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Much is known about the influence of potential lifestyle factors on adolescents' nutritional status, but in Croatia there are not many studies of this topic. Past studies have shown many variables associated with being overweight/obese. Thus, this study investigated the associations between the overweight/obesity status and lifestyle factors of Croatian adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, participants were 1,950 urban secondary-school students (884 male, 1,066 female) aged 17 to 18 years old. The dependent variable was body mass index derived from self-reported height and weight. The outcome was binarized, where participants with value < 25.0 lb/in were collapsed into normal weight, while those ≥ 25.1 lb/in into the overweight/obesity weight category. Independent variables were gender, type of school, physical activity, sedentary behavior, self-rated health, self-perceived socioeconomic status, and psychological distress. The associations between the dependent and independent variables were analyzed through multiple logistic regression analysis. In the univariate model, being overweight/obese was significantly associated with a male gender (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.23 to 0.42), attending a vocational school (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.42 to 2.48), not meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.88), more time spent in sedentary behavior (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.07 to 2.19), poor self-rated health (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.56), and lower socioeconomic status (OR 0.63; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.84). In the multivariate model, the same associations occured between the dependent and independent variable. In both models, psychological distress was not associated with being overweight/obese. In conclusion, the findings suggest that lifestyle factors are independently associated with body mass index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to explore the effectiveness of a five-minute classroom-based physical activity (5min-Class-PA) to keep student behaviour on task while increasing PA and energy expenditure during school days. The multiple baselines across subjects' design was implemented to assess on-task behaviour during academic lessons (e.g., Mathematics, Science, Language, Art). Observers were blinded to study condition. A quasi-experimental design was implemented to assess PA volume and energy expenditure using SenseWear Armband body monitor (BodyMedia Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA). A convenience sample of elementary school pupils (aged 6-10 years) was observed. A total of eight class departments or two class departments per grade (first to fourth) were included by random selection. All pupils from the selected class departments were asked to participate (total 149) and 126 (85%) had no health aberrations and returned parent signed informed agreement on participation. Five-minute PA daily was performed in the middle of a 45-min academic lesson by imitating video animations projected on the school board for 12 weeks. The aims were to assess on-task behaviour during academic lessons and physical activity volume and energy expenditure during a school day. When the 5min-Class-PA was implemented, initially high on-task behaviour during the first part of the lesson (91.42% and 94.8% for 6-8- and 8-10-year-olds, respectively) was not significantly changed after the 5min-Class-PA. In contrast, when the 5min-Class-PA was not implemented, on-task behaviour during the second part of the lesson decreased (by 3% and 4% for 6-8- and 8-10-year-olds, respectively). After the 5min-Class-PA was systematically introduced, on-task behaviour systematically improved. The results of the implementation of the classroom-based PA also indicated a small, non-significant increase in PA levels and energy expenditure during the school day, but also a non-significant increase in sedentary time. On-task behaviour during academic lessons and daily in-school PA levels can be improved by implementing a 5min-Class-PA programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is known that suburban youth are more fit than urban youth in Croatia. Method: Differences (p < .05) in fitness levels and motor abilities of 9,164 (F = 4,671, M = 4,493) Croatian children (age range: 11-14 years) from urban (F = 1,380, M = 1,268), mixed rural-urban (F = 274, M = 289), and rural (F = 3017, M = 2936) areas were assessed to determine the health status and fitness levels of middle school Croatian students from urban and rural areas. Results: Urban children were taller and leaner compared to their rural-urban and rural peers. Male and female students living in urban areas demonstrated better agility, flexibility, explosive strength, and repetitive strength with respect to their rural-urban and rural counterparts. Conclusion: Contrary to previous research, this study shows that urban students show greater fitness characteristics than their suburban counterparts. This may be due to the induction of mechanization and the lower need for physical work on farms, while maintaining the nutritional habits, including traditional high calorie meals, which have brought about a decline in the level of basic fitness characteristics in the rural environment. As there is a greater opportunity for organized sports events and programs in cities, the availability of these benefits should be examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social capital has been shown to have positive effects on multiple health outcomes among young people (i.e., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and infectious diseases). Studies are suggesting that social capital is an important asset for the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents, including for their mental health. We sought to examine the influences of different domains of social capital - in the family, in the neighbourhood, and at school - on levels of psychological distress among high school students in Croatia. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 3427 high school students (1688 males and 1739 females), aged 17-18 years, was carried out in the 2013/14 school year (response rate: 93.8%). Logistic regression was used to examine the influence of family, neighbourhood and school social capital on the risk of high psychological distress, measured by the Kessler-6 scale. Results: Adjusting for age, school, gender, body mass index, self-perceived socioeconomic status, self-rated health and physical activity, high family support in school (OR 0.37; 95% CI: 0.27-0.51), high neighbourhood trust (OR 0.62; 95% CI: 0.53-0.73), high teacher-student interpersonal trust (OR 0.74; 95% CI: 0.62-0.89) and high student interpersonal trust (OR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.65-0.97) was each associated with lower odds of psychological distress. When all of the social capital variables were entered simultaneously, higher social capital in each domain was inversely associated with psychological distress. Conclusions: Family support in school, neighbourhood trust, teacher-student interpersonal trust and student interpersonal trust were significantly inversely associated with psychological distress among adolescents. Intervention and policies that leverage community social capital might serve as means of mental health promotion among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary .— The goal of this study was to investigate the diff erences in physical fi tness in relation to urban or rural living environment and between two countries: Italy and Croatia. Over 14,000 students were tested during physical education (PE) lessons. Croatian students were taller and heavier than Italian students, with women achieving better results in fl exibility. Urban students were fi tter in abdominal strength than rural students. Age seemed to be the major factor infl uencing the performance. This study's results indicate a trend: urban students performed “indoor” tests better than rural students; the opposite may be true for rural students. Living environment, socio-economic-status, or cultural correlation diff erences could be decreased during school experiences. Thus, PE programs could train all people toward an adequate, age-based fi tness level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young athletes are influenced by different physical, psychological, and social factors. Social factors significantly impact a young athlete's growth. Parents, coaches, and schools are important factors in young athletes' sports careers. Achieving sport success without their support would be a real challenge. Social capital is a resource that comes from social relationships and social networks. It is a resource that impacts athletes and sports performance. The aim of this study was to determine the connection between social capital and competitive success in young tennis players. This research was conducted with participants of an ITF (International Tennis Federation) junior tournament in tennis. Research included 75 tournament players (N = 36 girls, age: 15.54 ± 1.29 years; N = 39 boys, age: 16.13 ± 0.98 years). Participants filled out a questionnaire which evaluated their social capital. Social capital predictors were significant predictors of sporting success (13.1% variance explained), which indicated that there is a moderate association between social capital indicators and sport success in young tennis players. Sports performance was higher with a higher degree of family and sports team social capital among girls. It was higher with a lower school social capital among boys. Intervention that leverages social capital might serve as an avenue for performance promotion in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance recovery, athletes often consume ready-to-eat foods, specialized sports foods and/or supplements that belong to the group of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which may affect their health. The aim of this study was to estimate consumption of UPFs in basketball players and to determine whether there is a difference in anthropometric characteristics, neuromuscular and cardiovascular fitness and microbiota composition between players in relation to the proportion of daily energy from processed foods. The study involved 17 elite male basketball players (>18 years) from Croatia during the competitive season. After cluster analysis of daily energy contribution from NOVA food groups, 35% of players were clustered into higher UPFs consumption group. No differences in anthropometric characteristics, neuromuscular and cardiovascular fitness were observed between players who consumed more UPFs and those who consumed less UPFs. Players with higher consumption of UPFs had lower abundance of the order Veillonellales-Selenomonadales in their respective microbiotas, more precisely, of family Veillonellaceae (p = 0.040) and the genus Agathobacter (p = 0.025). These results suggest that the consumption of UPFs did not affect athletes' performance but does impact their gut microbiota. Further studies on this issue are warranted to establish nutritional guidelines for athletes regarding the consumption of UPFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Adolescents' self-rated health is related to a number of sociodemographic and socio-economic factors, health-related behaviors, and their social environment. The impact of the latter is still not well explored. An adolescent's social environment is represented by the social capital, i.e. social resources that they can access. The relationships between various contexts of social capital (family, neighborhood, peers, and school) and self-rated health among adolescents are still unclear. Objective. This study aims to examine the relationships between various social capital contexts and self-rated health in Lithuanian adolescents. Methods. The current cross-sectional study includes a nationally representative sample of 1863 adolescents (51.4% were girls) aged 14-18 years. The indicators of self-rated health as well as indicators of social capital in family, neighborhood, and school contexts were assessed. The results of the relationships between self-rated health and contexts of social capital were calculated controlling for the following covariates: physical activity, psychological distress, gender, body mass index, and family socioeconomic status. Results. Results indicate that there are significant relationships between good self-rated health and a higher level of family support, neighborhood trust, and vertical school trust. In the final logistic regression model, while controlling for all covariates, a higher level of family support and neighborhood trust remain significant predictors of good self-rated health. Conclusions. Family support and neighborhood trust are important correlates of self-rated health in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to its association with the risk of falling and consequent injury, the importance of agility is widely recognized, but no study so far has examined the different facets of agility in an untrained/clinical population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability, validity, and correlates of newly developed tests of non-planned agility (NPA) and pre-planned agility (PPA) in an untrained/clinical sample. Methods: The sample comprised 38 participants older than 40 years (22 females, age: 56.1 ± 17.3 years, height: 170.4 ± 10.8 cm, mass: 82.54 ± 14.79 kg) who were involved in a rehabilitation program following total knee arthroplasty and knee arthroscopy. Variables included age, gender, type of surgery, history of fall, anthropometrics/body composition, and newly developed tests of NPA and PPA. Results: The results showed the high inter-testing- (ICC > 0.95, CV < 9%), and intra-testing-reliability (ICC > 0.96, CV < 9) of the newly developed tests. PPA and NPA were found to be valid in differentiation between age groups (>50 yrs. vs. <50 yrs.), and genders, with better performance in younger participants and males. Only NPA differentiated participants according to type of surgery, with better performance in those who had arthroscopic surgery, than those who had total knee arthroplasty. No differences in NPA and PPA were established between groups based on fall-history. In females, the body mass (Pearson's r = 0.58 and 0.59, p < 0.001) and body fatness (Pearson's r = 0.64 and 0.66, p < 0.001) were negatively correlated, while the lean body mass (Pearson's r = 0.70 and 0.68, p < 0.001) was positively correlated with PPA and NPA. The NPA and PPA were highly correlated (Pearson's r = 0.98, p < 0.001). Conclusions: We found that the proposed tests are reliable when evaluating agility characteristics in an untrained/clinical population after knee arthroplasty/arthroscopy. Further evaluation of the specific validity of the proposed tests in other specific subsamples is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of differences in certain morphological characteristics and aerobic energy supply ability among three age categories of Croatian male teenage tennis players was the aim of this cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 60 players classified into three categories by age: U12 (n=20; 12.1±0.4 years), U14 (n=20; 14.0±0.6 years) and U16 (n=20; 15.9±0.4 years). Nine morphological body measures were taken: body height; body mass; skinfolds of the back, upper arm, chest, abdomen, thigh, lower leg and suprailiocristal. Also, six variables of cardiopulmonary function were obtained using spirometry and spiroergometry testing. Basic statistical parameters were calculated and ANOVA was applied using Tukey's post-hoc method. Statistically significant differences were obtained in the variable maximum treadmill speed (p<.01) and maximum treadmill speed at the anaerobic threshold (p<.01). Aerobic levels of the Croatian U12, U14 and U16 tennis players were in line with the requirements of high-performance tennis. The results indicated that the conducted physical conditioning and tennis-specific training programmes had a positive effect on the development of aerobic energy capacity indicators in the examined young tennis players. However, due to the age of subjects, the effect of dynamic processes of growth and maturation on the obtained results in the aerobic capacity test cannot be overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore physical self-concept of adolescents of the Western Balkans (Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina) according to sex and country. The participants were 2,606 students, ages 13 and 14 years ( M = 13.5, SD = 0.9). The Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ) was used to assess multidimensional physical self-concept. The results show the interaction of sex and country for three dimensions of physical self-concept (Appearance, Global Physical Self-Concept, and Self-Esteem). It was shown that female and male adolescents' perception of physical appearance, self-esteem, and global physical self-concept is more susceptible to influences of socio-cultural factors in the monitored countries. In all other dimensions of Physical self-concept, sex differences were consistently manifested in favour of male adolescents, except in Flexibility. Regardless of adolescents' sex, under the increasing influence of Western culture in the Western Balkan countries, adolescents more critically evaluate their body and motor abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]