ANALYSIS OF THE SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRES INDICATORS

“Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030” emphasizes the need for weekly moderate physical activity for ensuring human health. Physical activity can be measured by a variety of objective and subjective methods, but one of the prerequisites for understanding the connection between active lifestyle and health certainty that the measuring instrument measures the feature for which it has been created and that it can be used in many countries. The goal of the research is to determine the correlations between measurement properties of fitness club clients’ self-reported physical activity indicators in the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), European Health Interview Survey-Physical Activity Questionnaire (EHIS-PAQ), and to evaluate their concurrent validity. Methods: participants (volunteers) were 70 fitness club visitors (age 18-79). This research is preparative part for the further research of the project “European Physical Activity and Sports Monitoring System (EUPASMOS)”. The type, involvement and amount of physical activity was determined by the GPAQ, IPAQ and EHIS-PAQ adapted into Latvian. The research results showed that questionnaires allowed to determine the respondents’ physical activity indicators in and out of fitness club activities. Statistically significant correlations were determined between indicators obtained in all physical activity questionnaires applied in the research (p0.05). This confirms that all three physical activity determination questionnaires can be used for physical activity research in Latvian environment.

Evaluation of Psychometric Properties of the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale in a Student Sample

Problems with anxiety are one of the most common presenting problems for university students that affect the mental health. A sample of students (total n=318) were administered Spielberger's State and Trait Anxiety Scale. The demographics of the participants included 38.4% (n = 122) males and 61.6 % (n =196) females, participants ranged in ages from 18 to 25 years old. The average age of respondents was 20.92 (SD =2.07). This study was conducted to evaluate of psychometric properties of the Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form in a student sample. The internal consistency for the STAI was calculated by Cronbach alpha coefficient (α = 0,809). Principal component analysis with Varimax rotation was performed to assess the factor structure for the total sample that yielded four factors. Descriptive statistics were also calculated for the sample. They were found to be moderately trait anxious (M = 38.89, SD = 8.92) with lower state anxiety (M = 35.79, SD = 9.80). The findings of this study suggest that the scale was shown to be reliable and may be valid for measuring anxiety in a student sample

Self-efficacy Among Students of Pedagogical Universities

This article deals with the questions of self-efficacy among students of pedagogical universities. Results have shown that students-athletes had higher level of physical self-efficacy than students non-athlete

Grupės aplinkos klausimyno testo latviškosios versijos psichometriniai parametrai

Aim of this research was Group Environment Questionnaire test credibility and factor structure determination in Latvia. A group of Canadian sports psychologists, A. Carron, L. Brawley and W. Widmeyer, has developed this test to determine cohesion level in team sports – Group Environment Questionnaire, in accordance with cohesion conceptual model. Results of researches prove that GEQ practical appliance is useful in sports science. Taking into account theoretical literature analysis and results obtained in practical researches, it can be concluded that further team cohesion research will improve development of Latvian athletes’ psychological training. The research was carried out from the beginning of year 2004 to the end of year 2006 (n=394). Different team sports athletes were analysed in order to determine psychometric properties, they were aged 18−23. Methods of this research: GEQ test, mathematical statistics. GEQ−18 by Canadian sports psychologists Widmeyer, Brawley, Carron translated test version was used. The Group Environment Questionnaire consists of 18 items: 4 items about Individual Attraction to Group − at the Task level, five items about Individual Attraction to Group − at the Social level, five items about Group Integration − at the Task level, four items − Group Integration at the Social level. For mathematical statistics, SPSS programme have been employed for the GEQ psychometric parameters’ determination. [...]Tyrimo tikslas – patikrinti ir nustatyti „Grupės aplinkos klausimyno“ (Group Environment Questionnaire, GEQ) patikimumą ir faktorinę struktūrą Latvijoje. Kanados sporto psichologai A. Carron, L. Brawley ir W. Widmeyer, remdamiesi sutelktumo koncepciniu modeliu, parengė testą sutelktumo lygiui komandinėse sporto šakose įvertinti – „Grupės aplinkos klausimyną“ (GEQ). Tyrimų rezultatai patvirtina, kad praktinis GEQ taikymas naudingas sporto mokslui. Atsižvelgiant į teorinę literatūros analizę ir rezultatus bei atliktus praktinius tyrimus, galima teigti, kad tolesni komandos sutelktumo tyrimai pagerins Latvijos sportininkų psichologinį rengimą. Tyrimas buvo atliekamas nuo 2004 m. pradžios iki 2006 m. pabaigos (n = 394). Buvo tiriami 18–23-ejų metų amžiaus skirtingų komandinių sporto šakų atstovai. Taikyti tokie tyrimų metodai: GEQ testas, matematinė statistinė analizė. Naudota į latvių kalbą versta Kanados sporto psichologų GEQ-18 testo versija. GEQ sudaro 18 punktų: 4 susiję su individo trauka prie grupės (užduočių lygis), 5 – su individualia trauka prie grupės socialiniu lygiu, 5 – su grupės integracija (užduočių lygis), 4 – su grupės integracija (socialinis lygis). Matematinė statistika – SPSS programa GEQ psichometriniams parametrams įvertinti. [...

Emotional intelligence among Lithuanian and Latvian student athletes

Background. This article deals with the issue of the manifestation of emotional intelligence in Lithuanian and Latvian student athletes. Emotional intelligence has been suggested as providing a new perspective on how emotional competencies necessary for performance in today’s workplace among would-be physical educators might be more effective and better understood. Hence, the following research question is raised: does the emotional intelligence of Lithuanian student athletes differ from that of Latvian student athletes? We hypothesized that the emotional intelligence of Lithuanian student athletes differs from that of Latvian student athletes. Research aim was to reveal the manifestation of emotional intelligence in Lithuanian and Latvian student athletes. Methods. The independent random sample consisted of 227 student athletes from the Latvian Academy of Sports Education and 214 student athletes from the Lithuanian Sports University. Schutte Self-Report Inventory (SSRI) was employed. This instrument divides emotional intelligence into four separate components, namely: ability to use personal positive emotional experience (optimism), ability to assess and express emotions (appraisal), ability to understand and analyse emotions (social skills) and ability to manage emotions (utilization). Results. The analysis of the ability to use personal positive emotional experience resulted in the following averages: 51.48±5.24 in case of the Lithuanian student athletes and 52.78±6.33 in case of the Latvian student athletes. The application of the Student’s t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in the ability of the Lithuanian student athletes to use own positive emotional experience and that of the Latvian student athletes: t (439)=2.32; p<.005.Conclusions. The comparison of the components of emotional intelligence of Lithuanian and Latvian student athletes revealed that Latvian student athletes have better ability to use own positive emotional experience (optimism) (p<.05). No other statistically significant difference between Lithuanian and Latvian student athletes in terms of the components of emotional intelligence was observed

Самоэффективность студентов педвузов

Abstract. This article deals with the questions of self-efficacy among students of pedagogical universities. Results have shown that students-athletes had higher level of physical self-efficacy than students non-athletes

Самоэффективность студентов педвузов

Abstract. This article deals with the questions of self-efficacy among students of pedagogical universities. Results have shown that students-athletes had higher level of physical self-efficacy than students non-athletes

Coping strategies of footballers who have recovered from COVID-19 in five European countries

In the realm of sports performance, coping skills play a pivotal role, particularly within the stressinducing environment of sports. The aim of this research was to explore differences between football athletes who had tested positive for COVID-19 and athletes who had not contracted the virus in terms of their utilization of coping strategies. Additionally, differences among countries were investigated, in the case of football players who had, at some point, battled COVID-19. A total of 147 (one hundred and forty-seven) male football players from five European countries - Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania – took part in this study. To assess coping skills, we employed the Brief COPE questionnaire, which encompassed fourteen coping strategies, grouped into three categories: emotion-oriented coping strategies, problem/task-oriented strategies, and dysfunctional coping strategies. Using the Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner pairwise comparison test, the differences between the five countries were scrutinized, starting from the three dependent variables (the grouped coping strategies). Notably, football athletes from Poland and Romania exhibited a higher frequency of employing emotion-focused coping strategies (during the pandemic). Conversely, athletes from Italy leaned towards employing problem-focused strategies more frequently. No significant differences were observed in terms of dysfunctional coping strategies among football players who had battled COVID-19 across the five countries. We discussed the frequency of using coping strategies among football athletes who reported no infection with the SARS-COV-2 virus (up to the 4th wave of the pandemic) and those who had experienced COVID-19. The findings are of considerable interest to specialists, raising awareness on the coping skills employed by footballers during the pandemic

The personality and resilience of competitive athletes as BMW drivers: Data from India, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain

Background: Individual differences in personality and resilience are related to a variety of social behaviors. The current study sought to answer the question of whether BMW drivers exhibit different personality profiles and resilience levels compared with drivers of other car brands. Participants and procedure: An international study was carried out in India, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain on a sample of 448 athletes using the 20-item Mini-IPIP and the Resilience Scale. The results of BMW drivers (n = 91) were compared with the results of drivers of other German car brands (n = 357). Results: BMW drivers were characterized by higher neuroticism compared with drivers of other German car brands. They also showed higher resiliency, both in terms of total score and scores on the subscales of: personal coping competences and tolerance of negative emotions, tolerance of failures and perceiving life as a challenge, and optimistic attitude towards life and capacity for self-mobilization in difficult situations. The greatest difference was observed for the factor of tolerance of failures and perceiving life as a challenge. Using the Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner (DSCF) pairwise comparison test, gender differences between athletes (as BMW drivers and drivers of other German car brands, respectively) were discussed. Additionally, the results of the main logistic regression analyses emphasized that neuroticism represents a better predictor of BMW preference in the case of athletes (as drivers) than the scores obtained for resilience. Conclusions: BMW drivers differed from drivers of other German car brands only with regard to neuroticism. A higher level of neuroticism can affect mental health and the overall quality of life in athletes; aggression and distress management are essential. Athletes (as BMW drivers) also showed differences in resiliency levels. Understanding the mechanisms of behavior among BMW drivers is possible through considering their personality and individual differences

Stress and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic among martial arts athletes – a cross-cultural study

Background and Study Aims: Success in sports among athletes on a similar level of skill can depend on individual differences in experienced stress and coping strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many areas of life, including sports. The aim of the current study was to verify two hypotheses: (H1) emotional tension, external stress, and intrapsychic stress among martial arts athletes will be significantly higher during the height of the pandemic than in the pre-pandemic period; (H2) martial arts athletes will less frequently use problem-focused strategies of coping with stress, such as active coping and planning, during the height of the pandemic. Materials and Methods: The study used the Perception of Stress Questionnaire measuring the following dimensions of stress: emotional tension, external stress, and intrapsychic stress. Coping strategies were measured with the Brief COPE questionnaire distinguishing 14 coping strategies. Seven hundred and eighty-one athletes (including 116 martial arts athletes) from Poland, Romania, and Slovakia took part in the study in the pre-pandemic period. During the height of the pandemic, athletes from Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Spain took part in the study (n = 1032, including 396 martial arts athletes). Results: Higher levels of emotional tension, external stress, and intrapsychic stress were observed among Polish and Romanian martial arts athletes in the pre-pandemic period. Stress levels were higher before the pandemic than during its peak, when the lowest levels of emotional tension and external stress were reported by martial arts athletes in Romania, and the highest – in Lithuania and Spain. On the other hand, the lowest levels of intrapsychic stress were reported by martial arts athletes in Poland, and the highest – in Lithuania. Key gender-dependent strategies of coping with stress were identified. Male and female martial arts athletes used denial, focus on and venting of emotions, substance use, and acceptance. Additionally, men used self-blame and women used behavioural disengagement. Conclusions: The effects of the pandemic do not involve an increase in subjectively perceived psychological stress among martial arts athletes from countries variously affected by the pandemic. The use of maladaptive coping strategies – denial, substance use, venting negative emotion etc. – allows for lowering the subjectively experienced stress (the emotional tension, external stress and intrapsychic stress) of martial arts athletes. It was the use of these strategies which facilitated lower stress levels. The second hypothesis, that martial arts athletes will less frequently use problem-focused strategies of coping with stress, such as active coping and planning, during the height of the pandemic, was confirmed