Lithuanian Sports University e-Journals
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Quantifying Intrinsic Capacity: Does It Work for Healthy Older Adults? – Preliminary Results
Get PDFBackground: Intrinsic capacity (IC) is a novel concept for healthy ageing, introduced by the WHO less than 10 years ago. Although the theoretical framework of the IC consists of five fundamental domains: vitality, locomotion, cognition, sensory, and psychological, there is variance in the tests that are used to assess them.
Purpose: To quantitatively assess the IC of older healthy adults, based on the WHO ICOPE recommendation, see: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/326843/WHOFWC-ALC-19.1-eng.pdf?sequence=17&isAllowed=y.
We aimed to establish a composite score that could identify the points of functional decline among the healthy older population and identify possible correlations between the five subdomains.
Method: Participants: 50 community-dwelling, aged 65+, fluent in the Lithuanian language, with no symptomatic diseases, metabolic disorders, or orthopaedic issues.
Tests: Vitality – Mini Nutritional Assessment, handgrip strength, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, body mass index, blood tests for haemoglobin, albumin, white blood cells, C-RP.
Cognitive – Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
Locomotion – Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) – balance, gait speed, and chair rise tests.
Psychological – Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15).
Sensory – hearing and vision subjective reports.
Scoring: The score for each domain was calculated as the points obtained were divided by the maximum possible scores. The global IC score is the sum of all sub-domains and is expected to range between 0 (declining capacity in all sub-domains) and 5 (no impairments in any of the sub-domains).
Results: Thirty-nine participants completed all measures (23 women, mean age 72.08 ± 4.54 years). Mean composite score of IC is 3.964 ± 0.408 (range 2.695–4.617) with a proportional distribution.
Subdomains Scores: Vitality = 0.795 ± 0.122 (0.455–1.00), Cognitive = 0.692 ± 0.121 (0.250–0.750), Locomotion = 0.902 ± 0.103 (0.667–1.00), Psychological = 0.936 ± 0.159 (0.250–1.00), Sensory = 0.639 ± 0.142 (0.333–1.00).
Significant correlations were detected between Vitaliy and Locomotion (r = 0.590, p < 0.001), Vitality and Cognitive (r = 0.492, p < 0.001), and Locomotion and Cognitive (r = 0.325, p < 0.05).
The balance test and the nutrition questionnaire had a ceiling effect, and all participants received the maximal score.
Conclusion: A lower composite IC score may reflect declining reserves even among healthy older adults. A more sensitive balance test and comprehensive nutritional assessment would enhance diagnostic accuracy and evaluation capabilities. This method should also be tested with less healthy cohorts
Recognition Versus Action: An Examination of Physical Education, Physical Activity, and Youth Sport Policy in Ireland
Get PDFPurpose: Policy in physical education (PE), physical activity (PA), and youth sport (YS) plays a pivotal role in shaping youth health and wellbeing. A critical distinction exists between policies that acknowledge these domains by recognising their importance and those that address them through defined actions, strategies, and interventions. The aim of this study was to examine how national policies in Ireland conceptualise and engage with PE, PA, and YS, and to evaluate the extent to which policies move from acknowledgement to implementation across these domains.
Methods: A content mapping analysis of national policy documentation related to PE, PA, and YS in Ireland was conducted. A three-step systematic approach of policymaker identification, policy identification, and domain alignment was followed. Deductive content analysis determined domain alignment of active policy. An inductive matrix was constructed to classify whether each domain was acknowledged (i.e. recognised or referenced without concrete plans) or addressed (i.e. accompanied by specific actions, implementation strategies, or targets), adapted from Chhetri & Zacarias (2021). The lead author independently coded the data, resolving discrepancies through discussion with co-authors to ensure consistency and rigour.
Results: Findings reveal fragmented engagement across the three domains. PA was most frequently addressed, with 55.6% (n = 10) of policymakers including concrete strategies. In contrast, 22.2% (n = 4) addressed YS, and only one addressed both PA and PE. A single policymaker addressed all three domains explicitly. Notably, PE was never addressed in isolation and was often embedded under broader education or health frameworks. While 33.3% (n = 6) acknowledged all three domains, 38.9% (n = 7) acknowledged only PA, often without specifying implementation measures.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for a more coherent and balanced policy landscape in PE, PA, and YS. Moving from acknowledgement to implementation is essential to realising intended health outcomes. Greater integration and specificity in policy design can support more equitable representation of domains, youth health, and foster holistic, lifelong engagement with physical activity among youth.
 
Research Oriented on Exercise in Older Populations
Get PDFPurpose: Changes in the respiratory system are relevant as deterioration of pulmonary function is associated with increased mortality. Mat-Pilates is a cost-effective practice, its emphasis on breathing techniques and core engagement holds potential for managing respiratory pathologies. This study examined the effects of 12-week Mat-Pilates exercise programme on forced vital capacity (FVC) in women over 60 years.
Methods: Fourteen women aged 68.21 ± 3.87 years old, who have not practiced exercises for at least four months, took part in the study. The 12-week Mat-Pilates intervention consisted of two weekly 60-minute sessions of light-to-moderate intensity. Exercises, including shoulder bridge, The Hundred, double-leg, one-leg circle, plank, swimming, roll-up, single-leg stretch, sidekicks, The Cat, The Mermaid, and spine stretch were performed, with particular focus on specific breathing: vigorous exhalation through the mouth followed by a full nasal inhalation.
Forced vital capacity (forced expiration time (FET), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow (PEF)) was assessed before and after the intervention, with Spirodoc, version 6.1, from Medical International Research. Participants had their noses blocked with a clip and exhaled through their mouths into the spirometer tube. Maximum inspiration was performed, followed by maximum expiration and then another maximum inspiration.
Paired samples t-tests were conducted to assess the effect of the intervention on the ventilatory parameters.
Results: A significant decline [mean difference = −10.92 ± 17.66 (t(12) = −2.23, p = 0.046)], with a moderate effect size (Hedges’ g = –0.58; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01–1.13) in FET and an increase in PEF [mean difference = 6.38 ± 9.08 (t(12) = 2.54, p = 0.026)] with moderate effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.70; 95% CI = 1.30–0.08) were found. No other significant results were found for lung function parameters.
Discussion: Results suggest improved strength and efficiency of the respiratory muscles resulting in less effort to perform respiratory tasks and greater strength and speed of exhaled air probably due to the core-centric and controlled breathing patterns integral to Pilates exercises.
Conclusion: A 12-week low impact Mat-Pilates intervention seems to effectively strengthen respiratory muscles and could be of relevance for health in the mitigation of age-related deterioration of pulmonary function, contributing to improved respiratory efficiency, and should be encouraged among elderly women.
Support/Funding Source: This work was supported by FCT UIDB/00617/2020, https://doi.org/10.54499/uidb/00617/2020, and UIDP/00617/2020, https://doi.org/10.54499/uidp/00617/202
The Impact of 30 Km/H Speed Limit Policy on Physical Activity– A Mixed-Methods Natural Experiment in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Get PDFPurpose: In this mixed-methods natural experiment study, we evaluated the impact of a speed limit reduction policy (50 to 30 km/h) on physical activity (PA) outcomes in the city of Amsterdam.
Methods: In Amsterdam, policy for a city-wide reduction to 30 km/h was implemented on December 8th, 2023. We conducted baseline (November 2023) and follow-up (November 2024) measurements in four intervention and two control sites, based on street-, neighbourhood- and SES-characteristics. We assessed PA and transport behaviour outcomes by inviting 9,679 households for the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and systematic street observations using an adapted version of Method for Observing pHysical Activity and Wellbeing (MOHAWk). The latter provided additional insight into safety outcomes related to children (e.g. supervision). Changes in PA outcomes between intervention and control groups were analysed using a multilevel linear or negative binomial difference-in-difference analyses (as appropriate).
Results: In the survey, a total of 618 residents (>18 years old) participated (55.1 ± 17.5 (standard deviation) years old). There were non-significant increases in self-reported leisure MVPA (97.53 min/week; 95% confidence interval (CI) = –1.09, 196.15), cycling for transport (94.97 min/week; 95% CI = –35.29, 225.23), walking for transport (75.05 min/week; 95% CI = –75.70, 225.80), walking for leisure (27.38 min/week; 95% CI = –62.09, 116.85). Similarly, there were non-significant decreases in self-reported time spent in a car (–35.65 min/week; 95% CI = –188.68, 117.39) and time spent sitting (–92.10 min/week; 95% CI = –556.50, 372.29). In street observations, we observed a total of 16,055 street users over 120 hours (47% adults, 23% children (<12 years old)). We observed street users going up (all age groups) but particularly in children (inter-rater reliability (IRR) = 1.56; CI = 0.96, 2.53). Similar to the survey, we observed non-significant increases in walking among adults (IRR = 1.34; 95% CI = 0.72, 2.49). However, we did not observe a difference in cycling between intervention and control after the implementation of 30 km/h in adults (IRR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.69, 1.17). For children, we observed positive intervention effect on cycling (IRR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.01, 2.20). Also, we observed somewhat higher numbers of children under supervision of an adult, although non-significant (IRR = 1.16; 95% CI = 0.89, 1.50).
Conclusion: Preliminary findings from this study suggest that 30 km/h speed limits may encourage PA and reduce sedentary behaviour. Some trends indicate increases in PA behaviours and potential shifts from passive to active transport
FIT FIRST Teen – Feasibility of a 10-Week School-Based Intervention With Frequent Intense Sports Training for Teenagers
Get PDFBackground: Adolescents in Denmark do not fulfil the recommendations for physical activity, and hopefully the FIT FIRST Teen programme could be part of the solution (Bangsbo et al., 2016; Krustrup et al., 2014; Larsen et al., 2018).
Method: Ten participating schools completed three weekly 40-min FFT sessions with modified, motivating, involving, high-intensity sports-based activities. After the 10-wk. intervention period, one teacher from each school participated in an interview to determine the feasibility of the programme.
Results: The teachers reported delivering all three weekly sessions with a maximum of two cancellations across the 10-week period due to other class obligations, and most teachers recommended to place the sessions as the last part of the school day, since some pupils showed a general disinterest in being physically active, while a more widely spread challenge was the pupils not feeling comfortable with working at high intensities and getting sweaty, out of breath, and red faced if they needed to go to other classes afterwards.
Conclusion: FIT FIRST Teen shows promising feasibility and can be implemented in the Danish schools
S01-3: The Motivators and Perceived Benefits of Peer Instructors and Outdoor Friends
Get PDFPurpose: As the number of older people is increasing, also the need for professional sports instructors is growing. Volunteers have an important role in supporting active ageing as peer instructors or outdoor friends.
Project or Policy Description. Development. The Strength in Old Age Programme (2004–) in Finland aims to launch health-enhancing exercise for independently living older adults with decreased functional capacity. The Coordinator, The Age Institute, offers courses that enable and support the professionals to locally train volunteers to act as peer instructors for exercise groups and outdoor friends. Peers learn how to instruct strength and balance exercises and outdoor friends how to support outdoor activities.
Implementation. The training course is free of charge for the municipalities belonging to the Strength in Old Age Programme. The participants receive readymade material they can use as well as practical tips for the local training. Until now, there are over 1,600 trainers and over 6,000 peers and outdoor friends trained. However, new volunteers are needed.
Evaluation. A survey was disseminated broadly to volunteers to examine their motivations and perceived benefits of serving as peer instructors or outdoor friends. We received 291 responses. The survey was openly shared through networks, and no response rate was available. The most common motivators were relevance of helping others (36%), being asked to become a volunteer (19%), getting exercise during volunteering (17%), and having more time after retirement (17%). The volunteers perceived mostly good or strong benefits from their activity. Volunteering has generated positive emotions (97%) and offered something meaningful to do (95%). The best thing about volunteering is togetherness (42%). Only 8% said that the activity had been a burden.
Dissemination. The results will be disseminated through the future activities in Strength in Old Age Programme, which enable the professionals’ knowledge how to better support volunteers and attract new volunteers to participate. The survey will be complemented by interviews of volunteers.
Conclusions: To develop local sports activities, training and supporting volunteers is important. It is a cost-effective way to keep old adults fit and it also improves the wellbeing of volunteers.
Keywords: Active ageing, peer instructor, outdoor friend, voluntee
S07-1: Promoting Physical Literacy in Higher Education Physical Education: ePhyLi
Get PDFPurpose: The ePhyLi project, funded by the Erasmus+ Sport Programme (No. 101089928), aims to promote awareness and activity in health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) environments and the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, addressing priority areas of the EU work plan for sport. This will be achieved by: (1) increasing the knowledge and understanding about the notion of physical literacy (PL) of university students who study physical education (PE), sport and exercise science, (2) properly preparing them for further promoting PL to their students, as part of their future teaching career, becoming PL advocators.
Project Description: The project is implemented collaboratively by five partners across four European countries: Cyprus, Italy, France, and EU-wide with the support of EUPEA. The main target group consists of university students studying to become PE and school teachers, as well as pre-service and in-service PE teachers. Stakeholders involved included university educators, digital learning experts, and sport education professionals. Implementation involved the creation of three main outputs: (1) an e-book, featuring eight structured modules and available in four languages (English, Greek, Italian, and French); (2) the ePhyLi serious game, a mobile application reinforcing PL concepts through interactive gameplay; (3) an e-platform offering gamified learning units, educational comic books, and interactive activities. The project is currently undergoing its second pilot phase, implemented by all partners. This phase includes structured testing of both the e-learning platform and the app with university students and relevant stakeholders. Evaluation activities focus on assessing the tools’ effectiveness in enhancing participants’ understanding of PL, as well as their usability, user experience, and perceived usefulness of the two digital outputs.
Conclusions: ePhyLi aspires to ultimately have a long-term impact on future (PE) teachers’ teaching and pedagogical practices and therefore the experience of children being taught in the future, with a subsequent impact on the currently sedentary population, as children will start to value and engage in physical activity more regularly. Also, the project will strengthen the competency profiles of HEIs staff when it comes to educating their university students in the field of PE, as well as when it comes to the use of digital tools in PE related courses.
Keywords: Physical literacy, higher education, digital tools, physical educatio
Walking School, a Sustainable Movement Education Initiative in Sweden – Exploring Sustainable Movement
Get PDFPurpose: Despite global efforts to increase physical activity among children and adolescents, initiatives for physical activity in schools rarely have sustained impact. Interventions have been criticised for seeking to increase levels of physical activity by focusing on individual behaviour rather than considering the context and social structures in which individuals live their lives. This study examines whether and how the Walking School initiative promotes sustainable movement by integrating physical activity as a routine of the school day rather than adding physical activity.
Methods: A mixed-methods participatory design was used, involving 14 pupils (six intervention and eight control classes) in lower-secondary school (12–16 years old) in Sweden. The intervention consisted of curriculum-based walking lessons held weekly for one semester, developed collaboratively by researchers, teachers, and students. Data sources included student surveys (pre-, mid-, and post-intervention), GPS tracking of lessons, researcher observations, and interviews with students and teachers. Quantitative data were analysed using Friedman, Wilcoxon, and Mann–Whitney U tests. Qualitative data underwent content analysis.
Results: GPS data confirmed consistent walking activity during, on average, one lesson per week of 1.7 kilometres of walking at 3.4 kilometres per hour. A significant difference was found in students’ self-reported physical activity during school breaks where students in the intervention group perceived themselves as more physically active (p = .003). Surprisingly, no significant self-reported differences were found during lesson time. Qualitative data suggest that physical activity was positively perceived but seldom mentioned. The initiative was not experienced as physically demanding or intimidating. Students appreciated the opportunity to move, but it did not seem to be a primary focus for the students.
Conclusion: The Walking School initiative illustrates how physical activity can be integrated into teaching practices in a way not perceived as disruptive or strenuous by students, which therefore has the potential to become a routine. These findings provide valuable insights into how health-enhancing physical activity can be fostered within the educational system.
Support/Funding Source: This study was supported by the Swedish Research Council’s PhD programme “Sustainable Movement Education” through a PhD grant to the first author, Grant Number 2021-03830
Adolescents’ Perspectives on Gamified Mobile Applications to Promote Physical Activity: Qualitative Research in Slovenia
Get PDFPurpose: This study explores Slovenian adolescents’ attitudes, motivations, and preferences regarding physical activity (PA), with an emphasis on their expectations for gamified mobile applications designed to increase PA. The objective was to identify motivators, barriers, and key features for designing and promoting effective digital health interventions for adolescents.
Methods: A qualitative design was employed, entailing six focus groups (FG) with 33 adolescents (ages 15–21) from secondary schools in the Ljubljana Region. FGs followed a semi-structured protocol to investigate participants’ attitudes towards PA, obstacles they face, motivators that influence their behaviour, and preferred application features. Thematic analysis was employed for its capacity to identify patterns through deductive and inductive coding, enabling a comprehensive exploration of motivators, barriers, and attitudes. Analyses were conducted using NVivo 12. Ethical approval was obtained from the National Ethics Committee of Slovenia (ref: 0120-246/2024-2711-6).
Results: Analysis identified three overarching themes: (1) Motivational drivers and barriers: Intrinsic motivators included enjoyment, wellbeing, and self-improvement, while extrinsic motivators included rewards, competition, and peer influence. Key barriers were academic demands, time constraints, inclement weather, and inadequate social support. (2) Desired application features: Adolescents showed clear preferences for personalised profiles, digital socialisation (friend-based challenges, achievement sharing), engaging and flexible challenges, and meaningful rewards (virtual badges, discounts, event tickets), as well as intuitive design and free access. (3) Promotion and adoption: Peer recommendations and influencer endorsements on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok were considered most effective for promoting adoption, while recommendations from teachers or parents were less influential.
Conclusion: The capacity of gamified mobile applications to encourage physical activity among adolescents depends on the incorporation of user-centred features, strong social components, and adaptable challenges. Effective interventions should address real barriers, align with youth culture, and utilise peer-driven promotional strategies. These findings inform policy and practice by underscoring the necessity for participatory, youth-centred digital health promotion and the imperative to integrate digital literacy, privacy, and responsible gamification into public health strategies.
Support/Funding Source: This project is funded by the European Union (Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, Grant Agreement No. 101136358)
Inclusive and Enjoyable Physical Activity for Older Adults: The JOIN4JOY Project
Get PDFPurpose: Older adults remain the least physically active group in Europe, with barriers such as low socioeconomic status, health limitations, and social exclusion contributing to inactivity. JOIN4JOY aims to reduce sedentary behaviour (SB) and increase physical activity (PA) among adults aged 65+, living in community and nursing homes. This project innovatively integrates co-creation, gamification, and social inclusion perspective to design PA programme focused on enjoyment – a key to sustained engagement. By emphasising intergenerational collaboration, inclusive practice, and virtual communities of practice (VCoPs), JOIN4JOY presents a novel model that promotes healthy ageing.
Project Description: Development. The JOIN4JOY intervention programme was co-developed through a participatory approach involving older adults (end-users), family members, professionals, students, and policymakers across five European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Focus groups were guided by the Octalysis gamification framework to ensure enjoyment and engagement were considered. Training modules and materials were developed collaboratively, integrating students and evidence-based strategies from prior successful interventions.
Implementation. The project co-created and implemented two tailored programmes: JOIN4JOY-C (for community-dwelling older adults) and JOIN4JOY-NH (for the residents of nursing homes). Both programmes were piloted (Pilot 1 and Pilot 2) by trained professionals and students, combining group PA sessions, self-management strategies, and social engagement.
Evaluation. A mixed-method evaluation was used to assess feasibility, acceptability, and impact of the programme. Quantitative tools included subjective questionnaires and scales as well as accelerometries for objective measurement of PA and SB. Qualitative interviews with participants and trainers explored their experiences and perceived benefits of the programme.
Dissemination and Scale-Up. The open-access training platform linked to VCoPs was established nationally in local languages and internationally in English to enable peer learning and practitioner support as well as the scale-up of the project. Public events, publications, and practitioner networks will support its dissemination across Europe.
Conclusion: JOIN4JOY shows how co-creation, gamification, and inclusive design can reshape PA programmes for older adults, shifting the focus towards enjoyment and social inclusion. Preliminary results indicate high levels of satisfaction and enjoyment among participants. The project offers valuable insights for advancing long-term, inclusive approaches to promote PA among older adults