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Promoting athlete wellbeing has become a priority in elite sport, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the need for a comprehensive understanding of risk and protective factors. Existing sport research has not yet considered whether specific cognitive factors such as dispositional mindfulness and executive function may protect athletes against psychological distress. In a sample of high-performance Australian football athletes (n = 27), we administered measures of dispositional mindfulness (MAAS), executive function (AOSPAN; eStroop), and psychological distress (APSQ) at pre-season, coinciding with the initial (2020) COVID-19-related sport shutdown in Australia. Measures of executive function and psychological distress were re-administered at the end of the COVID-19 affected competitive season in 2020. Athletes reported significantly elevated psychological distress relative to previous estimates of distress among high-performance athletes established in prior studies. Executive functions, including working memory and inhibitory control were not significantly associated with psychological distress or dispositional mindfulness at either timepoint. However, baseline mindfulness was associated with reduced distress at both pre-season (r = −0.48, p =.03) and end of season (r = −0.56, p =.004), suggesting that dispositional mindfulness may have afforded protective buffering against symptoms of distress. Correlation data alone does not establish a directional connection from mindfulness to reduced distress, and future research is required to elucidate this association and/or establish the mechanism/s by which dispositional mindfulness may protect against psychological distress in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Podiatrists regularly use scalpels in the management of foot pathologies, yet the teaching and learning of these skills can be challenging. The use of 3D printed foot models presents an opportunity for podiatry students to practice their scalpel skills in a relatively safe, controlled risk setting, potentially increasing confidence and reducing associated anxiety. This study evaluated the use of 3D printed foot models on podiatry students' anxiety and confidence levels and explored the fidelity of using 3D foot models as a teaching methodology., Materials and Methods: Multiple study designs were used. A repeated measure trial evaluated the effects of a 3D printed foot model on anxiety and confidence in two student groups: novice users in their second year of podiatry studies (n = 24), and more experienced fourth year students completing a workshop on ulcer management (n = 15). A randomised controlled trial compared the use of the 3D printed foot models (n = 12) to standard teaching methods (n = 15) on students' anxiety and confidence in second year students. Finally, a focus group was conducted (n = 5) to explore final year student's perceptions of the fidelity of the foot ulcer models in their studies., Results: The use of 3D printed foot models increased both novice and more experienced users' self-confidence and task self-efficacy; however, cognitive and somatic anxiety was only reduced in the experienced users. All changes were considered large effects. In comparison to standard teaching methods, the use of 3D printed foot models had similar decreases in anxiety and increases in confidence measures. Students also identified the use of 3D foot models for the learning of scalpel skills as 'authentic' and 'lifelike' and led to enhanced confidence prior to assessment of skills in more high-risk situations., Conclusion: Podiatry undergraduate programs should consider using 3D printed foot models as a teaching method to improve students' confidence and reduce their anxiety when using scalpels, especially in instances where face-to-face teaching is not possible (e.g., pandemic related restrictions on face-to-face teaching)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

This exploratory study examined the interaction between messages conveying descriptive norms and image appeals on adults' physical activity intentions. Using a pre-post experimental design, insufficiently active adults (N = 204) were randomly assigned to receive one of four messages, which included both a descriptive norm (prevalence of physical activity: high vs. low) and an image appeal (personality attributes: positive vs. negative). The results from an analysis of covariance, controlling for baseline physical activity intentions, revealed a significant interaction. Post-hoc analyses indicated that when the image appeal was positive, those who received the low descriptive norm had greater physical activity intentions than the high descriptive norm condition. No significant interaction was found for negative image appeals. Results provide preliminary evidence that physical activity intentions can be positively influenced even when physical activity is not considered the norm. Messages that include low descriptive norm information may benefit from including positive image appeals of those who do engage in physical activity, if aiming to increase physical activity intentions in insufficiently active adults.