Early morning sport scheduling is associated with poorer subjective sleep characteristics in British student-athletes.

This study presents the sleep characteristics of British student-athletes and examines the relationships between sport scheduling and time demands on sleep outcomes. Student-athletes (n = 157, 51% male) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI). Self-reported sleep characteristics on weekdays and weekends, weekly frequencies of early morning and late evening sport sessions, and academic-related and sport-related time demands were also collected. Questionnaires revealed a high prevalence of undesired sleep characteristics including poor sleep quality (global PSQI >5 in 49.0%) and low sleep durations on weekdays (25% reporting <7 h). Paired t-tests revealed significant differences in bedtime, waketime, sleep duration, and sleep onset latency between weekdays and weekends (all p < 0.01). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that early morning sport frequency was a significant predictor of PSQI (ß = 0.30) and SHI (ß = 0.24) global scores, weekday waketimes (ß = -0.17), and weekday sleep durations (ß = -0.25; all p < 0.05) in models adjusted for participant characteristics. Late evening sport frequency, and academic-related and sport-related time demands, were not significant predictors of any sleep outcome. Adjusting sport scheduling to avoid early start times could provide a means to improve sleep outcomes and may improve sporting performance and academic attainment.

Occupational therapists' perceptions of psychosocial strategies for clients with Parkinson's disease.

Psychological strategies are a promising adjunct to pharmacological treatment for symptoms, including depression and anxiety associated with Parkinson's disease. In this study, we investigated perceptions and reported behaviors of occupational therapists regarding the use of psychosocial strategies during their practice with clients with Parkinson's disease. The results of a cross-sectional online survey (n = 115 occupational therapists) demonstrated that the majority of participants (83%) reported using psychosocial strategies with their clients living with Parkinson's disease, with goal setting the most frequent. Almost all occupational therapists (99.1%) reported that it was moderately to extremely important to have knowledge about psychosocial strategies for practice with clients living with Parkinson's disease, and 96.5% rated it important to be able to offer these strategies in practice with their clients living with Parkinson's disease. The majority (91.3%) felt incorporating psychosocial strategies into their practice was moderately to extremely beneficial, and 93.9% reported that psychosocial strategies have a moderate-to-extremely positive effect on Parkinson's disease management outcomes. These findings have important implications for the education and training of occupational therapists working with clients living with Parkinson's disease to help ensure the best possible outcomes for people with Parkinson's disease.

A conditional process model of the effect of mindfulness on 800-m personal best times through pain catastrophising.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mindfulness and 800-m personal best (PB) times through pain catastrophising and to see whether the magnitude and direction of the relationship depended on gender. One hundred and nine participants reported their gender, completed measures of mindfulness (MAAS) and pain catastrophising (PCS) and reported PB 800 m times that were standardised based on current world records. Results revealed moderate-sized relationships between the predictor variables and standardised 800 m PB. The size of these relationships reduced after we controlled for gender. The follow-up, conditional process analysis - revealed significant direct and indirect effects that confirmed that pain catastrophising partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and 800 m PB and that gender moderated the indirect paths. The indirect path between mindfulness and pain catastrophising was consistent with existing literature. However, the path between pain catastrophising and standardised 800 m PB was positive for females and negative for males. The different direction of the relationship could suggest that pain catastrophising could be performance enhancing for females.

Influence of female sports dietitians' physical characteristics on athlete perception of effectiveness.

UNLABELLED: Research in sports-science disciplines such as sport psychology has demonstrated that practitioners' physical characteristics influence clients' perceptions of their effectiveness, potentially mediating the efficacy of subsequent interventions. However, very little research has been directed toward this issue for sports dietitians (SDs), the health professionals whom athletes are likely to engage to assist with manipulation of traits of physique. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to determine whether SDs' phenotype, specifically body-mass index (BMI), and type of dress influence potential clients' preference to consult them for dietetic support and if this affects their perceived effectiveness. METHODS: One hundred volunteers (mean age 18.7 ± 0 .8 years) all participating in regular competitive sport, classified by gender (male, n = 55, or female, n = 45) and competitive standard (elite/subelite, n = 68, or club/recreational, n = 32) viewed slides representing four concurrently presented computer-generated images of the same female SD manipulated to represent different BMIs and dress types. Participants were asked to rank the SDs in order of their preference to work with them and, second, to rate their perceived effectiveness of each of the SDs. RESULTS: Key findings included the observation of a significant BMI main effect F(6, 91) = 387.39, p < .001 (effect size .96), with participants' ranking of preference and rating of perceived effectiveness of female SDs decreasing with increasing BMI. CONCLUSION: SDs should consider their physical appearance when meeting with athletes, as this may affect their perceived efficacy.

Anxiety and Depression in British Horseracing Stud and Stable Staff Following Occupational Injury.

Horseracing has identified several factors influencing staff wellbeing; however, the relationship between injury, anxiety, and depression is yet to be established. This study investigated anxiety and depression scores and their association to pain management, coping, and help-seeking behaviour in injured British horseracing staff. An online retrospective survey was completed by 175 participants, identifying injury prevalence, coping strategies, occupational risk factors, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. Analysis identified 65.14% (n = 114) of staff reported anxiety scores above the threshold (≥8) and 59.52% (n = 104) of staff reported depression scores ≥8. Median anxiety and depression scores were higher for staff who viewed their employer as unhelpful (anxiety p = 0.001; depression p = 0.020). Heightened anxiety and depression were associated with an increased likelihood to use pain medication to manage at work, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's), alcohol, nicotine, and prescription drugs (p < 0.05). Implications for staff wellbeing is evident; anxiety and depression risks are high following injury, which may influence help-seeking behaviour, perceived job security, and coping mechanisms. This paper suggests it is vital to continue to investigate poor mental health and injury in racing staff and the implications for equine welfare.

Is Injury an Occupational Hazard for Horseracing Staff?

Occupational health is a key priority for the horseracing industry, yet little research on occupational injuries exists. This study investigated the prevalence and the effect of injury in British horseracing staff during a 12-month period. An online retrospective survey was answered by 352 participants, identifying self-reported injury prevalence, injury management practices and attitudes towards workplace injury reporting. Chi Squared tests for independence were undertaken. A total of 310 (88.1%) staff reported injuries; risk factors for injury type included self-perceived job security, working hours, and perceived job control. Physical limitations, loss of confidence, workplace changes, and lifestyle implications were reported as consequences of injury. A total of 75.3% (n = 134) of staff were likely to seek time-off following fractures, but only 48.6% (n = 86) would take time-off for concussion. Attitudes towards injury management were influenced by financial circumstances, perceived staff shortages, previous injury experiences, and perceived employer expectations. The high self-reported injury prevalence could result in decreased workforce efficiency, poor physical health, and negative implications on retention and career longevity. The perception of invisible injuries, i.e., concussion, and subsequent management, should be of immediate concern to racing organizations. This paper identifies recommendations to enhance the safety and wellbeing of horseracing staff.

The Effects of Acute Exposure to Prolonged Sitting, With and Without Interruption, on Vascular Function Among Adults: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to acute prolonged sitting can result in vascular dysfunction, particularly within the legs. This vascular dysfunction, assessed using flow-mediated dilation (FMD), is likely the consequence of decreased blood flow-induced shear stress. With mixed success, several sitting interruption strategies have been trialled to preserve vascular function. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this meta-analysis were to (1) assess the effects of acute prolonged sitting exposure on vascular function in the upper- and lower-limb arteries, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of sitting interruption strategies in preserving vascular function. Sub-group analyses were conducted to determine whether artery location or interruption modality explain heterogeneity. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Google Scholar) were searched from inception to January 2020. Reference lists of eligible studies and relevant reviews were also checked. STUDY SELECTION: Inclusion criteria for objective (1) were: (i) FMD% was assessed pre- and post-sitting; (ii) studies were either randomised-controlled, randomised-crossover, or quasi-experimental trials; (iii) the sitting period was ≥ 1 h; and (iv) participants were healthy non-smoking adults (≥ 18 years), and free of vascular-acting medication and disease at the time of testing. Additional inclusion criteria for objective (2) were: (i) the interruption strategy must have been during the sitting period; (ii) there was a control (uninterrupted sitting) group/arm; and (iii) the interruption strategy must have involved the participants actively moving their lower- or upper-limbs. APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: One thousand eight hundred and two articles were identified, of which 17 (22 trials, n = 269) met inclusion criteria for objective (1). Of those 17 articles, 6 studies (9 trials, n = 127) met the inclusion criteria for objective (2). Weighted mean differences (WMD), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and standardised mean difference (SMD) were calculated for all trials using random-effects meta-analysis modelling. SMD was used to determine the magnitude of effect, where < 0.2, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 was defined as trivial, small, moderate, and large respectively. RESULTS: (1) Random-effects modelling showed uninterrupted bouts of prolonged sitting resulted in a significant decrease in FMD% (WMD = - 2.12%, 95% CI - 2.66 to - 1.59, SMD = 0.84). Subgroup analysis revealed reductions in lower- but not upper-limb FMD%. (2) Random-effects modelling showed that interrupting bouts of sitting resulted in a significantly higher FMD% compared to uninterrupted sitting (WMD = 1.91%, 95% CI 0.40 to 3.42, SMD = 0.57). Subgroup analyses failed to identify an optimum interruption strategy but revealed moderate non-significant effects for aerobic interventions (WMD = 2.17%, 95% CI - 0.34 to 4.67, SMD = 0.69) and simple resistance activities (WMD = 2.40%, 95% CI - 0.08 to 4.88, SMD = 0.55) and a trivial effect for standing interruptions (WMD = 0.24%, 95% CI - 0.90 to 1.38, SMD = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to acute prolonged sitting leads to significant vascular dysfunction in arteries of the lower, but not upper, limbs. The limited available data indicate that vascular dysfunction can be prevented by regularly interrupting sitting, particularly with aerobic or simple resistance activities.

An analysis of the size and direction of the association between mental toughness and Olympic distance personal best triathlon times.

BACKGROUND: Athletes, coaches, sport psychology practitioners, and researchers suggest that mental toughness represents an important construct that is associated with athletic performance. Unfortunately, the absence of real-world performance as a dependent variable has limited our ability to substantiate this claim. The concern of a lack of ecologically valid measures of sports performance might be addressed by examining the relationship between mental toughness and sports performance using a standardized measure of personal best (PB) triathlon time and a validated unidimensional measure of mental toughness. METHODS: Three hundred and sixteen triathletes completed the 8-item mental toughness index (MTI), reported their age, and provided a PB Olympic distance triathlon time and the total number of triathlons they had completed to date. Given that males are typically quicker than females, a standardized time was calculated by dividing the PB by the current Olympic record for gender; we also hypothesized that more experienced triathletes would report quicker PB times because of greater frequency and duration of training. Once we had controlled for gender and experience, we predicted that mental toughness would be negatively associated with triathlon time and the size of the relationship would be of a moderate magnitude. RESULTS: Results revealed small- to moderate-sized negative relationships between both completed number of triathlons and mental toughness with standardized PB time. CONCLUSION: The hierarchical regression analysis showed that mental toughness provided a unique contribution to the variability in standardized Olympic triathlon PB after controlling for the total number of triathlons completed.

Mindfulness mediates the relationship between mental toughness and pain catastrophizing in cyclists.

The purpose of this study was to examine the direction and magnitude of the relationship between mental toughness and pain catastrophizing and to explore whether mindfulness mediated this relationship. The design of the study was cross-sectional using self-report data. We recruited 142 recreational cyclists (female = 32) via online cycling forums. We asked participants to complete measures of mental toughness, dispositional mindfulness, and pain catastrophizing. Following the initial screening of data and the identification of non-normality and outliers, we calculated robust correlations and regressions to examine the size and direction of effects. Results revealed that mindfulness partially mediated a moderate negative relationship between mental toughness and pain catastrophizing. These results are consistent with prior theory regarding positive traits and their negative association with pain catastrophizing. Unique contributions included showing that mental toughness and mindfulness are positively associated and that mindfulness is negatively associated with pain catastrophizing in this sample of cyclists.

Perceived exercise benefits and barriers of non-exercising female university students in the United Kingdom.

Many individuals do not engage in sufficient physical activity due to low perceived benefits and high perceived barriers to exercise. Given the increasing incidence of obesity and obesity related health disorders, this topic requires further exploration. We used the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale to assess perceived benefit and barrier intensities to exercise in 200 non-exercising female university students (mean age 19.3 years, SD = 1.06) in the UK. Although our participants were selected because they self reported themselves to be non-exercising, however they reported significantly higher perceived benefits from exercise than perceived barriers to exercise [t(199) = 6.18, p < 0.001], and their perceived benefit/barrier ratio was 1.33. The greatest perceived benefit from exercise was physical performance followed by the benefits of psychological outlook, preventive health, life enhancement, and then social interaction. Physical performance was rated significantly higher than all other benefits. Psychological outlook and preventive health were not rated significantly different, although both were significantly higher than life enhancement and social interaction. Life enhancement was also rated significantly higher than social interaction. The greatest perceived barrier to exercise was physical exertion, which was rated significantly higher than time expenditure, exercise milieu, and family discouragement barriers. Implications from this investigation for the design of physical activity programmes include the importance, for females, of a perception of high benefit/barrier ratio that could be conducive to participation in exercise. Applied interventions need to assist female students to 'disengage' from or overcome any perceived 'unpleasantness' of physical exertion during physical activity (decrease their perceived barriers), and to further highlight the multiple health and other benefits of regular exercising (increase their perceived benefits).