Exploring jump experience, risk perception, anxiety and self-confidence in skydiving: A mixed methods approach.

Skydivers are required to interpret person-context characteristics to overcome inherent internal challenges (i.e., fear and anxiety) and external challenges (i.e., equipment malfunctions) to successfully perform. Research suggests that as skydiving experience increases, skydivers' self-confidence in their actions increases, while their perception of risk and anxiety decreases. However, there is a lack of research investigating the influence of experience and considerations of performance in extreme sports. This study examined the influence of skydiving experience on the interpretation of risk perception, anxiety and self-confidence. Participants comprised 503 experienced Australian skydivers (Mage = 40.10, SDage = 12.40; 79.5 % male). Using a mixed methods approach, skydivers completed measures of risk perceptions, anxiety, and self-confidence related to skydiving, as well as open-ended questions on their skydiving experiences. The findings indicated that increases in jumping experience led to greater self-confidence, and self-confidence mediated the relationship between all elements of jumping experience and cognitive and somatic anxiety associated with skydiving. Thematic analysis reinforced that skydivers understood the inherent risks associated with skydiving, and that skydivers adopted positive strategies that promoted self-confidence and mastery to perform successfully, while also managing their interpretations of risk and associated anxiety that potentially exists. Further research is needed to better understand the interpretation of person-context situations in extreme sports and recognize the important affordances for performance.

Health empowerment scripts: Simplifying social/green prescriptions.

Social prescriptions are one term commonly used to describe non-pharmaceutical approaches to healthcare and are gaining popularity in the community, with evidence highlighting psychological benefits of reduced anxiety, depression and improved mood and physiological benefits of reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and reduced hypertension. The relationship between human health benefits and planetary health benefits is also noted. There are, however, numerous barriers, such as duration and frequencies to participate in activities, access, suitability, volition and a range of unpredictable variables (such as inclement weather, shifting interests and relocating home amongst others) impeding a comprehensive approach to their use on a wider scale. From a multidisciplinary perspective, this commentary incorporates a salutogenic and nature-based approach to health, we also provide a range of recommendations that can be undertaken at the patient level to assist in shifting the acknowledged systemic barriers currently occurring. These include using simple language to explain the purpose of health empowerment scripts, ensuing personal commitment to a minimum timeframe, enabling ease of access, co-designing a script program, providing ongoing motivational support and incorporating mindfulness to counter unexpected disruptions.

"Like Nothing I've Seen Before": A Qualitative Inquiry Into the Lived Experience of Competing in a Trail Running Event.

Background: A recent upsurge in nature-based exercise research demonstrates the potential added benefits of exercising in this context compared to more urban ones. Yet there is a lack of qualitative research investigating the lived experiences of those who participate in nature-based exercise events. Objective: To explore the lived experience of individuals who were first-time participants in a nature-based running event. Method: Six participants who completed the Run Forrest trail run for the first time were individually interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were devised, and participants were invited to talk about their experiences of running in the event. Interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Following data analysis, two superordinate themes were constructed to resemble participant experiences. "Maintaining good health is vital" reflected participants' personal theory of health and their perceived benefits of exercise. "Nature as a special place" reflected the atmospheric characteristics of the event, including the pre-event set-up and the actual running event itself. Conclusion: Analysis suggests that participants considered the event and natural environment to provide unique value adding opportunities that encouraged positive experiences. These results also reaffirm the positive benefits associated with nature-based exercise, including potential benefits to individual wellbeing. Further research in this context may strengthen our collective understanding regarding individual motivation towards such events.

"Feels Good to Get Wet": The Unique Affordances of Surf Therapy Among Australian Youth.

Increasing prevalence rates of mental health problems among adolescents is an issue of growing concern. Surf therapy is a novel intervention that may provide tangible benefits to address this problem. Congruent with the ecological dynamics perspective (EDP), the existing research postulates that surf therapy yields psychological benefits in part due to the unique affordances of immersion in a blue space such as the ocean. Evidence worldwide has validated the use of surfing as a therapeutic mediator to achieve positive change, however, no such research has been conducted on Australian adolescents. The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Waves of Wellness (WOW) Foundation's 8 week surf therapy program on mental health outcomes in Australian at-risk youth. The study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the experiences of participants. Nine adolescents (M age = 14.9; SD = 1.2; 8 female) participated in the quantitative stage, with four completing the qualitative interview. Results indicated positive changes in resilience, self-esteem, social connectedness, and depressive symptoms post-intervention, however, improvements were not maintained at follow-up. Participants unanimously agreed that the program normalised their experiences with mental health through the unique leaning environment and fostered personal growth through mastery experiences and the development of healthy relationships. The EDP provided the most compelling explanation of the results denoting that benefits arise from the reciprocal relationship between individual, task, and environment. Despite the small and heterogenous sample, the findings provided preliminary evidence of the efficacy of surf therapy among Australian youth and offer a potential starting point for further research utilising larger more diverse samples.

Motives for Dropout Among Former Junior Elite Caribbean Track and Field Athletes: A Qualitative Investigation.

Anecdotal reports within the Caribbean track and field fraternity have revealed that there is a high level of athlete dropout from competitive sport at the junior-elite level, and a poor transition to senior-elite status. Consequently, this qualitative investigation explored the key motives that may have contributed toward the unsuccessful transitions and ensuing dropout of Caribbean track and field athletes during the junior to senior transition period. Eleven former junior-elite track and field athletes (four males, seven females; Mage = 29, SD ± 4.2 years) from four English-speaking Caribbean islands participated in semi-structured interviews. Following an inductive and deductive thematic analysis, four higher order themes were identified: (1) "there's not enough support"; (2) "felt pressure to make sure I committed"; (3) "it's always competitive here"; and (4) "battle with the injuries." For these former junior-elite Caribbean athletes, the decision on whether to continue within the sport was influenced by a combination of factors, although inadequate financial and organizational support had the most bearing on athletes' decision to drop out during the crucial transition years. Implications for consideration by key stakeholders and policymakers within the region are discussed.

Impact of shift work on sleep and fatigue in Maritime pilots.

This study examined how objective measures of sleep change across shift-cycles, and the impact of this on sleep quality and fatigue. Forty maritime pilots were recruited from Australian ports. Sleep wake-behaviour (timing and length), and self-reported sleep quality and fatigue, were assessed to determine any impact of roster status and 'on-call' status. On-roster pilots experienced reduced night time sleep duration compared to those off-roster (57 ± 8.8 min), while working on-call also diminished night time sleep duration (126 ± 11.3 min) and quality, compared to workers not on-call. Fatigue scores indicated that participants were not fully recovered prior to commencing rostered night shift, while sleep quality was significantly worse following sleep that occurred after a night shift, compared to after a day shift. These findings potentially support workplace negotiations to change future shift cycles, and to adopt monitoring systems that may mitigate the risk of fatigue-related accidents and chronic health outcomes. Practitioner summary: Long and irregular work hours of maritime pilotage can compromise worker performance and safety. This observational study found that on-roster pilots experience reduced sleep duration compared to those off-roster, while working on-call further diminishes sleep duration and quality. Future workload/fatigue monitoring systems may mitigate fatigue-related accidents and adverse chronic health outcomes. Abbreviations: ANOVA: analysis of variance; ANCOVA: analysis of covariance; BMI: body mass index; CVD: cardiovascular disease; h: hours; mins: minutes; SE: standard error of the mean; SD: standard deviation; SO: sleep opportunities; TST: total sleep time; WASO: wake after sleep onset.

Factors Influencing the Early Development of World-Class Caribbean Track and Field Athletes: A Qualitative Investigation.

This qualitative investigation sought to explore through a socio-cultural lens the perceived early training and competition environment, and support network of world-class Caribbean track and field athletes and the influence on their sport engagement and progression during early childhood and adolescence. Sixteen world-class track and field athletes (8 males and 8 females; M age = 29, SD = 5 years) from 6 English-speaking Caribbean islands took part in semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed data. Three superordinate themes were identified as key factors that influenced the early sporting development of world-class Caribbean athletes: (1) conducive sporting environment, (2) functional social support network, and (3) key organizational input. Findings revealed that perceived high levels of deliberate play activity in childhood (6 - 12 years) and an intense track and field competition culture in adolescence (13 - 20 years) were conducive to the continued engagement and progression of world-class Caribbean track and field athletes at the junior level. Furthermore, world-class athletes perceived themselves to be positively influenced by the support received from their immediate social support network and key organizations during this period. This study showed that a conducive sporting environment coupled with optimal social and organizational support may have encouraged world-class Caribbean athletes to remain engaged in track and field and to successfully progress within the sport at the junior level. Findings shed light on the sporting culture at the junior level within the Caribbean region and provide insight into key environmental factors that can influence and foster the development of future World Champions and Olympians.

Quantifying the Physiological Stress Response to Simulated Maritime Pilotage Tasks: The Influence of Task Complexity and Pilot Experience.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to quantify the stress associated with performing maritime pilotage tasks in a high-fidelity simulator. METHODS: Eight trainee and 13 maritime pilots completed two simulated pilotage tasks of varying complexity. Salivary cortisol samples were collected pre- and post-simulation for both trials. Heart rate was measured continuously throughout the study. RESULTS: Significant changes in salivary cortisol (P = 0.000, η = 0.139), average (P = 0.006, η = 0.087), and peak heart rate (P = 0.013, η = 0.077) from pre- to postsimulation were found. Varying task complexity did partially influence stress response; average (P = 0.016, η = 0.026) and peak heart rate (P = 0.034, η = 0.020) were higher in the experimental condition. Trainees also recorded higher average (P = 0.000, η = 0.054) and peak heart rates (P = 0.027, η = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Performing simulated pilotage tasks evoked a measurable stress response in both trainee and expert maritime pilots.

Symptoms of fatigue and coping strategies in maritime pilotage.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the symptoms of fatigue that maritime pilots experience during shift work. Moreover, the strategies these individuals use to cope with the onset of fatigue are also unknown. The current study explored the symptoms of fatigue and coping strategies experienced by maritime pilots when on-shift. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty maritime pilots were recruited via an advertisement in the national association's quarterly newsletter (Mage = 51.42; SD = 9.81). Participants responded to a modified version of the questionnaire used with aviation pilots that assessed overall fatigue, and the symptoms pilots associated with fatigue on duty. Methods pilots used to cope with fatigue before shift and when on the bridge were also assessed. RESULTS: There were significant effects for pilot vitality on 4 categories of fatigue: cognitive dysfunction; emotional disturbance; mean physical effects; and sleepiness. There were no significant effects for vitality on any of the self-reported coping strategy factors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that maritime pilots experience a variety of physical, behavioural, and cognitive fatigue symptoms when on shift. Some of these symptoms are similar to those reported by aviation pilots. However, unlike aviation pilots, maritime pilots reported utilising self-sufficient coping strategies to deal with the experience of fatigue.

Factors affecting maritime pilots' health and well-being: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Maritime pilotage is a demanding occupation where pilots are required to perform complex procedures in sometimes unfamiliar working environments. These psychological stressors, in addition to the physical demands associated with the role (e.g., reduced sleep, boarding, and departing vessels), may over time have a damaging effect on pilots' physical and mental health. Therefore the aim of this paper was to systematically review the existing literature on maritime pilots' health and well-being. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The databases academic search complete, MEDLINE and MEDLINE complete, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were searched from the earliest available record until 1 May 2015. From an initial pool of 167 manuscripts retrieved, only 18 were peer-reviewed original research and discussed topics associated with maritime pilots' health and well-being. RESULTS: In total, 29 factors associated with maritime pilot health and well-being were identified. These were loosely categorised into physical (n = 14), psychosocial (n = 8), and workplace issues (n = 7). The most commonly investigated factors were blood pressure or heart rate, sleep or fatigue, smoking and alcohol consumption, perceived stress, and shift duration or cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the review suggest that the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and associated cardio-metabolic risk factors seems to be of paramount importance, with ample evidence indicating that modern-day pilots present as being overweight or obese. What remains unknown is whether these physical factors are associated with variations in psychosocial functioning. Therefore, it is recommended that future pilotage investigations adopt a multidisciplinary approach to better quantify the impact of maritime pilotage on long-term health and well-being.