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Self-care and Self-Compassion in University Student Athletes
Get PDFBackground: Student athletes (SA) face unique challenges in balancing academic and athletic demands, frequently impacting well-being. This study aimed to measure levels of self-care and self-compassion in SA in one university in Munster, Ireland and also aimed to investigate the relationship between these and identify some ways that universities could support SA in strengthening self-care and self-compassion behaviours.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used, employing shortened forms of the Mindful Self-Care Scale and the Self-Compassion Scale, as well as demographic questions. One multiple-option question asked participants to identify potential supports. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Fifty-six responses were received. Most participants had below mean self-care and moderate self-compassion. Self-care and self-compassion were moderately positively correlated. SA who trained most frequently had lowest self-compassion. SA want tailored support with self-care and self-compassion. Support and education are needed to enable SA to develop positive self-caring and self-compassionate behaviours.
Conclusion: Although it is not to possible draw causal relationships, results suggest that more self-compassionate SA are more self-caring. Support, advocacy and education is needed to enable SA to maintain and develop positive self-caring and self-compassionate behaviours.
Keywords: mental health, well-being, quantitative, occupational therapy, suppor
The role of personal and sports values on intentions to compete clean or to cheat
Get PDFBackground and objectives: Cheating is defined as the voluntary violation of established rules, characterized by an element of deception (Green, 2006). The opposite of cheating is clean sport (Petróczi et al., 2021). A recent study revealed that up to 57.1 % athletes are using doping (Ulrich et al., 2018). Cheating in sports is associated with various factors (internal and external), but a particularly important yet less studied internal factor is values. Based on Schwartz’s (1992) theory of personal values, four higher-level value dimensions are identified: self-enhancement, self-transcendence, openness to change, and conservation. However, athletes’ intentions and behavior can be influenced not only by personal values, but also by sports values. Lee et al. (2000) identified such sports values as morality, competence and status. Depending on which values are more important to athletes, they may be inclined to behave one way or another, for example, to cheat in sports or to compete clean. Purpose of the research is to reveal the role of values in athletes’ intentions to compete clean or to cheat in sport.
Methods: Two research methods were used in the dissertation: quantitative and qualitative. This methodological approach was chosen because cheating in sports is a multifaceted problem, which cannot be adequately understood using just one research method.
Results: The results of quantitative research revealed that athletes are not inclined to use doping and are more likely to compete clean in sport. The most important personal value for athletes is self-transcendence. For athletes, the most important sports values relate to competence, and the least important relate to status. The personal values of self-enhancement and openness to change, and sports’ status values are positively related with intentions to use doping and negatively related with intentions to compete clean. The personal values of self-transcendence and conservation, together with the moral and competence values of sports, are negatively related with intentions to use doping and positively related with intentions to compete clean. We found a statistically significant positive relationship between doping self-regulatory efficacy and intentions to compete clean, and a negative relationship between doping self-regulatory efficacy and intentions to use doping. Statistically significant correlations were found between athletes’ attitudes towards doping and both intentions to compete clean and intentions to use doping. We found a statistically significant positive relationship between moral identity and intentions to compete clean and a negative relationship between moral identity and intentions to use doping. There is a statistically significant correlation between acceptance of cheating and acceptance of gamesmanship with intentions to use doping and intentions to compete clean. Correlational analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between the empowering climate and both athletes’ intentions to compete clean and intentions to use doping. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed in order to reveal the relationship between athletes’ internal and external factors and intentions to compete clean or intentions to use doping. Results of the qualitative research revealed two meta-themes (cheating in sports and clean sport). Additionally, themes, sub-themes and mini-themes were formed. Thematic maps were created to describe the qualitative research data.
Conclusions: Cheating is related to various factors, both internal – such as personal and sports values, doping self-regulatory efficacy, moral identity, attitudes towards doping, intentions to cheat – and external – such as the empowering and disempowering climate created by a coach. When assessing the impact of internal and external factors on athletes’ intentions to cheat and compete clean, it was found that personal and sports values, moral identity, doping self-regulatory efficacy, attitudes towards doping and the coach-created climate – all these factors influence athletes’ intentions to compete clean or to use doping. Significant predictive factors for intentions to use doping were lower moral identity, lower doping self-regulatory efficacy, and positive attitudes towards doping/cheating (higher acceptance of cheating). Significant predictive factors for intentions to compete clean were more important self-transcendence, conservatism, and moral values, higher moral identity, higher doping self-regulatory efficacy and negative attitudes towards cheating (less acceptance of cheating). This means that internal factors have a greater impact on athletes’ intention to cheat compared to external factors. These are new and significant results that reveal the importance of internal factors in cheating in sports, with particular emphasis on the role of values. This is important for the development of new strategies aimed at combating cheating in sports. The qualitative study revealed how athletes and coaches perceive the factors that encourage clean sport. It was found that doping prevention initiatives should be carried out by the state, schools, sports organizations and anti-doping agencies. Since athletes become familiar with the concepts of doping at a very young age, it is believed that prevention should take place while still in school. Anti-doping policy should put more emphasis on clean sport, emphasizing the role of values, thus aiming to reduce the prevalence of doping in sports
Pradinių klasių mokinių emocinės savijautos ir fizinio aktyvumo tarpusavio sąsajos
Get PDFBackground. Emotional wellbeing and physical activity are key components of children’s health, learning, and social functioning. Schools provide a unique setting to support both domains, yet less is known about how school type and sex are related to emotional wellbeing and physical activity in younger school-age children.
Objective. To examine the associations between emotional wellbeing and physical activity among primary school children and to assess differences according to sex and school type.
Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2024, which included 166 children in grades 1–4 from one rural, one urban, and one private school. Emotional state was assessed using the SAN scale, yielding scores for wellbeing and mood. Physical activity was measured using a self-report questionnaire, capturing weekly activity levels. Non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U) were used to compare groups, and Spearman’s correlation coefficients were calculated to examine associations between variables.
Results. Wellbeing and mood were strongly and positively correlated (r = 0.70, p < 0.001), indicating a coherent construct of emotional wellbeing in this age group. No statistically significant differences in emotional wellbeing or physical activity were found between boys and girls (p > 0.05). Children attending private schools reported significantly lower wellbeing and mood scores compared with their peers in rural and urban schools (p < 0.001). Rural school children demonstrated higher physical activity levels than their peers in both urban and private schools (p ≤ 0.001). Physical activity was not significantly associated with either wellbeing or mood (p > 0.05).
Conclusions. Emotional wellbeing among primary school children is closely interconnected, but it is more strongly related to school type than to sex or self-reported physical activity levels. School environment appears to play a meaningful role in shaping both emotional state and activity levels, highlighting the importance of supportive, health-promoting school settings in early education.
Keywords: primary school children; physical activity; mood; emotional wellbeingVaikų fizinis aktyvumas (FA) ir teigiama emocinė būsena yra glaudžiai susiję ir teigiamai veikia pažintinius gebėjimus, savijautą ir socialinę integraciją. Mokykla atlieka svarbų vaidmenį didinant fizinį aktyvumą ir gerinant emocinę savijautą. Šio tyrimo tikslas buvo nustatyti skirtingų veiksnių įtaką vaikų FA ir emocinei gerovei. Metodika. Į tyrimą buvo įtraukti 166 pradinių klasių mokiniai iš trijų skirtingų tipų mokyklų. Buvo naudojamos dvi priemonės: SAN skalė emocinei būsenai įvertinti ir IPAQ-LT klausimynas FA lygiui nustatyti. Rezultatai. Lyties poveikis emocinei būsenai ir FA nebuvo statistiškai reikšmingas. Mokyklos tipas turėjo reikšmingą poveikį vaikų FA ir emocinei gerovei: kaimo mokyklos mokiniai, palyginti su valstybine miesto ir privačia mokykla, turėjo didesnį nuotaikos, savijautos ir FA lygį. Savijauta yra glaudžiai susijusi su nuotaika, tačiau FA reikšmingo poveikio nei savijautai, nei nuotaikai neturi.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: mokyklinio amžiaus vaikai; aktyvumas; savijauta; psichologinė gerov
Etnokultūrinio turizmo plėtros perspektyvos Kazachstano Respublikoje
No full textThis article examines UNESCO cultural and natural heritage sites in Kazakhstan, sites whose value is undeniable for our country, including for the development of ethnocultural tourism. Today, the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage is crucial for the development of ethnocultural tourism worldwide. UNESCO, the organisation whose primary mission is to preserve World Heritage sites at the international level, plays a special role in this process.
Keywords: tourism; ethnocultural tourism; natural and cultural heritage; promotionMokslinio požiūrio aktualumas ir naujumas. Šiuolaikiniame globalizacijos kontekste kultūros ir gamtos paveldo apsauga įgauna ypatingą reikšmę tiek tarptautiniu, tiek nacionaliniu lygmeniu. Kultūros paveldas suprantamas ne tik kaip materialių istorinių objektų visuma, bet ir kaip tautos istorinės atminties, tapatybės, vertybių ir kultūrinės įvairovės išsaugojimo pagrindas. Tarptautinės konvencijos, ypač UNESCO Pasaulio paveldo konvencija, pabrėžia visuotinę išskirtinę kultūros paveldo vertę, nepriklausomai nuo jo geografinės ar politinės priklausomybės.
Pastaraisiais dešimtmečiais kultūros paveldo sąvoka gerokai išsiplėtė – nuo siauro požiūrio, apimančio tik nekilnojamuosius architektūros ar archeologijos objektus, iki plataus kultūros supratimo, apimančio gyvenimo būdą, tradicijas, socialines praktikas ir žmogaus bei gamtos sąveiką. Ši transformacija ypač svarbi plėtojant kultūrinį ir pažintinį turizmą, kuris tampa reikšmingu regionų tvaraus vystymosi veiksniu.
Tyrimo naujumas siejamas su kultūros paveldo, ne tik kaip saugotino objekto, bet ir kaip strateginio ištekliaus, galinčio didinti turistinį patrauklumą, formuoti šalies tarptautinį įvaizdį ir prisidėti prie socialinės ir ekonominės plėtros, vertinimu. Ypatingas dėmesys skiriamas Kazachstano kultūros paveldo objektų atrankos, pagrindimo ir įtraukimo į UNESCO pasaulio paveldo sąrašą klausimams.
Tyrimo problema. Nepaisant tarptautinių paveldo apsaugos mechanizmų ir Kazachstano įsipareigojimų pagal UNESCO konvenciją, išlieka istorinės ir kultūrinės vertės objektų atrankos moksliškumo ir pagrįstumo problema. Nepakankamai ištirti arba iki galo moksliškai nepagrįsti objektai, pretenduojantys į pasaulio paveldo statusą, gali kelti grėsmę valstybės kultūrinei reputacijai ir pakenkti UNESCO sąrašo patikimumui.
Be to, kultūros paveldo integravimas į turizmo plėtros procesus dažnai vykdomas fragmentiškai, trūkstant tarpdisciplininio požiūrio ir sistemingo stebėjimo. Tai lemia, kad paveldo, kaip tvaraus turizmo ir regioninės plėtros priemonės, potencialas nėra iki galo išnaudojamas.
Tyrimo tikslas: Tyrimo tikslas – išanalizuoti kultūros paveldo sampratą ir jos plėtrą, įvertinti UNESCO pasaulio paveldo objektų atrankos ir įtraukimo kriterijus ir atskleisti kultūros paveldo vaidmenį formuojant Kazachstano turistinį patrauklumą, ypatingą dėmesį skiriant Chodža Achmedo Jasavio mauzoliejaus, kaip pasaulio paveldo objekto, reikšmei.
Metodai: Mokslinės literatūros analizė ir tyrimas; 2. Analizė ir apdorojimas.
Rezultatai. Kultūros ir gamtos paveldas yra gyvybiškai svarbus istorinės atminties, kultūrinio tapatumo ir tautų įvairovės išsaugojimo elementas, taip pat reikšmingas išteklius tvariam šiuolaikinės visuomenės vystymuisi. Šiuolaikinei kultūros paveldo sampratai būdingas išplėstas turinys ir tarpdisciplininis požiūris, apimantis istorinius, kultūrinius, geografinius, socialinius ir ekonominius bei turizmo aspektus. Įtraukimas į UNESCO pasaulio paveldo sąrašą reikalauja griežto mokslinio pagrindimo, išsamaus istorinio ir kultūrinio vertinimo bei atitikties išskirtinės visuotinės vertės kriterijams. Kazachstano Respublika turi didelį kultūros ir gamtos paveldo potencialą, ką įrodo jau į UNESCO pasaulio paveldo sąrašą įtrauktos vietovės, taip pat platus preliminaraus sąrašo objektų pasirinkimas. Pasaulio paveldo vietovės prisideda prie teigiamo tarptautinio šalies įvaizdžio formavimo ir didina jos turistinį patrauklumą, kartu sudarydamos prielaidas etnokultūrinio ir edukacinio turizmo plėtrai. Veiksminga kultūros paveldo apsauga ir naudojimas yra įmanomi tik įgyvendinant tarptautinius valdymo standartus, plėtojant kultūros infrastruktūrą ir aktyviai dalyvaujant valstybei bei tarptautinėms organizacijoms. Etnokultūrinio turizmo plėtra Kazachstane yra ne tik ekonominė galimybė, bet ir svarbus mechanizmas, skirtas išsaugoti, propaguoti ir perduoti unikalų istorinį ir kultūrinį paveldą ateities kartoms.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: turizmas; etnokultūrinis turizmas; gamtos ir kultūros paveldas; reklam
Ateities turizmo rinkos: tarp skaitmenizacijos ir žmogiškumo – „Kavos kelio“ turizmo vizija
No full textRelevance and novelty of the scientific approach. In recent decades, tourism has undergone fundamental changes that have changed the concept of travel and its social meaning. Global shocks – the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the effects of climate change – have not only limited physical movement, but also prompted a new rethinking of the value and motives of travel. The modern tourist increasingly perceives travel not only as a geographical movement; it becomes a way to make sense of his relationship with the world, to express values and choices related to responsibility, technology, and sustainability. Bekele and Raj (2025) argue that travel today is a social and cultural investment that reflects the traveller’s self-concept and worldview. This paradigm shift suggests that future tourism must combine innovation with the need for authentic experiences.
Drawing on insights from Bekele and Raj (2025), Buhalis (2020; 2025), Gretzel (2022), OECD (2023), WTTC (2024), and others, the article discusses how digital technologies and artificial intelligence solutions are shaping a new travel culture, while highlighting the paradox between technological convenience and the need for authentic experiences. It analyses the sustainability discourse, travellers’ ecological awareness, and the phenomenon of digital fatigue, which is increasingly encouraging a return to humanity. In order to reveal how digitalisation and humanity can be reconciled in future tourism models, the article introduces and evaluates the concept of the “Coffee Road” – a form of gastronomic tourism that emphasises the connection with local culture, traditions, and sustainable choices. It provides an insight that this concept can become an innovative tourism model in which technology complements, but does not replace, human experience.
During the pandemic, the accelerating digitalisation has led to the integration of technology into almost all links of the tourism process. Buhalis (2025) emphasises that virtual experiences, artificial intelligence tools, and digital planning systems have become an indispensable part of the sector’s functioning. However, the dominance of technology has also highlighted the paradoxes accompanying travel: disappearing spontaneity, decreasing connection with local culture, and increasing digital fatigue. In addition, the growing ecological awareness of travellers (European Travel Commission, 2024) and sustainability requirements are forcing the tourism sector to search for new, responsible, and culturally meaningful forms of experiences. Considering these processes, the direction of gastronomic tourism, which combines local culture, traditions, and social connection, is becoming relevant. The concept of the “Coffee Road” emerges as one of the innovative models that offers the opportunity to combine technology with humanity and sustainability. This concept allows us to analyse a broader question – how can tourism remain modern, but at the same time be able to create authentic, valuable experiences.
Research problem. Modern tourism is experiencing a contradictory transformation: accelerating digitalisation increases the efficiency and accessibility of services, but at the same time weakens the dimensions of authentic travel experience – human connection, cultural depth, and spontaneity. Travellers, in response to the rise of technology and increasing digital fatigue, are increasingly seeking sustainable and culturally meaningful experiences. At the same time, sustainability requirements and ecological awareness are forcing the tourism sector to search for new models that would combine innovation with humanity. However, there is still a lack of theoretical insights into how these three dimensions – digitalisation, sustainability, and authentic experience – could be combined in one coherent tourism model. Therefore, the question arises whether gastronomic tourism, and in particular the “Coffee Road” concept, can become an effective solution in integrating these competing trends and offer a more sustainable direction for tourism in the future.
The purpose of the study: to identify, based on scientific insights, the interaction of digitalisation, sustainability, and humanity in the tourism sector, highlighting the potential of the “Coffee Road” concept as an innovative model for future tourism.
The results. The results of the study suggest that the value of future tourism will depend on the ability to maintain a balance between digitalisation and authentic experience. Technologies will be effective only to the extent that they enhance the content of travel, without turning travel into a purely technological process. Gastronomic tourism models, such as the “Coffee Road”, can significantly contribute to the humanisation of travel and strengthening cultural connections, as their essence is based on a connection with tradition, local people, history, and emotional experience, which cannot be algorithmically recreated.
Future prospects show that the tourism sector will have to solve several interrelated tasks: consistently integrate innovations so that they do not replace humanity, but complement it; reduce the ecological footprint of technologies and ensure their sustainable application; create tourism models that preserve cultural identity and local experiences; and strengthen travellers’ ability to responsibly choose and value authentic, lived experiences. It can be concluded that travel will remain meaningful to the extent that it allows travellers to experience the world through people, culture, and real, non-algorithmic emotions. Tourism that is able to combine technological advancement, sustainability, and human values will have the greatest potential to become a resilient, ethical, and meaningful sector of the future.
Keywords: tourism; digitalisation; sustainability; authenticity; gastronomic tourism; artificial intelligence; “Coffee Road”Mokslinės prieigos aktualumas ir naujumas. Per pastaruosius dešimtmečius turizmas patyrė fundamentalių pokyčių, kurie iš esmės pakeitė kelionių sampratą ir jų socialinę prasmę. Globalūs sukrėtimai – COVID-19 pandemija, karas Ukrainoje, klimato kaitos padariniai – ne tik apribojo fizinį judėjimą, bet ir paskatino permąstyti kelionių vertę bei motyvus. Šiuolaikinis turistas vis rečiau kelionę suvokia tik kaip geografinį judėjimą; ji tampa būdu įprasminti savo santykį su pasauliu, išreikšti vertybes ir pasirinkimus, susijusius su atsakomybe, technologijomis ir tvarumu. Bekele ir Raj (2025) teigia, kad kelionės šiandien yra socialinė ir kultūrinė investicija, atspindinti keliautojo savivoką ir pasaulėžiūrą. Šis paradigminis pokytis leidžia daryti prielaidą, kad ateities turizmui būtina suderinti inovacijas su autentiškos patirties poreikiu.
Remiantis tyrėjų (Bekele & Raj; 2025; Buhalis, 2020, 2025; Gretzel, 2022; OECD, 2023; WTTC, 2024 ir kt.) įžvalgomis, straipsnyje aptariama, kaip skaitmeninės technologijos ir dirbtinio intelekto sprendimai formuoja naują kelionių kultūrą, kartu išryškindami paradoksą tarp technologinio patogumo ir autentiškos patirties poreikio. Analizuojamas tvarumo diskursas, keliautojų ekologinis sąmoningumas ir skaitmeninio nuovargio reiškinys, vis dažniau skatinantis atsigręžti į žmogiškumą. Siekiant atskleisti, kaip skaitmenizacija ir žmogiškumas gali būti suderinti ateities turizmo modeliuose, straipsnyje pristatoma ir vertinama „Kavos kelio“ koncepcija – gastronominio turizmo forma, pabrėžianti ryšį su vietos kultūra, tradicijomis ir tvariais pasirinkimais. Pateikiama įžvalga, kad ši koncepcija gali tapti inovatyviu turizmo modeliu, kuriame technologijos papildo, bet ne pakeičia žmogiškąją patirtį.
Pandemijos metu spartėjanti skaitmenizacija paskatino technologijų integraciją į beveik visas turizmo proceso grandis. Buhalis (2023) pabrėžia, kad virtualios patirtys, dirbtinio intelekto įrankiai ir skaitmeninės planavimo sistemos tapo būtina sektoriaus veikimo dalimi. Vis dėlto technologijų dominavimas išryškino ir keliones lydinčius paradoksus: nykstantį spontaniškumą, mažėjantį ryšį su vietos kultūra ir didėjantį skaitmeninį nuovargį. Greta to, augantis keliautojų ekologinis sąmoningumas (European Travel Commission, 2024) ir tvarumo reikalavimai verčia turizmo sektorių ieškoti naujų, atsakingų ir kultūriškai prasmingų patirčių formų.
Atsižvelgiant į šiuos procesus, aktuali tampa gastronominio turizmo kryptis, kuri jungia vietos kultūrą, tradicijas ir socialinį ryšį. „Kavos kelio“ koncepcija iškyla kaip vienas iš inovatyvių modelių, siūlančių galimybę derinti technologijas su žmogiškumu ir tvarumu. Ši koncepcija leidžia analizuoti platesnį klausimą – kaip turizmas gali išlikti modernus, tačiau kartu gebėti kurti autentišką, vertybinę patirtį.
Tyrimo problema. Šiuolaikinis turizmas patiria prieštaringą transformaciją: spartėjanti skaitmenizacija didina paslaugų veiksmingumą ir prieinamumą, tačiau kartu silpnina autentiškos kelionės patirties dimensijas – žmogiškąjį ryšį, kultūrinį gylį ir spontaniškumą. Keliautojai, reaguodami į technologijų įsigalėjimą ir didėjantį skaitmeninį nuovargį, vis dažniau siekia tvarių ir kultūriškai prasmingų patirčių. Tuo pat metu tvarumo reikalavimai ir ekologinis sąmoningumas verčia turizmo sektorių ieškoti naujų modelių, kurie derintų inovacijas su žmogiškumu. Tačiau iki šiol stokojama teorinių įžvalgų, kaip šias tris dimensijas – skaitmenizaciją, tvarumą ir autentišką patirtį – būtų galima suderinti viename nuosekliame turizmo modelyje. Todėl kyla klausimas, ar gastronominis turizmas, o ypač „Kavos kelio“ koncepcija, gali tapti veiksmingu sprendimu integruojant šias tarpusavyje konkuruojančias tendencijas ir pasiūlyti tvaresnę ateities turizmo kryptį.
Tyrimo tikslas: mokslinių įžvalgų pagrindu, identifikuoti skaitmenizacijos, tvarumo ir žmogiškumo sąveiką turizmo sektoriuje, išryškinant „Kavos kelio“ koncepcijos, kaip inovatyvaus ateities turizmo modelio, potencialą.
Rezultatai. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad ateities turizmo vertė priklausys nuo gebėjimo išlaikyti pusiausvyrą tarp skaitmeninimo ir autentiškos patirties. Technologijos bus veiksmingos tik tiek, kiek jos praturtins kelionių turinį, nepaversdamos jų vien technologiniu procesu. Gastronominio turizmo modeliai, tokie kaip „Kavos kelias“, gali reikšmingai prisidėti prie kelionių humanizavimo ir kultūrinių ryšių stiprinimo, nes jų esmė grindžiama ryšiu su tradicijomis, vietos gyventojais, istorija ir emocine patirtimi, kurios negalima algoritmiškai atkurti.
Ateities perspektyvos rodo, kad turizmo sektorius turės išspręsti keletą tarpusavyje susijusių uždavinių: nuosekliai integruoti inovacijas, kad jos ne pakeistų žmogiškumą, o jį papildytų; mažinti technologijų ekologinį pėdsaką ir užtikrinti jų tvarų taikymą; kurti turizmo modelius, kurie išsaugotų kultūrinį identitetą ir vietos patirtis; ir stiprinti keliautojų gebėjimą atsakingai rinktis ir vertinti autentiškas, išgyventas patirtis. Galima daryti išvadą, kad kelionės išliks prasmingos tiek, kiek leis keliautojams patirti pasaulį per žmones, kultūrą ir tikras, ne algoritmines emocijas. Turizmas, gebantis derinti technologinę pažangą, tvarumą ir žmogiškąsias vertybes, turės didžiausią potencialą tapti atspariu, etišku ir prasmingu ateities sektoriumi.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: turizmas; skaitmenizacija; tvarumas; autentiškumas; gastronominis turizmas; dirbtinis intelektas; „Kavos kelias“  
A Modern Multimodal Approach to the Treatment of Venous Trophic Ulcers in Outpatient Settings
No full textBackground. The treatment of trophic ulcers of the lower extremities is challenging due to their chronic nature, frequent relapses, and significant impact on quality of life.
Aim. This study assessed the effectiveness of a multimodal treatment combining ultrasonic debridement, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and radiofrequency vein ablation in patients with decompensated varicose veins complicated by trophic ulcers.
Methods. A total of 105 patients with C6-stage varicose veins (CEAP classification) and venous ulcers lasting 2.1 ± 0.6 years (average size – 35 ± 1.7 cm²) were examined. All underwent ultrasound diagnostics to determine phlebohemodynamic disorders. During preoperative preparation, 70 patients received ultrasonic cavitation debridement using the SONOCA 185® device (25 kHz), performed twice at 1–2-day intervals. The control group (35 patients) used chlorhexidine bigluconate for wound cleansing. After debridement, patients were divided into two subgroups: 60 patients received combined PRP and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) therapy to stimulate tissue regeneration, while 45 were treated with Granuflex® hydrocolloid dressings. Bacteriological and cytological studies were conducted to assess wound regeneration and control infection.
Results. Sequential use of ultrasonic debridement followed by PRP/PRF therapy created optimal conditions for stimulating granulation and epithelialisation in trophic ulcers. This approach provided effective local wound preparation and allowed successful performance of radiofrequency ablation to eliminate the underlying venous reflux responsible for ulcer persistence.
Conclusions. A multimodal strategy combining ultrasonic debridement, PRP/PRF stimulation, and subsequent superficial vein surgery is a highly effective office-based method for treating venous trophic ulcers, promoting faster healing, reducing infection, and enabling timely surgical correction.
Keywords: trophic ulcers; ultrasonic debridement; platelet-rich plasm
Development of positive behavior and mental toughness skills in young athletes
Get PDFBackground and objectives: In recent years, the growing issue of aggression and mutual disrespect among both athletic and non-athletic adolescents and young individuals – regardless of whether they become professional athletes – has increasingly been emphasized not only in public discourse but also in scientific research. This has become an undeniably relevant scientific problem (Cristello, Trucco, & Zucker, 2020; Jewett, Kerr, MacPherson, & Stirling, 2020; Mays & Thompson, 2009; Whitley et al., 2019). As a preventive measure against the manifestation of negative adolescent behavior, an integrated skill development program through sports, based on a comprehensive model of positive behavior and mental toughness skills, may play a crucial role (Chauke & Malatji, 2022; Gould, Griffes, & Carson, 2011; Gucciardi & Jones, 2012; Slack et al., 2015). This enables the formulation of a key research question: How would an educational program based on a comprehensive model of positive behavior and mental toughness skills contribute to the development of young athletes’ positive behavior and mental toughness skills? The aim of this dissertation is to reveal the characteristics of young athletes’ positive behavior and mental toughness skill development.
Methods: The dissertation employed a mixed methods convergent design (one-phase design) research strategy (Creswell & Creswell, 2023). The logical sequence of the research consisted of five phases. First, a scientific literature analysis was conducted on the dissertation topic. Second, research instruments for the dissertation study were identified. Third, a diagnostic study was carried out, during which a written survey was used to assess the level of positive behavior and mental toughness skills among young athletes (aged 15–18). Fourth, an educational experiment was organized, starting with an initial assessment of both the experimental group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 32) using a written survey. The experimental group underwent an intervention involving participation in activities based on an integrated skill development program designed to enhance positive behavior and mental toughness skills among young athletes. Afterwards, a final assessment was conducted for both the experimental and control groups, along with a qualitative study involving the parents of young athletes from both groups. Finally, quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed, and data integration was performed.
Results: The applied multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that the skill levels of the experimental group were statistically significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to the control group in most skill scales, except for the determination and visualization skills, which are part of the athletic mental toughness skills construct. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data demonstrated a trend: the higher the Cohen’s d effect size identified in the quantitative analysis, the higher the frequency of analysis units in the qualitative data, except for the empathy, self-control, and self-esteem skill scales. The results of quantitative and qualitative data integration not only confirmed this trend but also revealed that the acquired skills were transferred to other life contexts.
Conclusions: After the application of the integrated positive behavior and mental toughness skill development program based on the positive behavior and mental toughness skill development model, the skill levels of the experimental group were statistically significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Moreover, the acquired skills were successfully transferred to other life contexts
Resistance Training and Muscle-Brain Crosstalk: Implications for Cognitive Decline in Aging and Spinal Cord Injury
Get PDFBackground and objectives: Exerkines are signalling factors that are released from organs throughout the body during physical exercise (El-Sayes et al., 2019). Some of these exerkines are thought to contribute to the well-documented benefits of exercise on brain health and cognitive function, potentially delaying age-related cognitive decline (Erickson et al., 2011). However, research is still far from establishing a mechanism-based, evidence-driven exercise programme to prevent such decline. To date, most studies have focused on endurance training, leaving other training modalities underexplored. Moreover, few studies have simultaneously examined exercise-induced effects on blood, brain, and cognitive domains, limiting more holistic understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Research has also primarily involved healthy adults, whereas older adults at risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are less frequently studied. Importantly, the effects of exercise on cognition have never been investigated in persons with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), a population with an elevated risk of age-related cognitive decline and dementia.
The primary objective of the dissertation was therefore to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exercise training, specifically resistance exercise in older adults and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) in individuals with SCI, on brain health and cognitive function, with a particular focus on the role of exerkines in (exercise-induced) neuroplasticity.
Methods: Eleven studies were conducted. Study 1 was a literature review describing exerkine release following acute and chronic endurance or resistance exercise and their effects on neuroplasticity via long-term synaptic potentiation. Study 2 summarised the findings from transcriptome and secretome studies identifying muscle-derived exerkines (myokines). Studies 3 and 4 were cross-sectional studies in older adults (n = 74) investigating the relationships between participant characteristics, blood (inflammatory and neurotrophic) and brain biomarkers (neurometabolites, regional grey matter volumes), and cognitive function. Studies 5–8 evaluated the effect of a single bout (n = 37) and a 12-week resistance exercise programme (n = 74) on blood and brain biomarkers and cognitive function in older adults. Studies 6 and 7 further compared outcomes between cognitively healthy older adults and those at elevated risk of MCI (based on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment). Study 9 systematically reviewed evidence on the effects of exercise interventions on cognitive performance in individuals with SCI and highlighted factors underlying their elevated risk of cognitive decline. Study 10 tested the effect of a single bout of NMES on exerkines and cognitive performance in persons with SCI. Study 11 described the protocol of a 12-week NMES intervention in individuals with SCI to examine the effect on exerkines and cognitive outcomes.
Results: Study 1 identified 16 exerkines with known (in)direct effects on long-term synaptic potentiation. Study 2 reported 1,126 putative myokines, most with still unknown effects on the brain and body. Study 3 found associations between the circulating inflammatory marker kynurenine and signs of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in older adults. Study 4 showed that older adults with normal-to-slightly-elevated body weight and greater handgrip strength maintained larger brain volumes. Study 5 demonstrated improved working memory performance in older adults immediately after a single session of resistance exercise training compared to control group. Study 6 suggested hippocampal volume preservation over time in the resistance exercise group, and Study 7 revealed executive function improvements in older adults at elevated risk of MCI after 12 weeks of resistance training compared with control group. Study 8 demonstrated neurometabolic changes in older adults who contracted COVID-19 during participation. Study 9 confirmed that no prior studies have investigated exercise effects on cognitive function in individuals with SCI. Study 10 found increases in lactate levels, but no changes in cognitive performance after a single NMES session in persons with SCI. Study 11 described the design for a future 12-week NMES intervention study for individuals with SCI.
Conclusions: The dissertation advances the understanding of exercise effects on brain health and cognition in older adults and individuals with SCI, providing a neurobiological basis for future research. Kynurenine levels, handgrip strength, and a healthy body weight emerged as potential biomarkers of brain health for older adults. The findings underscore the importance of monitoring cognitive functioning in persons with SCI.
Although further research is needed to clarify the effect of different exercise modalities across populations with varying cognitive risk profiles, the present evidence reinforces the notion that physical exercise benefits brain function. A multimodal, enjoyable, and sustainable exercise programme maintained throughout life is likely to be the most effective strategy to mitigate or delay age-related cognitive decline.
Keywords: aging, cognition, myokines, exercise, spinal cord injur
Kineziterapijos studentų fizinės ir funkcinės būklės kaita studijų metu
No full textBackground. During their studies in physiotherapy, students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge about the benefits of physical activity, health parameters and disease prevention, as well as try out different forms of physical activity during practical sessions. However, there is a lack of data on the impact of the knowledge acquired in the course on students’ physical condition and on the changes in students’ physical and functional status.
Aim. To determine the changes in the physical and functional status of Physiotherapy students during their studies.
Methods. A quantitative longitudinal study was carried out over three years. The study involved Physiotherapy students (n = 17) of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution. The subjects were assessed three times: in the first, second, and third year of study. The level of physical activity was determined using the IPAQ-LT short version questionnaire, body composition was analysed using the Tanita MC-780 device, waist and hip circumference were measured with a centimetre tape, and the physical and functional status was determined by the use of the sit-ups, push-ups, Sit and Reach, Standing Stork Balance and Harvard Step tests.
Results. There were no significant changes (p > 0.05) in the physical activity scores and indicators. Weight change was –0.92 ± 3.79 kg (p < 0.05) but fat mass increased by 2.71 ± 3.54 % (p < 0.05). Waist circumference decreased, but hip circumference increased (p < 0.05). The change in the Stork Balance Test score for the right leg was significant at
12.64 ± 16.66 sec. (p < 0.05), left – no significant change. No significant changes in muscle strength and endurance were found. The change in the Sit and Reach Test was significant at –4.15 ± 5.26 cm (p < 0.05). The Harvard Step Test showed an improvement of 4.68 ± 21.21 (p < 0.05).
Conclusions. Physical activity levels, left leg balance, muscle strength, and endurance of Physiotherapy students of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution did not change significantly during the study; but weight, waist circumference, and flexibility decreased, fat mass and hip circumference increased, right leg balance and physical strength improved.
Keywords: balance; body composition; muscle strength; physiotherapy; studentsTyrimo pagrindimas. Studijuodami kineziterapiją studentai įgyja teorinių ir praktinių žinių apie fizinio aktyvumo naudą, sveikatos būklės parametrus ir ligų prevenciją, užsiėmimų metu išbando įvairią fizinę veiklą. Tačiau trūksta duomenų, kokią įtaką studentų fizinei būklei turi studijų metu įgytos žinios ir kaip keičiasi jų fizinės ir funkcinės būklės rodikliai.
Tikslas. Nustatyti Kineziterapijos studijų programos studentų fizinės ir funkcinės būklės rodiklių kaitą studijų metu.
Metodai. Atliktas kiekybinis longitudinis tyrimas, kuris tęsėsi trejus metus. Tyrime dalyvavo Kauno kolegijos Kineziterapijos studentai (n = 17). Tiriamųjų vertinimas buvo atliekamas tris kartus: pirmaisiais, antraisiais ir trečiaisiais studijų metais. Naudojant IPAQ-LT klausimyno trumpąją versiją buvo nustatytas studentų fizinio aktyvumo lygis, kūno kompozicijos analizė atlikta „Tanita MC-780“ prietaisu, liemens ir klubų apimtys išmatuotos centimetrine juostele, fizinei ir funkcinei būklei nustatyti taikyti atsilenkimų, atsispaudimų, „Sėsti ir siekti“, „Gandro“ pusiausvyros ir Harvardo ištvermės testai.
Rezultatai. Įvertinus fizinio aktyvumo lygio rezultatus ir rodiklių kaitą nenustatyta reikšmingų pokyčių (p > 0,05). Svorio pokytis buvo –0,92 ± 3,79 kg (p < 0,05), bet riebalinė masė padidėjo 2,71 ± 3,54 proc. (p < 0,05). Liemens apimtis sumažėjo, o klubų – padidėjo (p < 0,05). „Gandro“ pusiausvyros testo dešine koja rezultatas reikšmingai padidėjo 12,64 ± 16,66 sek. (p < 0,05), kairės – reikšmingai nepakito. Reikšmingų raumenų jėgos ir ištvermės pokyčių nenustatyta. „Sėstis ir siekti“ lankstumo testo rezultatas reikšmingai sumažėjo –4,15 ± 5,26 cm (p < 0,05). Harvardo testo fizinio pajėgumo rezultatai pagerėjo 4,68 ± 21,21 balais (p < 0,05).
Išvados. Kauno kolegijos Kineziterapijos studentų fizinio aktyvumo lygis, pusiausvyra stovint ant kairės kojos, raumenų jėga ir ištvermė studijų metu reikšmingai nepakito, bet sumažėjo svoris, liemens apimtis ir lankstumas, padidėjo riebalinė masė ir klubų apimtis, pagerėjo pusiausvyra ant dešinės kojos ir fizinis pajėgumas.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: kineziterapija; kūno kompozicija; pusiausvyra; raumenų jėga; studentai
Tyrimo pagrindimas. Studijuodami kineziterapiją studentai įgyja teorinių ir praktinių žinių apie fizinio aktyvumo naudą, sveikatos būklės parametrus ir ligų prevenciją, užsiėmimų metu išbando įvairią fizinę veiklą. Tačiau trūksta duomenų, kokią įtaką studentų fizinei būklei turi studijų metu įgytos žinios ir kaip keičiasi jų fizinės ir funkcinės būklės rodikliai.
Tikslas. Nustatyti Kineziterapijos studijų programos studentų fizinės ir funkcinės būklės rodiklių kaitą studijų metu.
Metodai. Atliktas kiekybinis longitudinis tyrimas, kuris tęsėsi trejus metus. Tyrime dalyvavo Kauno kolegijos Kineziterapijos studentai (n = 17). Tiriamųjų vertinimas buvo atliekamas tris kartus: pirmaisiais, antraisiais ir trečiaisiais studijų metais. Naudojant IPAQ-LT klausimyno trumpąją versiją buvo nustatytas studentų fizinio aktyvumo lygis, kūno kompozicijos analizė atlikta „Tanita MC-780“ prietaisu, liemens ir klubų apimtys išmatuotos centimetrine juostele, fizinei ir funkcinei būklei nustatyti taikyti atsilenkimų, atsispaudimų, „Sėsti ir siekti“, „Gandro“ pusiausvyros ir Harvardo ištvermės testai.
Rezultatai. Įvertinus fizinio aktyvumo lygio rezultatus ir rodiklių kaitą nenustatyta reikšmingų pokyčių (p > 0,05). Svorio pokytis buvo –0,92 ± 3,79 kg (p < 0,05), bet riebalinė masė padidėjo 2,71 ± 3,54 proc. (p < 0,05). Liemens apimtis sumažėjo, o klubų – padidėjo (p < 0,05). „Gandro“ pusiausvyros testo dešine koja rezultatas reikšmingai padidėjo 12,64 ± 16,66 sek. (p < 0,05), kairės – reikšmingai nepakito. Reikšmingų raumenų jėgos ir ištvermės pokyčių nenustatyta. „Sėstis ir siekti“ lankstumo testo rezultatas reikšmingai sumažėjo –4,15 ± 5,26 cm (p < 0,05). Harvardo testo fizinio pajėgumo rezultatai pagerėjo 4,68 ± 21,21 balais (p < 0,05).
Išvados. Kauno kolegijos Kineziterapijos studentų fizinio aktyvumo lygis, pusiausvyra stovint ant kairės kojos, raumenų jėga ir ištvermė studijų metu reikšmingai nepakito, bet sumažėjo svoris, liemens apimtis ir lankstumas, padidėjo riebalinė masė ir klubų apimtis, pagerėjo pusiausvyra ant dešinės kojos ir fizinis pajėgumas.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: kineziterapija; kūno kompozicija; pusiausvyra; raumenų jėga; studenta
Apatinių galūnių biomechanikos ir raumenų jėgos ryšys su nespecifiniu apatinės nugaros dalies skausmu
No full textBackground. The rising incidence of low back pain (LBP) poses a challenge in terms of pain-related healthcare costs and reduced work capacity. The main researched causes of LBP are such sociocultural and demographic aspects as sedentary work and age. Changes in body and step biomechanics have been found to be involved in the onset of LBP as well. However, analysis of lower limb biomechanics and muscle strength in relation to non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is insufficient, thus the present study aims to explore this topic from a biomechanical and muscle strength perspective.
Aim. To determine the relationships between lower limb biomechanics, gluteal and thigh muscle strength, and NSLBP.
Methods. The study involved 34 participants (19 men and 15 women) divided into two groups. The first group consisted of individuals who experienced NSLBP (n = 17), while the second group included those who reported only minimal discomfort or no pain at all (n = 17). Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale. The range of motion of the calf and thigh was measured with a goniometer, dynamic balance was evaluated using the Y Balance Test, lower limb biomechanics were assessed with a Step-Down Test, and the strength of the gluteal and thigh muscles was measured using the DIERS Myoline Professional system.
Results. NSLBP had no effect on thigh and calf range of motion or on dynamic balance results. Participants without NSLBP had significantly greater hip adductor strength compared to control group (p = 0.01). Calf flexor strength was significantly lower compared to extensor strength (p < 0.05), and hip abductor strength was significantly lower than adductor strength, regardless of NSLBP presence (p < 0.05).
Functional knee instability during the Drop Jump Test was observed in participants experiencing NSLBP (p < 0.01).
Conclusions. The subjects’ thigh and calf range of motion and dynamic balance indicators were independent of perceived NSLBP. However, functional instability of the knee joint was observed in individuals with NSLBP. The strength of the thigh adductor muscles was greater in those without back pain. The strength of the calf flexors and thigh abductors was lower than that of their antagonists, regardless of the presence of low back pain.
Keywords: low back pain; dynamic balance; functional knee joint stability; dynamometry Tyrimo pagrindimas. Apatinės nugaros dalies skausmo (ANDS) atvejų skaičius kasmet didėja. Daugiausia nagrinėjami sociokultūriniai ir demografniai skausmo atsiradimo veiksniai – sėdimas darbas ir amžius. Be to, nustatyta, jog dėlANDS gali pasikeisti kūno ir žingsnio biomechanika. Tačiau apatinių galūnių biomechanika ir raumenų jėga, susijusisu nespecifniu ANDS (NANDS), dar nepakankamai išsamiai ištirta, todėl šiuo tyrimu siekta nuodugniau išnagrinėtišią temą.Tikslas. Nustatyti sąsajas tarp apatinių galūnių biomechanikos, sėdmenų ir šlaunies raumenų jėgos ir NANDS.Metodai. Tyrime dalyvavo 34 tiriamieji, iš kurių 17 nurodė patiriantys NANDS ir 17 teigė jo nepatiriantys. Skausmointensyvumas vertintas pagal skaitmeninę vizualinę analoginę skalę (VAS), blauzdos ir šlaunies judesių amplitudėsvertintos pasitelkus goniometriją, dinaminė pusiausvyra – Y pusiausvyros testu, apatinių galūnių biomechanika – nu-šokimo nuo pakylos testu, sėdmenų ir šlaunies raumenų jėga – pasitelkus dinamometriją.Rezultatai. Tiriamųjų šlaunies ir blauzdos judesių amplitudės ir dinaminės pusiausvyros rezultatai nepriklausė nuotyrimo metu nustatyto NANDS. Asmenų, nejautusių NANDS, šlaunies pritraukiamųjų raumenų jėga buvo didesnė neiasmenų, kurie jautė NANDS (p = 0,01). Blauzdos lenkiamųjų raumenų jėga buvo mažesnė, palyginti su tiesiamųjųraumenų (p < 0,05), šlaunies atitraukiamųjų raumenų jėga taip pat buvo mažesnė, lyginant su pritraukiamųjų raumenų,ir nepriklausė nuo NANDS (p < 0,05). Kelio sąnario funkcinis nestabilumas nušokimo nuo pakylos testo metu pasireiškė asmenims, patiriantiems NANDS (p < 0,01).Išvados. Tiriamųjų šlaunies ir blauzdos judesių amplitudės bei dinaminės pusiausvyros rodikliai nepriklausė nuojuntamo NANDS. Kelio sąnario funkcinis nestabilumas pasireiškė asmenims, patyrusiems NANDS. Šlaunies pritraukiamųjų raumenų jėga buvo didesnė tiems asmenims, kurie nejautė skausmo. Blauzdos lenkiamųjų ir šlauniesatitraukiamųjų raumenų jėga buvo mažesnė nei jų antagonistų, nepriklausomai nuo skausmo jutimo apatinėje nugarosdalyje.Reikšminiai žodžiai: apatinės nugaros dalies skausmas; dinaminė pusiausvyra; funkcinis kelio sąnario stabilumas;dinamometrija