A Comparison of Depression and Anxiety among University Students in Nine Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The mental health of young adults, particularly students, is at high risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this studywas to examine differences inmental health between university students in nine countries during the pandemic. The study encompassed 2349 university students (69% female) from Colombia, the Czech Republic (Czechia), Germany, Israel, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Participants underwent the following tests: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Exposure to COVID-19 (EC-19), Perceived Impact of Coronavirus (PIC) on students’ well-being, PhysicalActivity (PA), andGeneral Self-ReportedHealth (GSRH). The one-wayANOVAshowed significant differences between countries. The highest depression and anxiety risk occurred in Turkey, the lowest depression in the Czech Republic and the lowest anxiety in Germany. The 2 independence test showed that EC-19, PIC, and GSRHwere associatedwith anxiety and depression inmost of the countries, whereas PA was associated in less than half of the countries. Logistic regression showed distinct risk factors for each country. Gender and EC-19 were the most frequent predictors of depression and anxiety across the countries. The role of gender and PA for depression and anxiety is not universal and depends on cross-cultural differences. Students’mental health should be addressed froma cross-cultural perspective

Cele współczesnego wychowania fizycznego w opinii nauczycieli południowo-zachodniej Polski

Celem pracy było poznanie opinii nauczycieli wychowania fizycznego na temat celów nauczanego przedmiotu. Opinia ta analizowana była na podstawie dokonanej przez respondentów hierarchii. Badaniami objęto 444 nauczycieli wychowania fizycznego szkół podstawowych (II etap edukacji), gimnazjalnych i ponadgimnazjalnych. Terenem badań była południowo-zachodnia Polska, województwa: śląskie, opolskie i dolnośląskie. W badaniach zastosowano metodę sondażu diagnostycznego, technikę ankietową. Jako narzędzie badawcze zastosowano kwestionariusz opracowany przez Europejskie Stowarzyszenie Wychowania Fizycznego. Na podstawie uzyskanych wyników stwierdzono, że najwyższe miejsce w hierarchii zajmuje cel dotyczący przygotowania uczniów do prowadzenia aktywnego i zdrowego stylu życia. W grupie badanych nauczycieli nie stwierdzono różnic międzypłciowych w hierarchizacji celów wychowania fizycznego. Spośród zmiennych uwzględnionych w analizie opinii nauczycieli, miejsce pracy (szkoła: podstawowa, gimnazjalna i ponadgimnazjalna) w największym stopniu różnicowało hierarchizację celów. Istotne statystyczne różnice wystąpiły w odniesieniu do sześciu celów wychowania fizycznego.The aim of this study was to get to know physical education teachers’ opinion about the objectives of an education school subject. Their opinions were analysed on the basis of goals hierarchy given by the respondents. Research included 444 PE teachers in primary schools (the second stage of education), middle schools and secondary schools. Research covered the south-west regions of Poland including the following provinces: Silesia, Opole province and Lower Silesia. Diagnostic survey using questionnaires was applied. In the survey as a research tool the questionnaire created by the European Physical Society was used. On the basis of the outcomes it was claimed that the highest place in goals hierarchy takes the goal concerning the preparation of school students to an active and healthy lifestyle. In a group of questioned teachers no gender difference in goals hierarchy was noted. Among variables taken into account in the analysis of teachers’ opinions the place of work (primary school, middle school and secondary school) greatly determined variation between different goals hierarchy. A statistically significant difference appeared between six objectives of physical education

Zdrowie jako cel wychowania fizycznego – między teorią a praktyką szkolną

Celem przedstawionego w artykule badania była ocena podejścia nauczycieli wychowania fizycznego do zdrowotnych aspektów prowadzonego przez nich przedmiotu w kontekście nowych zadań wynikających z aktualnych przepisów oświatowych. W badaniu ankietowym wzięło udział 444 nauczycieli wychowania fizycznego i 1544 uczniów z klas maturalnych. Nauczyciele wysoko lokowali zdrowy styl życia i zdrowie wśród 13 celów wychowania fizycznego. Jednocześnie ok. 40% uczniów uznało, że nauczyciele nie są dla nich źródłem wiedzy o zdrowiu, a 15% uczennic i 19% uczniów stwierdziło, że nigdy nie słyszało o zdrowiu podczas lekcji wychowania fizycznego. Nauczyciel wychowania fizycznego nie jest wzorem zdrowego stylu życia dla ok. 32% dziewcząt i blisko 40% chłopców. Niezbędne wydaje się znowelizowane programów kształcenia przyszłych nauczycieli wychowania fizycznego w szkołach wyższych. Kompetencje w zakresie prowadzenia programów promocji zdrowia i metodyki edukacji zdrowotnej powinny zajmować znaczące miejsce w systemie kształcenia i doskonalenia tej grupy zawodowej. Szczególnie istotne wydaje się doskonalenie w zakresie metod i form organizacyjnych zajęć ruchowych, uwzględniających celowy przekaz informacji o zdrowiu – zwiększenie intelektualizacji procesu wychowania fizycznego

Changes in Stress, Coping Styles, and Life Satisfaction between the First and Second Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Study in a Sample of University Students

In this study, we aimed to explain the interplay mechanism between stress, life satisfaction, and coping styles among university students. A cohort study was performed during the first (wave 1; W1) and second (wave 2; W2) waves of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The total sample included 231 university students, of which 59.31% were women. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) were included in one online survey. Stress, emotion-oriented, and avoidance-oriented coping styles increased from W1 to W2 of the COVID-19 pandemic, while life satisfaction and task-oriented coping decreased. The partial mediation effect of all three coping styles during W1 and W2 (in a cross-sectional approach) on the relationship between perceived stress and life satisfaction was confirmed in this study. The task-oriented and emotion-oriented coping styles can play a mediating role in the reciprocal relationship between life satisfaction and perceived stress during W1 and W2 of the pandemic. There were no mutual interactions between stress and life satisfaction from a longitudinal approach. Coping styles changed subsequently due to stressful environmental changes related to lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having a wide range of coping strategies from which to choose during an unstable situation should help manage stress and well-being

GOALS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION BASED ON OPINIONS OF ACADEMIC TEACHERS FROM SELECTED POLISH UNIVERSITIES

To achieve its aim, any human activity needs to be performed consciously and purposefully. In this way, such an activity strengthens perseverance and contributes to the development of a strategy of action. The selection of the objective is associated with the valuation and hierarchy of goals and in such circumstances the teacher who targets the completion o a variety of tasks needs to determine what is important for them, prioritise, and establish which activities are indispensable in order to proceed to further steps (Strelau, 2000). Physical education forms a process through which students are prepared for an independent, satisfying and life-long participation in movement culture(Crum, 2007). However, the realization of these goals is relative to activities on the part of teachers and adequate education throughout the course of the study program. The objective of this paper is to establish the opinions of academic teachers regarding the hierarchy of the goals of physical education. The survey involved 52 teachers working at three Polish universities: Opole University of Technology, University of Physical Education in Katowice and State Higher Vocational School in Racibórz. The method involved a diagnostic technique, i.e. a survey in the form of a questionnaire. The specific tool applied a survey developed by the European Physical Education Association. On the basis of the replies to the questionnaire we can conclude that all interviewees agree on the principal objective i.e. encouraging students to follow an active and healthy lifestyle. This objective was followed in priority by ensuring students’ safety during physical education classes and developing the range of movement skills

HIERARCHY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION GOALS AS AN EXPRESSION OF EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES AMONG POLISH TEACHERS

The work of teachers has to be purposeful and well thought-out in order to achieve desired results. Both theory and practice show that achieving success must be combined with the adequate setting of educational goals and their organization within a specific hierarchy. The crucial research issue here consists of diagnosis of preferences concerning the hierarchy of physical education goals. A questionnaire developed by the European Physical Education Association has been used as the research tool. Teachers perceived the goal of "encouraging students to lead an active, healthy lifestyle" as the most important consideration. The lowest rank was applied to goals connected with shaping the social competences of pupils

Correction: Rogowska et al. Changes in Stress, Coping Styles, and Life Satisfaction between the First and Second Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Study in a Sample of University Students. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 4025

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...

Zachowania zdrowotne studentów wychowania fizycznego

The purpose of this study is to examine the healthy behaviors in undergraduate students of physical education (PE) with a comparison between gender and majors. A content analysis of Polish and foreign authors’ publications was performed by searching the following database: EBSCO, Proquest, Science Direct (Elsevier), Springer, Sage, and Wiley. Research indicates that undergraduates demonstrate, in general, low levels of healthy lifestyle behaviors, especially regarding diet, psychoactive substance use, coping with stress, physical activity and preventive behavior. PE students present with a high level of health-risk behavior. On the other hand, some research showed that PE students scored better than their peers of other areas of study in selected dimensions of health-related behavior. The majority of studies indicate that female students scored significantly better than male students in health-related behavior. Health promotion programs should be implemented at campuses and universities for the maintenance and improvement of a healthy lifestyle among students of all areas of study.Celem tej pracy jest analiza zachowań zdrowotnych studentów wychowania fizycznego (WF), w porównaniu płci i kierunków studiów. Przeprowadzono analizę treści publikacji autorów polskich i zagranicznych, przeszukując następujące bazy danych: EBSCO, Proquest, Science Direct (Elsevier), Springer, Sage i Wiley. Wyniki badań wskazują, że studenci prezentują ogólnie niski poziom zdrowego stylu życia, w odniesieniu do diety, zażywania substancji psychoaktywnych, radzenia sobie ze stresem, aktywności fizycznej i zachowań profilaktycznych. Studenci WF przedstawiają raczej wysoki poziom zachowań ryzykownych dla zdrowia. Z drugiej strony, niektóre badania wykazały, że studenci wychowania fizycznego uzyskali wyższe wyniki niż ich koledzy z innych wydziałów w niektórych wymiarach zachowań zdrowotnych. Większość badań wskazuje, że studentki uzyskują znacznie wyższe wyniki w zachowaniach zdrowotnych niż studenci. Programy promocji zdrowia powinny być wdrażane na kampusach i uniwersytetach w celu utrzymania i poprawy zdrowego stylu życia wśród studentów wszystkich kierunków studiów

The Mediating Role of Orthorexia in the Relationship between Physical Activity and Fear of COVID-19 among University Students in Poland

Previous research showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the wellbeing and lifestyle of populations worldwide, including eating and physical activity (PA) patterns. The present study aims to examine the mediating effect of orthorexia on the relationship between PA and fear of COVID-19. A sample of 473 university students from Poland of a mean age of 22 years (M = 22.04, SD = 2.90, 47% of women) participated in the cross-sectional online survey study. Continuous variables were measured using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and the Test of Orthorexia Nervosa (TON-17), while categorical variables divided participants into the physically active and inactive group regarding WHO criteria (150 min per week). Weak gender differences were found. Active people showed lower fear of COVID-19 and higher orthorexia scores than those inactive. Orthorexia was found as a suppressor variable, which increases the negative predictive value of PA on fear of COVID-19. The model of cooperative suppression explained 7% of FCV-19S. The mechanism of mediation showed that health-related behavior could help reduce fear of COVID-19, but caution is necessary for people with addictive behavior tendencies. Universities should support university students by offering programs focused on increasing healthy lifestyles and improving wellbeing

A Path Model for Subjective Well-Being during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study among Polish and Ukrainian University Students

Background: Previous studies showed several associations between physical and mental health dimensions and well-being. This study aims to examine a complex path model explaining the life satisfaction of university students from Poland and Ukraine during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The cross-sectional web-based study was performed in November 2020 using Google Forms. The conventional sample of 3230 university students from Poland (n = 1581) and Ukraine (n = 1649), aged 18–59 (M = 21.40, SD = 3.46), with 59% women, participated in the study. We used standardized questionnaires to measure life satisfaction (SWLS), self-reported physical health (GSRH), perceived stress (PSS-10), coronavirus-related PTSD (PCL-S), anxiety (GAD-7), and depression (PHQ-9). We also developed some questions to assess the exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, positive effects of the pandemic, religiosity, and physical activity (PA). Results: We found a high prevalence of stress, coronavirus-related PTSD, anxiety, and depression and a low level of life satisfaction and physical health. Polish students, women, and those with insufficient PA levels reported worse physical and mental health than Ukrainians, men, and those who exercised sufficiently during the pandemic. Low perceived stress can directly predict life satisfaction, anxiety, and depression. Low stress also leads to better physical health, sufficient PA levels, high religiosity, and more perceived positive effects of the pandemic. Several indirect effects between particular variables and life satisfaction were also found in the path model. Conclusions: The target group for campus prevention programs is Polish university students, women, and people with insufficient PA levels. Intervention and prevention programs should focus on coping strategies and techniques for improving mental and physical health