How Does the Level of Physical Activity Influence Eating Behavior? A Self-Determination Theory Approach.

Physical activity and diet are two predominant determinants of population health status that may influence each other. Physical activity has been identified as a behavior that may lead to a healthier diet and regulates eating behaviors. This research aimed to investigate how the level of physical activity is associated with the motivation related to eating behaviors and, consequently, the eating style individuals have on a daily basis. This was a cross-sectional study in which participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed the following variables: the level of physical activity, the motivation toward eating behavior, and the type of eating behavior. In total, 440 individuals (180 men and 260 women) who regularly exercised in gyms and fitness centers aged between 19 and 64 years (M = 33.84; SD = 10.09) took part in the study. The data were collected following the Declaration of Helsinki and with the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Polytechnic of Leiria. For the statistical analysis, mean and standard deviations were first calculated, as well as bivariate correlations between all the variables of interest. Then, structural equation model analyses were performed considering the levels of physical activity as the independent variable, motivations toward eating behavior as the mediators, and eating styles as the dependent variables. It was concluded that a greater level of physical activity leads to a more self-determined type of eating regulation, which in turn results in less constricted eating behaviors that are influenced by external factors and emotional factors.

Exploring the Relationship between Fibromyalgia-Related Fatigue, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia are varied, including general muscle pain and pain at specific points (also called tender points), excessive fatigue, anxiety, depression, and some psychological problems that can have a negative impact on quality of life. Physical activity is a widely used option by health professionals to alleviate the effects of this syndrome. However, there is no clear information on the possible mediating role of physical activity in the relationship between fibromyalgia-related fatigue and quality of life. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the relationship between fibromyalgia-related fatigue and quality of life, and to investigate the mediating role of physical activity in patients with this syndrome. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 237 Portuguese women aged 28 to 75 years (M = 49.12; SD ± 8.87) and 117 Brazilian women aged 20 to 69 years (M = 46.72; SD ± 8.38) were recruited to participate in this study. These patients completed three valid and reliable questionnaires related to the assessment of fibromyalgia-related fatigue (MDF-Fibro-17), physical activity (IPAQ), and quality of life (SF-36). RESULTS: Both samples had scores above the midpoint for all dimensions of fibromyalgia-related fatigue and scores below the midpoint for quality of life. Physical activity had no mediating effect in either sample, as the total indirect effect was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity does not mediate the relationship between fatigue and quality of life. However, the results also show that the fatigue dimensions associated with fibromyalgia had a negative and significant association with physical and mental health indicators in both samples. Thus, patients with FM with higher scores on fatigue-related symptoms might suffer more from physical and mental health, both of which are related to quality of life.

Generalizabilidad y optimización en la evaluación de la calidad de los Centros de Atención Infantil Temprana (CAIT) / Generalizability and Optimization for Quality Assesment in Early Intervention Centers

El propósito de este trabajo fue optimizar una nueva herramienta de evaluación de la calidad de servicio percibida en los Centros de Atención Temprana, desarrollada ad hoc, que permitiera analizar distintas dimensiones desde la perspectiva de la Teoría de la Generalizabilidad. El objetivo fue desglosar la variabilidad real de la variabilidad del error. Se estimaron los componentes de varianza de las facetas centros, usuarios, ítems y escalas. Se utilizó una estructura de diseño multifaceta parcialmente anidado, analizando distintas categorías independientemente y en interacción, obteniendo excelentes resultados tanto de los índices de fiabilidad como de generalizabilidad. Se realizó una optimización del diseño de medida para optimizar los tamaños muestrales, pudiendo ser considerado un análisis coste-beneficio.

The purpose of this work was to optimize a new tool for evaluation of quality perceived in the Early Intervention Centers, developed ad hoc, allowing to analyze different dimensions of quality service in these kind of centres from the perspective of the Generalizability Theory. The aim was to break down the actual variability of the variability of the error. The variance of the facets centers, users, items and scales components were estimated. We used a structure of multifaceted partially nested design, analyzing different categories independently and in interaction, obtaining excellent results both indexes of reliability and generalizability. Measure design optimization to optimize sample sizes, and can be considered a cost-benefit analysis was conducted.