Search Results (6)

Background: Simulation-based education (SBE) is increasingly integrated into medical curricula to enhance clinical reasoning, reflective practice, and experiential learning in safe educational environments. Evaluating learners’ satisfaction is essential to assess the educational impact of simulation activities. Although the Satisfaction with Simulation Experience Scale (SSE) has been internationally validated, no robust psychometric validation has been conducted among Italian medical students. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the SSE (SSE-It). Methods: A cross-sectional psychometric validation study was conducted with 408 third-year medical students enrolled at a Northern Italian university after participation in a mandatory simulation internship on introductory ultrasound. Participants completed the Italian adaptation of the 18-item SSE, rated on a 5-point Likert scale and organized into three domains: Debriefing and Reflection, Clinical Reasoning, and Clinical Learning. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to examine the factorial structure of the scale. Results: CFA supported the original three-factor structure of the SSE-ITA, showing good fit indices: χ²(132) = 410.67 (WLSMV-scaled), CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.07, and SRMR = 0.05. Internal consistency was high for the total scale (α = 0.94; ω = 0.95) and satisfactory across subscales (α ranging from 0.84 to 0.92; ω ranging from 0.86 to 0.93). Conclusions: The SSE-It demonstrated satisfactory reliability and construct validity in this task-trainer-based, introductory ultrasound simulation context, supporting its use as a reliable instrument to assess satisfaction with this type of simulation-based education among Italian medical students. Generalizability to high-fidelity, immersive simulation modalities remains to be established. Full article

Background/Objectives: Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles remain leading behavioral risk factors for chronic disease across generations. Mothers with young children face unique barriers to exercise, including time constraints, fatigue, and limited access to supportive environments. Lion Hearts was developed to address these barriers through a family-centered, community-based approach that integrates physical activity, strength training, and health education. This protocol describes the systematic application of the Intervention Mapping (IM) framework to develop Lion Hearts, a multigenerational CrossFit-based program for mothers and children. Methods: Following the first four steps of the IM framework—needs assessment, matrices, intervention design, and program creation—behavioral determinants were identified through literature review, national data, and community input. The resulting 12-week program integrates twice-weekly family CrossFit sessions, monthly cardiovascular health workshops, and weekly home-based challenges delivered through local affiliates using a train-the-trainer model. Results: IM produced a theoretically grounded and evidence-based intervention targeting individual (self-efficacy, outcome expectations), interpersonal (modeling, relatedness), and environmental (access, social support) determinants. The process resulted in detailed logic models, behavior change matrices, and implementation materials, including family handbooks and coach guides. Conclusions:Lion Hearts represents a scalable, multigenerational approach to CVD prevention that leverages existing community fitness infrastructure. By embedding prevention within family systems and CrossFit affiliates, the program offers a sustainable, replicable model to enhance physical activity, strengthen family health behaviors, and reduce intergenerational CVD risk. Full article

Introduction: Knowing the principles of proper nutrition is extremely important for everyone, especially for athletes, but also for recreational people. Objective: The aim of the research was to examine and compare the level of knowledge about nutrition and supplementation among athletes and recreational sports players. Participants and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on athletes from Montenegro (N = 249, 71.5% men and 28.5% women) and recreationists from Bosnia and Herzegovina (N = 156, 57.7% men and 42.3% women). A specially structured questionnaire was used to assess knowledge about nutrition and supplementation from the perspective of sports performance. Results: Supplementation is used by 60.6% of athletes and 67.3% of recreationists. Athletes use vitamins the most (75.3%), while recreationists use proteins the most, alone (30.8%) or in combination with vitamins (21.2%) and creatine (12.2%). The fact that the majority of recreationists make decisions about supplementation independently (67.9%) is worrying, while among athletes, decisions about the need for supplementation are made independently 32.7% of the time and according to the trainer’s recommendation 28.6% of the time. A low level of knowledge about nutrition and supplementation was found in both groups of respondents, but athletes showed somewhat better knowledge compared to recreational players; athletes had an average of 77.2% correct answers and recreational athletes had an average of 67.7%. The fact that most athletes (30.9%) are not informed about nutrition at all and that 28.1% receive information from fitness trainers is worrying. On the other hand, recreational users primarily look for information about nutrition on the Internet (56.4%). Conclusion: The results show a devastating level of knowledge about the influence of nutrition on sports performance, especially around certain aspects (e.g., protein sources in the diet). Despite this, a majority of people independently decide to use supplements. Full article

This is a cross-sectional study that examined the association between fitness trainers’ educational qualifications and experience, and the risk of their trainees’ musculoskeletal pain. The study included 1177 trainees (aged 15–60 years) from 74 fitness centers in Bangladesh. Data were collected by using the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire, including potential confounders such as demographic factors (e.g., age, occupation), and training-related factors (e.g., workout knowledge, overweight lifting). Multiple logistic regression was performed for a binary outcome (pain—yes or no), and a generalized linear model was fitted for the ordinal outcome (pain—sites of the body). The trainers’ lower experience (no or ≤1 year) was associated with higher odds of their trainees’ musculoskeletal pain (OR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.18–5.44) compared to trainers with >5 years of experience; however, no association was found between the trainers’ education and the risk of their trainees’ musculoskeletal pain, after controlling for potential confounders. Similarly, the trainees trained by trainers with lower experience had more than two-time the risk of having pain in different sites (IRR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.50–2.79). The trainers’ experience may play a pivotal role in the trainees’ musculoskeletal pain. Further study is warranted in this regard. Full article

Background and Objectives: The main aim of the present study was to assess the use of androgenic–anabolic steroids (AAS) and to investigate its potentially unfavorable effects among gym members attending gym fitness facilities in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out during the summer of 2017. Male gym users in the Eastern Province region of Saudi Arabia were the respondents. Information on socio-demographics, use of AAS, knowledge, and awareness about its side effects were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of AAS consumption among trainees in Eastern Province was 21.3%. The percentage was highest among those 26–30 years of age (31.9%), followed by the 21–25 (27.4%) (p = 0.003) age group. Participants in the study were not aware of the potential adverse effects of AAS use. Adverse effects experienced by 77% of AAS users include psychiatric problems (47%), acne (32.7%), hair loss (14.2%), and sexual dysfunction (10.7%). Moreover, it appears that trainers and friends are major sources (75.20%) for obtaining AAS. Conclusion: AAS abuse is a real problem among gym members, along with a lack of knowledge regarding its adverse effects. Health education and awareness programs are needed not only for trainees, but also for trainers and gym owners as they are reportedly some of the primary sources of AAS. Full article

Background: CrossFit is a large, growing force in the fitness community. Currently, Level 1 and 2 CrossFit certification classes do not include nutrition education. The purpose of this study was to identify sports nutrition knowledge, perceptions, resources, and advice given by Certified CrossFit Trainers. Methods: An online questionnaire that measured these four constructs was placed on a private Facebook community, open only to certified CrossFit trainers, for 10 days. Results: Complete surveys were obtained from 289 CrossFit trainers. The mean Sport Nutrition Knowledge (SNK) score was 11.1 ± 2.1, equivalent to 65.3% ± 12.4% correct. The trainers perceived nutrition to be extremely important to athletic performance (9.4 ± 0.9 on a 10 point scale). Overall, the trainers graded their SNK higher than that of their CrossFit peers. The internet and CrossFit peers were the most frequently reported sources for nutrition information; Registered Dietitians were the least reported source. The Paleo and Zone diets were the most common dietary regimens recommended by CrossFit trainers. Results indicated a positive correlation between a CrossFit trainer’s self-reported hours of nutrition education and their SNK score (r = 0.17; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Nutrition education modules for Level 1 and 2 CrossFit trainers, developed with input from Board Certified Specialists in Sports Dietetics, are recommended. Full article