Se sugiere que una intervención más prolongada podría ser necesaria para alterar de un forma consistente los hábitos de los individuos.Cradiovascular diseases actually are the main cause of death all around the world. Sedentarism prevention is a first line preocupation for the public health authorities. The development of physical activity habits must be one the main aims for the eduaction on the youth. The objective of the present study, is to verify the efficacy of a program of physical activity promotion of teenagers in the school. This program was developed by the physical education teachers, and directed to the different groups of young schoolars. The duration of the program was a total of eight sessions. Each session was performed one time at week. The content of each session are programed in order to provide strategies both cognoscitive and behavioural to the students, which facilitate their adherence to the physical activities lifelong. We evaluated the behavior intentions, at four different moments during the school periode: control, pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. These moments are the three phases of the study: control (four weeks); experimental phase (nine weeks); and follow-up (eight weeks). The results shown that the physical activity levels decreased during the phases number one and three, and increased during the experimental phase, but not significatively. However, the behaviour intentions increased significatively during the intervention phase, and decreased at the follow-uperiod. We suggest that one intervention more extented could be necessary in order to obtanin a singificatively change over the individuals behavior

The relationship between social physique anxiety and psychosocial health in adolescents

Revista de Psicologia da Criança e do Adolescente. - ISSN 1647-4120. - V. 9, n. 1 (Janeiro-Dezembro 2018). - p. 31-47.Social physique anxiety (SPA) is a subtype of social anxiety that relates to body concerns in social contexts and has been proposed as an indicator of psychosocial adjustment in adolescents. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of SPA with a number psychosocial and behaviour variables in adolescents. A nationally representative sample of 3331 8th- and 10th-grade students completed a survey as a part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. SPA was positively associated with poor health symptoms, larger body shape and being on a diet, while it was negatively associated with physical activity and social support. Girls, those who thought were much too fat and those who were or should be on a diet had higher SPA scores than their counterparts. Hierarchical regression analysis indicate that gender (β = .20), being on a diet (β = -.27), physical activity behaviour (β = -.06), body shape (β = -.14), psychological symptoms (β = .15) and parental (β = -.07) and peer communication (β = -.07) were significant predictors of SPA. No significant interactions with gender were significant. Interventions should help adolescents deal with the pressures of achieving a socially desirable body shape and weight, including selfacceptance and seeking appropriate social support