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Sports
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Public Health and Sports Services Based on Sustainable Development Goals
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Public Health and Sports Services Based on Sustainable Development Goals

A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 2851

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vassilis Barkoukis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: social–cognitive determinants of sport-physical activity and physical education-related behaviors; behavior change interventions; integrity in sport; physical activity promotion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Despoina Ourda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Interests: sport pedagogy; inclusive sport initiatives; technology in health and sports; community empowerment through sports

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

While numerous studies have highlighted the individual benefits of sports participation on physical health and mental well-being, a significant research gap exists in systematically examining how these benefits contribute to achieving specific goals. The current literature often lacks a holistic view that considers the broader societal implications and sustainability aspects of sports programs. Understanding the nuanced relationships between sports, public health, and sustainable development is crucial for designing targeted interventions that can maximize positive outcomes across multiple goals. Furthermore, the inclusivity of sports services has been a recurring theme in research, emphasizing the importance of making sports accessible to diverse populations. However, a gap persists in understanding the effectiveness of inclusive sports programs in addressing equity-related targets.

Research exploring the impact of sports on marginalized and vulnerable communities, including the elderly, disabled, and socio-economically disadvantaged, is essential to ensure that the potential benefits of sports are realized by all segments of our society.  Furthermore, the role of sports infrastructure in promoting public health has received attention, but there is room for deeper exploration into how well-designed urban spaces and sports facilities can contribute to sustainable urban development. Additionally, the governance and policy dimensions of leveraging sports for sustainable development remain an underexplored area. A comprehensive understanding of the policy frameworks and organizational structures that support the integration of public health and sports services is vital for creating an environment conducive to achieving health-related goals.

This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research at the intersection of public health and sports services. The overarching purpose is to explore how the integration of public health initiatives and sports services can contribute to achieving public health goals, fostering a holistic approach to well-being and societal advancement. This Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive platform for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to share their insights, methodologies, and success stories that showcase the potential synergies between public health and sports in the pursuit of sustainable development. By identifying and bridging these research gaps, this Special Issue aims to contribute to a more robust knowledge base that can inform future policies, programs, and initiatives at the nexus of public health, sports, and sustainable development. Research papers focusing on, but not limited to, the following topics are welcomed in this Special Issue:

  1. Inclusive sports services for all.
  2. Sports infrastructure and urban planning for health.
  3. Sports governance and policy for sustainable development.
  4. Technology integration for health and sports monitoring.
  5. Community engagement and empowerment through sports.
  6. Global collaborations for sports diplomacy and health.
  7. The economics of sports for sustainable development.
  8. Educational programs integrating sports and health.
  9. Psychosocial benefits of sports participation.
  10. Environmental sustainability in sports.

Dr. Vassilis Barkoukis
Dr. Despoina Ourda
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. Sports is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1800 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

  • sports for sustainable development
  • public health integration
  • inclusive sports initiatives
  • technology in health and sports
  • community empowerment through sports
  • global sports diplomacy
  • economic impact of sports for development

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3001 KiB  
Article
UP150 Project: A Longitudinal Analysis of Active Lifestyles in the Complex Working System
by Gabriele Signorini, Raffaele Scurati, Andrea Bosio, Chiara D’Angelo, Stefano Benedini, Cristina Tringali, Emanuele Magaldi, Marta Rigon and Pietro Luigi Invernizzi
Sports 2024, 12(8), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12080219 - 14 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1129
Abstract
Workplaces cause employees to adopt sedentary behaviors for most of their daytime, negatively impacting psychophysical health. A new office concept (UP150) was designed to reduce sedentary behaviors at work through architectural changes, proactive technologies, and wellness coaches (education to active lifestyles). The present [...] Read more.
Workplaces cause employees to adopt sedentary behaviors for most of their daytime, negatively impacting psychophysical health. A new office concept (UP150) was designed to reduce sedentary behaviors at work through architectural changes, proactive technologies, and wellness coaches (education to active lifestyles). The present study examined the effects of the UP150 concept, previously investigated in dedicated workspaces, with a 12-month longitudinal trial in a real worksite environment. Forty-eight desk workers comprised the experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups. All participants worked in the same working environment, having the UP150 features inserted in a usual working environment, but the CG was not allowed to interact with the UP150 specifics. During the experimental year, physical (physical activity, motor efficiency, and anthropometric features), clinical (metabolic parameters and cognitive-capacity-related parameters), and psychological (well-being and discomfort, job social and psychological perceptions, and perceived workload) features were assessed. The prolonged application of the UP150 procedure in a mixed working context for involvement in corporate policies positively affected EG workers’ physical (physical activity and motor efficiency increased, and body fat unchanged), clinical (blood glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol decreased; HDL increased), and psychological (well-being and social support raised; job demand and perceived workload lowered) parameters, confirming the previous studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Sports Services Based on Sustainable Development Goals)
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15 pages, 302 KiB  
Article
Listening to Stakeholders’ Voices on Funding Social Inclusion in Sport for People with Disabilities—Proposal for Criteria
by Maria João Campos, Viktorija Pečnikar Oblak, Alain Massart, Predrag Ljubotina, Szilvia Perényi, Judit Farkas, Hugo Sarmento and Mojca Doupona
Sports 2024, 12(6), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12060147 - 27 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1311
Abstract
The value of sport is extensively documented; however, there are still groups who do not have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of sport due to lack of investment, particularly important for people with disabilities. A gap persists in understanding the effectiveness of [...] Read more.
The value of sport is extensively documented; however, there are still groups who do not have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of sport due to lack of investment, particularly important for people with disabilities. A gap persists in understanding the effectiveness of inclusive sport programs in addressing equity-related targets, particularly on the effective methods of financing inclusion in sport for individuals with disabilities. Therefore, providing a platform for stakeholders to express their perspectives becomes crucial. Through focus groups and the World Café approach, the aim of this study was to gather insights from athletes, parents, professionals, and sport club managers regarding the funding of inclusive sport for people with disabilities. A total of 72 participants took part in nine focus groups in Portugal, Slovenia, and Hungary: 27 athletes with disabilities, 22 coaches, other technicians and parents, and 23 club managers/directors. Findings were divided into five topics: (1) perspectives on current funding satisfaction; (2) perspectives on sources and criteria for funding; (3) perspectives on ideal funding; (4) perspectives on ideas to reach decision-makers; and (5) proposals on ideal criteria for funding. Based on these findings, six measurable criteria for fair funding allocation were suggested that could develop a properly weighted system of criteria for decision-makers to assess the allocation of funding among inclusive sport organizations with the potential to catalyze broader policy and societal changes. Additionally, there is a pressing need to develop a funding model for inclusive sport for individuals with disabilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public Health and Sports Services Based on Sustainable Development Goals)
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