Associations of Eating Habits with Self-Rated Health and Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: A 42-Country Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the associations of eating habits with self-rated health and life satisfaction in adolescents using a multiple-country sample. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) 2013/2014 wave was used in this study. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data on independent variables including breakfast on weekdays, breakfast at weekends, and consumption of fruits, vegetables, sweets, and soft dirks. Outcomes included self-rated health and life satisfaction. Regression models were used to assess the associations between the independent variables and the two outcomes, separately, after controlling for covariates. Results were presented using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Of all the study participants (aged 11-15 years), 50.8% were girls. Compared with no consumption of breakfast on weekdays, eating breakfast for five days had 1.22 times greater likelihood for improved self-rated health (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.19-1.25, p < 0.001). Participants who ate breakfast for both days (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.36-1.46, p < 0.001) and one day (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.08-1.17, p < 0.001) were more likely to experience improved self-rated health compared to never eating breakfast at weekends. Five or more days for fruit and vegetable consumption resulted in better self-rated health (all p < 0.001). Similar results were found in terms of the associations of breakfast, fruit, and vegetable consumption with life satisfaction. For example, a higher frequency of fruit intake was associated with enhanced self-rated health (e.g., OR for more than once daily = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.34-1.51, p < 0.001) compared to no fruit consumption. Similarly, a higher-frequency vegetable intake, such as more than once daily (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.26-1.39, p < 0.001), was associated with improved self-rated health. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy eating habits, especially regular breakfast and a higher consumption of vegetables and fruit, are associated with better self-rated health and life satisfaction in school-aged children. Of note, the consumption of fruit would have the greatest impact on health and wellbeing outcomes. This study offers evidence that healthy eating habits can play a vital role in school-aged children's health and wellbeing, highlighting the practical significance of educating adolescents to develop healthy eating habits.

Exploring relationship of poor sleeping habits with prenatal stress among pregnant women in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Pregnancy is a complex phenomenon accompanied by biological, physiological and psychosocial changes for a mother. It is also regarded as a stressful life event where a woman's role, identity and interpersonal relationships are restructured. The present study from Pakistan explores the association of sleep quality and poor sleeping habits with prenatal stress using Pittsburgh Sleep quality Index. RESULTS: There were a total of 516 women (mean age = 29.82 years), with more than half reporting poor sleep quality. Ethnically, a majority (395, 76.6%) were natives of the Punjab province while rest were non-natives. A high percentage of respondents reported poor subjective sleep quality (22.1%), sleep latency (44.1%), habitual sleep efficiency (27.5%), sleep disturbance (30.1%), use of medications (7.1%) and daytime dysfunction (29.5%). According to logistic regression analysis, respondents with poor sleep quality were 2.24 (95% CI = 1.55-3.22, P < 0.001) times more likely to have high stress levels (P < 0.001).

Awareness of having hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia among US adults: The 2011-2018 NHANES data.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate awareness of having hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia and their associated factors among US adults. METHODS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including 21,399 adults aged ⩾20 years (pregnant women excluded) collected between 2011 and 2018, were used. Blood pressure was measured using a Baumanometer calibrated mercury true gravity wall model sphygmomanometer. Serum total cholesterol levels were measured using enzymatic assays. The percentage of haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), which reflects long-term blood glucose levels, was measured and used to identify diabetes. Participants self-reported whether they were told by a doctor that they have hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes. Awareness was defined as alignment between objective and self-reported measures for having the conditions. Sampling weights and the Taylor series linearisation variance estimation method were used in the analyses. RESULTS: The findings showed that 64.06% of people with hypertension, 54.71% of those with dyslipidaemia and 78.40% of those with diabetes were aware of having the respective condition. Age, sex and health insurance were associated with awareness of having all three conditions, but marital status was not associated with any outcome. Weight status was associated with awareness of having hypertension and dyslipidaemia, whereas ethnicity was associated with awareness of having hypertension and diabetes. Relative family income was only associated with awareness of having hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Large proportions of US adults with hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes are not aware of having the conditions. Interventions targeting groups at higher risk of being unaware of these conditions are needed.

Health Benefits of Different Sports: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal and Intervention Studies Including 2.6 Million Adult Participants.

BACKGROUND: Several reviews have examined the health benefits of participation in specific sports, such as baseball, cricket, cross-country skiing, cycling, downhill skiing, football, golf, judo, rugby, running and swimming. However, new primary studies on the topic have recently been published, and the respective meta-analytic evidence needs to be updated. OBJECTIVES: To systematically review, summarise and appraise evidence on physical health benefits of participation in different recreational sports. METHODS: Searches for journal articles were conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, SpoLit, SPORTDiscus, Sports Medicine & Education Index and Web of Science. We included longitudinal and intervention studies investigating physical health outcomes associated with participation in a given sport among generally healthy adults without disability. RESULTS: A total of 136 papers from 76 studies conducted among 2.6 million participants were included in the review. Our meta-analyses of available evidence found that: (1) cycling reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 16% (pooled hazard ratio [HR] = 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80, 0.89), all-cause mortality by 21% (HR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.84), cancer mortality by 10% (HR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.96) and cardiovascular mortality by 20% (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.86); (2) football has favourable effects on body composition, blood lipids, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, cardiovascular function at rest, cardiorespiratory fitness and bone strength (p < 0.050); (3) handball has favourable effects on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.050); (4) running reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 23% (HR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.85), cancer mortality by 20% (HR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.89) and cardiovascular mortality by 27% (HR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.94) and improves body composition, cardiovascular function at rest and cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.010); and (5) swimming reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 24% (HR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.92) and improves body composition and blood lipids (p < 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: A range of physical health benefits are associated with participation in recreational cycling, football, handball, running and swimming. More studies are needed to enable meta-analyses of health benefits of participation in other sports. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021234839.

Is adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines associated with greater academic-related outcomes in children and adolescents? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesise the evidence for the association of adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines with academic-related outcomes in children and adolescents. This systematic review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, WOS, SPORTDiscus, and EMBASE were searched from their inception to 12 December 2023. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. In total, 4326 records were identified through database searches; 10 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. There were eight cross-sectional studies and two longitudinal studies; the main academic-related outcomes were academic achievement and cognitive function. A small association between adherence to all three recommendations and academic achievement (k = 5, r = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.10-0.24, I2 = 49%) was found compared to those who did not adhere to any recommendations.   Conclusion: Findings from this systematic review and meta-analysis reveal a small association between adherence to all three recommendations and greater academic achievement in children and adolescents. Nevertheless, it is imperative to underscore the need for more studies to establish robust evidence underpinning this relationship.   Trial registration: PROSPERO (CRD42021295403). What is Known: • Regular physical activity, reduced screen time, and optimal sleep duration are independently associated with improved academic-related outcomes in children and adolescents. • The associations between adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines and academic-related outcomes in children and adolescents have not been quantitatively synthesised. What is New: • There is a small but positive association between adherence to all three recommendations of the 24-h movement guidelines and greater academic achievement in children and adolescents. • Further well-designed research is needed to focus on academic achievement, cognitive function and classroom behaviours in young individuals.

Factors influencing the work of researchers in Scientific Initiation: A systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Scientific Initiation (SI) is an educational activity that allows students to begin their scientific training and research under the guidance of an experienced researcher. While several studies have examined students' perceptions of SI, research on the perspective of researchers working in this field is currently lacking. Thus, this study's aim is to describe the protocol design for conducting a systematic review. At the same time, the review aims also to identify factors influencing the work of researchers in SI and explore the motivations leading researchers to engage in research projects within institutions and their respective impacts. METHOD AND ANALYSES: Literature search will be done using the bibliographic databases, including Academic Search Premier, APA PsycNet, CINAHL Plus, ERIC, SocINDEX, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search strategy was guided by the PICo framework (Population, phenomenon of Interest, and Context). The preparation and development of this protocol following guidelines were employed: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols 2015 (PRISMA-P 2015), Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies 2015 (PRESS 2015), and PRISMA-Search (PRISMA-S). Original, peer-reviewed articles that examine the factors related to the work of researchers in SI will be included without any language or publication date restrictions. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies will be screened by two independent researchers. The included studies will be analyzed to identify factors, policies, and their impacts obtained analytically. Findings will be objectively categorized and synthetically represented through figures, diagrams, and graphic models. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) and the Downs and Black checklists. A third senior reviewer will resolve any discrepancies. DISCUSSION: We aim to understand the factors that drive researchers to engage in SI research through the dissemination of the findings of this systematic review. This may aid the development of institutional strategies and actions that can support the enhancement of SI programs and encourage greater researcher participation.

Association between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and psychosocial health in children: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence suggests that meeting the 24-h movement guidelines is associated with optimal mental health. However, there remains some uncertainty regarding this association in children. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and psychosocial health in children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed to investigate 2005 children aged 9-12 years from four districts of Shanghai, China. The 24-h movement behaviours were assessed using selected items from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey questionnaire. Children's self-rated psychosocial health was evaluated using the Strengths or Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Generalised Linear Models with the ordinal logistic module were employed to analyse the association between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and psychosocial health. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of meeting all three 24-h movement recommendations was 10.2%. Among children, 7.9% of them exhibited abnormal total difficulties, with a notable difference between sex (boys: 11.2%, girls: 7.0%, p = 0.001). Meeting all three 24-h movement behaviour recommendations was associated with reduced total difficulties, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity and peer problems. Furthermore, a dose-response association was observed, indicating that meeting a greater number of 24-h movement behaviour recommendations was associated with enhanced psychosocial health, particularly in boys. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the positive association between meeting the 24-h movement guidelines and psychosocial health in children. Notably, meeting more of these recommendations was associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing psychosocial problems, with greater benefits observed in boys compared with girls.

A Toolkit for Detecting Fallacious Calls for Papers from Potential Predatory Journals.

Purpose: Flattering emails are crucial in tempting authors to submit papers to predatory journals. Although there is ample literature regarding the questionable practices of predatory journals, the nature and detection of spam emails need more attention. Current research provides insight into fallacious calls for papers from potential predatory journals and develops a toolkit in this regard. Methods: In this study, we analyzed three datasets of calls for papers from potential predatory journals and legitimate journals using a text mining approach and R programming language. Results: Overall, most potential predatory journals use similar language and templates in their calls for papers. Importantly, these journals praise themselves in glorious terms involving positive words that may be rarely seen in emails from legitimate journals. Based on these findings, we developed a lexicon for detecting unsolicited calls for papers from potential predatory journals. Conclusion: We conclude that calls for papers from potential predatory journals and legitimate journals are different, and it can help to distinguish them. By providing an educational plan and easily usable tools, we can deal with predatory journals better than previously.

Status and Trends of Physical Activity Surveillance, Policy, and Research in 164 Countries: Findings From the Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GoPA! 2015 and 2020 Surveys.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries. METHODS: We used data from the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) 2015 and 2020 surveys. Comprehensive searches were performed for each country to determine the level of development of their PA surveillance, policy, and research, and the findings were verified by the GoPA! Country Contacts. Trends were analyzed based on the data available for both survey years. RESULTS: The global 5-year progress in all 3 indicators was modest, with most countries either improving or staying at the same level. PA surveillance, policy, and research improved or remained at a high level in 48.1%, 40.6%, and 42.1% of the countries, respectively. PA surveillance, policy, and research scores decreased or remained at a low level in 8.3%, 15.8%, and 28.6% of the countries, respectively. The highest capacity for PA promotion was found in Europe, the lowest in Africa and low- and lower-middle-income countries. Although a large percentage of the world's population benefit from at least some PA policy, surveillance, and research efforts in their countries, 49.6 million people are without PA surveillance, 629.4 million people are without PA policy, and 108.7 million live in countries without any PA research output. A total of 6.3 billion people or 88.2% of the world's population live in countries where PA promotion capacity should be significantly improved. CONCLUSION: Despite PA is essential for health, there are large inequalities between countries and world regions in their capacity to promote PA. Coordinated efforts are needed to reduce the inequalities and improve the global capacity for PA promotion.

Effects of Capsaicin and Capsiate on Endurance Performance: A Meta-Analysis.

Several studies have explored the effects of capsaicin and capsiate on endurance performance, with conflicting findings. This systematic review aimed to perform a meta-analysis examining the effects of capsaicin and capsiate vs. placebo on endurance performance in humans. Seven databases were searched to find eligible studies. The effects of capsaicin and capsiate on aerobic endurance (e.g., time-trials or time-to-exhaustion tests), muscular endurance (e.g., repetitions performed to muscular failure), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were examined in a random-effects meta-analysis. Fourteen studies (n = 183) were included in the review. Most studies provided capsaicin or capsiate in the dose of 12 mg, 45 min before exercise. In the meta-analysis for aerobic endurance, there was no significant difference between the placebo and capsaicin/capsiate conditions (Cohen's d: 0.04; 95% confidence interval: -0.16, 0.25; p = 0.69). In subgroup meta-analyses, there were no significant differences between the placebo and capsaicin/capsiate conditions when analyzing only studies that used time-trials (p = 0.20) or time-to-exhaustion tests (p = 0.80). In the meta-analysis for muscular endurance, a significant ergogenic effect of capsaicin/capsiate was found (Cohen's d: 0.27; 95% confidence interval: 0.10, 0.43; p = 0.002). When analyzing set-specific effects, an ergogenic effect of capsaicin/capsiate was found in set 1, set 2, and set 3 (Cohen's d: 0.21-29). Capsaicin/capsiate ingestion reduced RPE following muscular endurance (p = 0.03) but not aerobic endurance tests (p = 0.58). In summary, capsaicin/capsiate supplementation acutely enhances muscular endurance, while the effects on aerobic endurance are less clear.

Prevalence of symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and their associated factors: A cross-sectional survey of sewing machine operators in Sindh, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: The nature of the work of sewing machine operators predisposes them to a wide variety of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders and obesity. However, there is a paucity of studies on the prevalence and associated factors for symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among this occupational group. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of symptoms of WMSDs and their association with personal and occupational factors and body mass index (BMI) among sewing machine operators of Sindh province in Pakistan. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on male sewing machine operators in two major cities (i.e., Hyderabad and Nawabshah) of Sindh province in Pakistan. Obesity was determined through the BMI cutoff values for Asians. Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Numeric Rating Scale were used. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v20. RESULTS: Of the 200 participants, 91% participants had symptoms of WMSDs in the past 12 months. Most (41.5%) participants reported pain and discomfort during the last 12 months in the lower back region. Symptoms of WMSDs in the lower back region had a significant positive association with working days/week (r = .196 p = .005). Symptoms of WMSDs in the ankle/feet region had a significant positive association with age (r = .246 p = .001) and work experience (r = .276 p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders is high among sewing machine operators of Sindh province in Pakistan, with significant associations between personal and occupational factors.

Where are female editors from low-income and middle-income countries? A comprehensive assessment of gender, geographical distribution and country's income group of editorial boards of top-ranked rehabilitation and sports science journals.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the gender, geographical region and income group of the country of affiliation for editorial leadership (eg, editor-in-chief, section editor, associate editor) and advisors (eg, editorial board members) in top-ranked rehabilitation and sports science journals. METHODS: A list of Scopus indexed, Q1 (25% top) rehabilitation and sports science journals, available under four different journal categories, was prepared based on the data from the Scientific Journal Rankings (SJR) website. The information for editorial leadership and advisors for these journals was obtained and their gender was determined through a multistep process. The country of affiliation of editorial leadership and advisors was used to categorise them to World Bank's different geographical regions and income groups (for countries). RESULTS: There were 7248 editors (35.7% leadership and 64.3% advisors) across 113 rehabilitation and sports science journals. Of all editors, 1792 (24.7%) were women. Women represented 24.5% of editorial leadership positions, 24.8% of advisory roles and 10.4% of editors-in-chief. Editors from South Asia (0.5%) and sub-Saharan Africa (0.6%) had the least representation, while those affiliated with institutions from high-income countries represented 93.5% of leadership roles and 93.1% of advisory positions. Moreover, editors affiliated with institutions from North America occupied almost half of all editorial roles. CONCLUSIONS: Women and researchers affiliated with institutions from low-income and middle-income countries are under-represented on the editorial boards of top-ranked rehabilitation and sports science journals indexed in the Scopus database. Editors are responsible for promoting research in their specific field, and therefore, the current leadership in rehabilitation and sports science journals should consider diversifying their editorial boards by providing equitable opportunities to women and researchers from a broader geographical distribution.

Sedentary behaviour research in adults: A scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Sedentary behaviour research is rapidly growing. Scoping reviews are important to inform policy and practice.The aim of this scoping a review was to map the available evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of sedentary behaviour research on adults (≥18 years), within the phases of the behavioural epidemiology framework, and to identify bibliometric parameters of studies included in this review. Nine bibliographic databases were searched. Studies were screened and relevant information (e.g., general information, inclusion criteria, findings and reporting quality) was extracted independently by two authors. In total, 108 systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of sedentary behaviour research in adults (≥18 years) were included. Most papers (91.7%) were published between 2010 and 2020. Studies on the relationship of sedentary behaviour with health (53.7%) and interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour (25.9%) were most common. Forty-five (41.7%) studies reported quality assessment with categorization, and 887 out of 1268 (70%) included primary studies were categorized having moderate-to-high quality. Sedentary behaviour research on adults (≥18 years) has grown exponentially in the last decade and demonstrates strength in several stages of the behavioural epidemiology framework. However, more research should focus on the measurement, prevalence/epidemiology and determinants of sedentary behaviour, to better inform policy development.

The Associations of Active Travel to School With Physical Activity and Screen Time Among Adolescents: Do Individual and Parental Characteristics Matter?

Little is known about the relationship of active travel to school (ATS) with physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) by individual and parental characteristics among adolescents, especially in China. To address the research gap, this study aimed to explore the difference of sex, age, living environment, parental occupation and education level in the relationship of ATS with PA and ST among students of grades 7-12 (aged 10-18 years) using cross-sectional data. In 13 cities of Hubei province, China, students from 39 public schools were recruited to engage in the survey. In total, 5,898 students (response rate = 89.6%) were invited into this study. Participants were required to report their ATS (including its types), PA and ST as well as sociodemographic information using a validated questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were used to report the information of all variables. Regression models were used to analyse the relationships of ATS and its types with PA and ST. In a total of 4,128 participants (boys: 50.9%; younger adolescents: 61.9%) included in the final analysis, the proportion of those with ATS was 47.3%. Regarding the types of ATS, walking accounted for over 30%, while cycling was 13.2%. Participants with ATS were more likely to have sufficient PA (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.14-1.39), especially among boys, younger adolescents and those with lower parental education level. However, ATS was not associated with ST (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.86-1.01). Participants with cycling had a higher odds ratio of being physically active (OR for cycling = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.27-1.70; OR for walking = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06-1.32). The association of ATS types with PA and ST differed by gender, age, living environment and parental educational level as well as occupations. ATS may be a useful approach to increase PA among adolescents, but this should be explained by individual and parental characteristics.

Global Research Output on Sleep Research in Athletes from 1966 to 2019: A Bibliometric Analysis.

This study examined sleep research in athletes published between 1966 and 2019, through a bibliometric analysis of research output in the Scopus database. Following a robust assessment of titles, the bibliometric indicators of productivity for studies included in the final analysis were: Distribution of publications and citations (excluding self-citations), top ten active journals, countries, institutions and authors, single- and multi-country collaboration, and 25 top-cited papers. Out of the 1015 papers, 313 were included in the final analysis. The majority of the papers were research articles (n = 259; 82.8%) and published in English (n = 295; 94.3%). From 2011, there was a dramatic increase in papers published (n = 257; 82.1%) and citations (n = 3538; 91.0%). The number of collaborations increased after 2001, with papers published through international (n = 81; 25.9%) and national (n = 192; 61.3%) collaboration. Australia was the most prolific country in terms of number of publications (n = 97; 31.0%), and citations (n = 1529; 15.8%). In conclusion, after the beginning of the twenty-first century, the scientific production on sleep research in athletes has seen significant growth in publication and citation output. Future research should focus on interventions to improve sleep in athletes.