Participation In Sports Activities Research Articles

Revolutionizing Sports Management with a Cutting-Edge Application

This project aims to create a sports mobile application tailored for college settings, addressing the need for efficient sports management and engagement within educational institutions. The mobile app will offer a comprehensive platform for students, staff, and sports enthusiasts to access sports-related information, schedules, and resources. It will include features such as event schedules, team management, user profiles, real-time notifications, and social interaction elements. The application will be designed to enhance user experience, encourage participation in sports activities, and promote a sense of community and healthy competition on college campuses. The project will leverage modern mobile app development technologies and best practices to deliver a user-friendly, reliable, and feature-rich solution to meet the specific sports management requirements of colleges.

Advantages of team sports during the physical training of future border guards

Professional training of military personnel is one of the most urgent problems today. Physical training of border guards is defined as one of the most important indicators of professionalism and is the basis of their professional activity. The high role given to physical training in the educational process of departmental educational institutions during the period of their training and retraining is due to the fact that the professional activity of border guards is directly related to various situations that make high demands on the physical fitness of border guards, their personal, moral-willed, mental and intellectual qualities. The use of team sports in the training of military personnel can be a key element in maximizing their potential. The use of team sports is an important component of physical fitness, as it not only promotes the development of physical skills, but also builds key communication and social skills. Active participation in team sports involves systematic physical activity, which contributes to the improvement of general health and well-being. Team games help foster the values of team cooperation and interaction. These sports also help build leadership skills, foster commitment to a common goal, and teach effective teamwork. In a team environment, players learn to work toward a common goal, support each other's strengths, and compensate for each other's weaknesses. Team exercises can be used to achieve specific physical goals, such as improving coordination, developing endurance and increasing strength, while aspects of cooperation and understanding also become important exceptions during classes. The article analyzes the possibility of using the full potential of team games during the physical training of cadets.

Factors Affecting Balance Performance in Adolescents.

(1) Background: The influence of different factors on balance in adolescence is assessed by conducting functional balance tests that examine its different components. (2) Materials and methods: The study sample comprised 110 healthy adolescents of both sexes, aged 12-18 years. Single Leg Stance with Eyes Open (SLS-EO) and Eyes Closed (SLS-EC) tests were conducted to evaluate static balance, whereas the Functional Reach Test (FRT) and Lateral Reach Test (LRT) were performed to establish functional stability limits. The influence of sex, age, demographic factors, anthropometric characteristics, participation in sports activities, and trunk extensor muscle endurance (Biering-Sorensen test) on balance performance was determined through correlational and univariate linear regression analyses. (3) Results: Older age (Beta [β] = 0.247; 95% CI [0.75, 5.20]; p < 0.01) and better trunk extensor muscle endurance (β = 0.224; 95% CI [0.015, 0.13]; p < 0.05) were significant predictors of the SLS-EO results, while younger age (β = -0.219; 95% CI [-1.32, -0.11]; p < 0.05) and higher muscle percentage (β = 0.237; 95% CI [0.06, 0.48]; p < 0.05) emerged as significant predictors of LRT performance, and greater bone mass was a significant predictor of FRT results (β = 0.444; 95% CI [3.62, 8.17]; p < 0.01). However, none of the independent variables was a statistically significant predictor of the SLS-EC results. (4) Conclusions: The current study found that age, trunk extensor muscle endurance, muscle percentage, and bone mass are significant predictors of different balance components, suggesting that balance is task-specific.

Impact of a Harmonious Sports Environment on Learning Interest

The study delves into the impact of sports equipment and facilities on students' learning interests within educational environments, with a particular focus on the positive influence observed among physical education (P.E) students. Through a qualitative approach employing the library method, the research explores this influence by dissecting existing literature on related topics, including cooperative learning efficiency in physical education and the motivational dynamics of student-athletes. The findings underscore the vital role played by a harmonious sports environment, marked by sufficient sports equipment and facilities, in fostering physical education, personality development, and lifelong engagement in sports activities. Notably, students with access to such facilities exhibit heightened participation in physical activities, correlating with improved academic performance and enhanced psychological well-being. The study highlights the pivotal role of a supportive sports environment in shaping students' learning interests, boosting academic achievements, and promoting psychological wellness within educational settings. It stresses the necessity of ensuring adequate sports equipment and facilities, coupled with the cultivation of a positive sports culture, to effectively nurture physical education, foster personal growth, and encourage sustained participation in sports activities. Furthermore, the research acknowledges and addresses socioeconomic disparities in sports participation, shedding light on the escalating income inequalities over time, especially among specific demographic groups such as women, middle and high school students, and adults. Moreover, it underscores the potential of group sport participation to mitigate such disparities compared to individual sports, suggesting avenues for fostering more inclusive sporting environments.

Cardiovascular screening of elderly athletes.

The permanently growing interest in amateur and professional sports activities among young, middle-aged and elderly athletes raises serious concerns about athletes' health, the safety of physical training, and the sports-related risk of sudden cardiac death and other cardiovascular complications during exercise. In recent years there has been an increasing number of cases of sudden cardiac death during physical effort. At present, life expectancy in the most developed countries grows rapidly and the number of people >65 years dramatically increases. Moreover, biological age of the population is lower. Subsequently, relevant increase in the number of elderly athletes involved in various types of sports activities has been reported in many countries. It was also demonstrated that physical activity has strong beneficial effect on cognitive functions, psychomotor performance and thus exercise capacity, which is very important for the elderly people in their everyday routine activities. Nonetheless, it should be remembered that participation in amateur and professional sports activities may be associated with risk of serious cardiovascular events in the elderly athletes often suffering from various civilization diseases. It is also reported that the number of elderly people after interventional cardiology procedures, open heart surgery and cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy), who wish to participate in various sports activities, systematically grows. The authors of the paper conduct a literature review on cardiovascular risk assessment in the elderly athletes including the contemporary cardiology diagnostic methods and diagnostic schemes to prevent sudden cardiac death and other cardiovascular events during exercise. The controversies over efficacy of particular diagnostic tools to detect cardiovascular diseases in the elderly athletes and worldwide epidemiologic data concerning risk of sudden cardiac death during physical exercise have been also presented. Here, the authors have derived suggestions for establishment of comprehensive diagnostic schemes to prevent sudden cardiac death during sports activities.

What determines participation in sport for older adults in England: A multilevel analysis of Active Lives data.

Physical inactivity within an ageing population is an ongoing public health concern for policymakers. Engagement in sport forms a foundation of policy designed to encourage physical activity participation and improve health and wellbeing. This study aimed to (i) understand the extent to which older adults participate in sport and the (ii) correlates that predict this involvement within an English population sample of older adults. A further aim was (iii) to examine the extent in which sports participation may vary due to the opportunity provided across Active Partnerships in England. To address this, a multi-level analysis framed through COM-B was conducted of the 2021 English Active Lives dataset (i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic). The Active Lives survey provides population-level insight into sport, exercise, and physical activity participation across England. It samples upwards of n = 180,000 participants beyond the age of 16 years and asks questions on factors that influence participation. Our findings drawn from a sample of n = 68,808 older adults (i.e., >60-years of age) indicate that when accounting for variation across regions sports participation was significantly predicted by age (β = -.246, p = .040) and multiple deprivation (β  = .706, p = .030). Further, our analysis suggests sports participation across regions is associated with changes in the perceptions of opportunity to participate (β = -28.70, p = .001). As the UK transitions from the COVID-19 pandemic, findings have implications for the promotion of sports participation for older adults, in that local, regional, and national stakeholders must do more to change perceptions of social and physical opportunity within an ageing population. This may be achieved through adaptations to the recreational sporting landscape, raising awareness, and supportive policy changes on a national level.

Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Women’s Participation in Sports Activities in Lahore

Women in Pakistan have been subjected to gender discrimination in different aspects of their lives, including their participation in sports. The main purpose of this study is to assess the socio-economic barriers hindering participation of women in sports activities.  To this end, we adopted the survey design method. The idea behind this study is feminism in sports theory. The feminist approach to women’s participation in sports is focused on empowering women both inside and outside of the sports world, advancing gender equity, and arguing for equitable chances in sports. SMART-PLS 4, SPSS, and RStudio are used for data analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is used within structural equation model (SEM) to evaluate the hypotheses. The results revealed that women’s participation in sports is highly influenced by family influence, socio-cultural support, economic barriers, personal interest and motivation, and sexual harassment, while media coverage and wage inequality is insignificant. Sexual harassment and economic barriers negatively affects participation of women in sports. The results suggest that policy makers, sports governing bodies, universities, and society should work together to increase female sports participation by raising awareness, reducing economic barriers, and improving physical health and fitness. There is gap in understanding the socio-economic barriers that contribute to the low participation of women in sports activities in Lahore, Pakistan. This research include factors socio-cultural support, family influence, wage inequality, sexual harassment, media coverage, personal interest and motivation and economic barriers that hindering women’s sport participation in Lahore.

Participation in Sports or Recreational Activities After Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Talus

Background: Fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is a viable treatment option for osteochondral defects of the talus. However, sufficient data are not available on patients’ participation in sports or recreational activities after the procedure. Purpose: To assess whether patients undergoing OCA transplantation of the talus participated in sports or recreational activities postoperatively. Study Design: Case series; level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 36 ankles in 34 patients underwent OCA transplantation of the talus. At a mean follow-up of 9.2 years, information on participation in sports or recreational activities pre- and postoperatively was obtained, as well as postoperative pain, function, and satisfaction. Results: The mean age at the time of surgery was 36.1 years (range, 20.5-57.7 years), and 50% of patients were men. The mean graft size was 3.6 cm2 (range, 1-7.2 cm2) or 41.1% of the talar dome. Before the injury, 63.9% of patients (23/36 ankles) reported being highly competitive athletes or well trained and frequently sporting; 36.1% of patients (13/36 ankles) reported sometimes sporting or were nonsporting. Also, 66.7% of patients (24/36 ankles) were able to participate in sports or recreational activities after OCA transplantation and 50% (18/36 ankles) were still participating in sports or recreational activities at the latest follow-up. In a subset of well-trained or highly competitive athletes, 73.9% (17/23 ankles) were able to return to sports or recreational activities at any point after OCA transplantation, and 65.2% (15/23 ankles) were still participating at the latest follow-up. Further surgery occurred in 16.7% of patients (6/36 ankles). Graft survivorship was 94.3% at 5 years and 85.3% at 10 years. There was a significant improvement in the mean Olerud-Molander Ankle Scores, and the mean Foot and Ankle Ability Measure scores were high postoperatively. Moreover, 79.4% of patients (27/34 ankles) were either satisfied or extremely satisfied with the allograft surgery. Conclusion: Fresh OCA transplantation is a reasonable surgical option for osteochondral defects of the talus for young, active patients who have failed previous operative management or have massive defects.

The moral and ethical dimension as an axiological priority of sports activity

The article emphasizes that sports ethics is an integral part of sports activities and determines its social role in the formation of modern society. It is argued that the existence of physical education and sports activities based on ethical principles contributes to the creation of a healthy, just and harmonious society, promotes personal development and education of generations. It is noted that the principles of fair play have a broad social impact, and their reflection in interpersonal relations, youth education and the formation of public values is determined by the axiological basis of sports ethics. The purpose of the study is tohighlight the role of the Fair Play principle as an axiological priority of socio-cultural transformations of sports activities. Methodology. The study of the functional potential of sports activities and the possibility of human improvement was based on historical and structural-functional methods, as well as the methodology of transcendental pragmatics, which allows us to consider life-creation in the communicative plane. Scientific novelty. The meaning of the principle of fair play as a fundamental ideological guideline for all participants in sports activities is determined, the main thing is the process of combining in practice the principles of respect for the opponent, respect for the rules of the game and the decisions of the judges, equality of chances for all participants in the competition, etc. Conclusions. The author emphasizes the significant role of sport in the education of moral and ethical qualities of a personality, which is manifested in the formation of character, courage, sense of responsibility and ideals of fair play, etc. At the same time, sport also has a downside, characterized by egocentrism, unscrupulousness, pragmatism, and a thirst for victory at any cost. Hence the need to create a system of purposeful sports education, which should realize the significant positive educational potential of sports activities and curb the negative impact of sports on the individual.

The International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health Framework (ICF): a new approach to enhance sport and physical activity participation among people with disabilities in Scotland.

This research provides a pilot study of the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health Framework (ICF) involving persons with disabilities (PWD) with and without lived experience of sport participation in Scotland. National surveys in Scotland provide limited information on the nature of individual disability restricting the understanding of the relationship between disability and sport and physical activity participation. The ICF is a framework that aims to describe and classify functioning and thus can be used as a tool to provide a more detailed description of impairment for PWDs beyond their clinical condition. This knowledge has the potential to enhance the development of policies to increase the participation levels in this group. The ICF has also been used to inform the current IPC classification system at a competitive and elite level. As part of a larger study, 450 participants aged between 12 and 70 years completed an online questionnaire examining attitudes to, and participation in, sport and physical activity as well as completing the structural and functional components of the ICF. Subsequently, 18 people participated in focus groups aged between 13 and 61 years. The focus groups examined four meta-theme areas: physical, social, psychological, and sport-specific factors. The results confirm that the ICF provided a more detailed indicator of the key impairments that could have an impact on sport and physical activity participation. There was a clear lack of awareness of the links between the ICF and the classification system for competitive parasport. We concluded that a modified ICF-based assessment tool, incorporating social and environmental factors, has the potential to predict the likelihood of participation and offers a more comprehensive picture of both individual and national disability characteristics. This allows for the development of targeted policies and strategies to assist those with a disability to participate in sport. The overall framework presents a shift in thinking, in policy terms, for those in public health and in sport governance and delivery. The significance of this work is especially concerned with public health and wellbeing and sport development policy as pathways from recreational sport user to elite athlete parasport classification and performance.

Adherence to the WHO recommendation of three weekly days of vigorous intensity activities in children: an accelerometry study of vigorous physical activity bouts.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adolescents incorporate vigorous intensity activities (VIAs) at least three days a week. This recommendation has not been sufficiently studied using objective methods, such as accelerometry. Physical education classes and extracurricular sports activities are optimal opportunities for compliance with this recommendation. To identify VIAs through bouts of vigorous physical activity (VPA-Bouts) evaluated with accelerometry and, with this, to know the compliance with the recommendation on VIAs. A cross-sectional study of the habitual physical activity of 353 children (8-9 years old) was carried out using accelerometry and participation in organized extracurricular sports activities was asked through a questionnaire. School days with and without physical education class, weekends, and the average weekly day were identified, as well as school time and out-of-school time. A VPA-Bout was defined as an interval of at least 60 minutes with a proportion of VPA of at least 16.7% in boys and 12.5% in girls (10.0 and 7.5 minutes/hour of VPA, respectively). The average daily time in organized extracurricular sports activities declared by questionnaire and the average daily duration of the VPA-Bouts evaluated with accelerometers in the extracurricular period was 21.3 (SD 19.8) and 23.9 (SD 31.2) minutes, respectively, in boys, whereas, in girls it was 20.2 (SD 17.4) and 11.0 (SD 16.9) minutes, respectively. In school time including a physical education class, there was a higher proportion of VPA-Bouts than without these classes (with: 28.6%, without: 2.1%, p < 0.001). Children who reported at least three weekly hours of organized extracurricular sports activities accumulated a higher proportion of school afternoons with VPA-Bouts than those with fewer weekly hours of this type of activities (≥3 hours/week: 27.5%, <3 hours/week: 9.3%, p < 0.001). On the weekend, boys who reported at least three weekly hours of organized extracurricular sports activities performed more VPA-Bouts than those participating in less weekly hours, while in girls no significant differences were observed (weekend; boys, ≥3 hours/week: 26.0%, <3 hours/week: 9.0%, p < 0.001; girls: 8.3%, 8.0%, p = 0.917). Compliance with the recommendation to incorporate VIAs at least three days a week was 23.8%. Children who reported at least three weekly hours of extracurricular sports activities achieved higher compliance than those who reported fewer extracurricular activities (≥3 hours/week: 35.1%, <3 hours/week: 12.7%, p < 0.001). Additionally, boys showed higher compliance rates than girls (boys: 32.9%, girls: 15.3%, p < 0.001). One in every four children met the WHO recommendation to incorporate VIAs at least three days a week, as evaluated by accelerometry. Physical education classes and extracurricular organized sports activities contributed to compliance with this recommendation.

Аdvantages of team sports during the physical training of future border guards

Professional training of military personnel is one of the most urgent problems today. Physical training of border guards is defined as one of the most important indicators of professionalism and is the basis of their professional activity. The high role given to physical training in the educational process of departmental educational institutions during the period of their training and retraining is due to the fact that the professional activity of border guards is directly related to various situations that make high demands on the physical fitness of border guards, their personal, moral-willed, mental and intellectual qualities. The use of team sports in the training of military personnel can be a key element in maximizing their potential. The use of team sports is an important component of physical fitness, as it not only promotes the development of physical skills, but also builds key communication and social skills. Active participation in team sports involves systematic physical activity, which contributes to the improvement of general health and well-being. Team games help foster the values of team cooperation and interaction. These sports also help build leadership skills, foster commitment to a common goal, and teach effective teamwork. In a team environment, players learn to work toward a common goal, support each other's strengths, and compensate for each other's weaknesses. Team exercises can be used to achieve specific physical goals, such as improving coordination, developing endurance and increasing strength, while aspects of cooperation and understanding also become important exceptions during classes. The article analyzes the possibility of using the full potential of team games during the physical training of cadets.

Self-regulation of sports activities for middle school students in Kirkuk Governorate

&#x0D; The research aims to study the self-organization of sports activities for middle school students in the governorate of Kirkuk. The researcher used the descriptive approach using the survey method. The sample was selected from middle school students, whose strength was (600) students. The researcher used the sports activities questionnaire as a tool to collect data, the results were reached. The most important of them: Football activity is the favorite sport activity for students, practicing five-a-side football is what middle school students enjoy most, middle school students practice sports activities motivated by the renewal of activity and vitality of the body, the weakness of capabilities is one of the most important obstacles facing middle school students and it was one of the most important Recommendations, the need for educational institutions to pay attention to overcoming obstacles to participation in sports activities, the interest of officials in the Ministry of Education in school activity and activity, the need to provide the material and human resources&#x0D; &#x0D;  

Predisposing factors of health promotion behaviors and health literacy in adolescents: A cross-sectional design.

This study was designed to measure health promotion behaviors, health literacy (HL) levels, and their predisposing factors among adolescents. A cross-sectional design was used. The study was completed by 1046 students aged 11-14 years. Data were collected via the HL for School-Aged Children Scale and the Adolescent Health Promotion Scale. HL was significantly associated with gender, participation in sport activities, and health promotion behaviors. There was no confounding factor for HL. Adolescent health promotion behaviors were significantly associated with academic level, weight perception, participation in sport activities, and HL. Nurses could improve communication and decision-making skills related to health behaviors and learn how to obtain health-related knowledge to promote the health of adolescents.

Development of basic motor competencies and connections with sport participation

Introduction During childhood, children develop their motor competencies. Basic motor competencies (BMC) are a central prerequisite for participation in sport activities (Herrmann et al., 2016) and form the basis for sport-specific skills (Hulteen et al., 2018). In school, children have a choice of formal (e.g. sports club) and informal (free play) settings in which they can engage in sports activities (Neuber &amp; Golenia, 2018). Children who are active in sports clubs have a higher level of BMC (Herrmann et al., 2017). Methods As part of the longitudinal study “Development of basic motor competencies in childhood (EMOKK-study)”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the BMC of N = 659 preschool children (51% boys) and N = 393 1st and 2nd grade children (49.4% boys) were assessed at two measurement points. In addition, parent questionnaires were used to assess the children’s sport participation. In initial analyses, the development of BMC was calculated using ANCOVA, with age as a covariate. Results Differences between girls and boys could be observed in preschool as well as in 1st and 2nd grade. Boys showed better performance in “object-movement” whereas girls were better in “self-movement”. From first to second grade, sports club participation increased (F(1, 467) = 28.546, p &lt; .001, η2 = .058). In both measurement points, boys were more often active in sport clubs than girls. First and second graders who were active in a sports club performed significantly better in both competence areas (“object-movement”: t1: p &lt; .001, d = .42; t2: p &lt; .001, d = .68; “self-movement”: t1: p = .002, d = .38; t2: p = .001, d = .40) than children who were not. Discussion Children who were active in club sports show a higher level of BMC, which seems to persist in the longitudinal section. This indicates an early selection effect and the importance of BMC for club sport. In further analyses, variables on informal sport activities will also be considered.

Understanding the challenges of injury in providing sport programmes for physically inactive women: concept mapping insights from programme deliverers

ObjectivesInjury/poor health is an important barrier to women’s participation in sport and physical activity. This study aimed to identify perceived challenges sport programme deliverers face when supporting physically inactive women...

Early-Life Social Determinants of SCA6 Age at Onset, Severity, and Progression.

SCA6 patients with the same size CAG repeat allele can vary significantly in age at onset (AAO) and clinical progression. The specific external factors affecting SCA6 have yet to be investigated. We assessed the effect of early life events on AAO, severity, and progression in SCA6 patients using a social determinant of health approach. We performed a survey of biological and social factors in SCA6 patients enrolled in the SCA6 Network at the University of Chicago. AAO of ataxia symptoms and patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) of ataxia were used as primary outcome measures. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operation (LASSO) regressions were used to identify which early life factors are predictive of SCA6 AAO, severity, and progression. Multiple linear regression models were then used to assess the degree to which these determinants influence SCA6 health outcomes. A total of 105 participants with genetically confirmed SCA6 completed the assessments. SCA6 participants with maternal difficulty during pregnancy, active participation in school sports, and/or longer CAG repeats were determined to have earlier AAO. We found a 13.44-year earlier AAO for those with maternal difficulty in pregnancy than those without (p = 0.008) and a 12.31-year earlier AAO for those active in school sports than those who were not (p < 0.001). Higher education attainment was associated with decreased SCA6 severity and slower progression. Early life biological and social factors can have a strong influence on the SCA6 disease course, indicating that non-genetic factors can contribute significantly to SCA6 health outcomes.

Real-Time Virtual Sonography-Guided Ossicle Removal in Unresolved Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) reduces participation in sports activities for adolescents, and, in unresolved cases of the disease in which daily life or sports activity after skeletal maturity are affected, surgical intervention to remove the ossicle is performed to alleviate symptoms. We present a real-time virtual sonography (RVS)–guided ossicle removal in unresolved OSD. The knee joint angle is set at 20°, which is the same position used in magnetic resonance imaging. A 1.5-cm longitudinal skin incision is made at the medial side of the tuberosity. An ultrasound probe covered with a sterile sleeve is then placed longitudinally at the level of tuberosity. The forceps is inserted to peel the patellar tendon off the posterior side of the ossicle. Then the anterior side of the ossicle is peeled off in both the transverse and longitudinal views. When the ossicle is unstable enough, forceps are used to grasp the ossicle and carefully remove it. RVS can see magnetic resonance imaging information in the surrounding area beyond what can be detected by the ultrasound probe, and RVS enables easy determination of the anatomical position of the ossicle, and removal of the ossicle is achieved with low invasiveness.

The role of parental involvement in academic and sports achievement

According to previous research results and our systematic review on this topic (Kovács et al., 2022), the positive impact of parental involvement on academic achievement was revealed. However, it is unclear how parental involvement in sports contributes to sports performance and academic achievement. In this study, our main questions are about the differences in academic achievement, in participation in sports activity, and in sports results among pupils of parents involved or not involved in sports and education. To answer these questions, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 7th and 8th-grade students learning in three primary schools in a Hungarian city (N = 121). Based on the scale of parental involvement, three groups were differentiated: 1) children of parents not involved in either education or sports (N = 33), 2) children of parents involved in education only (N = 38), and 3) children of parents involved in both education and sports (N = 47). In order to examine this data, cluster and factor analysis, a Chi-square test and ANOVA, and linear regression were used. Our results showed, children of parents involved in both sports and education are overrepresented among students who received awards because of their sports performance (59.6%), among members of sports talent management programs (29.8%), and among those who achieved first place in national sports competitions (47.8%). They also seem to be the ones most intent on staying engaged, in the future, in regular and competitive sport activities (57.4% and 55.3%). On the contrary, the highest percentage of children of parents involved in education belongs to those who were given awards because of excellent academic achievement (71.1%). As far as personality traits are concerned, obsessive passion (OP) is the most characteristic of pupils with non-involved parents (M = 0.37, SD = 0.95) and least characteristic of children with parents involved in education (M = −0.17, SD = 0.94). Belonging to both groups with involved parents can be considered a negative predictor of OP (βt = −0.259* [−1.019, −0.078], βt + s = −0.237* [−0.930, −0.030]). In conclusion, it can be detected that there exists a positive interrelation between parental involvement in sports and education, and the academic and sports performance of their children.

Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation in Elite Athletes: A Systematic Review.

Deficiency in vitamin D has been shown to increase the risk of injury. To synthesize current placebo-controlled randomized trials investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation in elite athletes on (1) aerobic capacity; (2) anaerobic measures, such as strength, speed, and anaerobic power; (3) serum biomarkers of inflammation; and (4) bone health. Systematic review; Level of evidence, 1. A literature search was conducted on November 30, 2022, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Included were randomized, placebo-controlled studies of longer than 2 weeks on subjects with active participation in organized sport. Excluded were nonrandomized controlled trial study designs, vitamin D administration routes other than oral, studies that did not use vitamin D supplementation as the sole intervention, and studies with nonathletic or military populations. Out of 2331 initial studies, 14 studies (482 athletes) were included. Of the 3 studies that assessed aerobic capacity, 2 demonstrated significantly greater improvements in maximal oxygen uptake and physical working capacity-170 (P < .05) in supplemented versus nonsupplemented athletes. Measurements of anaerobic power and strength were consistently increased in supplemented groups compared with nonsupplemented groups in 5 out of the 7 studies that assessed this. Of the 6 studies that assessed sprint speed, 4 found no significant difference between supplemented and nonsupplemented groups. Aside from 1 study that found significantly lower interleukin-6 levels in supplemented athletes, measures of other inflammatory cytokines were not affected consistently by supplementation. The 4 studies that assessed markers of bone health were conflicting regarding benefits of supplementation. One study found demonstrated improvements in bone mineral density in response to supplementation (P = .02) compared with control whereas another found no significant difference between supplemented and nonsupplemented groups. However, in 3 other studies, serum biomarkers of bone turnover such as bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, and N-terminal telopeptide appeared to be higher in subjects with lower serum vitamin D levels (P < .05). Results of this systematic review indicated that the greatest benefit of vitamin D supplementation in elite athletes may be improving aerobic endurance, anaerobic power, and strength. More research is needed to determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on bone health and injury risk in this population.