Life Quality Research Centre

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Publications

Effects of Exercise Programs on Anxiety in Individuals with Disabilities: A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis

Publication . Jacinto, Miguel; Frontini, Roberta; 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.

2021-08Journal article

Open access

Teamwork: A Systematic Review of Implications From Psychosocial Constructs for Research and Practice in the Performance of Ultimate Frisbee Games

Publication . Amoroso, José Pedro; Rebelo-Goncalves, Ricardo; Antunes, Raul; Coakley, Jay; Teques, Pedro; Valente-dos-Santos, João; Furtado, Guilherme Eustáquio

Introduction: Ultimate Frisbee (UF) is a non-contact, challenging, and self-promoted team sport. Some factors such as the game environment and rules seem to influence athletes’ behavior. Goals: Provide a robust systematic review (SR) of the psychological domains associated with UF.

2021-08-27Journal article

Open access

Wall Drop Punt Kick & Catch: Contributions towards the creation of a new gross manipulative coordination test

Publication . Matos, Rui; Monteiro, Diogo; Rebelo-Goncalves, Ricardo; Coelho, Luís; Salvador, Rogério; Antunes, Raul; Mendes, Diogo; Amaro, Nuno

This study aimed to search for age and sex differences on a manipulative eye-segmental (hand and foot) coordination task. It represents the first step towards a possible creation of a manipulative eye-hand and eye-foot coordination test that may be used in motor competence test batteries. One hundred and sixty-eight children (85 boys and 83 girls), with a mean age of 12.79 years old (+-1.56) were assessed. Subjects had 30 seconds to achieve as many ball impacts as possible on a front wall (two meters apart), following a drop punt kick, rebound on the wall and catch sequence. Compared to girls’, boys’ performance was significantly better (p <.001) on each studied age (10, 11, 13 and 14), with large effect sizes (all four Cohen’s d values over 1.30). Besides, 10 and 11 years-old subjects’ performance, both in boys and in girls, was significantly lower than their 13 and 14 years-old subjects’ counterparts (p <.001, except for the comparison between 13 and 14 years-old subjects, on girls, where p <.01). All related effect sizes were large (all Cohen’s d values over 1.03). Results confirm literature, as boys’ performance on this manipulative task was significantly better than girls’ one. The results seem to be promising about the possible use of the task in question as an eye-hand and eye-foot coordination test in future. Further research needs to be performed, namely aiming its validation (testing its reliability and concurrent validity).

2021-08-14Journal article

Restricted access

Testing the Associations between Coping, Mental Health, and Satisfaction with Life in Portuguese Workers

Publication . Rodrigues, Filipe; Morouço, Pedro; Santos, Tiago

The present study aimed to explore the relationships between coping strategies, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, and satisfaction with life among Portuguese workers. A sample of 402 participants (207 male, 195 female), ranging in age from 18 to 70 years (M = 32.90, SD = 11.75), was included in the study. Participants reported varying levels of work experience, ranging from 1 to 45 years (M = 10.62, SD = 4.07). The sample encompassed diverse occupations, including arts and design (n = 28), engineering (n = 23), marketing (n = 27), administration (n = 50), transportation and logistics (n = 57), clerks (n = 63), lawyers (n = 21), factory workers (n = 20), accountant and finance (n = 41), journalism (n = 27), health care (n = 29), and others (n = 16). To examine the associations between each determinant and satisfaction with life, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. Two models were tested, with predictors entered in blocks based on theoretical and empirical considerations. The second model accounted for 52.4% of the variance in satisfaction with life (F (14, 384) = 3.884, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.27, adjusted R2 = 0.24). Depressive symptoms and stress consistently exhibited a significant association (p < 0.05) with satisfaction with life across all tested models. In terms of coping mechanisms, instrumental support reinterpretation, disengagement, and humor demonstrated a significant association with satisfaction with life (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that employing adaptive coping strategies may help mitigate symptoms of mental distress and enhance satisfaction with life. By understanding the relationships between coping strategies, mental health symptoms, and satisfaction with life, interventions can be developed to promote well-being and improve overall quality of life among Portuguese workers.

2023-07-11Journal article

Open access

Higher physical activity levels may help buffer the negative psychological consequences of Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic.