Sport Involvement Research Articles

Association Between Involvement in Basketball and Cognitive Functioning of Elite Male and Female Basketball Leagues Players in Nigeria

Sports are physical activity that consists of rules, competition, challenge, entertainment and uncertainties. Competitive sports could be seen as those sports governed by a set of rules or customs, which serve to ensure fair competition, and allow consistent adjudication of the winner. This study ascertained the association between level of involvement in basketball and cognitive functioning of elite male and female basketball premier league players in Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised of male and female basketball players in Nigeria. A total of 240 (120 males from the Premier League and 120 females from the Zenith league) basketball players in Nigeria selected using simple random sampling technique. A self-constructed 15 item questionnaire titled Involvement in Competitive Sports and Cognitive Functioning (ICSCF) was used to elicit information on from the level of cognitive functioning of elite basketball players in Nigeria. The results showed that there are two groups of items. The first group is made of 15 items while the second group is made up of 15 items. The mean of first group was 3.1±1 while the mean of group two was 2.1±0.7. df =28 and P-value = -0.20. P 0.05 this indicated that there was a significant association between the level of involvement of respondents in basketball and their level of cognitive functioning. The study concluded that coaches and trainers should combine both the practical and mental mode of trainings when preparing their athletes for competition for optimal performance outcomes. Keywords: Elite; Competition; Basketball; Premier Leagues; Cognitive Functioning

Demographic and Injury Characteristics as Potential Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: A Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are prevalent and can have debilitating consequences, with various factors potentially influencing their occurrence. This multicentric study aimed to comprehensively analyze the epidemiological characteristics of ACL injuries. We hypothesized that specific patient characteristics, such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and sports involvement, would be associated with distinct injury patterns and risk profiles. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed the medical records of 712 patients aged 15-60 diagnosed with ACL rupture. Data on demographics, injury mechanisms, associated injuries, graft type, and sports involvement were collected. Results: The majority of patients were male (93.1%), aged 15-30 years (80.2%), and overweight (66.7%). Autografts were the predominant graft choice (96.07%). Associated injuries were present in 79.5% of cases, with medial meniscus ruptures being the most common (37.36%). Sports-related (49.3%) and non-sports-related (50.7%) injuries were nearly equal, with non-contact injuries more prevalent (71.1%). In the sports-related subgroup, associated injuries emerged as a significant risk factor for ACL rupture (p = 0.014, OR = 1.596, 95% CI: 1.101-2.314), whereas non-contact mechanisms showed borderline significance (OR = 0.75, p = 0.09). Moreover, younger athletes were more susceptible to sports-related injuries (p = 0.024), with football being the primary sport involved. Conclusions: This study identified a high prevalence of concomitant injuries with ACL injury, which increased the risk of ACL injury, particularly in sports-related cases. Age-related differences in injury patterns highlight the need for age-appropriate preventive measures, especially for younger athletes participating in high-risk sports. This underscores the need for comprehensive injury assessment, targeted prevention strategies, and optimized clinical management approaches tailored to different populations' specific characteristics and risks.

PARENTAL ATTITUDES AND SUPPORT TOWARD SCHOOL SPORTS

This cross-sectional study examined parents’ attitudes, their support, and perceptions of school involvement in school sports using a newly developed Parental Attitudes and Support for School Sports and Perceptions of School Involvement Questionnaire (PASSIQ). The study also examined the association between parents' gender and children's sports participation concerning these attitudes and support levels. A total of 380 parents were included in the study, with 341 valid responses analyzed. Our findings indicate that higher levels of parental support are strongly associated with more positive attitudes toward school sports (p < 0.001). While perceptions of school support showed a marginally significant positive relationship (p = 0.083), extended participation in sports was generally associated with lower parental attitudes, potentially reflecting concerns about burnout or shifting perceptions over time. Notably, the interaction between parents' gender and children's sports participation revealed that for male parents, extended sports participation of their children significantly enhanced positive attitudes toward school sports (p = 0.004). These results highlight the importance of considering parental support and gender-specific responses when developing strategies to promote positive attitudes and support for school sports. The PASSIQ proved to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing these constructs, providing a foundation for future research and interventions to foster supportive environments for children's physical activity.

Effects of coping mechanisms on nurses' practices and psychological well-being

Lockdown procedures brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak have severely limited athletes' possibilities to exercise, creating both physical and psychological difficulties. This study looked into how lockdowns affected people who participated in adventure sports, including cycling, swimming, and running. Examining the effect of lockdown on athletes' perceptions of instruction barriers. The study's specific goal was to look into the relationships between instruction volume, lockdown-specific resilience, perceptions of movement limitations, and instruction hurdles. The study also sought to examine the relationship between athletes' personal dedication to their sports and lockdown resilience, coping mechanisms, and perceived instruction constraints. An online survey was used to collect participant information. The survey was used to examine variables such as age, gender, country of residence, personal involvement in endurance sports, resilience, emotion regulation mechanisms, mobility limits, instruction regimens, and mental health. To find participants on pertinent internet sites, convenience sampling techniques were used. The data were examined statistically using multiple regression analysis and nonparametric testing. According to the study's findings, poorer instruction volume, a lower level of lockdown-specific resilience, and more unfavorable views of lockdown mobility limits were all linked to higher levels of perceived instruction barriers during the lockdown. According to the data, athletes that had a strong personal commitment to their sport showed stronger mental resilience. COVID-19 pandemic lockdown had an effect on athletes' preparation and mental health. Reduced instruction, a lack of resilience, and unfavorable opinions all increased hurdles. Strongly devoted athletes showed resilience, adaptive coping, and less burdens. Personal dedication and coping skills are essential for athletes' wellbeing through trying circumstances.

Analysis of Factors Contributing to State Body Appreciation during Exercise.

This cross-sectional study aimed to analyse the factors contributing to state body appreciation (SBA) during exercise. After providing their informed consent, 200 study participants (mean age 30.0 ± 9.4 years, 72.0% were men) filled in an online questionnaire immediately after the completion of resistance training (n = 125), cardiovascular exercise (n = 55), or functional/interval group exercise (n = 20) sessions. The study measures included socio-demographic variables, body mass index (BMI), the duration of involvement in sports, SBA, state body surveillance (SBS), state mindfulness in physical activity, state intrinsic exercise regulation, and perceived pleasantness during exercise. The results showed that exercisers involved in sports for >2 years and those whose body weight was within a healthy range (<25.0 kg/m2) demonstrated higher SBA and mindfulness during exercise, lower SBS, more intrinsic exercise regulation, and higher satisfaction during physical activity compared to exercisers with less exercise experience (≤2 years) and a body weight higher than a healthy range (≥25.0 kg/m2). The negative effects of being overweight or obese were more pronounced in individuals with ≤2 years of sports participation, except regarding body surveillance and monitoring the mind. The factors significantly contributing to SBA during the exercise sessions were a longer duration of involvement in sports, a lower BMI and SBS, and greater mindful body acceptance and exercise pleasantness. Decreasing SBS and enhancing mindful body acceptance, pleasantness, and intrinsic motivation during exercise might significantly contribute to SBA in physical activity. These results can inform physical-activity-based programmes aiming to promote a positive body image. Also, these results show that it is important to increase education and develop competencies for fitness coaches to create inclusive and positive-body-image-promoting sports environments.

Middle Childhood Sport Participation Predicts Timely Long-Term Chances of Academic Success in Boys and Girls by Late Adolescence.

School age children experience successive academic demands which increase over time. Extracurricular sport develops skills which involve physical movement, social rules, formal practice, and rational competition. This may facilitate success. Using a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 746 girls/721 boys, we examined prospective associations between middle childhood sport participation with subsequent indicators of academic success in adolescence. We hypothesized that persistent participation would promote long-term achievement indicators. Mothers reported on whether the child participated in sporting activities with a coach/instructor from ages 6 to 10 years. Developmental trajectories of participation were generated using longitudinal latent class analysis and then used to predict outcomes. From ages 12 to 17 years, youth self-reported on academic indicators of success over the last 6 months. These were linearly regressed on trajectories of participation in sport, while controlling for pre-existing and concurrent child/family confounds. Children's sport participation from kindergarten to fourth grade predicted long-term chances of academic success in boys and girls, above and beyond individual/family confounders. Consistent participation predicted increments indicators of future success and reductions in academic failure and dropout risk through to the senior year of secondary school, ranging from 9.1% to 21.3% for girls and 11.7% to 22.9% for boys. We provide compelling and timely evidence of long-term associations between children's sport participation and subsequent indicators of academic success in typically developing boys and girls by late adolescence. Persistent sport involvement in sport increased educational prospects by late adolescence, potentially improving opportunities for success in emerging adulthood.

Research on the psychoanalytic intervention of user reactive habits and avoidance

Lockdown procedures brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak have severely limited athletes' possibilities to exercise, creating both physical and psychological difficulties. This study looked into how lockdowns affected people who participated in adventure sports, including cycling, swimming, and running. Examining the effect of lockdown on athletes' perceptions of instruction barriers. The study's specific goal was to look into the relationships between instruction volume, lockdown-specific resilience, perceptions of movement limitations, and instruction hurdles. The study also sought to examine the relationship between athletes' personal dedication to their sports and lockdown resilience, coping mechanisms, and perceived instruction constraints. An online survey was used to collect participant information. The survey was used to examine variables such as age, gender, country of residence, personal involvement in endurance sports, resilience, emotion regulation mechanisms, mobility limits, instruction regimens, and mental health. To find participants on pertinent internet sites, convenience sampling techniques were used. The data were examined statistically using multiple regression analysis and nonparametric testing. According to the study's findings, poorer instruction volume, a lower level of lockdown-specific resilience, and more unfavorable views of lockdown mobility limits were all linked to higher levels of perceived instruction barriers during the lockdown. According to the data, athletes that had a strong personal commitment to their sport showed stronger mental resilience. COVID-19 pandemic lockdown had an effect on athletes' preparation and mental health. Reduced instruction, a lack of resilience, and unfavorable opinions all increased hurdles. Strongly devoted athletes showed resilience, adaptive coping, and fewer burdens. Personal dedication and coping skills are essential for athletes' wellbeing through trying circumstances.

Development of a COVID-19 pandemic psychological endurance and coping efficiency model

Lockdown procedures brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak have severely limited athletes' possibilities to exercise, creating both physical and psychological difficulties. This study looked into how lockdowns affected people who participated in adventure sports, including cycling, swimming, and running. Examining the effect of lockdown on athletes' perceptions of instruction barriers. The study's specific goal was to look into the relationships between instruction volume, lockdown-specific resilience, perceptions of movement limitations, and instruction hurdles. The study also sought to examine the relationship between athletes' personal dedication to their sports and lockdown resilience, coping mechanisms, and perceived instruction constraints. An online survey was used to collect participant information. The survey was used to examine variables such as age, gender, country of residence, personal involvement in endurance sports, resilience, emotion regulation mechanisms, mobility limits, instruction regimens, and mental health. To find participants on pertinent internet sites, convenience sampling techniques were used. The data were examined statistically using multiple regression analysis and nonparametric testing. According to the study's findings, poorer instruction volume, a lower level of lockdown-specific resilience, and more unfavorable views of lockdown mobility limits were all linked to higher levels of perceived instruction barriers during the lockdown. According to the data, athletes that had a strong personal commitment to their sport showed stronger mental resilience. COVID-19 pandemic lockdown had an effect on athletes' preparation and mental health. Reduced instruction, a lack of resilience, and unfavorable opinions all increased hurdles. Strongly devoted athletes showed resilience, adaptive coping, and less burdens. Personal dedication and coping skills are essential for athletes' wellbeing through trying circumstances.

Longitudinal associations of participation in organized and unorganized sports in youth with physical activity in mid-adulthood: The Young Finns Study

ABSTRACT We investigated the longitudinal associations between sports participation patterns in youth and physical activity (PA) in adulthood. PA was self-reported triannually between ages 9–18 (n = 2550, 52% females) and measured by accelerometers in mid-adulthood (n = 1002, 61% females, aged 48 ± 4 years). Three latent classes of youth sports participation emerged for both genders: 1) “organized sports” (persistent high PA with regular sports club activities), 2) “unorganized sports” (persistent high PA without sports club activities and 3) “low activity” (low PA with decreasing sports involvement). These groups comprised 29%, 34% and 37% of males, and 23%, 27% and 50% of females, respectively. Youth “organized sports” was associated with higher adult PA in both males (+1166 steps/day, p = 0.012) and females (+15 min/day moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA], +1064 steps/day, +1066 leisure-time steps/day; p ≤ 0.005) compared to “low activity”. In males, youth “organized sports” was associated with higher adult PA (+1103 steps/day, −26 min/day sedentary time and +133 counts/minute higher total PA, p ≤ 0.039) compared to “unorganized sports”. In females, “unorganized sports” in youth was related to higher adult PA (+10 min/day MVPA, p = 0.034) when compared to “low activity”. Sustained participation in youth organized sports, and for females, also in unorganized sports, is positively linked with adult PA.

Prevalence and Awareness of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries Among Full-Contact, Semi-contact, and Non-contact Sports Athletes in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Background The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a crucial connective tissue that links the femur to the tibia, playing a vital role in stabilizing the knee by resisting forward and rotational movements. ACL tears can occur due to both contact and non-contact sports injuries. Diagnosis and assessment typically involve the Lachman test and magnetic resonance imaging. Initial treatment focuses on reducing swelling, followed by physical therapy or surgery to restore long-term knee functionality. Objective This study aimed to assess the injury prevalence and awareness of ACL and the engagement of preventing training programs among Bahraini athletes across diverse sports. Methods A cross-sectional survey was utilized to evaluate injury prevalence and awareness of ACL and engagement in preventing training among 161 Bahraini athletes from different sports. Data were collected through a detailed questionnaire addressing demographics, sports involvement, ACL injury history, and preventive training. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and independent t-tests to compare knowledge across sports types. A chi-square test was performed to examine correlations between injury history and training. Results The results showed that athletes in full-contact sports exhibited significantly higher ACL injury awareness compared to those in semi-contact and non-contact sports. Furthermore, a higher percentage of athletes in semi-contact and non-contact sports reported a history of ACL injuries when compared to those in full-contact sports. However, there was no significant difference in the engagement of preventive exercise training across different sports categories. Conclusion A notable gap in ACL injury awareness exists among Bahraini athletes, varying significantly across sport types. The data highlight the need for customized educational programs catering to different sports.

What are the trends in shared leadership development and leadership life skills formation through sport activities: a literature review

A person must have a leadership attitude as a life skill for himself. Leadership is formed systematically from an early age until the end of human life, one of which is by actively participating in a sports club. A club can develop because of the roles in sports, both by athletes, coaches, managers, and others. To win a competition or race, it is necessary to collaborate between athletes in an extraordinary manner in order to achieve the highest goal, namely victory. Many plans are developed, implemented and evaluated. This process requires leadership from team members at every level. Ultimately, this process is internalized in each member, both as a member and line leader, as it takes place in a sports club. How this leadership is formed is shown in this article. Data bases were searched using search engines on Scopus or Science Direct and others before analysis using PRISMA. The final selection of the research database was carried out by checking for duplication, analyzing the title, completeness of the abstract manuscript, and the title and content of the article, resulting in 38 articles. The results showed that active participation in sports, especially those that embrace shared leadership, provides the experience to become one goal and vision of a common mission, so that each member is more motivated to collaborate and spend time, energy, and even money to achieve this goal. This process requires unipersonal skills. In addition, authoritarian and native leadership models are still used. Obviously, whatever leadership model is applied will provide soft skills to participants, no matter what they want. This will lead to leadership in other fields besides sports, including in mathematics education. According to the literature evidence, there are twelve studies that transform sports involvement into life-beneficial values; eight studies that influence leadership behavior towards running sports organizations; four studies on transformational leadership. When people participate in active leadership activities and take on roles, they gain useful experiences, which in turn will have a positive impact on their leadership development in life. Keywords: Shared Leadership, Life Skills, Sports Activities

Empowering Through Sports: Breaking the Cycle of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Aggressive Behavior

ABSTRACT This study investigated the moderating role of sports participation types (no sport, individual sport, and team sport) on the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and reactive and proactive aggression in 593 individuals (69.0% females) from the community. ACEs positively influenced both types of aggression, with a stronger effect on reactive aggression. Additionally, participating in team sports (versus no sports) weakened the ACE-proactive aggression link, while participation in individual sports (versus no sports) did not moderate the association between ACEs and both types of aggression. The findings suggest that team sports may provide a protective factor against certain aggression tendencies linked to ACEs, emphasizing the nuanced impact of sports involvement on psychological outcomes among individuals in the community.

Diving Into Sports Specialization: The Association of Early Specialization on Injury Rates in Youth to Young Adult Divers.

This study explored the link between early sports specialization and injury rates in youth divers, a relationship that remains largely unexplored within diving. Cross-sectional survey. Members of the USA Diving Organization and collegiate male and female divers participated in an online survey, reporting their sports involvement and injury history. One hundred eighty-two male and female divers aged 8 to 25 years were recruited through USA Diving or US collegiate team databases. Early/late specialization (based on age <12 or 12 years or older), gender (M/F), springboard and/or platform divers, experience (junior/senior, regional/zone/national/international), hours of dryland/water training, and prior sport exposure. Injury history obtained on questionnaire. One hundred eighty-two divers were surveyed; 70% female. Age to start diving and age to concentrate solely on diving were significantly associated with certain injuries (P < 0.05). Beginning diving before age 13 years of age was significantly associated with lower odds of injuries in the shoulder and wrist (P = 0.013 and 0.018, respectively), after adjusting for select covariates. Age of specialization was not significantly associated with injuries in any body part (P > 0.05), after adjusting for covariates. Greater years of diving experience was significantly associated with diving injuries in all 11 body parts (P < 0.05). This study indicates that early sports specialization is associated with decreased injury rates in elite youth divers who specialized before age 13 years, particularly for head/neck, shoulder, and wrist injuries. Moreover, we observed a positive correlation between experience and injury rate. Further investigation should focus on distinguishing between acute and overuse injuries.

The role of self-esteem on motivational aspects of Greek blind athletes competing in individual and team sports

Physical activity and sports can be considered important sources of motivation for people with visual impairments; however limited attention has been given to blind peoples' involvement in sports and to the intra-personal variables such as self-esteem and motivation that affect their sport participation. The purpose of the present study was a) to explore the relationship between self-esteem and intrinsic motivation in blind athletes, and b) to assess the levels of self-esteem and intrinsic motivation and identify differences in intrinsic motivation and self-esteem as a function of gender and sport type (individual-team sports). Participants were 78 (27 females) Greek blind athletes (30.29 ± 1.18 years of age) competing in team (N = 44) and individual (N = 34) sports. Participants completed the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire (IMI) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) questionnaire. The findings revealed that high values on self-esteem could predict blind athletes' perceived competence (p = .001) and strengthen their intrinsic motivation while enabling them to regulate pressure and tension (p < .05). However, female athletes appeared to be more pressured than males (p < .05), and interestingly, team sport athletes scored higher in intrinsic motivation than individual sports athletes (p < .05). The findings provide useful insights regarding the role of self-esteem in blind athletes' motivational profiles and draw attention to the role of perceived competence in blind athletes' sporting experiences, emphasizing that team sport context may serve as a fertile ground for enhancing intrinsic motivation.

What Motivates Men to Improve Their Health? Understanding the Roles of Self-Esteem and Influential Others in Behaviour Change.

The aim of this study was to examine men's body image confidence, social reflectivity, body image perceptions and external information sources influence regarding body assessments. Data were collected via a cross-sectional survey and found that men have a low motivation toward physical health behaviour changes such as food, alcohol and exercise evaluation, and have generally positive views of their bodies overall. Relationship status, rather than age, defined behavioural and attitudinal differences within the men studied here. Men in this study were largely uninfluenced by celebrities or fashion in developing their own body image perceptions; single males were more likely to turn to friends, the female population generally and societal norms when evaluating themselves. Males in relationships however, weighted their partner's opinion as the greatest influence, followed by their involvement in sport. This study offers an insight into the role of body confidence in male perspectives of the self, which is important for its intrinsic connection to motivations for health behaviours such as body weight management. This has implications for increasing the effectiveness of health-related product and service messaging, and public health messages regarding body weight management for men.

Use of physical activity as a coping strategy mediates the association between adolescent team sports participation and emerging adult mental health

PurposeWe explored how team sport participation during adolescence may have prepared emerging adults to use physical activity (PA) as a coping strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore protect their mental health. MethodsMATCH study participants reported their involvement in team sports from age 11 to 18. At age 20, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, they reported their level of positive mental health, strategies to cope with stress, and perception of how helpful these are. Mediation analyses were used to estimate the natural direct effect of number of years of team sport participation during adolescence on emerging adults’ mental health, and the natural indirect effect through using PA as a coping strategy. ResultsData from 454 participants were available. PA was the most prevalent coping strategy reported (51.5%) and 74% of those using this strategy reported it helped a lot. More years of team sport participation during adolescence was associated with higher odds of reporting PA as a coping strategy (OR [95% CI] = 1.012 [1.007; 1.017]) and with higher level of mental health during emerging adulthood (β [95% CI] = 0.059 [0.024; 0.095]). The natural indirect effect suggests that the use of PA as a coping strategy partially explained the association between team sport participation in adolescence and mental health in emerging adulthood (NIE [95% CI] = 0.038 [0.002;0.074]). DiscussionMore team sports participation during adolescence is associated with better mental health during emerging adulthood. This association may operate through using PA to cope with stress.

Perceptions of parental involvement in youth handball players, the effects of sport participation stage and sports injury.

Globally, from the age of 14, the dropout rate of young athletes is high in all sports games in Hungary. The reasons for dropping out are complex, however parental support is critical to succeed or continue, especially after failure or injury. The present study explored the main effects of sports injury and sport participation stage on parental involvement in sports. 1,174 parents and 690 athletes completed our questionnaire, which contains questions on young players' sport participation, injury background and Parental Involvement in Sport Questionnaire. Parents' self-perceived level of involvement differed from the parental involvement perceived by their children. The significant predictors were the person who completed, the parent/athlete, the athlete's previous sports injury and the child's current stage of sport participation. In Directive Behavior, the main effect of stages is only seen in parents whose child has been injured. In the sample of injured athletes, the rate of perceived parental Praise and Understanding tends to be lower in the specializing stage. Our findings suggest that these two behaviors could be part of the same parenting style, which requires further investigation. The results expand the existing knowledge of the complexity of parents' involvement in children's sports careers. These findings have implications beyond parental psychoeducation impacting the work of coaches, sports physicians and rehabilitation experts.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Youth Sports Participation on Emotional Intelligence, Self-Esteem, and Life Satisfaction.

The present study investigated the mediating effects of emotional intelligence and self-esteem between youth sports participation and life satisfaction, as well as the comparative effects of different types of sports involvement (team, individual, and non-participation) on these selected variables. A sample of 1053 Portuguese adolescents (612 girls and 441 boys), aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.40; SD = 1.55), completed the following self-report measures: the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The structural equation modeling results indicated a complete mediating role of two emotional intelligence dimensions (use of emotion and self-emotional appraisal) and self-esteem in the relationship between sports participation and adolescents' life satisfaction. Team sport participants reported higher emotional intelligence and self-esteem scores than their non-sport participant counterparts who revealed lower levels of emotion use than their individual sport participant peers. These findings provide novel insights into the potential emotional and psychological mechanisms underlying the association between youth sports participation and life satisfaction.

Un "boxing" the reality: Knowledge, attitude, and perception of orthodontists, dental practitioners, and orthodontic patients toward mouthguards' wear during contact sports-A cross-sectional study.

Mouthguards (MGs) have the potential to prevent contact sport-related dental injuries. However, varying perceptions of their effectiveness persist, influencing recommendations by dental professionals. To assess the attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions of orthodontists, other dental practitioners (general dentists and other dental specialists), and orthodontic patients involved in contact sports regarding the use of MGs. A cross-sectional survey was designed to collect information from dental clinicians (orthodontists and other dental practitioners) and their orthodontic patients about using MGs during sports participation. A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit the participants for an online survey. A total of 107 (32 males/75 females) dental clinicians and 147 (75 males/72 females) orthodontic patients (mean age 17.5 ± 5.84 years) participated in the study. Pre-validated questionnaires, specifically designed for dental clinicians and orthodontic patients, were used. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 28.0; SPSS). Nearly 50% of dental clinicians have recently recommended MGs to their patients in their clinical practice out of which 59% preferred the stock type; 33% of dental clinicians enquired their patients about involvement in contact sports during initial visits. The majority of orthodontic patients acquired knowledge about MGs through the Internet. More than half of orthodontic patients expressed unwillingness to pay for MGs, and 89% of orthodontic patients found using MGs during contact sports uncomfortable. The findings provide valuable insights into the practices and attitudes of dental clinicians and orthodontic patients regarding MGs, their recommendations, and the comfort levels associated with using them during contact sports.

Knowledge of Play: A Precursor for Rethinking Sports Gambling Among Young Africans

The degree of involvement in sports gambling activities differs among individuals, in terms of knowledge of the sport they gamble on, and betting dynamics. These sorts of differences have created distinct classes of bettors within the youth gambling population, where the lower strata consult members of the highest stratum to maximise gambling success. This article suggests that, within what is known as a youth gambling population, a community of gamblers exists. This demonstrates the necessity to avoid or mitigate the tendency to treat the youth gambling population as a unified whole. The article also articulates important dynamics of sports gambling culture among young people and explains how the activity is perceived and encouraged among/within a gambling community.