sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Physical Fitness and Healthy Lifestyles in Childhood and Adolescence

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2023) | Viewed by 4033

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, 22003 Huesca, Spain
Interests: sociology of education; sociology of sport and health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The promotion of sustainable healthy lifestyles is a priority in our societies, given the negative consequences of habits such as sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, substance abuse, and addictions, among others. These problems are exacerbated when it comes to children and young people, a population among whom sedentary lifestyles, sitting, and screen use are of increasing concern.

In addition, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has deepened some of the already existing gaps in youth physical activity levels and healthy lifestyles according to gender, socio-economic levels, and rural and urban settings, as well as other factors. On the other hand, we are witnessing a constant bombardment in the media and communication networks about self-care, better nutrition, and new fitness activities, especially targeting the young, digital native population. 

Unfortunately, these are not simple problems to tackle given their multifaceted nature, which is influenced by personal factors (perceived state of health and physical condition, motivation, etc.), cultural factors (community traditions and customs, for example), and social factors (socialisation models, facilities, public programmes, policies, etc.). Moreover, in many cases, trends and the contagious nature of the most widespread practices mean that these practices are not sustainable over time, either due to a decline in motivation or to a lack of viability in the use of resources for their maintenance, or for reasons related to ineffective public policies. In this sense, there is evidence that physical activity plays an important role in establishing and maintaining healthy habits and the barriers that hinder them, and that this practice must be sustainable but also educate in the establishment of habits that respect the physical and social environments where they are carried out. 

We will accept manuscripts from different disciplines. This Special Issue will complement others published in the journal, focusing on a risky population: children and adolescents. Special attention will be paid to original research, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses involving the following topics for this Special Issue in Sustainability:

  • Racial and national identity and culture in relation to sports, and parental and family support and its impact on cultural or social sustainability.
  • Changing consumption patterns in physical activity and sports.
  • Impact of globalisation on youth fitness patterns at a local, regional, or national level.
  • Sustainable physical fitness and healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents and their evaluation.
  • Healthy lifestyle promotion in children and adolescents.
  • Public policies in the field of healthy habits in childhood and adolescence.
  • Relationship between physical fitness and healthy lifestyles, stratified using sociodemographic characteristics.
  • Adherence to physical activity in childhood and adolescence.

Dr. Amador Jesús Lara Sánchez
Dr. Celia Marcen
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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 fitness
  • health
  • habits
  • lifestyles
  • promotion
  • evaluation
  • globalisation
  • identity

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 987 KiB  
Article
The Mediating Role Played by Perceived Motor Competence in the Relationship between Motor Competence and Physical Activity in Spanish Adolescents
by Emilio Royo, Julio Latorre-Peña, Magali Denoni and Santos Orejudo
Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16327; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316327 - 27 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1115
Abstract
The promotion of regular physical activity (PA) is becoming one of the main tools applied in developed countries to address health and obesity problems, particularly in view of the proven benefits of PA on a physical, psychological, and social level. Indeed, childhood and [...] Read more.
The promotion of regular physical activity (PA) is becoming one of the main tools applied in developed countries to address health and obesity problems, particularly in view of the proven benefits of PA on a physical, psychological, and social level. Indeed, childhood and adolescence are crucial periods for an active lifestyle can be established, with the prospect of prolonging it in adulthood. The conceptual model propounded by Stodden provides a theoretical underpinning for the relationship between motor competence (MC) and PA. This study’s objective was to explore the predictive value of motor competence (MC) regarding physical activity (PA), along with the mediating role played by self-perceived motor competence (SPMC) and comparatively perceived motor competence (CPMC), with the purpose of confirming the theoretical model propounded by Stodden, as well as the relationships among variables in our own conceptual model. To this end, we tested a random sample of 925 adolescents (53.6% males; 46.3% females, age 13.75 years, SD = 1.28). Participants completed the Multidimensional Sportcomp Battery to evaluate MC and the Achievement Motivation in Physical Education test (AMPET4) to evaluate their perception of their competence; moreover, to evaluate PA, we used three indicators from the WHO Health Behaviour in Schoolchildren survey in the Spanish version. Our final theoretical model explains 19.9% of the variance of sport practice in boys and 24.2% in girls; moreover, it ascribes an important role to self-perceived motor competence (SPMC) and to comparatively perceived motor competence (CPMC) as mediating variables in the relationship between MC and PA in both sexes. Notably, we found a direct relationship between motor coordination/control tests and PA. Overall, this study underscores the degree to which adolescents’ perceived motor competence affects their actual motor competence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Fitness and Healthy Lifestyles in Childhood and Adolescence)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2732 KiB  
Article
Proximity Sports as a Sustainable Strategy for the Promotion of Physical Activity at an Early Age: The KIA Project
by Valentina Barrachina, Celia Marcen, Elena Mainer-Pardos and Irela Arbones-Arque
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 12043; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151512043 - 6 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1697
Abstract
This paper presents the main results of the Kids in Action (KIA) project, which aimed to promote physical activity and sport among children aged 3 to 11, by linking the education, sports, and family sectors. It applies the concepts of proximity consumption and [...] Read more.
This paper presents the main results of the Kids in Action (KIA) project, which aimed to promote physical activity and sport among children aged 3 to 11, by linking the education, sports, and family sectors. It applies the concepts of proximity consumption and the 15-min city to sustainable and healthy habits. This study aims to evaluate the application of the concept of proximity to the provision of physical sports activities from an early age to reduce the drop-out rate of PA through collaboration between schools, local government, and the sports sector. A mixed methodology was used, applying a survey and interviews with the stakeholders to identify good practices when promoting physical activity at an early age. A total of 147 children and 10 adults (3 family members, 4 school managers or teachers, and 3 sports managers) participated. The main results included the importance of introducing sport and providing adequate facilities, namely through guided workshops. It influences not only the actual participation in sport but also the intention to continue practicing it. It is observed that children with less affinity for conventional sports benefit particularly from initiatives such as the KIA program. On the other hand, the lack of available resources and the influence of sports culture in families are considered the main barriers. They are factors that harm the quality of participation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Fitness and Healthy Lifestyles in Childhood and Adolescence)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop