Professional competencies of healthand fitness instructors: do they match the european standard?

The aim of this study was to test professional competencies of the sample of health and fitness instructors (HFIs) according to EuropeActive’s educational standards at level 3 referenced to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and to explore the associations between the formal education of HFIs and their current competencies. The core knowledge (CK) of 155 HFIs and the specific knowledge (SK) of 54 fitness instructors (FIs) and 35 group fitness instructors (GFIs) were analysed. In addition, 43 FIs and 35 GFIs underwent an examination of their practical skills. Only 11 (7.1%) of the HFIs met the requirements for the CK. We found no significant differences by age, education, type of employment, or professional experience for the CK test. No FIs passed the test for SK. Only 10 (15.6%) of the GFIs passed the test for SK. However, adequate practical instruction skills were found for the FIs (n=29, 70.7%), as well as for the GFIs (n=31, 91.2%). Only three HFIs passed the overall examination for the educational standards at EQF-level 3. The results highlight the importance of testing the competencies of HFIs in other European countries and of promoting the need for lifelong learning for HFIs. The competencies of HFIs are an important source of trust for healthcare providers and other sector stakeholders implementing the strategy for the prevention of non-communicable diseases

Physical fitness assessment in wheelchair basketball: A mini-review

Wheelchair basketball (WB) is a Paralympic sport ideated for people with motor disabilities, and the research on this topic still requires attention. It is fundamental to evaluate physical fitness characteristics with appropriate tests and standardized routines to plan and monitor the training. Considering that a standard operating procedure is a document that makes the test battery replicable, the objective of the present study was to review the literature on physical fitness assessment in WB players and to create a standard operating procedure

ACTIVE PREGNANCY: workshop on promotion of physical activity in pregnancy for exercise professionals

Introduction: A one-day workshop on promotion of physical activity in pregnancy for exercise professionals was delivered during 2021, to 137 participants. The main aim of this workshop was to motivate and prepare exercise professionals for promoting physical activity and implementing prenatal exercise programs, in their respective private or public fitness centers or other physical activity settings. Methods: The contents of the workshop were focused on six topics based on the “Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise Specialist” educational standards by EuropeActive and the “Exercise and Physical Activity during Pregnancy and Postpartum” textbook published by Springer. Participants provided feedback on the effectiveness and satisfaction with the workshop. Results: Overall evaluations from the feedback forms showed that majority of the participants agreed that the workshop achieved its objectives with a major recommendation as to the organization of more short duration workshops, the inclusion of practical sessions, and the separation of the contents addressing the postpartum period. Discussion: The workshop on promotion of physical activity in pregnancy for exercise professionals was successfully organized and the participants are looking forward for future ones

Are Adolescent Body Image Concerns Associated with Health-Compromising Physical Activity Behaviours?

The present study aimed to assess the-prevalence of health-compromising eating and physical activity behaviours, and to test their associations with physical activity, internalisation of sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, and body image in a sample of adolescents of both genders. A total sample of 736 adolescents (437 or 59.4% were girls) participated in the study. The participants ranged in age from 16 to 19 years (x = 17.2, SD = 0.6). The sample completed a questionnaire measuring body mass index, the risk of eating disorders, body image, internalisation of sociocultural ideals of appearance, health-compromising eating behaviours (HCEB), and health-compromising weight control related to physical activity behaviours (HCPAB). Logistic regressions were used to assess the associations between the study variables and predictors of HCEB and HCPAB. The results of the study showed a relatively high prevalence of HCEB with a significantly higher prevalence in girls and participants with a higher BMI. The study also demonstrated that the prevalence of adolescent HCPAB was higher than HCEB. The internalisation of sociocultural attitudes towards appearance and body image concerns were higher in the HCEB and HCPAB groups. Female gender (OR = 1.88; 95% PI = 1.10–3.18), HCPAB (OR = 1.19; 95% PI = 1.10–1.28), a preoccupation with being overweight (OR = 3.43; 95% PI = 2.52–4.66), and body weight evaluation as too high (OR = 2.40; 95% PI = 1.57–3.68) were significant predictors of HCEB. More frequent physical activity (OR = 3.02; 95% PI = 1.76–5.17), HCEB (OR = 1.22; 95% PI = 1.11–1.32), and perceived pressures to conform to popular beauty ideals (OR = 1.51; 95% PI = 1.12–2.03) predicted higher HCPAB. HCPAB is an important variable associated with adolescents’ body image, physical activity, and weight control. The results of the present study are important for health promotion and education programs addressing adolescents’ healthy lifestyle, weight control, and body image concerns

The evaluation of dual-task conditions on static postural control in the older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BACKGROUND: In postural stability evaluation, the dual-task concept is often adopted in order to create a more challenging situation. The dual-task consists of performing simultaneously two tasks, a primary static or dynamic motor task and an additional secondary cognitive task. Usually, a multitask condition leads to a reduction in the postural control performance, especially in older adults. Considering the wide spectrum of secondary task conditions existing in scientific literature, the present manuscript aims to write a peer-reviewed protocol that will be used in a systematic review and meta-analysis performed to identify the effects of different secondary tasks conditions in a population of older adults during static postural stability. METHODS: The study will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and for this manuscript, the PRISMA Protocol. PICOS criteria (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes, study design) will be also followed. The population examined will be healthy older adults over 60 years of age and all quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods study design will be included. Original articles will be also included if written in English, while no restriction criteria will be applied to the country of origin. Instead, reviews, meta-analysis, abstracts, citations, scientific conferences, opinion pieces, books, books reviews, statements, letters, editorials, non-peer reviewed journals articles, and commentaries will be excluded. The research of literature will be performed using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus with words related to the topic. From each included study, information previously agreed will be extracted and inserted into a spreadsheet and a narrative synthesis containing summary tables and graphs will describe the articles taken in examination. Furthermore, a meta-analysis will be performed to establish which DT condition has a greater effect following the Hedges and Olkin approach, extension of Glass' method and Cohen's d will be calculated. DISCUSSION: The present manuscript wants to provide the protocol that will be used in the systematic review and meta-analysis with the intent to inform the researchers and professionals about the dual-task condition effects. Such will lead future investigations in using the most appropriate dual-task condition. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42018116597

The execution of the Grooved Pegboard test in a Dual-Task situation: a pilot study

Background Manual dexterity is an important aspect in everyday life, which is widely studied through the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT). Since Dual-Tasks (DT) activities are widely investigated and important to simulate everyday life situations, the objectives of the present pilot study were the evaluation of the effect of a cognitive task and a motor task during the performance of the GPT and the feasibility of the GPT in a DT contest. A secondary objective was to evaluate the training effect of the GPT. Methods A total of 31 young adults (20 man and 11 woman, age (SD): 27.7 (2.5)) performed the GPT eight times to understand the presence of a training effect before performing the GPT in DT. The additional tasks were a secondary cognitive task and a secondary motor task. Results All participants were able to complete the required conditions. The GPT performed in motor DT were significantly slower than those performed singularly (p < 0.01). The GPT performed with the cognitive task was slower than the secondary motor task (p < 0.05). A training effect was present up to the 4th consecutive trial. Conclusions The GPT can be executed with a cognitive or motor task to increase the difficulty of the trial to better evaluate manual dexterity and cognitive capacities

Kinematics of cervical spine during rowing ergometer at different stroke rates in young rowers: a pilot study

Background: Research on biomechanics in rowing has mostly focused on the lumbar spine. However, injuries can also affect other body segments. Thus, the aim of this pilot study was to explore any potential variations in the kinematics of the cervical spine during two different stroke rates on the rowing ergometer in young rowers. Methods: Twelve young rowers of regional or national level were recruited for the study. The experimental protocol consisted of two separate test sessions (i.e., a sequence of 10 consecutive strokes for each test session) at different stroke rates (i.e., 20 and 30 strokes/min) on an indoor rowing ergometer. Kinematics of the cervical spine was assessed using an inertial sensor capable of measuring joint ROM (angle of flexion, angle of extension, total angle of flexion–extension). Results: Although there were no differences in the flexion and total flexion–extension movements between the test sessions, a significant increase in the extension movement was found at the highest stroke rate (p = 0.04, d = 0.66). Conclusion: Young rowers showed changes in cervical ROM according to stroke rate. The lower control of the head during the rowing stroke cycle can lead to a higher compensation resulting in an augmented effort, influencing sports performance, and increasing the risk of injury

Time spent on the smartphone does not relate to manual dexterity in young adults

BACKGROUND: The Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) is widely adopted to evaluate manual dexterity, it presents normative data but the test is influenced by different factors. The influence of time spent on smartphones has not been considered before, for this reason, the objective of this study was to evaluate if smartphone use influences the time to complete the GPT. A total of 38 (21 women; 17 men) young adults 20.7 (1.5) years participated in the study. The time spent on the smartphones during the last seven days was recorded through the device itself and the GPT performance was measured. A correlation analysis between the time spent on the smartphone and GPT was performed while the t-test was adopted to evaluate gender differences. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were detected between men and women in the time to complete the GPT (p = 0.20) and in the time spent on the smartphone (p = 0.87). The GPT and the time spent using the smartphone were not correlated (r = 0.044, p = 0.78). CONCLUSION: The time spent on the smartphone by young adults does not influence the time to complete the GPT, indicating that smartphone use does not influence measures of manual dexterity