Healthcare

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the first edition’s success, we are organizing a second edition of our Special Issue on “Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles in Sports, Leisure Time, and Physical Education”.

The health benefits of a physically active lifestyle are well established. Nevertheless, adolescents, adults, and older adults worldwide present high levels of physical inactivity. In most countries, inactivity levels have been stable, or their reduction too slow. With physical inactivity representing an increased risk for health issues, urgent action is needed to effectively promote physically active and healthy lifestyles. In this regard, research seeking to further understand the multiple influences of diverse types of physical activity (PA) is important to design specific evidence-based PA interventions.

In this Special Issue, we look forward to receiving high-quality original research studies (e.g., longitudinal, randomized control trials; mixed-methods; qualitative; systematic reviews and meta-analyses) focused on all forms of PA in different contexts (e.g., in leisure time, at work, at school, in the household, active transportation) across all population subgroups in diverse cultural contexts, related (but not limited) to the following topics:

Links between PA, health outcomes, and quality of life;
Prevalence of and trends in PA;
Correlates and determinants of PA;
Interventions, effective strategies, and best practices to promote PA;
Physical education, school-based PA, and healthy lifestyle promotion.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in IJERPH.

Dr. João Martins
Dr. João Costa
Dr. Priscila Marconcin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

physical activity
physical education
correlates
determinants
interventions
health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA)
health
lifestyle

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

0 pages, 491 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Basic Psychological Needs on Physical Self-Efficacy and Attitudes toward PE in Korean Middle-School Physical Education

by Jongseob Shin and Heonsu Gwon

Healthcare 2024, 12(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12010091 - 30 Dec 2023

Viewed by 785

Abstract

This study explored the effect of basic psychological needs in secondary physical education (PE) classes in South Korea on physical self-efficacy and attitudes toward PE. Data from 296 middle-school students were collected from May to June 2022 in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do. Participants were surveyed via simple random sampling. Confirmatory factor, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were conducted, and reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s α. Basic psychological needs had a significant positive effect on physical self-efficacy. Competence and autonomy positively and significantly affected perceived physical competence (β = 0.535 and 0.320, respectively). Basic psychological needs had a significant positive effect on classroom attitudes toward PE. Autonomy and relatedness positively and significantly affected basic attitudes (β = 0.317 and 0.388, respectively) and social attitudes (β = 0.3498 and 0.213, respectively). Physical self-efficacy had a significant positive effect on PE classroom attitudes. Perceived physical competence and physical self-presentation confidence had a positive and significant effect on basic attitudes (β = 0.258 and 0.166, respectively). The results implied that attitudes toward school life can be improved through physical activity in secondary PE classes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition: Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles in Sports, Leisure-Time and Physical Education)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 306 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seasonality and Objective Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour among Older Adults from Four European Countries

by João Martins, Houshmand Masoumi, Vânia Loureiro, Margarida Gomes, Fortunata Ratinho, Tiago Ribeiro, Melika Mehriar, Marija Rakovac, Davor Šentija, Andrzej Bahr, Marta Tomczyk, Wojciech Dynowski, Roberto Solinas, Maria Grazia Pirina, Donatella Coradduzza, Giannangelo Boccuzzi, Birol Çağan, Ahmet Dalcı, Athanasios Papageorgiou, Soultana Smaga, Georgios Parisopoulos, Georgios Patsakas, Ioannis Meimaridis, Nuno Loureiro and Adilson Marques Show full author list Hide full author list

Healthcare 2023, 11(17), 2395; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11172395 - 25 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1161

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to explore the relationship between objective physical activity and sedentary behaviour with seasonality among a sample of older adults living in four European countries. Methods: A sample of 169 older adults living in Croatia, Greece, Portugal, and Poland (mean age = 72.2 ± 6.0, 68% female) had valid objective physical activity and sedentary behaviour data collected in different seasons of the year: spring and autumn/winter. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were collected with accelerometers (ActiGraph, GT3X), over 7 consecutive days, in both periods. A valid record was defined as at least two weekdays and one weekend day with 10 hours of wearing time. Analyses were performed with IBM SPSS 28.0, using t-test, ANOVA, and binary logistic regressions. Results: Most older adults from the four countries met the physical activity guidelines in spring and autumn/winter. No significant variations were found across seasons for sedentary behaviour and physical activity both for light and vigorous intensity, regardless of sex, country, education, and body mass index (BMI). A decline in moderate physical activity intensity from spring to autumn/winter was found for those with lower education and higher BMI. Conclusion: The promotion of physical activity must be considered in programs to promote healthy aging throughout the year, especially considering the moderate intensity and those populations with higher BMI and lower educational levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition: Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles in Sports, Leisure-Time and Physical Education)

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Second Edition: Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles in Sports, Leisure-Time and Physical Education

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (2 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI