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  • Exploring Lifestyle Habits, Physical Activity, Anxiety and Basic Psychological Needs in a Sample of Portuguese Adults during COVID-19
    Publication . Antunes, Raul; Frontini, R.; Amaro, Nuno; Salvador, Rogério Paulo; Matos, Rui; Morouço, Pedro; Rebelo-Gonçalves, Ricardo; Rebelo Gonçalves, Ricardo
    This cross-sectional study aimed to characterize the lifestyle habits, anxiety levels and basic psychological needs (BPN), in Portuguese adults during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including a comparison between genders and age groups. In total, 1404 adults (36.4 ± 11.7 years; 69.6% female) answered sociodemographic data and three instruments: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Basic Need General Satisfaction Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Males revealed higher values for the total energy expenditure (z = -2.26; p = 0.024; η 2 = 0.004) and for the level of satisfaction of competence (z = -2.62; p = 0.009; η 2 = 0.005). Females showed higher scores for the anxiety state (z = -7.87; p ≤ 0.001; η 2 = 0.044) and anxiety trait (z = -6.49; p ≤ 0.001; η 2 = 0.030). Regarding age, higher values for the anxiety trait (p ≤ 0.001; η H 2 = 0.030) were found in the 18-34 years-old group compared to all the other age groups, also presenting significantly higher values of total energy expenditure (χ² = 13.93; p = 0.008; η H 2 = 0.007) when compared to the 35-44 years-old group. Significant differences were observed between the 18-34 years-old group and the other age groups for the satisfaction of competence (χ² = 40.97; p ≤ 0.001; η H 2 = 0.026), except for the >65 years-old group. Strategies for promoting well-being during periods of social isolation should consider the role of psychological dimensions and lifestyle habits according to the gender or age group
  • The Relationship Between Anxiety Levels, Sleep, and Physical Activity During COVID-19 Lockdown: An Exploratory Study
    Publication . Frontini, R.; Rebelo-Goncalves, Ricardo; Amaro, Nuno; Salvador, Rogério Paulo; Matos, Rui; Morouço, Pedro; Antunes, Raul
    Nowadays and worldwide, the attention is focused on coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and its consequences on mental health are yet to be fully understood. It is important to capture differences in anxiety levels among populations, groups, and the gender-related variation. Therefore, the present study had two main purposes: (1) to characterize the levels of state anxiety and trait anxiety by examining gender-related, sleep-related, and physical activity-related variations in a nonrepresentative sample of the Portuguese population during the first weeks of lockdown; and (2) to explore the possible relationship between trait anxiety and state anxiety and the possible role of gender as a moderator. This cross-sectional study comprised 1,332 Portuguese adults (aged 18–55 years old) recruited online during COVID-19 outbreak measures. Participants answered to sociodemographic data and the Portuguese version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Gender differences were found in both state anxiety (p = < 0.001; d = 0.385) and trait anxiety (p = < 0.001; d = 0.467) with females presenting higher values. People reporting doing more physical activity than usual during COVID-19 lockdown presented lower levels of state anxiety (p = < 0.001; d = 0.200). People reporting more satisfaction with the quality of sleep presented lower levels of both state anxiety (p = < 0.001; d = 0.701) and trait anxiety (p = < 0.001; d = 0.899). Variation associated with the physical activity level (low, moderate, and high) was significantly different among groups in both state anxiety (p = < 0.001) and trait anxiety (p = < 0.001). When analyzing in more detail separating the levels of physical activity, participants performing moderate and high physical activity showed lower values of state and trait anxiety compared to participants with low physical activity. Participants performing high physical activity also showed lower values of state anxiety compared to participants performing moderate physical activity. Higher levels of trait anxiety were related to higher levels of state anxiety, but this association was not moderated by gender. Interventions aiming to support people psychologically during this outbreak should consider anxiety as well as gender and possible behavioral changes in sleep and physical activity, for example. Health professionals should not only consider the anxiety related to the situation we are living but also address trait anxiety to help overcome COVID-19 psychological consequences.
  • Effects of Exercise Programs on Anxiety in Individuals with Disabilities: A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis
    Publication . Jacinto, Miguel; Frontini, R.; Matos, Rui; Antunes, Raul
    Anxiety symptoms are increasingly prevalent in individuals and may affect their quality of life. Physical exercise (PE) has been shown to be an effective method for reducing anxiety symptoms in the general population. The present study aimed to identify if PE programs can be a good method to reduce anxiety symptoms in individuals with disabilities, through the methodology of a systematic review with a meta-analysis. The PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases were used, considering the period from 2001 to 2021. The descriptors used were: "cerebral palsy", "motor disability", "physical disability", "vision impairment", "visual impairment", "vision disability", "intellectual disability", "mental retardation", "intellectual disabilities", "hearing impairment", "hearing disability", "multiple disabilities", "physical activity", "exercise", "sport", "training", and "anxiety", with the Boolean operator "AND" or "OR". The systematic review with a meta-analysis was carried out in the period between May and June 2021. The Z values (Z-values) obtained to test the null hypothesis, according to which the difference between means is zero, demonstrated a Z = 2.957, and a corresponding p-value of 0.003. Thus, we can reject the null hypothesis, and affirm that PE promotes positive effects and can be a good method or methodology for the reduction of anxiety symptoms of individuals with disabilities.
  • Passion, grit, and mindset in undergraduate sport sciences students
    Publication . Frontini, R.; Sigmundsson, Hermundur; Antunes, Raul; Silva, Ana Filipa; Lima, Ricardo; Clemente, Filipe Manuel
    The aim of this study was two-fold: (i) to compare passion, grit and mindset between sexes; and (ii) to analyze the relationships between passion, grit and mindset. Fifty-eight men (age: 20.10 ± 2.70 years old) and forty-eight women (age: 19.27 ± 4.10 years old) sports sciences undergraduate students voluntarily participated in this study. A cross-sectional survey design was followed. The passion scale, grit scale and mindset scale were provided to participants. Comparisons in the passion, grit and mindset items revealed no significant differences between sexes (p > 0.05). Relationships between passion, grit and mindset were tested. Overall (both sexes considered), correlations presented small magnitudes in the pair's passion*grit (r = 0.28; 95%CI [-0.07; 0.31]; p = 0.004), passion*mindset (r = 0.203; 95%CI [0.01; 0.38]; p = 0.043) and grit*mindset (r = 0.06; 95%CI [-0.14; 0.25]; p = 0.574). As conclusions, the present study did not find significant differences in passion, grit and mindset between sexes in undergraduate sports sciences students. Additionally, it was verified that relationships between passion, grit and mindset are small in this population.
  • Higher Physical Activity Levels May Help Buffer the Negative Psychological Consequences of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
    Publication . Antunes, Raul; Rebelo Gonçalves, Ricardo; Amaro, Nuno; Salvador, Rogério Paulo; Matos, Rui; Morouço, Pedro; Frontini, R.
    This study explored the associations between physical activity (PA) anxiety levels, and the perception of satisfaction of basic psychological needs (BPN), during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Thus, 1,404 participants (977 women, 426 men, and one respondent preferred not to answer) ranging from 18 to 89 years old (36.4 ± 11.7 year-old) completed a questionnaire in the period between 1st and 15th April 2020. The survey included sociodemographic data and the following validated instruments: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Basic Need General Satisfaction Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to examine variation in anxiety levels and BPN satisfaction according to PA category (low, moderate, and high). Spearman’s Rho correlations coefficients were used to determine the association between anxiety levels and psychological needs. Individuals presenting a higher level of PA revealed lower levels of anxiety-state (H = 20.14; p < 0.01). Differences between elements from different levels of PA were found for the autonomy (H = 23.52; p < 0.001), competence (H = 18.89; p < 0.001), and relatedness (H = 24.42; p < 0.001) psychological needs, suggesting that those who feel their BPN as more satisfied have higher levels of PA. The study found statistically significant correlations between anxiety-state and the satisfaction of the needs for autonomy (p = 0.01; r = −0.46), competence (p = 0.01; r = −0.40), and relatedness (p = 0.01; r = −0.21). These findings support the importance that PA has in the anxiety levels during social isolation, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary teams in an individual-based approach.