Sport Environment Research Articles

Leveraging the cultural intelligence of sport employees in the globalized sports industry

PurposeIn the contemporary globalized sports industry, it is crucial for sport employees to cultivate an essential capability – cultural intelligence (CQ) – to excel in culturally diverse sport environments. The purpose of this study is to propose a comprehensive conceptual framework of sport employees' CQ for enhancing management practices in sport organizations.Design/methodology/approachBy conducting a thorough literature review of relevant business and sport management literature, this research offers a synopsis of CQ and advocates for the advancement of a developed conceptual framework for sport employees' CQ (CQ-SE).FindingsThe conceptual framework of CQ-SE is proposed to facilitate employees’ effective integration into diverse environments within sport organizations. This framework identifies predictors that enhance sport employees’ CQ, moderating factors to provide deeper insights into these relationships and outcomes at individual, group and organizational levels. We additionally elaborate on the anticipated benefits for stakeholders, given the services provided by sport practitioners.Originality/valueThis study is one of the initial endeavors to conceptualize the concept of CQ for sport employees. This study contributes to the literature on sport organizational culture and human resource management by emphasizing the pivotal role of sport employees’ CQ in promoting greater inclusivity in sport organizations. We encourage sport management researchers to explore the application of CQ in sport contexts and empirically test the relationships proposed in this framework.

Examining barriers and reasons for sport retirement in women's soccer: A qualitative study

The present research aimed to 1) examine the barriers that interfere with the progression of women's soccer and 2) analyze adult women's reasons for abandoning the practice of federated soccer. For this purpose, a qualitative methodology, with 14 semi-structured interviews of female national category soccer players, was used. The results of the inductive content analysis suggested that the players' main reasons for quitting sports were incompatibility or lack of time, lack of group cohesion within the sports context, and individual demotivation. Knowledge of these results may be of great interest to the sport environment. Thus, the people in charge could promote different strategies to improve sports and personal situations.

Prevalence of Disordered Eating Risk Attitudes in Youth Elite Male and Female Football Players.

Objectives: Examine the prevalence of risk behaviors for the development of eating disorders in academy footballers of the Liga MX, compare sociodemographic data and highlight the participants' perceptions regarding the influence of the sports environment and external pressure on their relationship with food and their bodies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 536 footballers (331 men and 205 women) in the categories U14, U16, U18 men and U15, U19 women of Liga MX with prior consent from their clubs and strict confidentiality measures. The data were collected via Google Forms using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Results: Of the participants, 13.4% met or exceeded the cut-off point on the EAT-26. The highest prevalence was observed in the Female U19 category. The reflections indicated that the sports environment and external pressure affect the relationship with food and bodies in a significant proportion of participants. Conclusions: The study highlights a high prevalence of risk behaviors for eating disorders in Liga MX football players, with a higher incidence in the female categories, also evidencing a multifactorial etiology.

Are we asking the right questions? Female athletes’ perspectives on the menstrual cycle in sport

BackgroundMenstrual cycle (MC) research employing qualitative and quantitative methods has recently increased in athlete populations. A move towards a participant-centered approach to help formulate questions that align with practitioners’ and stakeholders’ priorities in the sport environment is needed. Therefore, our study aims were to 1) understand what athletes feel is important to consider regarding their MC in sport, and 2) provide practical recommendations for coaches and practitioners to support a positive sport culture around the MC. MethodsParticipants were Canadian female athletes competing at national and international levels. Team (n = 10) and individual (n = 10) sport athletes (median age 23 years) shared their experiences and values in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. ResultsThree main theories were identified by constructive grounded theory analyses: 1) training and performance, 2) culture, and 3) health. Athletes expressed a desire for symptom management strategies and more evidence on MC training periodization to optimize performance. Key determinants in creating a positive culture included communication and feeling supported. Athletes also expressed challenges in balancing health with performance and felt ill-informed on how hormonal contraceptives could potentially impact performance. Practical recommendations included 1) addressing individualized, context-specific symptom impacts on the athlete’s sport demands, 2) using a group-based approach to initiate MC communication topics and, 3) designate female health point-of-contact staff to facilitate MC information. ConclusionFuture research should continue to evaluate MC impacts on training and performance and study designs should include participants who are using hormonal contraceptives. Coaches and sport practitioners should prioritize female athlete health alongside performance goals.

Medical microbiological diagnosis of sports-accidental infections: promoting global peace, quality health, and entrepreneurship; through One Health approach

Most diseases acquired from sporting activities are accidental and often influenced by environmental factors. Neglecting the environment in disease prevention is counterproductive. This was evident during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when many sporting activities were halted. Medical laboratory diagnostics, particularly microbiological techniques, detect infectious agents and help contain diseases, thereby fostering a healthy environment for entrepreneurship. Using a One Health approach, this review highlights the dual role of sporting activities in promoting healthy living and facilitating the spread of pathogens. Although sports are widely recognized for enhancing health, the link between microbiology and sports, and their combined roles in promoting global peace, quality health, and entrepreneurship, is not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, the main objective of this review is to examine the relationship between sports-accidental infections and their impact on global peace, health, and entrepreneurship. This review employs a combination of life experiences, observations, and literature analysis, drawing on both qualitative and quantitative data. The findings reveal various types of sports-accidental infections, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, skin, blood-borne, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative infections. The results indicate that microbial infections significantly impair athletic performance, often necessitating a “return-to-sport” strategy, where athletes must fully recover before resuming sports activities. Sports-accidental infections are also associated with sudden deaths among athletes on the field, negatively affecting health, peace, and entrepreneurship. Microbiology plays a significant role in diagnosing, treating, and managing sports-accidental infections. Through medical laboratory diagnostics, such as microbiological investigations, many pandemics, including COVID-19, have been contained. Identifying infectious agents enables effective preventive measures, helping restore peace and health, and supporting economic activities. The review offers eight recommendations that aim to foster a safer, healthier, and more resilient sports environment, benefitting individual athletes and promoting broader societal goals of health, peace, and economic growth.

Prevalence of potential risk of eating disorders among young, unprofessional European athletes: results of the ERASMUS+ project SCAED.

Adolescent athletes are at higher risk of developing eating disorders (ED) due to sports environment pressures and developmental characteristics. The ERASMUS+ project Sports Community against Eating Disorders (SCAED) aims to assess the prevalence of the potential risk of eating disorders among young, unprofessional European athletes and to provide them with easier access to professional support and knowledge. The online survey included 462 unprofessional athletes from six European countries aged 12-25 (average age 18.49 ± 5.50) on their socio-demographics, sports and lifestyle habits, behaviors, concerns, and perceived pressure from coaches and teammates regarding body weight and shape. The eating disorder potential risk was assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination for Adolescents (EDE-A) and Eating Disorders Screen for Athletes (EDSA). Every seventh (14.9%, EDE-A) and fifth (19.9%, EDSA) of young, unprofessional European athletes were at possible risk for developing eating disorders. Overall potential risk (18.7% EDE-A, 26.6% EDSA), dietary restraint (12.9%), and concerns about eating (9.5%), shape (23.7%), and weight (19.6%) were significantly more prevalent among female athletes. Younger athletes showed a slightly higher prevalence and avoidance of food. Athletes training in weight-sensitive sports exhibited more behaviors related to eating disorders. Females (p = 0.003), younger, and those athletes training in less weight-sensitive sports noted higher weight- and shape-related pressure from coaches. Dissatisfaction with their current weight was expressed by 44.6% of athletes, while 46.1% thought that they needed to lose weight to improve performance. The observed prevalence of the potential risk of ED among young, unprofessional European athletes is concerning, particularly due to limited access to support. Efforts to reduce the prevalence should target female and younger athletes in weight-sensitive sports. The SCAED Erasmus+ project aims to decrease ED prevalence among young, unprofessional European athletes, their families, and coaches by supporting them through education and professional consultation.

“I always just viewed it as part of sport”: Psychological maltreatment and conformity to the sport ethic

Sport environments have the potential to be advantageous to one’s development and well-being; however, they are also plagued with the normalization of excessive pressures and extreme expectations that can enhance athletes’ susceptibility to experiencing harm, especially psychological maltreatment. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore athletes’ experiences of conforming to the sport ethic and experiences of psychological maltreatment in sport. Semi-structured interviews were completed with thirteen retired, competitive, women athletes. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Findings demonstrate that the sport ethic influences the vulnerability of athletes to experiencing psychological maltreatment and athletes’ experiences of psychological maltreatment influence their conformity to the sport ethic. The desire to please is identified as central to this nexus between conformity and experiences of psychological maltreatment. The paper concludes with applied recommendations for sport psychology practitioners.

Girls play basketball too? A study of the mechanisms of traditional social gender consciousness on female participation in contact leisure sports.

With the development of women's sports, the mechanism of barriers to women's leisure sports participation has attracted extensive attention from the academic community. Despite its significant impact, there are few empirical studies on intra-personal barriers. Consequently, a structural equation model was established to examine the relationships between traditional social gender awareness, gender bias, gender stereotypes, and barriers to participation in leisure sports. In this study, a total of 508 questionnaires were collected and analyzed using AMOS 24.0 software for structural equation modeling. After model testing, the relationships between the variables were examined. The results of the statistical analyses indicated that traditional gender awareness could serve as an antecedent variable for barriers to participation in leisure sports, and that gender stereotypes mediated the relationship between traditional gender awareness and barriers to participation in leisure sports. The study also concluded that gender bias could not mediate the relationship between traditional gender awareness and participation barriers in leisure sports, but gender bias and gender stereotypes could act as chain mediators in the process of the influence of traditional gender awareness on barriers to contact leisure sports. This study emphasizes the need for women to break down the traditional social gender awareness, gender bias, gender stereotypes, and other intra-personal barriers when engaging in leisure sport participation. According to this study, the promotion of sustained and healthy development of women's sport requires the breaking down of traditional social gender awareness education and the creation of more gender-inclusive sports policies and environments. The significance of the study is that by proposing and confirming the internal participation barriers to women's participation in contact leisure sports, it will lead to the ideological liberation of women's gender perspectives, so that they can break down the participation barriers to contact leisure sports, participate in sports activities, and enjoy the right to play sports on an equal footing.

Professional Development of Future Teachers in the Sports and Event Environment of the University

Professional Development of Future Teachers in the Sports and Event Environment of the University

Impact of Tourist Motivation on Consumption Behaviour in Ice and Snow Sports Destinations

Sports tourism involves traveling to either observe or engage in a sports event while being away from tourists' usual environment. The rapid growth of the Ice and Snow (I&S) tourism sector in the current duration has encouraged the sustainable improvement of the relationship between motivational factors and consumption behaviour. Tourism stakeholders could acquire significant insights by understanding the causes of consumer behaviour, particularly in light of the increasing popularity of winter sports and tourism. The tourism business has witnessed the emergence of I&S sports tourism as a significant sector, illustrating millions of tourists to winter each destination. The study combines the data gathered from visitors to various winter sports industries with information gathered from industry experts' focus groups and interviews. This study investigates the relationships between sports tourism motivation, involvement, place attachment, and consumption behaviour following the theoretical hypothesis formulation. It explores the impact of different motivational features on tourists' expenditure models and activity preferences in winter sports environments using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The study emphasizes the value of smart marketing and customized experiences in raising visitor engagement and retention. Strong relationships between the variables under study are shown by demographic and correlation studies, which assess the concepts validity and reliability. The study also emphasizes how customized experiences and marketing tactics are crucial for raising visitor engagement and retention rates. Accordingly, using a variety of hypotheses, including consumer behaviour theory, this article aims to examine the link between the motivation behind I&S sports tourism and consumer behaviour.

Coupled building simulation and CFD for real-time window and HVAC control in sports space

Accurately predicting players’ thermal comfort in large sports spaces for real-time window and HVAC operations presents significant challenges due to non-uniform thermal distributions. Standalone building energy simulation (BES) typically assumes the entire targeted space as a uniform thermal zone, which fails to capture these variances. Conversely, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation can predict indoor thermal environments with precision but often struggles with determining accurate boundary conditions. This study introduces a coupled BES and CFD simulation method tailored for real-time window and HVAC control in sports spaces. A case study was conducted in a prototypical national fitness hall to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The thermal comfort and cooling energy results from the co-simulation-based control were compared with those from standalone EnergyPlus simulation-based control and fixed-schedule window and HVAC operations, which served as baselines. The results indicate that the proposed method enhanced thermal comfort by 68.5 % compared to constantly-scheduled window operations and achieved daily energy savings of up to 43.5 % versus constantly-scheduled HVAC operations. Furthermore, significant discrepancies in Average Predicted Mean Vote (PMV‾) or Average Adaptive Predicted Mean Vote (aPMV‾) as well as daily cooling energy consumption between the BES-CFD co-simulation and standalone EnergyPlus simulation were identified, ranging from -0.53 to 1.83 for PMV‾ (aPMV‾) and -2444.6 to 1266.5 kWh for cooling energy. This study contributes novel methods for real-time window and HVAC control in sports buildings towards thermally comfortable and energy-efficient sports environments.

Emergency services at sports places in Rio de Janeiro: intervention of the sports management, activity and tourism

Emergency services in sports environments are crucial to ensuring the safety of those participating. Although Rio de Janeiro boasts a large and varied number of sports facilities, little is known about the dynamics of care provided in these locations. The primary objective of this study was to analyze the emergency response data from sports environments attended by the Military Fire Brigade of the State of Rio de Janeiro (CBMERJ). Secondly, the study aimed to compare the factors associated with emergency care at sports facilities, identify the most common injury sites, infer the causes of these accidents, and observe the frequency of fatalities during sports activities. For this study, 615 data points from the first emergency rescue group (1GSE) of the Rio de Janeiro Military Fire Brigade were analyzed, divided into North (n = 215), South (n = 145), West (n = 214), and Central (n = 30) zones. The dependent variables were: gender, outcome types, care types, transport types, immobilization, care characterization, care strategy, death details, emergency occurrences, and injury distribution by region. The zones were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn’s post hoc analysis, with a significance level of p≤0.05. Statistical analysis revealed differences between the zones when comparing outcomes, with the northern zone showing higher values (~75%) of treated and removed victims compared to the western zone (60%). There were also differences between the zones in the type of care provided, where the northern zone showed higher values (~35%) of intermediate care compared to the western (~20%), southern (~25%), and central (%) zones. The type of transport used varied between zones, with the southern zone showing higher usage of rapid response vehicles (ASE L) than the northern and central regions. The analysis further revealed a difference in immobilization conditions, with the central zone showing a lower frequency (~20%) of immobilization, that is, a higher proportion of "other" outcomes compared to the northern (~40%), western (%), and southern (~50%) zones. Keywords: Emergency care; sports practices; injury; Fire Department.

Pola Komunikasi Antarpribadi Antara Pelatih dan Siswa Sekolah Sepak Bola (SSB) Tuna Betawi Srengseng, Jakarta Barat

This research examines the interpersonal communication patterns between coaches and students in the context of youth soccer development at the Tunas Betawi Soccer School (SSB) in Srengseng, West Jakarta. The study aims to understand how communication between coaches and students influences soccer coaching within the SSB environment. Qualitative research methods were employed, utilizing participant observation and interviews to collect data from several coaches and actively involved students in the soccer coaching program at SSB Tunas Betawi.Findings indicate that effective and supportive communication between coaches and students plays a crucial role in creating a positive learning environment and building strong relationships. This communication not only enhances the technical and tactical aspects of soccer coaching but also supports broader personal and social development among students. Coaches who can deliver instructions clearly, provide constructive feedback, and motivate students positively tend to create an atmosphere conducive to optimal learning. Furthermore, the interaction between coaches and students also significantly influences the development of students' character and mental attitudes towards sports.The implications of this study underscore the need for improving communication patterns in youth sports coaching contexts. This includes a better understanding of individual learning styles, emotional management, and motivating students to achieve their optimal potential in sports. These findings contribute significantly to the development of more effective coaching practices beneficial for children's development at SSB and other sports environments.

Defamation or Duty? A Legal Lesson from Youth Tennis

This defamation case between a youth tennis player, through his parents, against the parent of another young tennis player spotlights the intricate balance between safeguarding participants’ rights and ensuring a harassment-free sporting environment.

Guideline for Promote Basketball Club in Shaanxi China

Background and Aims: To further enrich the learning life of students and cultivate talents with all-round development in ethics, intellect, physicality, social skills, and aesthetics, the State issued the Opinions on Further Reducing the Burden of Homework on Students in Compulsory Education and the Burden of Out-of-School Training. The "double reduction" directly restricts the size of subject-based out-of-school training organizations and reduces the number of hours they conduct extracurricular training, which can greatly impact out-of-school training organizations. Based on the development of extracurricular training institutions in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, this study examines the strength of the correlation between the policy context and the development of local sports training institutions. The "Double Reduction" policy refers to the state's efforts to reduce the extracurricular burden on students and the economic pressure on parents while promoting the all-round development of students. As the sports environment improves and schools pay more attention to physical education, the development of basketball training institutions in the policy context is also worth studying. Understanding the development of youth basketball training institutions in Xi'an, Shaanxi under the double reduction policy can provide reference and guidance for cultivating excellent basketball reserves in Xi'an and promote improving China's basketball level. Youth basketball training institutions are an important base for cultivating excellent basketball reserve talents, and understanding their development in the context of the double-reduced policy can help assess the effect of the existing training model on talent cultivation and put forward suggestions for improvement. Methodology: This paper focuses on the youth basketball training institutions in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and adopts the questionnaire survey method and interview method to conduct research. Using the 4M theory and POLC theory, 270 samples, including 20 managers, 50 coaches, and 100 students and parents each, were selected and studied by questionnaire survey method. Summarize the development status and give specific development measures. Finally, the results of the study were given to nine experts for evaluation to obtain a high-quality, scientific management guide for the sustainable development of basketball training organizations in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. Results: The measures were screened and finally six specific management guidelines were identified after expert evaluation and recommendations, which were accepted by the experts after validation, and the feasibility of the specific measures was verified. Conclusion: The study finds that the release of policies has a significant impact on the development of organizations. The release of policies may trigger changes in the competitive landscape of the basketball training organization industry, and the changes in the market prompt basketball training organizations to improve their strengths to adapt to the new rules of competition. However, it can also provide guidance and direction for the development direction and focus of basketball training organizations, prompting them to transform and upgrade to grasp new development opportunities. Stricter regulatory standards and requirements have prompted basketball training institutions to strengthen compliance management and improve service quality and standardization.

PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS IN INDIAN SPORTS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF EXISTING LAWS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

This paper critically examines the intersection of sports and human rights in India, highlighting the need for robust legal frameworks to protect athletes' rights. A qualitative analysis of existing sports laws and policies reveals significant gaps and challenges, including inadequate athlete representation, insufficient funding, and lack of transparency. The paper recommends comprehensive reforms to strengthen human rights protection in Indian sports, including the establishment of an independent sports regulatory body, implementation of robust anti-discrimination policies, and promotion of transparency and accountability. By addressing these gaps and challenges, India can promote a more inclusive and equitable sports environment, upholding human rights and ensuring athlete welfare.

Soybean protein-reinforced highly extensible and self-adhesive hydrogels with ultra-sensitive strain sensing for flexible electronic devices

There is a growing interest in utilizing sustainable and renewable biomass resources to construct high-performance hydrogels for flexible electronics. In this study, soybean protein isolate (SPI) with abundant functional groups was introduced into the hydrogel matrix, while the connection between SPI, MXene and the polymer network was strengthened by hydrogen bonding. The sensible strategy overcame the problems of easy oxidation, agglomeration and weak interactions that existed in the binding of conductive filler MXene nanosheets with polymer chains. The prepared composite hydrogel exhibited integrated properties of high stretchability (>800 %), excellent self-adhesive property, plasticity, injectability, cyclic stability and durability in extreme environments (-20–60°C). Noteworthily, this hydrogel demonstrated high sensitivity and stable electrical resistance response to minor changes in tension, compression, bending, and temperature. In addition, this hydrogel exhibited excellent UV isolation and perspiration properties, making it ideal for practical applications of flexible devices in sports environments. The preparation of green, multipurpose, flexible electronics and human motion monitoring devices is made easier by the practical approach in this study.

Compassion matters in elite sports environments: Insights from high-performance coaches

It is an open question to which degree compassion—noticing, engaging with, and acting to alleviate suffering in self and others—is (considered) advantageous in elite sports. Addressing this question, we herein provide insights into high-performance coaches’ perceptions on the role of compassion in elite sports environments. Specifically, 12 coaches working at the highest level of their respective sport (in Denmark) partook in semi-structured interviews focusing on the utilization, implications, as well as barriers for implementing compassion in elite sports environments. Following a thematic analysis, three themes comprising various subthemes were identified and discussed. The first theme – Benefits of compassion – focuses on coaches’ perception of the use and implications of compassion and comprises four subthemes: Compassion is important when times are tough; Compassion stimulates human connection; Compassion fosters unity in competitive environments; and Compassion promotes performance. The second theme – Increasing compassionate competence – focuses on how a compassionate approach can flourish and comprises three subthemes: Reflection; Awareness and knowledge; and Keeping up with the times. The third theme – Barriers to compassion – focuses on barriers to implementing and enhancing compassion in elite sports environments and comprises four subthemes: Compassion is soft; Power dynamics can stand in the way; Requires prioritization; and Performance outcome orientation. We conclude that while compassion (beyond self-compassion) can be beneficial in elite sports, coaches still perceive barriers for successful implementation, and that research should further investigate the outcomes and consequences of compassion in the elite sport context.

Virtual Reality and Higher Education Sporting Events: Social Anxiety Perception as an Outcome of VR Simulation.

This study investigates the relationship between Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) and social anxiety in sport environments. Social anxiety is a mental health condition that manifests people's intense fear of being watched and judged by others and worrying about humiliation It is important to research potential tools like VRET that could help to mitigate the impact of social anxiety as people with social anxiety often avoid attending live events due to the venue's sensory stimuli and the social encounters they anticipate. VR simulation could allow socially anxious individuals to fully experience a sporting event simulation minus the anxiety induced by potential social encounters. VR's therapeutic effects on social anxiety should be explored when considering several findings of VR intervention to mental health. The study aims to assess the impact of exposing socially anxious people to a virtual sporting game by measuring their levels of social anxiety, team identification, and intentions to attend a live sporting event before and after the VR exposure. Due to VR's positive experience, social anxiety is expected to decrease. However, team identification and intentions to attend live sporting events are expected to increase because of VR's ability to develop sport fanship. Fourteen students with symptoms of social anxiety participated in the study. To create the VR simulation stimuli, the researchers used six 360° cameras to record an NCAA Division-I women's volleyball game. Participants experienced the sporting event via VR simulation. Data were analyzed via one-group pre- and post-comparison. Significant results were found for behavioral intentions of participants after experiencing the simulation. Social anxiety's difference was negative 0.22, t(13) = 3.47, p < 0.01. After watching the game in VR, the respondents' social anxiety decreased significantly. Team identification's difference was 0.53, t(13) = -3.56, p < 0.01. Lastly, event visit intentions' difference was 0.24, t(13) = -2.35, p < 0.05. Team identification and intentions to visit a sporting event rose significantly after viewing the game in VR.

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.