Self-made material in physical education: Teacher perceptions of the use of an emerging pedagogical model before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused drastic changes in education, which had to adapt to changing scenarios (online, face-to-face, hybrid teaching). Within physical education (PE), strategies such as 'do not use or share equipment' were proposed to avoid infections. These strategies fit with an emerging pedagogical model called the Self-made Material Model (SMM), which involves students creating their own PE equipment. The objectives of the present study were: (a) to analyse PE teachers' beliefs about the use of self-made material in their classes, (b) to evaluate teachers' perceptions of the impact of the use of self-made material in PE lessons during the pandemic and (c) to examine gender/age differences. A quantitative, snowball research design was followed. The Self-made Material Questionnaire (Méndez-Giménez and Fernández-Río, 2011) comprising two scales (41 items) was adapted: Teachers' beliefs about the use of self-made material scale and Teachers' perceptions of the impact of self-made material usage during the pandemic scale. In total, 1093 in-service teachers (443 women, 40.5%;M = 41.39, SD = 9.54) from 13 Ibero-American countries participated. Descriptive statistics were calculated, Student's T test was conducted for comparisons by gender and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was run for comparisons by age ranges. Overall, the scores were high, emphasising the potential to promote recycling and students' creativity and respect for the material. Women scored higher in items such as promoting interdisciplinarity, equality, attention to disability and education in values. In total, 833 (76.21%) teachers used self-made material during the pandemic and reported high levels of satisfaction, expectations of use, usefulness and profitability. No gender differences were found. In the COVID-19 era, the SMM is playing a relevant role as a meaningful framework and a helpful teaching methodology in different educational scenarios. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Self-made material in physical education: Teacher perceptions of the use of an emerging pedagogical model before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused drastic changes in education, which had to adapt to changing scenarios (online, face-to-face, hybrid teaching). Within physical education (PE), strategies such as ‘do not use or share equipment’ were proposed to avoid infections. These strategies fit with an emerging pedagogical model called the Self-made Material Model (SMM), which involves students creating their own PE equipment. The objectives of the present study were: (a) to analyse PE teachers’ beliefs about the use of self-made material in their classes, (b) to evaluate teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the use of self-made material in PE lessons during the pandemic and (c) to examine gender/age differences. A quantitative, snowball research design was followed. The Self-made Material Questionnaire ( Méndez-Giménez and Fernández-Río, 2011 ) comprising two scales (41 items) was adapted: Teachers’ beliefs about the use of self-made material scale and Teachers’ perceptions of the impact of self-made material usage during the pandemic scale. In total, 1093 in-service teachers (443 women, 40.5%;M = 41.39, SD = 9.54) from 13 Ibero-American countries participated. Descriptive statistics were calculated, Student’s T test was conducted for comparisons by gender and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was run for comparisons by age ranges. Overall, the scores were high, emphasising the potential to promote recycling and students’ creativity and respect for the material. Women scored higher in items such as promoting interdisciplinarity, equality, attention to disability and education in values. In total, 833 (76.21%) teachers used self-made material during the pandemic and reported high levels of satisfaction, expectations of use, usefulness and profitability. No gender differences were found. In the COVID-19 era, the SMM is playing a relevant role as a meaningful framework and a helpful teaching methodology in different educational scenarios.

Understanding the people confined by the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative analysis

On 15 March 2020, the Spanish population was obliged to confine at home, with no time to prepare. The objective of this study was to analyse the effects this confinement had on the population. 1,044 citizens (aged 16-84) agreed to participate. The study followed a phenomenological, qualitative research design, and a non-probabilistic snowball sampling was used to recruit the sample. Seven days after the confinement began, a questionnaire including one open question was distributed through social networks, email and the media to an initial wave of participants. They were asked to redistribute it among their contacts to reach a larger and less biased sample. Three positive topics emerged from the data: calm, hope/optimism and spirituality;and 11 negative topics: concern, weariness, stress/irritability, suspicion, anxiety, sadness, longing, indignation, pessimism, depression;and two that reflected both sides: emotional alternation and resignation. Because significant psychological consequences were observed (post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion and anger), we believe monitoring the Spanish population's mental health is necessary. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) El 15 de marzo de 2020, la poblacion espanola fue obligada a confinarse en casa, sin tiempo para prepararse. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los efectos del confinamiento en la poblacion confinada. 1044 ciudadanos (16-84 anos) accedieron a participar. Se siguio un diseno de investigacion cualitativo de tipo fenomenologico y un muestreo no-probabilistico 'bola de nieve' para reclutarlos. Siete dias despues de iniciarse el confinamiento, un cuestionario con una pregunta abierta fue distribuido a traves de redes sociales, correo electronico y medios de comunicacion a una primera oleada de participantes. Se les pidio que lo re-distribuyeran entre sus contactos para obtener varias oleadas y lograr una muestra amplia y menos sesgada. De los datos emergieron tres temas positivos: tranquilidad, esperanza/optimismo y espiritualidad, 11 negativos: preocupacion, hastio, estres/irritabilidad, desconfianza, ansiedad, tristeza, anoranza, indignacion, pesimismo, soledad y depresion, y dos que reflejan ambas caras: alternancia emocional y resignacion. Muestran consecuencias psicologicas importantes (sintomas de estres postraumatico, confusion y enojo), por lo que se hace preciso una vigilancia del estado de animo de la poblacion espanola. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Physical activity, resilience, emotions, moods, and weight control, during the COVID-19 global crisis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at exploring the relationships between physical activity, weight control, and psycho-social aspects of the COVID-19 lockdown, which have characterized the Israeli population's behavior during the COVID-19 global crisis. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey research. METHODS: Participants included 1855 men and women aged 18 and above, from different regions in the country and representing different sectors. They were recruited through the social media in a "snowball" sampling, and filled out a self-administered six-part survey: Demographic background, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the positive and negative affect scales (PANAS), the Conor and Davidson resilience scale, a questionnaire for measuring depressive symptoms, and questions regarding weight change based on the Israeli National Health and Nutrition (MABAT) survey. RESULTS: Routine physical activity (PA) was reported by 76.3% of the participants before the lockdown, 19.3% stopped exercising during this period, and 9.3% began exercising during the lockdown. The participants who were physically active during the lockdown period reported a higher level of resilience and positive feelings, and a lower level of depression, compared with those who were not physically active. People who were physically active during the lockdown maintained their weight compared with those who were inactive. Concerning weight change, 44.8% of the respondents maintained their weight, and a higher percentage of people reported weight gain than those who reported weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous PA before and during the COVID-19 lockdown were associated with higher resilience and positive emotions, and depressive symptoms, in people aged 18 and above. Although a causal link cannot be established, in light of the results of the present study, encouraging physical activity may contribute to improving mental health and a sense of self-efficacy, as well as to maintaining weight during a crisis.

A longitudinal study on depressive symptoms and physical activity during the spanish lockdown

Background/Objective: The aim was to evaluate the evolution of depressive symptoms and to explore the influence of physical activity (PA) practice during the home confinement due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain. Method: Information was collected from 595 confined participants who reported personal and contextual information, depressive symptoms and PA levels at four time points. Results: The changes in depressive symptoms were analyzed using a linear mixed model with cubic splines. Results showed a significant increase, with a significant rise between T1 and T2 (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.83-3.10). It continued growing until T4 (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.97-4.38). A negative relationship was observed between the increase in depressive symptoms and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels, with a significant slope up to 4 hours of MVPA per week (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.29-0.90) that tended to increase until 16 hours per week of MVPA (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.20-0.87). Conclusions: Results from a partition model showed that moderate intensity of PA could be enough to prevent an increase of depressive symptoms during home isolation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (Spanish) Antecedentes/Objetivo: El objetivo fue evaluar la evolucion de los sintomas depresivos y explorar la influencia de la practica de actividad fisica (AF) durante la fase de confinamiento domiciliario de la poblacion espanola como consecuencia de la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Metodo: Participaron 595 personas confinadas que informaron de su situacion personal, los sintomas depresivos y la AF en cuatro momentos de medida. Resultados: Los cambios en los sintomas depresivos analizados con splines cubicos a partir de modelos lineales mixtos, mostraron un incremento significativo, con una subida importante entre el T1 y el T2 (OR = 2,38, 95% CI = 1,83-3,10), para luego seguir incrementandose de manera mas lenta hasta el T4 (OR = 2,93, 95% CI = 1,97-4,38). Se observo una relacion inversa entre el incremento de los sintomas depresivos y los niveles de actividad fisica moderada-vigorosa (AFMV) semanal, con una pendiente importante hasta las cuatro horas de AFMV a la semana (OR = 0,51, 95% CI = 0,29-0,90) que tiende a disminuir hasta las 16 horas/semana AFMV (OR = 0,41, 95% CI = 0,20-0,87). Conclusiones: Se probo un modelo de particion que mostro que la AF de intensidad moderada podria ser suficiente para prevenir un incremento de los sintomas depresivos en situacion de confinamiento. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19, psychological well-being and physical activity levels in older adults during the nationwide lockdown in Spain

Objective: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has forced nationwide lockdowns in many countries. As a result, most of the Spanish population had to self-isolate at home. The physical and psychological consequences of this unexpected scenario could be particularly worrisome for people older than 60 years. This study is aimed to examine the psychological well-being of older adults during the home isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate whether meeting the World Health Organization's global recommendations on physical activity (PA) for health is associated with their resilience, affect, and depressive symptoms. Design, setting, and participants: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 483 citizens whose ages ranged from 60 to 92 years (overall sample: M = 65.49, SD = 5.14) were recruited via a snowball sampling strategy to answer to an online questionnaire. Measurements: The four instruments used were The Connor-Davidson CD-RISC resilience scale, The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the six-item self-report scale of Depressive Symptoms, and The international Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: Results showed that older adults who regularly engaged in vigorous (VPA) and moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the quarantine reported higher scores in resilience (Locus, Self-efficacy, and Optimism), positive affect, and lower in depressive symptoms. Conclusion: These finding are the first quantitative evidence pointing toward a link between engagement in VPA and/or MVPA and resilience, positive affect, and depressive symptoms within the COVID-19 restrictions in Spain. Acknowledging these associations may be important in developing health promotion programs for older people during the remaining period of confinement or future ones. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Physical Activity and Prevention of Depressive Symptoms in the Spanish Population during Confinement due to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: In March 2020, the Spanish government established an official lockdown across the country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and confined the population to their homes, restricting their mobility. The objectives of the study are twofold: a) to examine dose-response relationships between physical activity (PA) components (volume, intensity, frequency, duration) and depressive symptoms of the population during confinement, and b) to identify the optimal levels of PA to mitigate notable depressive symptoms (NDS). METHODS: 4,811 (2,952 women) Spanish citizens, age range 16-92 years, completed an online questionnaire (snowball sampling) to measure their levels of depressive symptoms, PA, and various anthropometric and sociometric variables. Volume (METs-min/week), frequency (days/week), and duration (hours) were examined using logistic regressions with restricted cubic splines. RESULTS: The PA components were inversely associated with NDS. Performing at least 477 METs-min/week was associated with a 33% decrease in probability of NDS, and reaching 3,000 METs-min/week was associated with the lowest risk of NDS (47%). As for frequency, with 10 times/week the probability of NDS was 56% lower. At 10 hours of weekly practice, the probability of NDS was 39% lower. CONCLUSIONS: A range and optimal amount of PA is suggested to reduce the appearance of SDN during confinement.

Resilience and physical activity in people under home isolation due to COVID-19: A preliminary evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The recent shelter-in-place order issued by the Spanish government (due to the outbreak of the COVID-19) forced the Spanish population to self-isolate at home. The psychological and social effects of this new situation are unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the impact of such scenario on citizens' resilience, as well as the connections between resilience, physical activity (PA), gender, weight and body mass index (BMI) before and after confinement, and COVID-19-related information. METHODS: A total of 1795 people answered an online questionnaire conducted on March 21st, , 2020, seven days after the mandatory shelter-in-place health order was issued. RESULTS: Results showed that individuals who regularly engaged in Vigorous PA during the first week of confinement reported higher resilience in terms of higher locus of control, higher self-efficacy, and higher optimism. Moreover, inter-personal resilience differences were observed based on gender, age groups, BMI, weight, and people living with dependent persons or under health risk conditions. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, these findings are the first quantitative evidence pointing towards a link between engagement in Vigorous PA and resilience within the COVID-19 restrictions in Spain. These findings may have important implications for general population during the course of this pandemic, or future ones.

Weight changes during the COVID-19 home confinement. Effects on psychosocial variables.

INTRODUCTION: The goal was to assess individuals' weight changes and their connections with depressive symptoms, optimism and physical activity. METHOD: 4379 Spanish citizens, 16-84 years, participated. RESULTS: Most participants declared no weight changes. Males, young and obese individuals had greater weight variability. Depressive symptoms were linked to larger weight changes. Optimism and MVPA followed a descending pattern from ≥-3 kg. MVPA minutes/week and fulfilling physical activity recommendations were inversely associated to weight changes. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 confinement impacted individuals' weight, expanding depreobesity to include weight loss. Optimism and physical activity seemed to be "protective elements".