Fear Of Injury Research Articles

How does subjective invulnerability impact young workers’ safety voice?

Introduction: Young workers are at risk of workplace injuries for numerous reasons. One contentious yet untested theory is that subjective invulnerability to danger—a sense of indestructability in the face of physical hazards—can affect some young workers’ reactions to workplace hazards. This study contends that subjective invulnerability can affect these reactions in two ways: (a) perceptions of physical hazards at work generate less fear of injury among those who perceive themselves as more invulnerable and/or; (b) fear of injury does not motivate speaking up about safety concerns (safety voice) among those who perceive themselves as more invulnerable. Method: This paper tests a moderated mediation model in which higher perceptions of physical hazards at work are related to higher safety voice intentions via higher fear of injury, but that subjective invulnerability reduces the extent to which: (a) perceptions of physical hazards at work are associated with fear of injury and/or; (b) fear of injury is associated with safety voice. This model is tested in two studies of young workers (Study 1 on-line experiment: N = 114, M age = 20.67, SD = 1.79; range = 18–24 years; Study 2 field study using three waves of data collected at monthly intervals: N = 80, M age = 17.13, SD = 1.08, range = 15–20 years). Results: Contrary to expectations, the results showed that young workers who feel more invulnerable to danger are more likely to speak up about safety when experiencing higher fear of injury, and that perceptions of physical hazards–safety voice relationship is mediated by fear of injury for those who perceive themselves to be more invulnerable to danger. Conclusions/Practical Applications: Rather than subjective invulnerability silencing safety voice as predicted, the current data suggest that subjective invulnerability may serve to accelerate how fear of injury motivates safety voice.

Recognizing the Viewpoint and Experience of Blind People in Navigation and Daily Traffic

Background and Objectives: One of the most obvious problems faced by the blind is the inability to navigate properly. Safe and independent urban navigation is difficult for visually impaired people. According to the international classification of functioning, disability, and health (ICF), the health and illness status of a person is measured by the structure and function of the body, limitations in performing activities, and the person’s participation in society. Individual factors and environmental factors affect a person’s activities, and these activities affect a person’s participation in society. For this reason, the present study was conducted to investigate the individual factors that blind people use in their daily traffic. Methods: In this qualitative study, 12 blind people, 1 person with severe visual impairment, and 1 sighted person were selected using the snowball sampling method to participate in the study. Information was collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews. The conventional content analysis method was used for analysis and the data triangulation method was used to validate the findings. Results: After analyzing the statements and classifying the extracted codes, 4 sub-themes were obtained, including “learning the route”, “reluctance to travel”, “helping others”, "using environmental signs” and from the integration of these sub-themes, the theme “daily traffic” appeared. Conclusion: The present study showed that blind people use similar strategies in their daily traffic. These solutions include keeping the path, traveling on familiar paths, using environmental signs, and getting help from others. Reasons, such as fear of the environment, fear of injury, and the family’s unwillingness to leave are an obstacle to the independent movement of the blind person.

Assessment of physical activity level, self-efficacy and perceived barriers to physical activity among adult Saudi women

ObjectivesGenerally, physical activity (PA) is accepted to have a crucial role in sustaining and improving individuals’ health. Consequently, it is considered a viable solution to the public health challenge of chronic diseases, particularly as sedentary behaviour is becoming a considerable concern worldwide. Therefore, this study focused on PA levels among adult Saudi women, and assessed the effects of self-efficacy, socio-demographic characteristics and perceived barriers on PA level. MethodsThis study used a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design involving a self-reported web-based survey. The sample included 509 Saudi women recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected with validated pre-existing questionnaires. The information provided by participants included their PA levels, self-efficacy and perceived barriers to PA. ResultsThe survey's completion rate was 51%. Analysis of the study sample responses indicated that the participants' had high levels of PA: 54% participated in vigorous PA, whereas 30% had insufficient PA (less than 600 MET m/week). In the sample, self-efficacy was moderate, and simple regression indicated that self-efficacy significantly affected the levels of PA (p = 0.001). The leading barriers to PA were a lack of resources and willpower. However, multiple regression indicated that only lack of willpower (p = 0.004), fear of injury (p = 0.043) and environmental barriers (p = 0.021) significantly influenced PA levels. Moreover, demographic characteristics had no significant effects on PA levels. ConclusionA large proportion of the study sample demonstrated sufficient levels of PA. Psychological determinants, including self-efficacy and willpower, significantly correlated with performance. The physical environment was also found to be a highly influential factor. These findings have implications for future initiatives and health promotion strategies targeted at Saudi women. The knowledge gained may be used to design theory based interventions for improving self-efficacy and willpower, while considering strategies for overcoming barriers to PA.

Using an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Approach for Fear of (Re)Injury With a Competitive Figure Skater

This case study outlines the sport psychology service delivery provided to an 18-year-old competitive figure skater. The client reported fearing (re)injury in training following her return to sport, which hindered her performance and concentration in training. An acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention was implemented over six sessions across a 3-month period. The ACT matrix was used to conceptualize the client’s “stuckness” and provide a foundation for the strategies and techniques implemented. The aim of our work was to increase psychological flexibility, helping the client sit with, rather than change or remove, her unhelpful thoughts, moving her toward the athlete she wanted to be. This case reports how psychological flexibility was achieved through exercises to help the client “unhook” from her thoughts around fear of injury. Reflections from the client and practitioner capture the evaluation of the service delivery process.

Study of the psychological conditions of women with disorders of the reproductive sphere - a program to overcome reproductive inferiority

This article describes the procedure for researching the psychological conditions of women with disorders of the reproductive sphere, who repeatedly entered the protocol of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The organizational aspects are presented and the methodological base of the experiment is outlined. Relevant psycho-diagnostic tools are substantiated, representative samples are characterized, and specifics of the research are disclosed. It is noted that the problem of idiopathic infertility, i.e. infertility of unclear etiology, is very relevant in society, in conditions of high stressogenic factors and bad ecology. It is diagnosed after the spouses undergo a full examination and it is impossible to establish the causes of the problem. The article presents information on the organization of empirical research and characteristics of the research sample, substantiates the main methods and methods of providing the research. The psychodiagnostic tools used in our work demonstrated compliance with the tasks of the experimental research. The chosen methods and techniques contributed to the comprehensive study of psychophysiological aspects that contribute to the psychocorrection of reproductive health disorders in women. Practical recommendations for overcoming reproductive inferiority in women, based on solving the main causes of the psychology of infertility, namely: fear of pregnancy and difficult childbirth; unsaved conception and unsuccessful childbirth in the past; misunderstanding in it; fear of body changes, losing a slim figure and desirability; excessive desire to be a mother; fear of lost time and childbearing opportunities; constant pressure from loved ones; fear of future pain and unforeseen injuries; insecurity in performing maternal tasks; psychological disorders since childhood; negative experience of communication with parents.

Examining burnout in the electrical sector in Ontario, Canada: A cross-sectional study.

Workers in the trades sectors often experience mental health issues and decreased work ability due to occupational stress, workplace hazards and living in danger or constant fear of injury. Understanding the impacts of psychosocial risk factors on construction workers' mental health can aid in decreasing workplace injuries, lessening disabilities and increasing worker productivity. In this study, we focus on understanding and assessing the mental health and wellness of individuals in the electrical sector that are members of the Employer Engagement Project (EEP) from the Ontario Electrical League (OEL). The subset of potential participants included electricians and plumbers in Ontario working for small to medium sized employers (SME). The recruitment took place in 2022, with a total of 82 participants who completed a survey collecting demographic information, assessing the importance and availability/satisfaction of workplace factors and stress-and burnout-related questions. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0. Two-sample Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to test for associations between the availability of work-related factors and burnout scores among the participants. Burnout scores were determined using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Our findings demonstrate that dissatisfaction of the following factors: Workload allocation, internal staff development opportunity and stable staffing/minimal turnover, were associated with high burnout levels. The findings indicate there may be a relationship between certain work-related factors and burnout levels experienced. There is a need for improvement of workload allocation in SMEs to help enhance the mental health and well-being of employees.

Evaluating patients' choice of general and spinal anesthesia for elective cesarean section and associated factors: a descriptive study.

In this descriptive study, pregnant women who had the ability to undergo both spinal and general anesthesia were referred to public and private hospitals in (Sari Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences). A questionnaire recorded the patient's demographic data, education and occupation, history of anesthesia, choice of anesthetic method, and reason for selection. A total of 384 women were included in the study, of whom 60% selected general anesthesia and 40% selected spinal anesthesia. Among the reasons for not choosing spinal anesthesia, most common were fear of injury to the spinal cord (64.3%) and fear of seeing and hearing during the surgery (53.3%), and among the reasons for not choosing general anesthesia, most common were fear of not waking (54.3%) and a desire to be alert at the time of infant birth (40.7%). Most of the women with a history of spinal anesthesia selected spinal anesthesia (53%), and 62% of those without a history of spinal anesthesia selected general anesthesia. Factors such as age, nonmedical staff advice, and being employed were significantly correlated with the choice of anesthesia (P<0.005). The rate of general anesthesia selection was higher than spinal anesthesia. More attention and efforts are required to educate patients regarding the method of anesthesia prior to the surgery.

Quality of Life of Post-renal Transplant Patients in Rawalpindi.

Objectives The objective is to assess the overall quality of life (QoL) in patients who had undergone renal transplant within the last three years and correlate this index with various demographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, and education level and to correlate the QoLscore calculated vs. the health status perceived by the patients themselves Materials and methods This was an analytical cross-sectional study, carried out over a period of five months. A total of 123 patients were targeted amongwhich data from 79 patients were gathered including all the patients that underwent kidney transplantation in the past three years at a renal transplant center in CMH, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Non- Probability convenience sampling was used, and data were collected using the WHOQOL-BREF tool that contained 25 questions targeted to four domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental). The Questionnaire was administered over the phone with proper consent taken beforehand. Data were analyzed using Excel and SPSS version 23. Results A total of 79 patients were administered the questionnaire with the mean age of our study population being 35±11 years out of which 84.5% were male and 15.5% were female. Patients received the kidney from relative donors (98.4%) with the highest percentage being sister donors (30.9%). The majority of patients reported from Punjab (54.4%), with the rest from far-flung rural areas. An estimated 62.5% of the patients presented with other systemic/psychological disorders such as DM+, IHD, HTN, Hepatitis C, depression, etc. The mean global score of these patients was 79.21 which can be broken down into four domains, physical domain 80.40, psychological domain 78.99, social domain 82.70, and environmental domain 74.75. Conclusion In a developing country such as Pakistan, with most of the patients belonging to lower or middle socioeconomic groups, we believe that the patient's own sense of QoLis overshadowed by the mere exuberance of being given a second chance at life which was portrayed by the discrepancies in the perceived vs actual QoL graph. One common recurring theme that was noticed whilst interviewing the patients was that the difficulties they might have faced post-transplant paled in comparison to how grateful they were to live another day. A positive trend was noticed between the time since transplant and the QoL score which could be attributed to various factors such as the use of aggressive immunosuppressants, fear of injury, fear of transplant rejection, etc. in the first-year post-transplant. Demographic variables such as income, age, location, etc. did not affect the scores of these patients on a great scale. The present study aims to guide cliniciansin the improvement of long-term outcomes of renal transplantation in Pakistan.

What Promotes Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Myocardial Infarction and Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease-Contrast Media, Hydration Status or Something Else?

Multivessel coronary artery disease (MVCAD) is found in approximately 50% of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Although we have data showing the benefits of revascularization of significant non-culprit coronary lesions in patients with AMI, the optimal timing of angioplasty remains unclear. The most common reason for postponing subsequent percutaneous treatment is the fear of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in patients with AMI undergoing PCI, and its etiology appears to be complex and incompletely understood. In this review, we discuss the definition, pathophysiology and risk factors of AKI in patients with AMI undergoing PCI. We present the impact of AKI on the course of hospitalization and distant prognosis of patients with AMI. Special attention was paid to the phenomenon of AKI in patients undergoing multivessel revascularization. We analyze the correlation between increased exposure to contrast medium (CM) and the risk of AKI in patients with AMI to provide information useful in the decision-making process about the optimal timing of revascularization of non-culprit lesions. In addition, we present diagnostic tools in the form of new biomarkers of AKI and discuss ways to prevent and mitigate the course of AKI.

Cutoff Point of Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test Scores for Elderly Estimated by Center of Pressure Measurements by Linear Regression and Decision Tree Classification.

Understanding balance ability and assessing the risk of possible falls are very important for elderly rehabilitation. The Mini-Balanced Evaluation System Test (Mini-BESTest) is an important survey for older adults to evaluate subject balance, but it is not easy to complete due to various limitations of physical activities, including occasional fear of injury. A center of pressure (CoP) signal can be extracted from a force pressure plate with a short recording time, and it is relatively achievable to ask subjects to stand on a force pressure plate in a clinical environment. The goal of this study is to estimate the cutoff score of Mini-BESTest scores from CoP data. CoP signals from a human balance evaluation database with data from 75 people were used. Time domain, frequency domain, and nonlinear domain parameters of 60 s CoP signals were extracted to classify different cutoff point scores for both linear regression and a decision tree algorithm. Classification performances were evaluated by accuracy and area under a receiver operating characteristic curve. The correlation coefficient between real and estimated Mini-BESTest scores by linear regression is 0.16. Instead of linear regression, binary classification accuracy above or below a cutoff point score was developed to examine the CoP classification performance for Mini-BESTest scores. The decision tree algorithm is superior to regression analysis among scores from 16 to 20. The highest area under the curve is 0.76 at a cutoff point score of 21 for the CoP measurement condition of eyes opened on the foam, and the corresponding classification accuracy is 76.15%. CoP measurement is a potential tool to estimate corresponding balance and fall survey scores for elderly rehabilitation and is useful for clinical users.

UNDERSTANDING THE PERCEIVED BARRIERS AND FACILITATIONS OF STUDENT SPORTS PARTICIPATION: A CASE STUDY OF GOMAL UNIVERSITY DERA ISMAIL KHAN

This research study was conducted to quantify the ratio of students’ involvement and non-involvement in sport participation. Moreover, reasons for non-involvement and influential factors in their way to participate in sport were also taken into consideration. A sample of n=375 (334 males; 41 females) were included in the survey. A closed-ended questionnaire was properly developed and used to obtain the required data. Frequency and percentage were applied to analyze the collected information with the help of a computer software. Analysis of the study indicated that 91.1% students participated in sport while, 8.8% did not take part in sport. Analysis of the study interpreted that lack of maintenance of the ground, lack of confidence to compete, fear of injury, insufficient to influence time and insufficient to influence commitment were considered barriers that influence sport’s participation among students. Similarly, the analyzed data revealed that low income, lack of passion and interest, dominancy of competitive sports and academic stress are influential factors contributing to nonparticipation in sport. the findings are critical for university policymakers, when it comes to developing and promoting sport and other recreational sports

Anxiety symptoms among children visiting a pediatric emergency center in Qatar during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Although the evidence base regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children has been growing, descriptions of their experiences remain scarce. In this cross-sectional study, the authors used the Child-Reported Spence Children's Anxiety Scale to collect data from 91 children visiting a pediatric emergency center in Qatar during the pandemic. Around 25% of the children reported elevated levels of overall anxiety. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were the most common, with 59.3% of children reporting elevated symptoms. The mean score of physical injury fears was significantly affected by gender, with females having higher scores. Overall rates for elevated anxiety symptoms were similar in natives and expatriate children. The findings suggest that the effects of the pandemic on children may depend on several vulnerability factors, including developmental age and gender. This study highlights the need to plan multidisciplinary strategies to enhance children's access to mental health services during and after the current health crisis.

Habituation of Fear—Israeli-Jewish Population during Protracted Belligerence

The identification of demographic factors of vulnerability and resilience in communities facing belligerent conflicts is increasingly relevant today. This representative study aims to examine the effect of protracted violence on the level of fear of the overall Israeli-Jewish population, and the role of the conflict on the connection between socio-economic factors and fears. Sixty-six representative samples were identified and surveyed from 2001 to 2019 (n = 37,190) that occurred during (n = 14,362) and between (n = 22,828) seven conflicts and non-conflict periods. Results show that during military conflicts, civilians declared less fears of physical injury comparing routine time; a slow trend of decline in the level of fears over time was observed; during routine periods, fear was associated with female-gender and with the lowest income level group. Ultra-orthodox and Religious respondents had significantly less fear than the secular and traditional respondents. During military conflicts, the results changed significantly, mainly for the lowest income group, women and ultra-orthodox.

ElectronicsAR: Design and Evaluation of a Mobile and Tangible High-Fidelity Augmented Electronics Toolkit

Exploring and interacting with electronics is challenging as the internal processes of components are not visible. Further barriers to engagement with electronics include fear of injury and hardware damage. In response, Augmented Reality (AR) applications address those challenges to make internal processes and the functionality of circuits visible. However, current apps are either limited to abstract low-fidelity applications or entirely virtual environments. We present ElectronicsAR, a tangible high-fidelity AR electronics kit with scaled hardware components representing the shape of real electronics. Our evaluation with 24 participants showed that users were more efficient and more effective at naming components, as well as building and debugging circuits. We discuss our findings in the context of ElectronicsAR's unique characteristics that we contrast with related work. Based on this, we discuss opportunities for future research to design functional mobile AR applications that meet the needs of beginners and experts.

EVALUATION OF THE CHALLENGES OF INCLUSION AMONG STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN UNIVERSITY SPORTS: THE CASE OF MAKERERE UNIVERSITY, UGANDA

Sport can provide a variety of mainstream and disability-specific opportunities across the inclusion spectrum for persons with disabilities. This study described the status of disability mainstreaming at Makerere University, Kampala, Central Uganda. In particular, the study described the challenges faced and how students with disabilities can be best included in Makerere University sports programmes. The study used a cross-sectional survey design using the quantitative and qualitative approaches on a sample size of 54 respondents. Data was collected by the use of self-administered questionnaires and an interview guide. The data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative data analysis involved the calculation of descriptive statistics namely, frequencies, percentages and means for analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. The study found that challenges faced when including students with disabilities in sports were: materials (not sufficiently) adjusted or available, facilities not (sufficiently) adjusted, lack of financial support, inferiority complex among the student with disability, lack of confidence, discrimination and stereotype in the population, lack of inspiration, lack of modified sports according to different disabilities, expensive adopted sports equipment. Ways students with disabilities can be best included in Makerere University sports programmes included: identification of students with disabilities and acceptance, avail specific equipment, introduce fitting sport for different disabilities, provision of special coaches/ specialist for the disabled, design facilities (sufficiently) adjusted, sensitization for support from the environment, ensure safety for the disabled athletes, give bursaries to disabled talented students in sports, collaboration with NGO’s for financial support, exposure to role models, need for protective gears for students with disabilities, increase incentives for the coaches, introduce adapted sports galas for the disabled, increasing the disability opportunity into university entry scheme, provide incentives to the disabled sport’s participants and the need for the disabled administrator to work as a role model. This study recommended that policymakers should ensure that students with disabilities are empowered in sports to give them the freedom to sports participation at home, in institutions, in workplaces and in the field. Managers of sports should ensure players attain full security of the players, provide protective gear and adopt tactics that reduce fear of injuries. Management of sports organisations that involve students with disabilities should provide quality playing fields, and modified equipment, introduce more games, provide players adequate attention and advocate the full implementation of counselling students with disabilities. Management of organisations of sports teams should engage students with disabilities in sports jobs in the sports associations, connect them outside sports and collaborate with non-governmental organizations that support disability-based activities and provide incentives for athletes with disabilities.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0456/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Psychological determinants of sports participation among athletes of tertiary institutions in Ebonyi state

Background: The performances of athletes in Ebonyi State tertiary institutions were observed to be low. Therefore, the present study explored the psychological determinants of sports participation among athletes of tertiary institutions in Ebonyi State. Methods: This was an institutional based cross-sectional study conducted among 481 students drawn from Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ikwo, and Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. Two research questions and two hypotheses were used to guide the study. Mean scores and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses. Results: The findings shows that fear of injury and anxiety was a determinant of sports participation in tertiary institutions in Ebonyi State. It was also found that there was significant difference in the mean response of male and female athletes on the sports participation. This finding implies that sports participation of athletes was determined by psychological determinant. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made, that, government and its agencies should provide adequate infrastructural facilities required for athletes in order to improve athlete’s participation and increase sport development in the country. Also, the school management in collaboration with the host communities should ensure conducive environment for athletes.

The Relationship of Mental Toughness and Emotional Eating: The Example of a Female Wrestler

Emotional eating is the act of eating to cope with stress and pressure, and it is assumed that this behavior increases as the level of self-control decreases. Several factors, including anxiety about winning and fear of injury, can cause stress in athletes. An athlete’s high mental toughness is closely related to their ability to easily cope with such stress factors. It is still a matter of curiosity how negative psychological factors affect emotional eating in athletes with low mental toughness. This study investigated the relationship between emotional eating and mental toughness in female wrestlers. Emotional Eating Questionnaire and Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire were applied to 69 female wrestlers. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, T-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation tests. It was found that the participants were low emotional eaters and accepted all of the mental toughness sub-dimensions. There was a significant difference in emotional eating total score and “disinhibition" score according to nationality status (p&lt;0.05). The findings suggested a positive and significant relationship between sub-dimensions of emotional eating and sub-dimensions of mental toughness (p&lt;0.05). It was concluded that national female wrestlers tended to eat more emotionally than non-national athletes and had more difficulty preventing the urge to eat. As female wrestlers’ mental toughness levels increased, they tended to eat emotionally and felt guilty about eating.

Return to sport in elite gymnastics: Unprecedented training interruptions provide lessons for the future.

Year-round training is standard for elite gymnasts in the United States, but the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to unprecedented training interruptions. The effect of these training disruptions is unknown. This study aimed to describe and compare training interruptions in elite gymnasts before and during the pandemic, the time it took to return to the prior level of gymnastics training, the development of injuries during return to gymnastics training, and gymnast-reported difficulty in and nervousness about returning to prior level of gymnastics training. Retrospective study. Anonymous online surveys distributed to elite gymnasts in the United States. A total of 184 current elite gymnasts who completed the surveys were included. This represented an overall response rate of 52.3% (184/352). None. Information was collected about training interruptions and time, nervousness, difficulty, and injury during return to gymnastics. Gymnasts reported significantly longer training interruptions due to COVID-19 than before the pandemic (8.7 ± 4.4 vs. 4.4 ± 7.9 weeks, p < .001), but duration of return to prior gymnastics level was similar (4.6 ± 2.7 vs. 3.7 ± 4.8 weeks, p=.106). Of the 137 gymnasts who had returned to training by the time of the survey, 46 (33.6%) reported an injury during their return to gymnastics. A high degree of nervousness to return to gymnastics was significantly associated with greater risks of injury upon return (risk ratio [RR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-4.7; p < .001) and difficulty returning to prior level (RR 3.4, 95% CI: 1.7-6.6; p < .001). Pandemic-related training interruption was significantly greater in duration than prior interruptions, but time required for return to gymnastics was similar. Gymnasts may be at increased risk of injury during return to gymnastics if experiencing nervousness about returning following a break in training. These findings provide guidance for gymnasts' return from training interruptions and may refute the long-held belief that gymnasts should not take time away from training due to fear of injury or difficulty regaining skills.

Identifying the determinants and understanding their effect on the perception of safety, security, and comfort by pedestrians and cyclists: A systematic review

The continuous growth of the world population and its agglomeration in urban cities, demand an increasing need for mobility, which in turn contributes to the worsening of traffic congestion and pollution in cities. Therefore, it is necessary to promote active travel, such as walking and cycling. However, this is not an easy task, as pedestrians and cyclists are the most vulnerable link in the system, and low levels of safety, security and comfort can contribute to choosing private cars over active travel. Hence, it is essential to understand the determinants that affect the perceptions of pedestrians and cyclists, in order to support the definition of policies that promote the use of active modes of transport. Thus, this article fills an important gap in the literature by identifying and discussing the objective and subjective determinants that affect the perceptions of safety, security and comfort of pedestrians and cyclists, through a systematic review of the literature published in the last ten years. It followed the PRISMA statement guidelines and checklist, resulting in 68 relevant articles that were carefully analyzed. The results show that the perception of safety is negatively affected by fear of traffic-related injuries, fear of falling related to infrastructure and infrastructure maintenance, and negative behavior of drivers. Regarding security, crime was the major concern of pedestrians and cyclists, either with emphasis on the person or on personal property. With regard to comfort, high levels of air and noise pollution, lack of vegetation, bad weather conditions, slopes and long commuting distances negatively affected the users' perception. The results also suggest that poor lighting affects all domains, providing a negative perception of safety, security and comfort. Similarly, the presence of people is seen as negatively influencing the perception of safety and comfort, while the absence of people negatively impacts the perception of security. Therefore, the findings achieved by this study are key to assist in the definition of transport policies and infrastructure creation in large smart cities. Additionally, new transport policies are proposed and discussed.

ASSESSMENT OF THE CHALLENGES AND WAYS OF OVERCOMING THEM BY WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS DURING FEDERATION OF EASTERN AFRICA UNIVERSITY SPORTS (FEAUS) WOMEN GAMES IN UGANDA

Involvement in sports for women and men teaches critical lessons on discipline, goal setting, communication and work ethics that are widely transferable and often translate into successful careers down the line. Since men's control of women's physical activity has been at the heart of masculine hegemony, sports have been a highly gendered social sphere. For a long time, women were denied the right to engage in physical exercise for reasons of health, that is, the alleged physical “weakness” of women's bodies or detrimental effects on the fertility of women, chastity or threats to the “natural order” of sexes (Meier, 2020). This study described the challenges and ways of overcoming them by women who participate in sports during Federation of Eastern Africa University Sports (FEAUS) Women Games in Uganda held at Busitema University. In particular, the study described the challenges faced by women who participate in sports and ways of overcoming challenges faced by female sports participants. The study used a cross-sectional survey design using the quantitative and qualitative approaches on a sample of 95 respondents. Data were collected by the use of self-administered questionnaires and an interview guide. The data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative data analysis involved the calculation of descriptive statistics namely, frequencies, percentages and means for analysis. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The study found out that, marginalization, fear of injuries, long distances, lack of privacy around facilities, insecurity, family issues, lack of finance, lack of family support, unstable relationships, sexual harassment by male coaches, lack of time and menstrual challenges affected women participation in sports. Ways of overcoming challenges faced by women who participate in sports mainly involved; the need for professional and female coaches, family support, good feeding, financial support, better facilities, good attire, incentives for the female athlete, improvisation in sports, guidance and counselling, having extra jobs, commitment to training, exposure, government policy on women empowerment in sports, sparing time for sports committing to rules of the sport and fair play and involvement of the non-governmental organizations to support women in sports. Therefore, it was recommended that policymakers should ensure that women are empowered in sports to give them the freedom to sports participation both at home, workplaces and in the field. Managers of sports should ensure players attain full security of the players and adopt tactics that reduce fear of injuries. Management of organisations sports that involve women should provide quality playing fields, give clear instructions, provide players adequate attention and advocate the full implementation of counselling female students. Management of organisations with female sports teams should engage females in sports jobs in the sports associations and also connect them outside sports and collaborate with non-governmental organizations that support and promote women’s rights, resilience and confidence.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0565/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;