Assessing Affective Valence and Activation in Stretching Activities with the Feeling Scale and the Felt Arousal Scale: A Systematic Review.

Affective responses have been considered key determinants for exercise adherence, but research on affective responses to stretching activities is scarce. Given the role of these responses in exercise adherence, our aim in this review was to explore (a) the utility and feasibility of core affect in stretching-related activities as measured by the Feeling Scale (FS) and/or the Felt Arousal Scale (FAS); (b) the timing of administering these scales; and (c) the scales' applicability and interpretability in this context. Inclusion criteria for studies in this review were experimental and non-experimental studies written in English that based affect assessment on the FS and/or FAS and that applied these scales to participants engaged in physical activity, individually or in groups. We also considered studies that focused on stretching activities that were either isolated or components of a class/activity and studies that used healthy participants of any age. Exclusion criteria were populations with mental health problems, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or diseases likely to alter pain perception or be associated with chronic pain, instrument validation studies, gray literature, and systematic reviews. We searched PubMed, SPORTDiscus and PsycINFO databases, and we added studies retrieved manually from reference sections while following PRISMA guidelines. We used the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool for judging methodological quality of research articles. Our final analyses were based on 12 empirical studies published between 2003 and 2021with a total of 718 participants. Both scales were found to be useful and feasible in the most usual places for exercise, but core affect results cannot be properly interpreted due to variability of study protocols and the absence of guidelines for adequate baseline assessment. Most studies recorded affect responses pre-session, during session, and post-session. We observed no standardized timing or frequency of assessment, and there was high heterogeneity among stretching protocols. Currently, research in core affect assessment of stretching-related activities lacks sufficient methodological quality to draw generalizable conclusions.

Understanding the Associations across Fibromyalgia-Related Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Self-Esteem Satisfaction with Life and Physical Activity in Portuguese and Brazilian Patients: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Fibromyalgia are heterogeneous and differ from patient to patient; however, the most reported are general myalgia and at specific points associated with fatigue and certain psychological adversities. Physical activity can mitigate the effects of the symptoms. However, the associations between fibromyalgia-related fatigue, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, satisfaction with life and physical activity are unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to understand the associations between these symptoms and whether there are differences between these associations across two distinct cultures. Materials and Methods: A total of 473 women aged between 28 and 75 years (M = 49.27; SD ± 8.28) completed five questionnaires about fibromyalgia-related fatigue, physical activity, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life. Results: Fibromyalgia-related fatigue was positively associated with depression and anxiety, depression and anxiety were negatively associated with self-esteem, self-esteem was positively associated with satisfaction with life, satisfaction with life was positively associated with physical activity and there were no differences in terms of the perceptions and associations of these variables between Portuguese and Brazilian patients. Conclusions: Our results showed the significant role of associations between these variables and a similarity in the perception and relationship of the variables between the two cultures.

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.

Differences between Portuguese and Brazilian Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Exploring the Associations across Age, Time of Diagnosis, and Fatigue-Related Symptoms.

Background and Objectives: The current literature demonstrates that different cultures have different perceptions of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FM). The aim of the study was to explore the differences between Brazilian and Portuguese patients with FM in their fatigue experience and to measure the differences in the perception of fatigue according to age and duration of diagnosis. Materials and Methods: In total, 209 Portuguese women aged between 21 and 75 years old (M = 47.44; SD = 10.73) and 429 Brazilian women aged between 18 and 77 years old (M = 46.51; SD = 9.24) were recruited to participate in the present study. Participants filled out the items in the Multidimensional Daily Fatigue-Fibromyalgia-17 Diary (MDF-Fibro-17), a specific tool to measure the level of five components of FM-related fatigue. Results: The results showed a greater perception of all of the components of fatigue in the Brazilian sample. No significant differences were found related to the age and duration of FM diagnosis. Conclusions: Overall, there are significant differences in fatigue symptoms between Portuguese and Brazilian women with FM, suggesting that cultural and geographical differences should be considered when describing fatigue-related symptoms in women with FM.

A Motivational Pathway Linking Physical Activity to Body-Related Eating Cues.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the motivational transfer between physical activity (PA) and body-related eating cues, through self-determined motivations to exercise (SDM Ex) and regulate eating (SDM Eat). DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Participants completed an online inventory on PA and eating behaviors and motivations in 2017-2018. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 300 adults (71% women; 34.4 ± 10.7 years; 23.2 ± 3.4 kg/m2), recruited through Facebook and cooperating Portuguese gyms. VARIABLES MEASURED: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (independent), SDM Ex and SDM Eat (mediators), and body-related eating cues (dependent) variables assessed through validated self-reported measures. ANALYSIS: Structural equation modeling and serial mediation procedures were used to test the hypothetical model. RESULTS: Physical activity was positively associated with SDM Ex, which was, in turn, associated with SDM Eat, which in turn positively predicted reliance on hunger/satiety cues and (more strongly) body-food choice congruence. The path through exercise and eating motivations was the leading mediating path in the PA and body-food choice congruence association. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This study lends support to the motivational transfer hypothesis between SDM Ex and SDM Eat in normal-weight adults, suggesting that more physically active individuals present higher SDM Ex and SDM Eat, and therefore, greater attentiveness to body-related eating cues and necessities. Encouraging PA might also improve individuals' eating self-regulation, especially if self-determined motivations are targeted in future interventions.

The Multidimensional Daily Diary of Fatigue-Fibromyalgia-17 Items (MDF-Fibro-17): Evidence from Validity, Reliability and Transcultural Invariance between Portugal and Brazil.

The Multidimensional Daily Diary of Fatigue-Fibromyalgia-17 (MDF-fibro-17) is an instrument that measures the different components of fibromyalgia-related fatigue symptoms. The current study aims to examine the factor structure of the MDF-fibro-17 in a sample of Portuguese and Brazilian patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Additionally, a cross-cultural analysis was carried out on these samples to understand the multidimensional complexity of examining the different dimensions of fatigue in patients with different cultural backgrounds and how fibromyalgia impacts patients with this syndrome. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the psychometric properties of the measure. Additionally, a multigroup analysis was carried out on the samples of these two cultures to examine measurement invariance. In total, 209 Portuguese women aged between 21 and 75 years (M = 47.44; SD = 10.73) and 429 Brazilians women aged between 16 and 77 years (M = 46.51; SD = 9.24) participated in this study. The results revealed that the measurement model provided an acceptable fit to the data in both the Portuguese and Brazilian samples, also displaying acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. In addition, the model showed acceptable internal consistency and was invariant between cultures. In sum, the MDF-fibro-17 is a valid measure that offers a unique assessment of fatigue symptoms in Portuguese and Brazilian women with fibromyalgia.

The retinoid X receptor: a nuclear receptor that modulates the sleep-wake cycle in rats.

RATIONALE: The nuclear receptor retinoid X receptor (RXR) belongs to a nuclear receptor superfamily that modulates diverse functions via homodimerization with itself or several other nuclear receptors, including PPARα. While the activation of PPARα by natural or synthetic agonists regulates the sleep-wake cycle, the role of RXR in the sleep modulation is unknown. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effects of bexarotene (Bexa, a RXR agonist) or UVI 3003 (UVI, a RXR antagonist) on sleep, sleep homeostasis, levels of neurochemical related to sleep modulation, and c-Fos and NeuN expression. METHODS: The sleep-wake cycle and sleep homeostasis were analyzed after application of Bexa or UVI. Moreover, we also evaluated whether Bexa or UVI could induce effects on dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine epinephrine, adenosine, and acetylcholine contents, collected from either the nucleus accumbens or basal forebrain. In addition, c-Fos and NeuN expression in the hypothalamus was determined after Bexa or UVI treatments. RESULTS: Systemic application of Bexa (1 mM, i.p.) attenuated slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. In addition, Bexa increased the levels of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine epinephrine, adenosine, and acetylcholine sampled from either the nucleus accumbens or basal forebrain. Moreover, Bexa blocked the sleep rebound period after total sleep deprivation, increased in the hypothalamus the expression of c-Fos, and decreased NeuN activity. Remarkably, UVI 3003 (1 mM, i.p.) induced opposite effects in sleep, sleep homeostasis, neurochemicals levels, and c-Fos and NeuN activity. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of RXR agonist or antagonist significantly impaired the sleep-wake cycle and exerted effects on the levels of neurochemicals related to sleep modulation. Moreover, Bexa or UVI administration significantly affected c-Fos and NeuN expression in the hypothalamus. Our findings highlight the neurobiological role of RXR on sleep modulation.

Perceived Environmental Supportiveness Scale: Portuguese Translation, Validation and Adaptation to the Physical Education Domain

Abstract Aim: Grounded on Self-Determination Theory, this study aimed to translate, adapt and validate the Perceived Environmental Supportiveness Scale (PESS) in a sample of Portuguese physical education students. Methods: The global sample was comprised of 964 students (518 females), divided in two groups: the calibration (n = 469) and the validation one (n = 483), all of them enrolled in two Physical Education (PE) classes/week. Results: The analysis provided support for a one factor and 12 items model, which are in line with the values adopted in the methodology (χ² = 196.123, df = 54, p = <.001, SRMR = .035, NNFI = .943, CFI = .954, RMSEA = .074, 90% CI .063-.085). Results express that the models are invariant in all analysis (i.e., calibration vs. validation, male vs. female, and 3rd vs. secondary cycle; three and single factor models). Conclusion: The present study suggests that the PESS with one factor and 12 items has good psychometric properties and can be used to assess perceived need supportive motivational environments provided by PE teachers. Additionally, invariance analysis showed support for the use of the scale in both genders and in the 3rd and secondary cycles.

Translation and validation of the perceived locus of causality questionnaire (PLOCQ) in a sample of portuguese physical education students

AIM: This study main aim was to translate and validate one of the most used SDT-based instruments to assess motivation in PE classes, the Perceived Locus of Causality Questionnaire (PLOCQ), to the Portuguese context. METHOD: Sample was composed of 652 boys (M=15.4 years; SD=1.90) and 702 girls (M=15.47 years; SD=1.95), enrolled in physical education classes in several Portuguese schools. RESULTS: The analysis provided support for a five factors and 18 items model, after excluding two items (χ² = 491.473, df = 125, p = <.001, SRMR = .062, NNFI = .908, CFI = .924, RMSEA = .067, 90% CI .061-.073). Sample and gender invariance procedures were made to ensure proper psychometric validation. Results presented support for the model in both gender and calibration/validation samples. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that PLOCQ with five factors and 18 items has good psychometric proprieties and can be used to assess contextual motivation towards PE in the Portuguese context.(AU)