Physical and Psychosocial Benefits of Sports Participation Among Children and Adolescents with Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to identify sports interventions for children and adolescents (CaA) with chronic diseases and evaluate their impact on physical, psychological, and social well-being. The findings of this study will contribute to our understanding of the potential benefits of sports interventions for CaA with chronic diseases and inform future interventions to promote their overall health and well-being. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in eight databases. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and utilized a comprehensive search strategy to identify studies on sport-based interventions for CaA with chronic diseases. The review included randomized controlled trials and observational studies that focused on physical and psychosocial outcomes. RESULTS: We screened 10,123 titles and abstracts, reviewed the full text of 622 records, and included 52 primary studies. A total of 2352 participants were assessed with an average of 45 ± 37 participants per study. Among the included studies involving CaA with chronic diseases with an age range from 3 to 18 years, 30% (n = 15) autism spectrum disorders, 21% (n = 11) cerebral palsy, 19% (n = 10) were attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 17% (n = 9) obesity. Other diseases included were cancer (n = 5), asthma (n = 1) and cystic fibrosis (n = 1). Interventions involved various sports and physical activities tailored to each chronic disease. The duration and frequency of interventions varied across studies. Most studies assessed physical outcomes, including motor performance and physical fitness measures. Psychosocial outcomes were also evaluated, focusing on behavioural problems, social competencies, and health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: Overall, sport-based interventions effectively improved physical and psychosocial outcomes in CaA with chronic diseases. Interventions are generally safe, and participants adhere to the prescribed protocols favorably. Despite that, there is little evidence that interventions are being implemented. Future studies should include interventions tailored to meet the common issues experienced by CaA with chronic conditions, providing a comprehensive understanding of the impact of sports interventions on those affected. REGISTRATION: The methodology for this review was pre-determined and registered in the PROSPERO database (registration number: CRD42023397172).

The Use of Nautical Activities in Formal Education: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The implementation of nautical sports, particularly in coastal areas, during the school stage is a growing phenomenon. It offers unique opportunities for students to develop the necessary competencies outlined in their physical education curriculum in an immersive manner, within a natural and inherently motivating environment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study aims to delve deeper into this subject by conducting a systematic review of the utilization of water sports in formal education. To carry out this bibliographic search, the following keywords were employed: "Nautical Activities", "Nautical Sports", "Nautical Camps", "Formal Education", "Children Education", "Primary School", and "Secondary School". The Boolean operator "and" was used to combine these keywords during the search conducted in databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus. The PRISMA Protocol was utilized for the search process, resulting in the selection and categorization of eight papers into the following thematic areas: Wellbeing, Physical and Mental Health, Education, and Management. RESULTS: The primary findings of this review indicate that the inclusion of these programs within physical education classes enhances overall physical health, mental well-being, and personal development. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate a positive impact on peer interaction and short-term improvement in self-confidence.

"I Learned More Because I Became More Involved": Teacher's and Students' Voice on Gamification in Physical Education Teacher Education.

Higher education plays a critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals established in the 2030 Agenda, especially the fourth goal (quality and equality in higher education). Therefore, teacher education must play a central role in providing transformative learning experiences for future teachers that can lead the change to create high quality programs in every school. The purpose of this study was to conduct a gamified experience in Physical Education Teacher Education with two goals: assess the students' views on the framework and evaluate the teachers' feelings and thoughts. One teacher-researcher (36 years) and 74 students (19-27 years) enrolled in a Spanish university agreed to participate. A qualitative descriptive method and an action-research design were used. The teacher-researcher completed a personal diary, while the students answered two open-ended questions. From the students' responses emerged three positive themes (framework, motivation, and transference) and two negatives (boredom and group work); from the teacher-researcher, we received three positive responses (mixed emotions, expectations, and students' motivation) and one negative (workload). As a conclusion, gamification could be considered a framework that promotes transformative learning.

A Study on the Injury Rate of Spanish Competitive Athletes as a Consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown.

The COVID-19 lockdown may have had collateral effects on the conditions of athletes, with possible increases in injury risks upon the return to sports. Due to the existence of multiple factors of injury risks based on the lockdown and the return to sports, the aim of this study was to analyze the injury rates after the lockdown in competitive athletes. A non-experimental quantitative design based on a survey was carried out, and 94 athletes (42 males and 52 females; 23.57 ± 6.20 years) participated. Statistical analyses were carried out using non-parametric tests. Injury rates did not increase significantly after the lockdown, and there were no statistical differences between performance levels, types of sports, the design of a specific training program by sports professionals during the lockdown, the moment of injury, and the mechanism of injury. It is important to develop injury prevention protocols to prepare athletes after such a long period of detraining.

Influence of Physical Activity and Sport on the Inclusion of People with Visual Impairment: A Systematic Review.

People with visual impairment have greater difficulty in accessing physical activity and sport, and a lack of social interaction is also associated with a risk of exclusion. Work is currently being done to include people with visual impairment through physical activity and sport. However, there is a lack of studies examining the status and overall effectiveness of interventions in the pre- and post-COVID stage. This study aimed to provide solid evidence on the characteristics and effectiveness of interventions for the inclusion of people with visual impairment through physical activity and sport in order to address the need for dissemination on this topic. The bibliographic search was carried out with the words "Physical activity", "Physical exercise", "Sport", "Physical training", "visual disability", "visual impairment" and "inclusion" in the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar from 2018 to 2021.The article selection process was according to the PRISMA protocol with a final selection of nine articles. The main results highlighted that the programmes improve the perception of people with disabilities, increase social skills and health and increase the social importance of people with disabilities in the social environment. Among the most generalised conclusions were the need for specialised training, the need for social inclusion and participation of people with visual impairment in their environments and increased physical activity.

Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) to Evaluate Servicescape Fitness Consumer by Gender and Age.

The fitness sector has always been linked to the analysis of the loyalty of its consumers. Different studies have shown the importance of sports service and human resources for greater customer loyalty. However, few works have studied how the physical environment or servicescape influences the behavior of consumers in fitness centers based on gender and age. Therefore, the objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between servicescape and the loyalty of fitness center consumers, analyzing through the Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) what the aspects to improve according to gender and age are. The sample was 10,368 fitness center customers (5864 women and 4504 men). After the IPMA, it was concluded that the main improvement margins in general in fitness centers were the equipment and the facility condition, and the facility layout. In turn, in relation to gender and age, the aspects with room for improvement were to a greater extent for equipment and facility condition in women over 21 years of age, and in facility layout for women between 21 and 40 years old and 51-60 years old. Regarding men, the aspects with the highest performance margins were the equipment and facility condition in all the age groups, the facility layout in men up to 50 years old, and the signage in men up to 40 years old and from 51 to 60 years old.

The Promotion of Physical Activity from Digital Services: Influence of E-Lifestyles on Intention to Use Fitness Apps.

E-Lifestyles are individual forms of behavior in the digital environment that reflect the values, activities, interests, and opinions of consumers. Likewise, fitness Apps are considered technological tools for promoting physical activity online. Although there are studies related to sports lifestyles, it has not been analyzed yet how e-lifestyles are related to the use of fitness Apps. Based on this, this study represents a step to clarify how e-lifestyles influence different relationships with perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, and intentions to use Fitness Apps. Therefore, the objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between the e-lifestyles of consumers of Boutique fitness centers and their relationship with the perceived ease of use, the perceived usefulness, the attitude, and the intention to use Fitness Apps. The sample was 591 customers (378 women and 213 men) of 25 Boutique fitness centers. An online questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model. Findings provide an insight into the importance of e-lifestyles in the intention of using fitness Apps and therefore in promoting physical activity through online fitness services. The results showed positive relationships between e-lifestyles, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitude toward fitness Apps. Finally, the attitude toward fitness Apps offered a very high predictive value on use intention. This study provides a better understanding of consumer´s intention to use fitness Apps. The conclusions and recommendations for sports managers of fitness centers highlight the importance of e-lifestyles as a predecessor for the use of fitness Apps.

La percepción de calidad y fidelidad en clientes de centros de fitness low cost / Perceived quality and loyalty in low-cost fitness center clients

El modelo low-cost es una apuesta actual que comienza a tener presencia en la industria del fitness y utiliza frecuentemente las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. Sin embargo, por su novedad se desconoce el tipo de cliente que frecuenta estas instalaciones y cómo percibe sus servicios. Por ello, los objetivos que plantea este estudio son: en primer lugar, analizar la percepción de calidad y las intenciones futuras de comportamiento de los clientes en centros de fitness low-cost y, en segundo lugar, examinar si existen diferencias significativas en cuanto a las características sociodemográficas y la utilización de Facebook y de la web. Para ello se utilizó una muestra compuesta por 1279 usuarios de centros de fitness low-cost (692 mujeres y 587 varones), se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio, un análisis de la fiabilidad y prueba t y ANOVA de un factor. Los resultados muestran escalas fiables y válidas de calidad percibida de servicio y fidelidad, así como la existencia de diferencias significativas en las variables estudiadas en cuanto a sexo, edad, permanencia, uso de Facebook y uso de la web. Estos hallazgos muestran la importancia de una buena gestión de los servicios y la correcta gestión de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación.

The low-cost approach is a current trend, which has recently become the vogue in the fitness industry, with its frequent use of the new information and communication technologies. However, due to the novelty this approach, it is unknown how customers perceive their services and the type of customers who will use these sports facilities. The aim of this study is to analyze quality perception and future behavioral intentions of low-cost fitness centers customers, as well as to examine whether there are significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics, and the use of Facebook and the Internet. To this effect, a study was conducted on a sample of 1279 users of low-cost fitness centers (692 women and 587 men), and an analysis was performed using exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, t test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results show reliable and valid scales of perceived service quality and loyalty, and the existence of significant differences in the dimensions studied in terms of gender, age, permanence, use of Facebook and use of the Internet. These findings show the importance of good service management, as well as proper management of the new information and communication technologies.