Understanding the experiences of heavy smokers after exercise

There is now strong evidence that exercise has an acute effect on the urge to smoke and the accompanying withdrawal symptoms. However, the perceptions by heavy smokers of exercise and its relationship to the urge to smoke have not been well documented. The aim of the present study is to understand the experiences of heavy smokers with regard to exercise and its effect on their urge to smoke. Five physically inactive, heavy smokers are asked to abstain from smoking the night before exercising on a cycle ergometer under two conditions (one at medium and one at vigorous intensity done a week apart). Semi-structured, in-depth interviews are conducted after the second exercise session. Thematic analysis reveals six themes describing the participants’ experience of exercise, urge to smoke, exercise preferences, exercise and smoking relationship, exercise as an aid to quit smoking, and the effects of the experimental procedure. Overall, the participants’ experiences support the existing literature, which has posited affective, biological, and cognitive mechanisms contributing to a delay in the urge to smoke after exercise. The main findings pertain to: (1) the “feel-good” effect after exercise as a relief from the “feel-bad” effect during exercise; (2) the decreased urge to smoke after exercise, stated by all participants regardless of reported positive and negative feelings; and (3) exercise as a “clearing the mind” mechanism rather than an attention-distracting mechanism

TRAINING SPORT COACHES FOR ATHLETES WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES: THE TEAMUP PROJECT

This paper presents the Erasmus + TeamUp project which aimed to provide basic skills and knowledge to sport coaches in order to enable them to work with individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and act as facilitators in their own country and local community transmitting this knowledge and values. The rationale for conducting the program is analyzed and its aims and objectives are described, with emphasis given on all relative educational material developed for application in sport and physical education settings. In particular, one of the main activities of the program was the development of the educational package by the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, aiming to increase knowledge and skills of sport coaches in three different chapters concerning ID, Special Olympics and Paralympic Games, individualized education programming and physical activity adaptations and inclusion strategies for athletes with ID, respectively. Dissemination of this educational package and results of sport coaches’ responses from Greece, Croatia, Romania and Spain to three online questionnaires relative to the three topics created, are also presented and analyzed. Finally, practical implications and suggestions for further development are discussed. Article visualizations

Association among University Students’ Motivation, Resilience, Perceived Competence, and Classroom Climate from the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory

Self-determination theory (SDT) suggests that motivation can interact with resilience and perceived competence. The climate-related characteristics of the classroom can influence student motivation. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between the differentiated motivation of theoretical and practical teaching, resilience, and perceived competence, considering the number of students per class and the profiles of the lecturers. A total of 789 students participated (mean age = 19.31; SD = 3.37) from Psychology, Nursing, and Education degrees from different Spanish universities. The BRS (resilience), PCNS (perceived competence), and PLOC-U (university student motivation) questionnaires were used with a new scale designed ad hoc to measure motivation in practical teaching. Student-to-class ratios and different levels of teaching experience were also recorded. A test–retest design was used to verify the stability of the measures before and after the examination of the subjects. Intrinsic motivation in practical teaching was significantly associated with resilience (r = 0.09, p < 0.03) and perceived competence (r = 0.23, p < 0.01), and in theoretical teaching, it was associated only with perceived competence (r = 20, p < 0.01). The factorial analysis of the new subscale of the PLOC-U for the measurement of motivation in practical teaching presented a good fit and reliability (α = 0.60 to 0.84) in the five factors. Test–retest analyses revealed good temporal stability. Students in small groups with more experienced lecturers scored higher on intrinsic motivation, particularly in practical classes. The stable and reliable measurement of the different types of student motivation allows their analysis and association with other variables of interest in university education, which could lead to significant improvements in teaching planning.The APC was partially funded by the University of the Basque Country and by the Biodonostia Health Research Institute

Sports graduate capabilities and competencies: a comparison of graduate and employer perceptions in six EU countries

The graduate employment market faces ever-increasing socio-economic and political pressures. Higher Education Institutions and the sport sector in the EU have an important role in contributing to graduate employment. The aims of the study were: (1) to assess general perceptions of employability, and (2) to assess sports graduates’ and employers’ perceptions of specific capabilities and competencies in order to identify possible improvements for sports graduate employability programmes. A cross-sectional survey of sports graduates and employers was administered in six EU countries including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Greece and the Czech Republic to assess graduate and employer perceptions. A graduate capabilities and competencies framework was devised to assess personal, interpersonal, cognitive, role-specific and generic skills. Responses were elicited from 1132 sports graduates and 327 employers. There was generally a wide difference of opinion between employers and sports graduates in terms of the importance and possession of a number of capabilities and competencies. There is a need for the Higher Education sector and employers to take responsibility in ensuring that work experience, work placement and volunteering opportunities are embedded in curricula and to ensure the fitness of purpose of what and how graduate capabilities and competencies are assessed

DE-PASS Best Evidence Statement (BESt): modifiable determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents aged 5–19 years–a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Physical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the substantial efforts made by researchers and policymakers. Identifying and furthering our understanding of potential modifiable determinants of physical activity behaviour (PAB) and sedentary behaviour (SB) is crucial for the development of interventions that promote a shift from SB to PAB. The current protocol details the process through which a series of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (MAs) will be conducted to produce a best-evidence statement (BESt) and inform policymakers. The overall aim is to identify modifiable determinants that are associated with changes in PAB and SB in children and adolescents (aged 5–19 years) and to quantify their effect on, or association with, PAB/SB. Methods and analysis A search will be performed in MEDLINE, SportDiscus, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled trials (CTs) that investigate the effect of interventions on PAB/SB and longitudinal studies that investigate the associations between modifiable determinants and PAB/SB at multiple time points will be sought. Risk of bias assessments will be performed using adapted versions of Cochrane’s RoB V.2.0 and ROBINS-I tools for RCTs and CTs, respectively, and an adapted version of the National Institute of Health’s tool for longitudinal studies. Data will be synthesised narratively and, where possible, MAs will be performed using frequentist and Bayesian statistics. Modifiable determinants will be discussed considering the settings in which they were investigated and the PAB/SB measurement methods used. Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is needed as no primary data will be collected. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and academic conferences where possible. The BESt will also be shared with policy makers within the DE-PASS consortium in the first instance

DE-PASS Best Evidence Statement (BESt):modifiable determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents aged 5–19 years–a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Physical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the substantial efforts made by researchers and policymakers. Identifying and furthering our understanding of potential modifiable determinants of physical activity behaviour (PAB) and sedentary behaviour (SB) is crucial for the development of interventions that promote a shift from SB to PAB. The current protocol details the process through which a series of systematic literature reviews (SLRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) will be conducted to produce a best-evidence statement (BESt) and inform policy makers. The overall aim is to identify modifiable determinants that are associated with changes in PAB and SB in children and adolescents (aged 5-19 years) and to quantify their effect on, or association with, PAB/SB. Methods and analysis: A search will be performed in MEDLINE, SportDiscus, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled trials (CTs) that investigate the effect of interventions on PAB/SB and longitudinal studies that investigate the associations between modifiable determinants and PAB/SB at multiple time points will be sought. Risk of bias assessments will be performed using adapted versions of Cochrane’s RoB 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools for RCTs and CTs, respectively, and an adapted version of the National Institute of Health’s tool for longitudinal studies. Data will be synthesised narratively and, where possible, MAs will be performed using frequentist and Bayesian statistics. Modifiable determinants will be discussed considering the settings in which they were investigated and the PAB/SB measurement methods used. Ethics and dissemination: No ethical approval is needed as no primary data will be collected. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and academic conferences where possible. The BESt will also be shared with policy makers within the DE-PASS consortium in the first instance. Systematic review registration: CRD4202128287

DE-PASS Best Evidence Statement (BESt): modifiable determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents aged 5-19 years-a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Physical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the substantial efforts made by researchers and policymakers. Identifying and furthering our understanding of potential modifiable determinants of physical activity behaviour (PAB) and sedentary behaviour (SB) is crucial for the development of interventions that promote a shift from SB to PAB. The current protocol details the process through which a series of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (MAs) will be conducted to produce a best-evidence statement (BESt) and inform policymakers. The overall aim is to identify modifiable determinants that are associated with changes in PAB and SB in children and adolescents (aged 5-19 years) and to quantify their effect on, or association with, PAB/SB. Methods and analysis A search will be performed in MEDLINE, SportDiscus, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled trials (CTs) that investigate the effect of interventions on PAB/SB and longitudinal studies that investigate the associations between modifiable determinants and PAB/SB at multiple time points will be sought. Risk of bias assessments will be performed using adapted versions of Cochrane's RoB V.2.0 and ROBINS-I tools for RCTs and CTs, respectively, and an adapted version of the National Institute of Health's tool for longitudinal studies. Data will be synthesised narratively and, where possible, MAs will be performed using frequentist and Bayesian statistics. Modifiable determinants will be discussed considering the settings in which they were investigated and the PAB/SB measurement methods used. Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is needed as no primary data will be collected. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and academic conferences where possible. The BESt will also be shared with policy makers within the DE-PASS consortium in the first instance. Systematic review registration CRD42021282874

Sport, activité physique et santé chez l'enfant

There is widespread acknowledgement of the importance of promoting physical activity in children and youth for reasons of health. This paper reviews contemporary research findings, drawing mainly on a research programme at the University of Exeter, England, concerned with children in health-related exercise and physical activity. In particular, the research focusses on the psychological outcomes of physical activity (mainly enjoyment and self-esteem) , as well as important motivational issues, such as new approaches to understanding intrinsic motivation in children.L'effet de l'activité physique sur la santé de l'enfant et de l'adolescent est largement reconnu. Cet article répertorie les recherches actuelles sur ce thème et se centre particulièrement sur un programme réalisé à l'Université d'Exeter en Angleterre. En particulier, les travaux ont porté sur la dimension psychologique de l'activité physique (essentiellement l'amusement, le plaisir et l'estime de soi), ainsi que les composantes motivationnelles et notamment la motivation intrinsèque.Biddle Stuart, Goudas Marios. Sport, activité physique et santé chez l'enfant. In: Enfance, n°2-3, 1994. pp. 135-144