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Digital health literacy of adolescents and its association with vaccination literacy: the first evidence from Lithuania /
No full textBackground: Health literacy, including its digital and vaccination-specific components, is essential for informed health decision-making in adolescence—a developmental period when health attitudes and behaviors are shaped and may persist into adulthood. Although the importance of these competencies is increasingly recognized, little is known about the relationship between digital health literacy (DHL) and vaccination literacy (VL) among adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between DHL and VL among Lithuanian adolescents, and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Digital Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS19-DIGI) and the Vaccination Literacy Questionnaire (HLS19-VAC) in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 9–12 grades students from Lithuanian gymnasiums using HLS19-DIGI and HLS19-VAC instruments. Analyses included confirmatory factor analyses for validity, McDonald’s omega for reliability, ANOVA and chi-square tests for group comparisons, and linear regression to evaluate DHL—VL associations, adjusting for gender, grade, and frequency of digital resource use. Results: A total of 792 students (42.0% male; mean age 16.4 years) completed the survey. The HLS19-DIGI (CFI = 0.945, TLI = 0.923, RMSEA = 0.081) and HLS19-VAC (CFI = 0.986, TLI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.089) showed satisfactory structural validity, and both scales had good reliability (0.757 and 0.803). Mean DHL and VL scores were 78.28 (SD = 24.24) and 82.64 (SD = 27.22), respectively. Over half of the participants had excellent DHL (55.7%) and VL (63.4%). DHL was a strong predictor of VL (β = 0.429, p < 0.001). The frequency of digital resource use was not significantly related to VL. Conclusions: Higher DHL is associated with higher VL, suggesting that skills in searching for, appraising, and applying online health information can enhance informed vaccination decision-making. Interventions delivered through trusted channels, such as schools and healthcare providers, should aim to strengthen both literacies, address misinformation, and foster critical evaluation competencies to support vaccine uptake in youth
Perceived stress and coping strategies among young Lithuanian tennis players /
No full textBackground: The psychological preparation of young athletes is a relevant issue, varying across different sports. Tennis is one of the fastest-growing sports, especially in Lithuania, which highlights the importance of psychological preparation for tennis players. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the stress experienced by young tennis athletes, the factors that cause it, and the stress-coping strategies they use. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a representative sample (n = 60) of tennis players aged 12–17 years (mean age 14.63, SD = 1.52; 50% male) who participated in Lithuanian tennis championships. A questionnaire was used, which included questions about stress experienced during competitions, signs of stress, the causes of stress, and the coping strategies applied. Results: The study revealed that 25.0% of tennis players experience high levels of stress during competitions. Girls reported higher stress levels during competitions compared to boys. The main stress-inducing factors identified were: fear of making mistakes (63.3%), fear of losing (56.7%), opponents’ skill level (55.0%), and the importance of the competition (31.7%). Fear of not meeting parents’ expectations was a greater source of stress than fear of not meeting the coach’s expectations. The most common stress symptoms experienced were anxiety, lack of concentration, negative thoughts, and increased heart rate. To reduce stress, tennis players most often listened to their favourite music, communicated with parents or friends, or talked with their coach. Conclusion: The study revealed that all tennis players experience stress during competitions, and some of them experience high stress levels. This is more common among females than males. Young tennis players experience stress for various reasons, with both parents and coaches playing an important role. Although young athletes use several stress-coping strategies, they do not fully employ all effective coping methods. Therefore, the findings emphasise the importance of the coach’s role in the psychological preparation of young athletes
Quantifying intrinsic capacity: does it work for healthy older adults? – preliminary results :
No full textAdolescents’ digital health literacy and its associations with physical activity and health-risk behaviours factors :
No full textPurpose: Adolescents live in an era where digital media permeates every aspect of their everyday lives, including entertainment, learning, and information acquisition. It influences their physical activity and other lifestyle factors. We aimed to investigate the relationship between adolescents’ digital health literacy, physical activity, and health-risk behaviours using the WHO Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL) instrument HLS19-DIGI. Methods: The current cross-sectional study includes survey data from 796 adolescents (boys: n = 339, girls: n = 466; 15–19 years of age). Digital health literacy (DHL), as a predictor variable, was measured using two HLS19-DIGI scales. One scale consisted of eight items, while the other comprised six items. DHL scores range from 0 to 100. Health risk behaviours include smoking and alcohol consumption. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α. Regression analyses were conducted to measure associations between digital health literacy, physical activity and health-risk behaviours variables, controlling for social demographics. Results: Digital health literacy mean score was 78.28 (SD = 24.24). One third of the participants (29.8%) demonstrated inadequate or problematic DHL, while more than half (55.8%) exhibited excellent and 14.4% adequate levels of DHL. Participants who were more physically active demonstrated higher DHL scores (F = 3.36, p = 0.04). Regression analysis showed that DHL has a significant positive impact on physical activity (β = 0.08, p < 0.05) and a significant negative impact on lifetime smoking (β = 0.09, p < 0.01), indicating that higher instances of DHL relate to higher exercising and lower smoking. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that by using HLS19-DIGI, a meaningful relationship between digital health literacy and adolescents’ physical activity and health-risk behaviours was found. Among adolescents with higher digital health literacy, there is a lower prevalence of smoking and higher levels of physical activity
A combination of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I overexpression and type I interferon induce mitochondrial dysfunction in human skeletal myoblasts /
No full textThe overexpression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I on the surface of muscle fibers is a characteristic hallmark of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), collectively termed myositis. Alongside MHC‐I overexpression, subtypes of myositis, display a distinct type I interferon (IFN) signature. This study examined the combinational effects of elevated MHC‐I and type I IFNs (IFNα/β) on mitochondrial function, as mitochondrial dysfunction is often seen in IIMs. Human skeletal muscle myoblasts were transfected with an MHC‐I isoform using the mammalian HLA‐A2/K b vector. Mitochondrial respiration, mitochondrial membrane potential, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species generation were assessed with or without IFNα and IFNβ. We show that MHC‐I overexpression in human skeletal muscle myoblasts led to decreased basal glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, cellular spare respiratory capacity, adenosine triphosphate‐linked respiration, and an increased proton leak, which were all exaggerated by type I IFNs. Mitochondrial membrane depolarization was induced by MHC‐I overexpression both in absence and presence of type I IFNs. Human myoblasts overexpressing MHC‐I showed elevated nitric oxide generation that was abolished when combined with IFN. MHC‐I on its own did not result in an increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, but IFN on their own, or combined with MHC‐I overexpression did induce elevated ROS generation. Surprisingly, we observed no gross changes in mitochondrial reticular structure or markers of mitochondrial dynamics. We present new evidence that MHC‐I overexpression and type I IFNs aggravate the effects each has on mitochondrial function in human skeletal muscle cells, providing novel insights into their mechanisms of action and suggesting important implications in the further study of myositis pathogenesis
Dose-response of muscle damaging exercise on cell-free DNA /
No full textBackground: It has been observed that severe muscle damage induced by drop jumps has a significant effect on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentration. We hypothesized that a reduced volume of drop jumps would indicate a dose-dependent release of cfDNA.Methods: Seven participants (aged 21 ± 1.5 years) performed 25, and 4 participants (aged 22 ± 1.8 years) per-formed 10, intermittent drop jumps (DJs) at 20 s intervals (DJ-25 and DJ-10 groups). We measured cfDNA, creatine kinase (CK), lactate concentrations and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) before and at several time points up to 96 h after exercise.Results: There was a significant increase in plasma cfDNA levels immediately post-exercise in the DJ-25 group (p = 0.012). CK levels increased at 6, 12, 24 and 48 h post-exercise (p = 0.003, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 003, accord-ingly) in the DJ-25 group. In the DJ-25 group only, DOMS values were increased at 12, 24 and 48 h post-exercise (p < 0.05).Conclusion: cfDNA is responsive to muscle-damaging exercise in a dose-dependent manner, as only 25 DJs resulted in an immediate increase in cfDNA concentrations after exercise, while 10 DJs were insufficient to elicit any change
Percepciones de los estudiantes-deportistas y stakeholders deportivos sobre la plataforma educativa edmedia para la formación y promoción de la carrera dual en medios sociales.
No full textElite athletes face challenges in developing Dual Careers, despite the potential benefits for their future employment. Successful implementation of Dual Careers requires awareness of their importance by both athletes and their environments. Thus, student-athletes with strong Social Media influence should leverage their platforms to support and highlight the significance of balancing sports and academics (Dual Career), thereby enhancing their future prospects after their sports careers. In this context, the EdMedia educational platform was developed to promote Dual Careers and institutional support policies through social media, as well as to train and connect student-athletes with media specialists, coaches, and other sports stakeholders. After the implementation of the program and the platform, a quantitative approach was used through a questionnaire with previously validated scales and high reliability indexes, measuring variables such as usability, learning effectiveness, satisfaction and perception of the contents. One hundred and forty student-athletes and 111 sports stakeholders from six European countries participated in the evaluation of the platform. The results revealed how both groups perceived different aspects of online educational platform, and identified which aspects most influenced the effectiveness of the online educational experience. These findings are valuable for improving the platform’s role in promoting Dual Careers through social media, increasing awareness of the importance and benefits of pursuing a Dual Career, and the support required from academic and sporting institutions. Finally, the study offers some practical implications for improving the design of online educational platforms, providing a model that combines information and academic and sports training, and highlights the importance of involving key stakeholders in the promotion of Dual Career through social media
The benefits of guided imagery on athletic performance: a mixed-methods approach /
No full textIntroduction: Imagery as a psychological skill in sports occupies an essential place in the psychological preparation of athletes and is one of the key factors in realizing an athlete’s potential in competitive sports. It’s role in athlete performance, as well as the differences in its use across various sports and demographic groups, has been a compelling topic in both sports’ science and psychology. This topic has remained relevant in recent years. Aim: This quantitative survey-based and experimental design study aims to first, to determine whether differences in imagery ability profiles, identified through cluster analysis, can characterize differences among athletes with varying levels of athletic achievement. A secondary aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of a guided imagery intervention on imagery abilities and athletic performance. Methods: A total of 500 athletes from different sports, aged M = 21.01 (SD = 2.82), both male and female, completed the Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ) and provided information regarding their demographics and athletic achievements. In the experimental part of the study, nine alpine skiers were selected to participate in a six-month guided imagery intervention alongside their regular trainings on the ski track to assess the intervention’s impact on performance. Results: The results of K-means cluster analysis on athletic achievements of athletes showed a four-cluster solution that hat emphasized distinctions between the groups and reduced variation within each group. A Multiple Analysis of Covariance revealed that the four cluster groups differ in their imagery abilities. Pre- and post-intervention assessments for the nine alpine skiers were conducted using SIAQ and control training sessions, revealing significant increase in both imagery ability scores and performance indicators (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The research results support recent findings that athletes with higher athletic achievement tend to have stronger imagery abilities. The significant differences observed between the clusters based on athletic achievement levels were confirmed. By using imagery profiling of athletes with an analytical method, this study provides valuable insights into the role of imagery in athletic success, suggesting that tailored imagery training could enhance performance across different levels of athletic achievement
Evaluation of schoolyard environments in the context of promoting physical activity: student and teacher perspectives.
No full textLack of physical activity among adolescents is a global health problem – more than 80% of adolescents do not reach the recommended level of physical activity, which is associated with obesity and other health problems (WHO, 2022). Schoolyards can promote physical activity, but there is a lack of research on their effectiveness in Lithuania. The aim of the study is to determine how teachers and students evaluate schoolyards. Objectives: 1) to identify and compare which areas of the schoolyard are most frequently used by students, based on gender; 2) to determine how often students use schoolyards during breaks; 3) to determine how teachers of different specializations evaluate the attractiveness of schoolyards; 4) to find out what measures would help improve schoolyards so that they promote greater physical activity. Hypotheses: 1) students use yards more often in spring than in winter; 2) boys prefer sports fields more than girls; 3) girls prefer open spaces more than boys. The study involved 410 Lithuanian students in grades 7–12 and 208 teachers, selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, χ² and Spearman correlation tests. The results showed that 77% of students use playgrounds during breaks, but this is hindered by unsuitable weather conditions and unattractive design. Hypotheses 2 and 3 were confirmed: boys more often choose sports fields (70.5%, p<0.001), girls - open spaces (62.9%, p<0.001). Conclusion: school playgrounds have the potential to promote physical activity, but it is necessary to improve the infrastructure