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There is a growing need to understand the association and interaction of psychological factors with an athlete’s competitive standard and mental well-being. John Henryism is defined as a coping mechanism that involves the expenditure of extreme efforts in response to prolonged exposure to psychosocial and environmental stressors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether John Henryism, fear of failure and the John Henryism × fear of failure interaction (JH×FF) could predict an athlete’s competitive standard, as well as mental well-being. A cross-sectional design was employed; 250 athletes (52% male, 48% female, Mage= 29.36 years) completed an online questionnaire. Hypotheses were partly supported. Results revealed that John Henryism predicted an athlete’s competitive standard, with individuals reporting high John Henryism more likely to compete at an international level than a regional, third tier or national level. Fear of failure was only significant in distinguishing national and international level athletes, with those reporting high fear of failure more likely to compete at a national level. JH×FF did not predict an athlete’s competitive standard. Further, John Henryism and fear of failure predicted mental well-being, but JH×FF did not. Specifically, while fear of failure negatively predicted mental well-being, as expected, John Henryism positively predicted mental well-being, contradicting expectations that factors aiding competitive standard are likely to deter mental well-being. Given these findings, future research should evaluate if interventions aimed at easing fear of failure or encouraging more active coping (i.e., John Henryism) benefit the well-being of athletes competing nationally or internationally. © 2022 International Society of Sport Psychology.

© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.Narrative reviews indicate psychological and social benefits of sport participation for the ageing population. However, no quantitative synthesis of quantitative studies on this topic has been conducted yet. We evaluated the magnitude and heterogeneity of the effects of sport participation on psychosocial outcomes for middle-aged and older adults (>35 years). Ten databases were searched in July 2020. Quantitative studies (k = 25) of middle-aged and older adults, measuring at least one psychosocial outcome of sport participation were included. Multilevel meta-analysis showed that the association between sport participation and psychosocial outcomes was small, yet significant. Moderation analyses revealed that the pooled effect differed according to outcome type; small to moderate associations were observed for social, positive psychological, perceived physical, and cognitive outcomes, but not for negative psychological outcomes. Risk of bias, assessed using the QualSyst tool, indicated low quality of evidence. Our findings suggest that sport participation is associated with multiple psychosocial benefits for middle-aged and older adults that appear invariant across participant-related and sport-related characteristics. We found no evidence of publication bias, but studies were underpowered and rated as low quality. Our review provides quantitative evidence for the psychosocial benefits of sport participation for adults, complementing existing qualitative research on this topic.

There is a growing need to identify acceptable and feasible opportunities to engage adults over 35 years in physical activity. Walking sports may be a potential means to engage adults in sport; however, there is limited evidence regarding appeal and feasibility to support its implementation and delivery. Using a two-step mixed-methods approach, we aimed (1) to quantitively identify significant predictors of intentions of adults over 35 years to participate in walking sports and (2) to understand why and how these identified predictors may be contextually relevant to the target group. In phase one, 282 adults over 35 years (Mage = 46.08, SD = 9.75) without prior experience of walking sports completed an online questionnaire assessing personal, psychosocial, program-related, and environmental predictors, and intentions to participate in walking sports. Hierarchical multiple linear regressions showed that perceived health status, attitudes, subjective norms, and distance of venue were significant predictors of intentions. In phase two, interviews with a subset of 17 participants indicated that, when implementing walking sport programs, program labeling, fear of the unknown, and individual differences in the appeal of walking sport warrant consideration. Together, these findings offer insight into the complex interplay of personal, psychosocial, program-related, and environmental predictors of adults' intentions to participate in walking sports. Addressing these elements of a walking sport program would make such programs more appealing to potential participants, and ultimately, more feasible and sustainable to conduct in the long run. © 2023 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In spite of the large-scale growth of walking sport (WS) programmes globally, limited research has explored the experiences of the key stakeholders involved in such programmes (i.e. decision-makers, facilitators, and players). We aimed to explore stakeholder experiences of community-based WS programmes to better understand the appeal of such sport options for middle-aged and older adults, and propose tentative recommendations for the feasibility and sustainability of these types of programmes. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 stakeholders who were involved with WS programmes in Australia as decision-makers, facilitators, and/or players. Data were analysed with reflexive thematic analysis. Four key themes pertaining to the WS experience were identified–‘a renewed lease of life’, ‘navigating ageing stereotypes’, ‘tension between organisational demands and players’ needs’, and ‘WS facilitators as catalysts of success’. Specifically, we found that WS participation enabled a positive ageing discourse for middle-aged and older adults. WS players had to negotiate stereotypes that, at times, were perceived as participation barriers. We also noted some tensions between the demands of sport organisations and the needs of middle-aged and older adults regarding sport participation. Finally, we also noted the importance of the facilitators’ role in increasing accessibility of, and long-term participation in, such programmes. We suggest that to offer feasible and sustainable community-based WS programmes across Australia, incompatibilities across various stakeholders’ perspectives need to be addressed. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Insufficient physical activity is considered a global public health challenge. This thesis highlights that, for middle-aged and older adults, sport participation is associated with a wide range of psychosocial benefits. Then, the thesis offers insight into the potential of walking sport programmes to promote health-enhancing physical activity in middle-aged and older adults. Recommendations are provided to promote the appeal, feasibility, and sustainability of walking sport programmes in community-based settings.

Weight management interventions designed specifically for men have become more common, but the extent to which socioeconomic factors are considered in trials of these interventions is unclear. We synthesized study characteristics, methods, and reporting of interventions with a behavioral component for men that report weight as an outcome, to establish the extent to which socioeconomic factors are considered during intervention design, conduct, and reporting. A comprehensive search was conducted on Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL for studies published from January 2000 to July 2021. Thirty-six trials were included. Educational attainment (n = 24) was the most frequently reported socioeconomic characteristic, followed by working status (n = 14) and area level deprivation (n = 12). Seven studies did not report any socioeconomic characteristics. Most studies (n = 20) did not mention the socioeconomic profile of their samples in relation to study strengths or limitations. Few (n = 4) consulted with men from lower socioeconomic groups during intervention design. One study examined potential differential intervention effects across socioeconomic groups, with most not powered to do so. Recent feasibility trials (n = 3) targeting specific socioeconomic groups suggest a potential nascent towards a greater consideration of factors related to equity. To best inform public health policy related to health inequalities, greater consideration of socioeconomic factors is required in trials of men's weight management interventions. © 2022 The Authors. Obesity Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of World Obesity Federation., Funding: Matthew D McDonald is doing a PhD at Curtin University supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Alison Avenell is employed at the Health Services Research Unit, which is funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. Jack M Birch is supported by the Medical Research Council (MRC) (Grant MC_UU_00006/6).