Prediction of mental health among cadet football players based on the emotional intelligence and perfectionism

The aim of this research was to examine in which way the constructs of emotional intelligence and perfectionism predict mental health of adolescent football layers. The sample consisted of 164 participants (average age 16.63 (± 10,21) years). The research was conducted in April 2018 and it included the cadet football players from Kolubara-Macva league in Serbia. Test of Emotional Management (TUE; Babić-Čikeš i Buško, 2014), Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS; Frost et al. 1990) and Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38; Veit & Ware, 1983) were used to generalize data. During the process of data analysis, metric characteristics of the measuring instruments were first tested using the method of internal consistency which was based on Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The empirical findings of the correlation analysis revealed that there is no link between emotional intelligence and mental health of football players, meaning that managing emotions is only linked to adaptive dimensions of perfectionism (p ≤ 0,01). The obtained coefficient of multiple determination (R= 0.27) indicated that the group of predictors accounted for 27% of the variance of mental health, meaning that the perception of non-adaptive traits of perfectionism: (a) worry about mistakes, (b) dilemmas regarding one’s own actions and (c) parental criticism contribute the higher number of mental health problems. In addition, it showed that the adaptive trait of perfectionism (organizational skills) directly contributes better mental health of cadet football player. The results of this study suggest that the variables of emotional intelligence and perfectionism have significant role in prediction mental health among adolescent football players

RISK FACTORS AND INDICATORS OF CARDIOVASCULAR ILLNESSES IN LATE ADOLESCENT PERIOD

Epidemiological studies of previous decades indicate that cardiovascular illnesses present a dominant part of the structure of mortality in the majority of developed countries in the world. The goal of this research was to establish the most common risk factors of this group of illnesses, as well as statistically significant differences and correlations between risk factors and cardiovascular illnesses in the late adolescent period. A cross-study was performed in three high school graduate classes in Serbia (Valjevo), in April 2015, on an incidental sample of 240 subjects of both genders, aged (19 ± 0.5 years). A statistically significant difference in the frequency of hypertension in male adolescents (2.54%) and female adolescents (0.0%) was not established. Obesity was significantly more manifested in male graduates (6.93%), with a significant level, than in female graduates (1.10%). Abdominal obesity is, with a confidence interval – range (99% CI), much more common in male graduates (10.01%), than in female graduates (1.26%). Among smokers, a significant gender difference was not established Alcohol was, with a probability level (p ≤0.01) consumed much more by male graduates (19.93%) than female graduates (8.01%). A statistically significant linear correlation between variables of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference was observed. Risk factors in late adolescents are significantly different when it comes to gender. With a goal of prevention of cardiovascular diseases in high school graduate students, it is imperative to reduce obesity, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, as well as implementation of regular physical activity.Key words: High school graduates, risk factors, hypertension, obesity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption

SELF-CONCEPT AS THE DETERMINANT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OF PREADOLESCENTS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES

The aim of this research was twofold: a) the examination of the relations between the construct of self-concept (sport competence and physical self) and the criterion (volume of physical activity and intensity of physical activity) in physical education classes for preadolescents and b) the examination of the contribution of the variables of self-concept to the predictions of the variance criterion, thus the partial influence of predictor variables in the prediction of physical activities of students in late childhood. The following instruments were used on the relevant sample of participants from Valjevo (N=212) whose average age was 12.5 years: self-perception of the self-concept questionnaire (SPPC), pedometer (CoachGear) and heart rate monitor (Suunto memory belt) for measuring the volume and intensity of the physical activity. The internal consistency coefficient of the SPPC questionnaire was (α=.82) for sport competence and (α=.85) for the physical self, which indicated the satisfactory reliability and its applicability of the Serbian preadolescent population. Using the Pearson correlation coefficient, with a probability of 99%, the low statistically relevant positive linear correlation between the examined variables was determined. Using the model of multiple linear regression analysis, it was determined that the construct of self-concept explains 19% of the perceived volume of physical activity variance and 20% of the intensity of the physical activity variability for the relevance threshold (p≤.01). The results of the regression equation indicated that the independent variable Sport Competence explained the variance in the Volume of physical activity and the Intensity of physical activity variables with preadolescents (β=.32, β=.30) in a statistically significant manner, while the variable Physical self was not a statistically significant partial predictor of any of the criteria. The obtained empirical findings are in accordance with the results of the previous studies, and there was a discussion about the theoretical and practical implications of the obtained findings

PEER VIOLENCE AS PREDICTOR OF CYBERBULLYING AMONG ADOLESCENTS

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine individual, familial and peer variables as predictors of cyberbullying in early adolescence. The research included (N = 226) male students from Valjevo, aged 15.56  (SD = 0.68). The following measuring instruments were used: Socio-demographic Questionnaire, Violence Among School Children Questionnaire, Parent Behavior Questionnaire. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The results of correlation analysis have shown minute and statistically significant correlation between the scores of applied variables. Hierarchical regression model has explained 36% of the variance of traditional peer violence and 10% of cyberbullying. All the examined variables have proven to be statistically significant predictors of traditional peer violence, but not cyberbullying. Seeing that the predictor variables of traditional peer violence partly explain cyberbullying, it is necessary to examine other potential determinants such as frequency of use of electronic media, electronic victimization and others, which would contribute to the prediction of the examined criterion. The applied questionnaires are of optimal use in everyday practice in Serbia and can provide relevant information in evaluating traditional peer violence and cyberbullying among preadolescents

Relations between anthropometric and motor variables of seven-year-old girls with the differentiated level of nutritional status

The objective of this paper is to examine the frequency of nutritional status and the relations between anthropometric characteristics and motor skills of the first-grade elementary schools girls from Valjevo. A battery of 16 anthropometric measurements and 9 motor tests was conducted on the pertinent sample (N = 332) of seven-year-old girls. Data were analyzed using common measures of central tendency, measures of variability and canonical correlation analysis. Based on the measured body mass index, 75% of participants have normal body mass, 21% has increased body mass, and 4% is overweight. The results showed that in the group of participants with normal body mass there is no significant connection between two systems of variables (morphological characteristics and motor skills). Data from the group of overweight participants show that the two statistically relevant correlations were extracted in the morpho-motoric space and were interpreted as canonical functions: (1) circular dimensionality of the skeleton and body mass, and explosive strength and (2) subcutaneous fatty tissue and segmented run and running speed. Canonical factors indicate that the greater the size of chest, thigh, shin and body mass, the lower are the results of the composite motor tests (plyometric jump, forward lean-backward lean-throw, long jump and standing jump), that is the girls who had higher values of back skinfold, stomach skinfold, thigh skinfold and shin skinfold, had worse result realization of motor tasks (hand-tapping, foot-tapping and running 5 x 10 m). Empirical data of the research on the isolated canonical structure are relevant from the theoretical point of view, but they also have relevant implications for identifying increased level of nutritional status and the advancement of physical education in elementary school education

STRUCTURE RELATION OF VIOLENCE AND PERSONALITY LATENT DIMENSIONS OF PREADOLESCENT BASKETBALL PLAYERS

The aim of this research was to define structure relations of latent dimension violence among peers structure, characteristics and parent’s educational attitudes. In this research participated 134 basketball players (mini-jam, younger pioneers and pioneers). The research was conducted using the PRONA questionnaire for peers violence evaluation (Maksimovic and collaborators, 2008). Analysing the main components space of peers’ violence, three main components have been determined as dangerous behaviour exposure, announced victim and physiological violence. Mutual relation of these latent personality characteristics examinees dimensions and educational attitudes of their parents has been determined using the Pirson’s correlation coefficien