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Physical Education and Mental Health Promotion

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 12082

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Universidad de Almería, Calle Universidad de Almería, s/n, 04120 La Cañada, Almería, Spain
Interests: stigma; ICT; mental health; psychosis; physical activity; education

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Guest Editor
School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Interests: mental health; rehabilitation; severe mental disorders

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is important evidence about the benefits that physical activity can have on various mental disorders, such as in cases of depression, anxiety or stress. Perhaps less known are studies that also highlight the importance of physical activity in more severe disorders, such as schizophrenia, where not only can these people’s physical condition improve, but exercise also helps to reduce symptoms, such as negative symptoms in this disease.

However, despite this evidence, it is also true that people with mental health problems generally perform less physical activity than the general population. For this reason, it is important to analyze the barriers and facilitators of physical practice in that population, as well as evaluate how physical activity can be combined with improvement in other important personal and social areas, such as healthy eating habits, reduction of substance use, etc.

The mechanisms that influence the relationship between physical activity and mental health are not known in an exact way. It is also essential to analyze how physical activity can affect different characteristics of people with psychological problems that have to do, for example, with the improvement of variables such as self-esteem, quality of sleep or the reduction of stigma, very common in this population.

Finally, the practice of physical activity can lead in some cases to various problems, such as the incidence of mental disorders in elite athletes or addiction to exercise in some people.

In summary, this Special Issue aims to review all these aspects, highlighting the most innovative research related to barriers and possible facilitators of the practice of physical exercise; the combination of physical activity with other psychological, medical or social interventions in the field of mental health; the economic benefits in the sanitary cost that the promotion of the physical activity supposes; the possible explanatory mechanisms of these changes and the effective measures that can be implemented at the institutional level to favor the practice of physical activity in people with mental health problems or at risk of suffering it.

Likewise, the benefits that physical activity can provide in various mental disorders or people who may suffer from mental health problems (such as older people, people at risk of social exclusion, people with disabilities, etc.) will be detailed. All this is from a multidisciplinary perspective, covering the field of psychology, physiotherapy, physical activity and sports sciences, medicine, social work and in general the different disciplines involved in physical activity and mental health.

Prof. Adolfo J. Cangas
Dr. Roberto Zarate
Prof. Daniel Catalán
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • exercise
  • mental health
  • health promotion
  • lifestyle education
  • adapted physical activity
  • wellbeing
  • leisure
  • population health
  • quality of life

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1625 KiB  
Article
Moderating Effects of Physical Activity on the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health-Related Quality of Life
by Ingyu Moon and Junghee Han
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020668 - 7 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4184
Abstract
The effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and their associations with physical activities (PA) are well-documented. However, the specific effects of different types of ACEs (e.g., child abuse and household dysfunction) on HRQOL and the role of [...] Read more.
The effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and their associations with physical activities (PA) are well-documented. However, the specific effects of different types of ACEs (e.g., child abuse and household dysfunction) on HRQOL and the role of PA are inconclusive. The purpose of this study is to find the buffering role of PA as a moderator that may reduce the negative impact of ACEs in general and the specific effects of different types of ACEs on HRQOL, perceived physical health, and mental health over time. The 2019 Behavioral Risk Fact Surveillance System (BRFSS), a state-based surveillance system supported by the CDC in the U.S., was used for this study. A total of 127,370 respondents from 17 states were selected for this study. First, descriptive statistics were generated and correlation analyses were conducted to find the association among variables and examine the possible predictors of HRQOL. Moderation models were then tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). HRQOL in adults is negatively associated with ACEs, but is positively associated with PA. We found buffering effects of physical activity in the following relationships: (1) child abuse and HRQOL, (2) child abuse and perceived physical health, (3) ACEs and perceived mental health, (4) child abuse and perceived mental health, and (5) household dysfunction and perceived mental health. Our findings suggest that improvement of PA level is a significant predictor of improved HRQOL of adults with ACEs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education and Mental Health Promotion)
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27 pages, 8528 KiB  
Article
Winning Conditions for the Adoption and Maintenance of Long-Term Healthy Lifestyles According to Physical Activity Students
by Laurence Couture-Wilhelmy, Philippe Chaubet and Tegwen Gadais
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11057; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111057 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2423
Abstract
The literature has not yet well documented the relative elements of the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits (HLHs) over the long term. More especially, researchers are calling to complete the corpus with qualitative or mixed estimates that would allow them to better explain [...] Read more.
The literature has not yet well documented the relative elements of the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits (HLHs) over the long term. More especially, researchers are calling to complete the corpus with qualitative or mixed estimates that would allow them to better explain the conditions necessary for the adoption or maintenance of HLHs over the long term. The present study seeks to understand the winning conditions for the adoption and maintenance of HLHs. Semi-structured group interviews were conducted with three groups of university students (two in Bachelor’s degree in physical education (PE) and one in Master’s degree in physical activity science), all in favor with HLHs. The results identify some dominant winning conditions in the adoption and maintenance of HLHs, such as the role of the family environment, the role of diversity and choice in physical activities during youth, the physical and social environment, autonomy and also mental health, which is closely linked with physical health. Results were modelled in the form of an ideal pathway, which traces the impact of winning conditions from childhood to adulthood. The originality of this study stands out, among other things, because of its innovative methodology; therefore, this study opens the door to future qualitative research in the field. Investigating pathways, considering the different phases of development of children and adolescents to identify factors of change and maintenance of HLHs now seems to be an interesting and necessary avenue for research in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education and Mental Health Promotion)
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Review

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19 pages, 1980 KiB  
Review
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Relationship between Body Dissatisfaction and Morbid Exercise Behaviour
by Manuel Alcaraz-Ibáñez, Adrian Paterna, Álvaro Sicilia and Mark D. Griffiths
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020585 - 12 Jan 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4001
Abstract
Background: The present study aimed to quantify the relationship between body dissatisfaction and morbid exercise behaviour (MEB). Methods: The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SciELO, and Dissertations & Theses Global were searched from inception to September 2020. Pooled effect sizes corrected [...] Read more.
Background: The present study aimed to quantify the relationship between body dissatisfaction and morbid exercise behaviour (MEB). Methods: The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SciELO, and Dissertations & Theses Global were searched from inception to September 2020. Pooled effect sizes corrected for sampling errors (r+) were computed using a bare-bones meta-analysis. The robustness of the results was examined by influence analyses. The presence of moderators was examined by inspection of the variance in r+ attributable to sampling errors and 80% credibility intervals, followed by subgroup analysis and univariable/multivariable meta-regressions. Publication bias was examined by visual inspection of funnel plot symmetry, cumulative meta-analysis, and Egger’s test. Results: A total of 41 effect sizes from 33 studies (n = 8747) were retrieved. Results showed a significant and near to moderate effect size (r+ = 0.267, 95% CI = 0.226 to 0.307), and this did not differ by gender, BMI, age, percentage of Whites, study quality, or MEB measure. Conversely, effect sizes were found to be stronger in published and more recently conducted studies. Conclusion: The findings indicate that body dissatisfaction is one of the likely causes underlying MEB. This suggests the need for further longitudinal research aimed at confirming the potential causal nature of this relationship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Education and Mental Health Promotion)
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