Mental Well-being and Life Satisfaction among Mountain Hikers in the Sultanate of Oman

هدفت هذه الدراسة المقطعية إلى التعرف على مستوى الرضا عن الحياة ومستوى الرفاهية النفسية لدى ممارسي رياضة مشي الجبال في سلطنة عُمان، كما هدفت إلى التعرف على العلاقة بين الرضا عن الحياة والرفاهية النفسية. ولتحقيق هذه الأهداف طبقت الصورة المصغرة لمقياس وورويك-إدنبره للرفاهية النفسية (SWEMWBS) ومقياس الرضا عن الحياة (SWLS) على عينة من الممارسين المنتظمين لرياضة مشي الجبال في سلطنة عُمان خلال شهر فبراير 2022.  وقد تألفت العينة من 157 ممارسًا تراوحت أعمارهم بين 24 – 58 (م = 38.7، ع = 9.1) يمثلون قرابة 40% من مجمل ممارسي هذه الرياضة من الذكور في سلطنة عمان. وقد أظهرت النتائج أن ممارسي رياضة مشي الجبال في سلطنة عمان لديهم مستويات مرتفعة من الرضا عن الحياة ويتمتعون بمستويات عالية من الرفاهية النفسية. وكشفت النتائج أيضا بأن مستوى الرضا عن الحياة يعتبر عاملًا مهمًا في التنبؤ بمستوى الرفاهية النفسية لدى ممارسي رياضة مشي الجبال.  وبناء على ما توصلت إليه هذه الدراسة من نتائج، فإنه يوصى بأن تقوم الجهات الرسمية المعنية بتقديم كل الدعم لرياضة مشي الجبال في سلطنة عمان باعتبارها وسيلة لتعزيز الرفاهية النفسية والرضا العام عن الحياة.The current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the level of life satisfaction and the level of mental well-being among mountain hikers in the Sultanate of Oman. It also aimed to investigate the relationship between life satisfaction and psychological well-being. In order to accomplish these objectives, a sample of habitual male mountain hikers in the Sultanate of Oman responded to the Short Warwick- Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in February 2022. The sample consisted of 157 males, ages 24 to 58 (M=38.7, SD = 9.1), who collectively represented almost 40% of the nation's regular practitioners of this sport in the Sultanate of Oman. The results revealed that mountain hikers in Oman have high levels of life satisfaction and enjoy high levels of mental well-being. The results also revealed that satisfaction with life is an important factor in predicting mountain hikers’ mental well-being. Based on the study's findings, policymakers are advised to allocate resources toward promoting mountain hiking to enhance mental well-being and overall life satisfaction

University Students’ Motives to Exercise According to the Self-Determination Theory

The present study investigated exercise behavior and its motives among Sultan Qaboos University students. Self-determination theory was used to investigate the relationship between these motives and the actual exercise behavior. The study sample consisted of 263 students from the Faculty of Education at Sultan Qaboos University (129 male and 134 female). The participants completed two questionnaires: an exercise behavior questionnaire which was developed specifically for this study; and an Arabic version of the Exercise Motivation Inventory (EMI-2), which was developed by Markland and Ingledew. Descriptive statistics showed that 20% of male students and 77% of female students didn’t participate at all in any sport and exercise activities; 45% of male students and 21% of female students participated moderately in sport and exercise activities (2-3 times a week); while 35% of the male students and 2% of the female students participated intensively in sport and exercise activities (almost on daily basis). Results indicated that intrinsic motives for exercise behavior (challenge, revitalization, health, affiliation and enjoyment) were common among the male participants. However, physically active females, extrinsic motivations (ill-health avoidance, positive health, revitalization, weight management, and appearance) were the major driving forces for their exercise behavior. Results of the current study provide support for the application of the self-determination theory within the Arab context

Gender Differences and the Relationship of Motor, Cognitive and Academic Achievement in Omani Primary School-Aged Children

Until now, there has been no integrated study of the cognitive, motor and academic developments in children in the Arab world. In this study we investigated gender differences in those three areas in primary school-aged children in Oman and as well as the inter-relations between those three aspects of development. Ninety-five third graders completed four working memory tests, a mental rotation test and a motor test. Furthermore, the marks in math, science and Arabic language were registered. The result showed that there were small gender differences: Girls performed better in one of the working memory tests and boys in the coordination motor test. The study also showed that there were significant correlations between cognitive variables and academic performance, as well as two significant correlations between motor performance and marks in math and science. Marks in math correlated with the performances in the 20 m run and the coordination test, whereas the marks in science correlated with the ball-leg-wall test, the coordination test, and the endurance test. Regression analysis showed that all marks were predicted by the working memory and mental rotation performance as well as the motor ability. This means that academic achievement in Oman could be predicted by basic cognitive as well as motor abilities

Factors Affecting Attitudes of Undergraduate Students

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors affecting attitude of undergraduate students toward students with disabilities. To achieve this purpose, Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP) was administered on a sample consisted of 493 undergraduate students which were randomly selected from three Omani universities. The results of the study revealed that the general overall attitude of the participants were negative. Gender differences were detected. Female students scored significantly higher on the attitudes scale compared to their male counterparts. In addition, senior students attained higher scores compared to freshman, sophomore, and junior students

Motor ability and working memory in Omani and German primary school-aged children

This study investigated the motor ability and working memory performance of Omani and German primary school-aged children. One hundred eighty-five children from public schools participated in a gross motor test that integrated whole body coordination, three different ball tasks, and a 20-meter run. Furthermore, they completed four working memory tests (the Digit-Span Test forward and backwards and the Corsi Block-Tapping Test forward and backwards). Two MANOVAS with the different motor and working memory tests and one univariate analysis of the general motor ability with the between-subject factors group and gender were conducted. Additionally, correlations between motor ability and working memory scores were executed. German children outperformed Omani children in the overall measurement of motor ability, (p = .01) and all aspects of working memory, (all p<.015). There were no correlations between motor and cognitive variables, when analyzing the results for the Omani and German children separately. These findings may be a result of different educational styles or socioeconomic status and must be investigated in more detail

Attitudes of Pre-school Teachers towards Movement Education

Educators’ attitudes have drawn attention of researchers worldwide, where numerous studies have been conducted to explore the factors that influence educators’ attitudes toward educational topics in order to understand them and direct them in ways that contribute to the enhancement of the educational practices. In this study, we aimed to identify attitudes of early childhood educators in the Sultanate of Oman towards movement education, and to investigate the differences in attitudes according to nationality and qualification. The sample of this study consisted of 201 pre-school female educators in the Sultanate of Oman. The participants responded to Attitudes towards Movement Education Scale, which consisted of three dimensions (emotional, cognitive and behavioral). This scale was designed and modified for the purpose of this study. The results of this study revealed that the participants’ attitudes towards movement education were positive in general. The emotional dimension ranked first (87.7%), followed by the cognitive (82.6%) and behavioral dimensions (78.8%). The results also showed that there were differences in attitudes towards movement education due to educators’ nationality and educational levels

PHYSICAL FITNESS ATTRIBUTES, VITAMIN D, DEPRESSION, AND BMD IN OMANI’S CHILDREN

Physical fitness attributes, vitamin D, depression, and BMD in Omani’s Children 9-12 years old were investigated in 54 girls and 42 boys (average age of 12.9 ± 1.6) to assess health related fitness, body composition. Eighty two percent of the females and forty two percent of the males were deficient in vitamin D (&lt;50 nmol/L). Those females deficit in vitamin D were associated with higher fat percentage compared to those with normal vitamin D status. There were no significant differences in all physical exercise attribute scores (p &gt; 0.05) in females between those with normal and those with low vitamin D levels. These results were also replicated in males except for grip and cardio-respiratory components. Initial analysis also indicates that the prevalence of symptoms of depression among Omani children was 32% ranging from mild to severe depression with negative correlation with vitamin D deficiency is significant at the 0.01 level (-0.353 2-tailed). The females are deficient in vitamin D, might be susceptible to the early diagnosis of osteoporosis and depression due to their deficiency. Children should be involved in physical activity program and meet the required sunlight exposure during all season to gain a healthy lifestyle

Factors Affecting the Satisfaction of Sultan Qaboos University Students about Remote Academic Advising during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to investigate the level of satisfaction of Sultan Qaboos University students with remote academic advising during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aimed to explore the factors that might affect the extent of satisfaction, such as gender, academic year, and the nationality of the academic advisor. To achieve these aims, the researchers developed an academic advising satisfaction survey. The survey consisted of three sub-scales, namely, satisfaction with the advisor\u27s competence and information, satisfaction with the advisor\u27s interest and enthusiasm, and satisfaction with the ease of communication with the advisor. The survey was distributed to a sample of 490 undergraduate students (248 males and 242 females) during the COVID-19 period in the Spring 2021 semester. The study results showed that the students were highly satisfied with the competence and information of the academic advisors. At the same time, they expressed moderate levels of satisfaction with the advisors\u27 interest and enthusiasm and the ease of communication with the advisors. The results also revealed that students supervised by Omani faculty members are more satisfied with academic advising than students supervised by non-Omani faculty members. In addition, the results showed that third-year students and above are more satisfied with academic advising than their first and second-year counterparts. Keywords: Academic advising, distance learning, Covid-19, Sultan Qaboos Universit

University Students’ Motives to Exercise According to the Self-Determination Theory

The present study investigated exercise behavior and its motives among Sultan Qaboos University students. Self-determination theory was used to investigate the relationship between these motives and the actual exercise behavior. The study sample consisted of 263 students from the Faculty of Education at Sultan Qaboos University (129 male and 134 female). The participants completed two questionnaires: an exercise behavior questionnaire which was developed specifically for this study; and an Arabic version of the Exercise Motivation Inventory (EMI-2), which was developed by Markland and Ingledew. Descriptive statistics showed that 20% of male students and 77% of female students didn’t participate at all in any sport and exercise activities; 45% of male students and 21% of female students participated moderately in sport and exercise activities (2-3 times a week); while 35% of the male students and 2% of the female students participated intensively in sport and exercise activities (almost on daily basis). Results indicated that intrinsic motives for exercise behavior (challenge, revitalization, health, affiliation and enjoyment) were common among the male participants. However, physically active females, extrinsic motivations (ill-health avoidance, positive health, revitalization, weight management, and appearance) were the major driving forces for their exercise behavior. Results of the current study provide support for the application of the self-determination theory within the Arab context.

Gender differences in mental rotation in Oman and Germany

Gender differences in mental rotation often show that males are superior at this task. This study explored gender differences in two nations, which have disparities in their gender equality. While Germany represents a western liberal culture, Oman represents a conservative eastern culture. Students from Germany (119) and Oman (120) completed a mental rotation test, a cognitive processing speed test and a questionnaire of physical activity. The results show a significantly better mental rotation performance for the German students compared to Oman students and an overall, gender difference across both cultures. Furthermore, German students outperformed Oman students in cognitive processing speed but there were no gender differences between the cultures. We conclude that mental rotation performance is related to nation, gender and cognitive processing speed. The results are discussedin the frame of how education systems developed in Germany and Oman. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved