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Youth
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Youth Physical Activity and Well-Being
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Youth Physical Activity and Well-Being

A special issue of Youth (ISSN 2673-995X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 7839

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Efstathios Christodoulides

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Guest Editor
Sports and Exercise Science, School of Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus, Larnaca, Cyprus
Interests: physical literacy; physical activity; physical education; sports and digital technologies
Dr. Olia Tsivitanidou

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Guest Editor
Department of Education, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
Interests: education; science education; educational technologies; assessment in education
Prof. Dr. Wouter Cools

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Guest Editor
Department of Teacher Education, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Interests: physical education; motor competence; physical activity; fitness and health; inclusion; physically active learning; activity-based learning; teaching without stereotyping and the use of technology in educational settings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is widely acknowledged that physical activity (PA) leads to multiple benefits on different levels for the public as a whole, but especially for youth, with improvements in physical status, cognition, emotional and mental levels, and health. Physical activity and well-being are intrinsically linked and associated with the notion of physical literacy, which has received increased attention in recent years. The need to promote PA and to explore factors that can contribute to increased levels of PA is imperative, especially for youth. Factors affecting PA participation include, among others: gender, socioeconomic factors, the current subjective health status of a person and personal daily habits, psychological factors, opportunities provided through formal and non-formal education settings, but also opportunities provided through the meaningful exploitation of emerging technologies. The sociological practice of nurturing youth to participate in physical activity is another important element to consider. This Special Issue of the journal Youth, “Youth Physical Activity and Well-being”, offers an opportunity to publish high-quality, multi-disciplinary empirical research relating to physical activity and well-being for individuals aged 15–29 years old from different perspectives. Submissions related to pedagogy (e.g., learning, knowledge, development), psychology (e.g., motivation, interest, change/acculturation), sociology (e.g., society, cultures), and technology (e.g., VR, AR, GPS, interactive video games) are welcome. Inter- and multi-disciplinary submissions are also encouraged, along with theoretical and practice contributions. Manuscripts utilizing any method are welcome (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches). This Special Issue will highlight recent multi-disciplinary research work conducted on this topic, contributing to current and future trends. All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed by experts in the field and should be submitted by 31 March 2023.

Dr. Efstathios Christodoulides
Dr. Olia Tsivitanidou
Prof. Dr. Wouter Cools
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Youth is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical activity
  • well-being
  • youth
  • pedagogy
  • psychology
  • sociology
  • technology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

33 pages, 473 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Different Levels of Typical School Provision of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sports on Adolescent Physical Activity Behaviors, Health and Wellbeing
by Padraic Rocliffe, Brendan T. O’ Keeffe, Ian Sherwin, Patricia Mannix-McNamara and Ciaran MacDonncha
Youth 2023, 3(4), 1330-1362; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3040084 - 29 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1073
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different levels of typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports on the physical activity behaviors, health and wellbeing of Irish adolescents (13–14 years). Methods: A cross-sectional sample (n [...] Read more.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different levels of typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports on the physical activity behaviors, health and wellbeing of Irish adolescents (13–14 years). Methods: A cross-sectional sample (n = 795) of adolescents (age: 14.28 ± 0.45), enrolled at schools that are representative of higher (n = 7), moderate (n = 6) and lower (n = 7) levels of a typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports was included. A physical activity behaviors, health and wellbeing questionnaire with established test–retest reliability was utilized to measure the variation in physical activity behaviors, health and wellbeing. Results: Data analysis indicated a significant variation in the levels of physical activity behaviors and health across different levels of typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports. The evidence was reported both as unadjusted group level analysis and adjusted covariate analysis. Favorable outcomes for higher levels of typical school provision were found for physical activity participation, body mass index, social support from peers to participate in physical activity and enjoyment of physical education for girls and somatic health complaints and enjoyment of physical education for boys. Conclusions: The findings stemming from this inquiry enable schools to optimize their environments for health promotion and, thus, further enhance their contribution to public health policy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Physical Activity and Well-Being)
27 pages, 1296 KiB  
Article
High-School Athletes’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions on Doping: The Cyprus Sport-School Study
by Olia Tsivitanidou, Efstathios Christodoulides and Michael Petrou
Youth 2023, 3(2), 596-622; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3020040 - 11 May 2023
Viewed by 3384
Abstract
Doping constitutes one of the main problems in sports. The importance of sociological research on doping is widely accepted. However, such studies in Cyprus are scarce. The purpose of this study was twofold; first, it aimed to examine the knowledge about doping and [...] Read more.
Doping constitutes one of the main problems in sports. The importance of sociological research on doping is widely accepted. However, such studies in Cyprus are scarce. The purpose of this study was twofold; first, it aimed to examine the knowledge about doping and the attitudes and perceptions towards sports and doping of high-school student athletes in Cyprus; and second, it aimed to explore whether the knowledge about doping and attitudes and perceptions towards sports and doping vary among student athletes with different characteristics (gender, nationality, engagement with team vs. individual sport, and grade level). The participants of this study were 164 high-school student athletes (16.6 ± 0.9 years old) who study in sports high schools in Cyprus, out of whom 106 were males (65.6%) and 57 (34.8%) females. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire that was anonymously completed by the participants. A quantitative approach was used for analyzing the data. Descriptive statistics were calculated (i.e., mean, SD, and total scores for knowledge), and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney, Kruskal–Wallis) were employed, for comparing responses among different athlete groups on their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of doping. The findings reveal that most of the participants lack basic knowledge on doping issues. In terms of their attitudes and perceptions, most of the participants considered doping a serious problem in sports while demonstrating mostly negative attitudes towards doping. Statistically significant differences were found to exist in terms of knowledge among students of different nationalities and high-school grade levels. Also, statistically significant differences were found to exist in terms of attitudes and perceptions towards sports and doping among students of different genders and sport categories (individual vs. team), while differences were also found to exist among students of different nationalities in relation to their attitudes towards sports. The findings have implications for policymaking and educational practices, with the most prevalent need being to design and implement training programs to raise awareness among young athletes about critical features of doping and sports. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Physical Activity and Well-Being)
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24 pages, 4211 KiB  
Article
Classroom Psychomotor Education Programme to Enhance Executive Functions: A Cluster Randomised Feasibility Trial
by Vassiliki Riga and Aimilia Rouvali
Youth 2023, 3(2), 502-525; https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3020035 - 11 Apr 2023
Viewed by 2337
Abstract
An increase in children exhibiting attention difficulties has created the need for more classroom-based intervention programmes. A promising link between physical education and improvement in executive functioning has been at the centre of attention. POTENTIAL constitutes a novel classroom-based psychomotor education programme to [...] Read more.
An increase in children exhibiting attention difficulties has created the need for more classroom-based intervention programmes. A promising link between physical education and improvement in executive functioning has been at the centre of attention. POTENTIAL constitutes a novel classroom-based psychomotor education programme to enhance students’ attention and listening skills by improving executive functions. A cluster randomised feasibility study was conducted to explore the feasibility of a definitive trial to assess POTENTIAL’s effectiveness regarding (i) recruitment and sampling procedures; (ii) compliance and fidelity; (iii) the acceptability of POTENTIAL by teachers and children; and (iv) the appropriateness of the outcome measures. Four early years classes with an inclusion unit participated: two implemented POTENTIAL and two received no intervention. Eight children in each class (n = 32) were sampled to investigate the appropriateness of the outcome measures. Teachers’ diaries were utilised to explore the acceptability of the activities and the fidelity and compliance to the implementation. The findings regarding POTENTIAL’s acceptability were positive. The recruitment targets were met, and compliance and fidelity were good. Mixed results were produced about the appropriateness of the outcome measures. Thus, the trial protocol could be scaled up in a definitive trial. This study highlights the need for more physical education programmes to support children’s executive functioning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Physical Activity and Well-Being)
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