Search

Explosive strength is fundamental in the performance of athletes. The objective is to identify the criteria used for the prescription of Explosive Strength Training (EST) and to verify the changes it produces in futsal players. A systematic review of studies analyzing the criteria used for the prescription of explosive strength training was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE and Scielo, considering the period between 2017 and 2023. The search strategy used the terms: players, Futsal, Futsal training, strength, physical exercise, explosive strength, intervention, experimental study. Data extraction included: year of publication, country, sample, protocol performed (content and activity developed, duration, intensity, frequency, total weeks). A total of six studies were identified. Fifty percent of the studies were developed in Brazil, the others in Italy, Spain and Portugal. Five studies applied a training of 2 sessions per week and one indicated 2-3 sessions. Three studies describe the training sessions (study 1: 15-30 minutes, study 2: 20-25 minutes, study 3: 1 hour). Five studies used 1RM and one study used subjective perception of exertion (PSE). The contents of the interventions were varied, from squats with weights, accelerations and decelerations, leg press, leg extension, plyometrics. The training criteria for explosive strength were: intensity controlled by a 1RM, frequency of 2 to 3 sessions per week, duration of 15 to 30 minutes per session and the training contents were varied. These results suggest positive changes in CMJ, increasing explosive strength from ∼2.0 to 4.6 cm (5.8 to 13.7%). These findings highlight the need to develop a more standardized protocol to optimize the benefits of explosive strength training in this athletic population.

Objectives: The aim was to estimate the pubertal growth height of children and adolescents living in a high-altitude region of Peru using the Preece-Baines model 1 (1 PB). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in schoolchildren from the department of Puno (Peru) between 3841 and 3874 masl. The age range was between 4 and 17 years. Standing height was evaluated. 1 PB was used to infer the mathematical and biological parameters of stature. Results: Mathematical parameters estimated by the 1 PB model reflected small residual standard error (RSE) values in both sexes (0.25 in boys and 0.27 in girls). In boys, the age at which peak velocity was reached (APHV) was estimated at 13.21 ± 0.33years. While in girls it was 9.96 ± 0.26years (p < 0.05). In general, girls reached APHV (y) 3.25 years earlier than boys. On the other hand, the growth velocity of maximum height [APHV (cm/y)] of boys was higher (6.33 ± 6.06 cm/y) relative to girls (6.06 ± 0.32 cm/y). Estimated final adult height (EFAH) in boys was reached at 166.020 ± 0.99 cm and height at maximum growth velocity (HPHV) was 153.07 ± 0.67 cm, while in girls they were significantly lower (EFAH; 153.74 ± 0.44 cm and HPHV: 139.73 ± 0.84 cm). Conclusions: This study showed that girls living in Puno at a high altitude in Peru reached APHV 3 years earlier than boys and at the same time reflected slower PHV. These results suggest that pubertal growth at high altitudes is slower in both sexes and especially in girls. Thus, modeling physical growth may be an important step in understanding the onset of puberty at different latitudes.

COVID-19 has caused a wide range of psychological problems, such as panic disorders, anxiety, and depression. Knowing what others have researched on, what constructs they have focused on, will (a) summarize published information, (b) help identify research gaps, and (c) encourage future research that addresses these gaps. The aim of the study was to analyze the bibliometric indicators of scientific productivity of the impact of COVID-19 on constructs affecting undergraduate happiness. A bibliometric study was conducted. The PubMed database was used. Data summarized were: authors, year of publication, journal name, country, language of publication, and subtopic addressed. A total of 16 English-language studies were identified between April 2022 and December 2022. There were 12 countries that have published on the impact of COVID-19 on constructs affecting college students’ happiness. Most of the studies were developed in the United States (n = 4, 25%) and China (n = 2, 12.5%). Thirteen journals publishing these topics were detected. The subtopics considered were organized into nine categories (e.g., a: Psychological impact, b: Adverse childhood experiences, c: Stress, d: Personality traits, e: Perception of the educational environment, f: Spiritual health, g: Distress, h: Uncertainty and socioemotional learning, i: Satisfaction with life). This study suggests that the number of countries and scientific journals that have published on the impact of COVID-19 on constructs affecting college students’ happiness is small. In addition, the most discussed subtopics during the pandemic were related to constructs such as psychological impact and stress affecting college students’ happiness.

BACKGROUND: Happiness is a positive component of mental well-being. In young university students, it is linked to ideals in many areas, such as physical health, mental health, harmonious inter-personal relationships, academic performance, and professional success. The aim of the study was to compare the happiness of university students from a state and private university according to professional areas and age range. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study with selected 312 university students was conducted. The age range was from 17 to 32 years. The two professional areas surveyed were health sciences and engineering. Happiness was measured using a scale with 11 questions and four dimensions [1: Positive sense of life (three questions), 2: Satisfaction with life (three questions), 3: Personal fulfilment (two questions), and 4: Joy of living (three questions)]. The normality of the data was verified. Differences between sexes, areas, universities and ages were verified by t-test for independent samples. Differences between age ranges were verified by Anova. RESULTS: This study showed that there were no differences in happiness between EU and UP students when compared by gender, professional area, and age ranges. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that during the period of university studies, happiness values remain stable in both types of universities.

Background and Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MS) has many risk factors that are important to investigate in populations living at sea level and in high-altitude geographic regions. The aim was to identify the components of MS that cross-sectional studies use to assess in adult populations residing in high-altitude regions. Materials and Methods: A systematic review study was conducted. The Pubmed database was used. The search for original articles (cross-sectional) was performed from January 2013 to December 2020. The procedure was carried out by two researchers. The keywords used were metabolic syndrome, adults, and altitude regions. The search strategy considered the components of the PICOS tool. Results: Ten cross-sectional studies were identified in the Pubmed database from 2014 to 2020. Altitude levels varied between countries and regions, from 2060 to 4900 m above sea level. Three studies were conducted in both China and Peru, two studies in Ecuador, and one in Bolivia and India. The age ranges studied were from 18 to ~80 years of age, approximately. The components used to assess MS in most studies (between 9 to 10 studies) were body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and serum glucose (SG). Conclusions: This systematic review verified that the most commonly used domains in adult populations in various moderate- and high-altitude regions of the world are BMI, WC, BP, TG, HDL, and SG. These results suggest that in order to evaluate and/or investigate MS in subjects residing in high-altitude populations, at least four diagnostic domains should be considered in their protocols.

Background and Objectives: The presence of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus is causing enormous threats to people’s health and lives, so quantifying the scientific productivity on mental health in times of pandemic is an urgent need, especially to expand the degree of knowledge on mental health problems in regions of low scientific productivity. The aim was to characterize the bibliometric indicators of scientific productivity on mental health during the pandemic in the PubMed Identifier database of the National Library of Medicine in the United States. Materials and Methods: A documentary study (bibliometric) of the scientific productivity on mental health in times of pandemic from January 2020 to June 2021 was carried out. The PubMed database was used to abstract the information from the original scientific articles. The data abstracted were: authors, year of publication, journal name, country, and language of publication. Results: We identified 47 original articles worldwide, which were published in 29 journals and in three languages (English, Spanish, and German). We observed three groups of countries that published on mental health topics. The first group comprised the largest number of publications, which were multicenter studies (six studies), followed by India (five studies), and Italy (four studies). A second group comprised Bangladesh, China, USA, and Spain, with 3 studies each; and a third group comprised 13 countries (Albania, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, and New Zealand) with one study each. Conclusions: Bibliometric indicators of scientific productivity on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic have ostensibly increased. We verified 47 studies in PubMed, which could serve to improve the understanding and management of COVID-19, as well as serve as a thought-provoking means for other countries and researchers to publish on the state of mental health during and post pandemic.

Abstract Background The relationship between the Body Mass Index (BMI) with physical fitness in children and adolescent populations from diverse regions are consistent. However, the relationship between the Ponderal Index (PI) with physical fitness, based on what is known to date, has not been examined in depth. The objective was to evaluate the relationships between BMI and PI with three physical fitness tests of students living at moderate altitudes in Peru. Methods A descriptive correlational study was carried out with 385 adolescents, between the ages of 10.0 to 15.9 years old, from the province of Arequipa, Peru. Weight, height, and three physical fitness tests (horizontal jump, agility, and abdominal muscle resistance) were evaluated. BMI and PI were calculated, and they were, then, categorized into three strata (low, normal, and excessive weight). Specific regressions were calculated for sex, using a non-lineal quadratic model for each item adjusted for BMI and PI. Results The relationship between BMI and PI with the physical tests reflected parabolic curves that varied in both sexes. The regression values for BMI in males oscillated between R2 = 0.029 and 0.073 and for females between R2 = 0.008 and 0.091. For PI, for males, it varied from R2 = 0.044 to 0.82 and for females, from R2 = 0.011 to 0.103. No differences occurred between the three nutritional categories for BMI as well as for PI for both sexes (p range between 0.18 to 0.38), as well as for low weight (BMI vs PI), normal weight (BMI vs PI), and excessive weight (BMI vs PI) (p range between 0.35 to 0.64). Conclusions BMI showed inferior quadratic regressions with respect to the PI. In addition, physical performance was slightly unfavorable when it was analyzed by BMI. PI could be a useful tool for analyzing and predicting physical fitness for adolescents living at a moderate altitude since it corrects for the notable differences for weight between adolescents.

IntroductionThe period of adolescence is characterized by marked changes relevant to adult life. The goals of this study were (a) to analyze the psychometric properties of the physical self-concept questionnaire (PSC) in adolescents and (b) to develop percentiles for evaluation by age and sex.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in adolescents aged 11 to 17 years from an altitude region of Peru (3,812 m above sea level). The sample size was 1,263 schoolchildren (609 males and 654 females). The PSC was measured through the survey technique. The questionnaire proposed by Fox and Corbin (1989), composed of five dimensions (totaling 30 questions), was applied. Validity was assessed by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and reliability by means of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha). Percentiles were calculated using the LMS method (lambda: skewness, median; M and S: coefficient of variation).Results and DiscussionIn the CFA, factor loadings (communalities) were satisfactory for the model. Values ranged from (0.30 to 0.60), in addition, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin sample adequacy test was 0.89, X2 = 3401.086 (gl: 395, p

La prueba Körperkoordinationstest für kinder (KTK) es de gran utilidad en el ámbito de la educación física, rehabilitación y en ciencias del deporte. Su aplicación implica el control riguroso en términos de confiabilidad. Esta revisión verifica los tipos de confiabilidad utilizados. Se utilizó la base de datos Pubmed, incluyendo estudios del periodo 2016 hasta 2020. Se utilizó las palabras clave: coordinación motora, competencia motora, KTK, niños, confiabilidad. Se seleccionó 10 estudios transversales. Los rangos de edad y el tamaño de la muestra oscilaron entre 4 hasta los 14 años e incluye un tamaño de muestra desde 64 hasta 3738. De los 10 estudios, 2 han utilizado tres criterios de confiabilidad (estabilidad, equivalencia y consistencia interna), 3 utilizaron medidas de estabilidad, y 4 de equivalencia. Las medidas de estabilidad reportadas varían de 0,60 a 0,99, las medidas de equivalencia desde 0,75 a 0,99 y por medio de consistencia interna 0,95. En conclusión, se verificó que los estudios trasversales que evalúan las pruebas de KTK fueron realizadas por lo general en niños de ambos géneros y aplicados en rangos de edad desde los 4 hasta los 14 años como lo sugiere la propuesta original y los tipos de confiabilidad utilizados variaron entre los estudios desde moderado hasta excelente.

Background The assessment of bone health throughout the life cycle is essential to determine fracture risk. The objectives of the work were (a) compare bone mineral density and content with international references from the United States, (b) determine maximum bone mass, (c) propose references for bone health measurements from ages 5 to 80 years old. Methods Research was carried out on 5,416 subjects. Weight and height were measured. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. The total body was scanned using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Information was extracted from the bone health measures (bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC)) for both sexes, according to pediatric and adult software. Results and Discussion Differences were identified between the mean values of Chilean and American men for BMD (~0.03 to 0.11 g/cm2) and BMC (~0.15 to 0.46 g). Chilean females showed average values for BMD similar to the US references (~−0.01 to 0.02 g/cm2). At the same time, they were relatively higher for BMC (~0.07 to 0.33 g). The cubic polynomial regression model reflected a relationship between BMD and BMC with chronological age in both sexes. For males, R2 was higher (R2 = 0.72 and 0.75) than for females (R2 = 0.59 and 0.66). The estimate of maximum bone mass (MBM) for males emerged at 30 years old (1.45 ± 0.18 g/cm2 of BMD and 3.57 ± 0.60 g of BMC) and for females at age 28 (1.22 ± 0.13 g/cm2 of BMD and 2.57 ± 0.44 g of BMC). The LMS technique was used to generate smoothed percentiles for BMD and BMC by age and sex. Results showed that maximum bone mass occurred in females at age 28 and in males at 30. Reference values obtained from this research may be used to evaluate bone health, diagnose bone fragility and osteoporosis in individuals and regional population groups.

The practice of physical exercise is recommended in the prevention of the deterioration of neuromuscular functions in aging. The objectives of this systematic review were to describe the protocols used and the functional fitness indicators evaluated in aquatic exercise programs in adults aged 50 to 80 years. The Pubmed database was used. The keywords were: 1) Physical exercise program or protocols or duration or type of exercise or aquatic exercise, frequency or intensity or indicators; 2) Adults or older adults; 3) Training or indicators, functional fitness, physical fitness. The search strategy considered the components of the Population, Interventions, Comparators, Outcomes, and Study design (PICOS) tool. Nine experimental studies were identified. These studies developed protocols to improve functional fitness in adults aged 50 to 80 years. They were based on sessions of 2 to 5 per week, the work time per session was 30 to 60min, intensities varied between 50 to 95% and totaled between 4 to 24 weeks of intervention. The activities were based on aquatic gymnastic exercises aimed at muscular strengthening of the upper and lower extremities, as well as coordination, balance, agility, cycling and walking exercises submerged in water. The protocols developed to improve functional fitness in adults aged 50 to 80 years were based on general physical exercise prescription guidelines (frequency, duration, intensity and type of activity). The application of aquatic exercises based on gymnastic exercises can provoke positive responses on functional fitness if worked at least 2 to 5 times per week, 30 to 60min/day and at intensities of 50 to 95%. These systematized indicators can be used by professionals working with adults to create and promote aquatic programs to improve functional fitness.

ObjectiveKnowledge of the biological parameters of pubertal growth spurt allows verification of secular changes and exploration of the timing of puberty. The aim of the study was to estimate final height, age at peak height velocity (APHV), and peak height velocity PHV (cm/y) in children and adolescents living at moderate altitude in Colombia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was designed in 2.295 schoolchildren from Bogotá (Colombia) with an age range from 5.0 to 18.9 years. Height (cm) was assessed. Preece–Baines model 1 (1PB) was used to make inferences about mathematical and biological parameters.ResultsThe five mathematical parameters estimated in general have reflected quality in the fit to the model, reflecting a small residual error. Final height was reached in boys at 170.8 ± 0.4 cm and in girls at 157.9 ± 0.2 cm. APHV was estimated at 12.71 ± 0.1 years in boys and 10.4 ± 0.2 years in girls. Girls reached APHV 2.2 years earlier than boys. In relation to PHV (cm/y), boys reached higher growth speed in height (7.4 ± 0.4 cm/y), and in girls it was (7.0 ± 0.2 cm/y).ConclusionIt was determined that final height was reached at 170.8 ± 0.4 cm in boys and 157.9 ± 0.2 cm in girls, and APHV (years) and PHV (cm/ye) were reached relatively early and with average peak velocity similar to Asian and Western populations. A large-scale longitudinal study is needed to confirm these findings.

Introducción: El objetivo del presente trabajo fue: a) validar el cuestionario que mide actividad física mediante análisis confirmatorio; b) analizar la fiabilidad por medio de medidas de estabilidad; y c) desarrollar percentiles por rango de edad y sexo. Material y métodos: Se efectuó un estudio de tipo descriptivo de corte transversal en 1.937 jóvenes universitarios (1.064 hombres y 873 mujeres) de la ciudad de Puno, Perú. Se midió el peso y estatura y se calculó el índice de Masa Corporal (IMC) por sexo. Se aplicó un cuestionario de 11 preguntas que mide actividad física. Se validó por Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC) y se verificó la confiabilidad por test re-test. Se generó percentiles por rango de edad y sexo para los patrones de actividad física por el método LMS. Resultados: Para el AFC se observó saturaciones entre 0,41 a 0,96, valores propios superiores a 1,0, el porcentaje de explicación de la varianza fue de 63,9% (Varimax y Kaiser-Meier-Olkin, KMO= 0,872. Esfericidad de X2= 4999,5, p