Josep Vidal

Commitment, Enjoyment and Motivation in Young Soccer Competitive Players

Building upon Decis and Ryan (1985) Self-determination theory as well as the sportive behavioral correlates of the model of Commitment (Scanlan et al., 1976), this study tries to establish the relationship between motivation and commitment in youth sport. For this purpose 454 young competitive soccer players answered the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) and the Sport Commitment Questionnaire (SCQ) during the regular season. The SMS measures the three dimensions of the Motivational continuum (the Amotivation, the Extrinsic Motivation and the Intrinsic Motivation). The SCQ measures the Sportive Commitment and its composing factors such as the Enjoyment, the Alternatives to the sport, and the Social Pressure. Our findings provided a clear pattern of the influence of motivation in sport enjoyment and commitment, outlining the positive contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to enjoyment and commitment. Amotivation, contributes positively to alternatives to sport and negatively to enjoyment and commitment, It should be noted that extrinsic motivation has a higher contribution to enjoyment whereas intrinsic motivation has a higher contribution to commitment.

Effects of Postural Education on Daily Habits in Children

A group-randomized controlled trial was carried out to investigate the effects of a postural education program on daily life habits related to low back pain in children. The study sample included 137 children aged 10.7 years. 6 classes from 2 primary schools were randomly allocated into an experimental group (EG) (N=63) or a control group (CG) (N=74). The EG received a postural education program over 6 weeks consisting of 6 sessions, while the CG followed the usual school curriculum. A questionnaire was completed by the participants at pretest, post-test and 3 months after the intervention finished. The outcomes collected were: correct use of sofa, stooping correctly, take care to sit correctly at home/school and frequent posture change on chair at home/school. A sum score was computed from the 6 items. To examine the effect of the intervention, we used repeated measures analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA); with baseline, post-test and follow-up outcome values as dependent variables, study group as fixed factor, and sex and age as covariates. Single healthy items mostly improved after the intervention and remained improved after 3 month follow-up in EG, while no substantial changes were observed in the CG. Healthy habits score was significantly increased at post-test compared to baseline in the EG (P<0.001), and remained significantly increased after 3-months, compared to baseline (P<0.001). No significant changes were observed in the CG (P>0.6). The results suggest that children are able to learn healthy daily life habits which might contribute to future prevention of low back pain.

Acceptance of Gamesmanship and Cheating in Young Competitive Athletes in Relation to the Motivational Climate Generated by Parents and Coaches

The goal was to assess the relation between the acceptance of using gamesmanship and cheating in sports and the type of motivational climate created by coaches and parents. The sample consisted of 110 soccer, basketball, and handball players from the Balearic Islands competition (70 boys, 40 girls; M age = 14.7 yr., SD = 2.1, range 10–19). As for the motivational climate generated by coaches, task climate was negatively related to the acceptance of gamesmanship and cheating, but ego climate was related to higher acceptance. Motivational climate generated by parents was not related to acceptance of cheating or gamesmanship.

Carcinoma of prostatic ducts

Carcinoma of prostatic ducts is a rare clinical feature. We have reviewed 398 histories of patients with histologic diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma and found 10 patients with the ductal variety (2.51%). Four had pure ductal transitional cell carcinoma, 5 had mixed acinar adenocarcinoma plus ductal transitional cell carcinoma, and the last one had mixed acinar and ductal adenocarcinoma. Age, symptoms, physical findings, and imaging diagnoses were similar to those of acinar carcinoma. Rectal examination disclosed hard prostate in 9 patients. The metastatic way depended on the histologic elements present in each patient. Cystoscopy showed a malignant-resembling image in 4 cases. The mean survival (23 months) was lower than that of patients with acinar carcinoma. Early diagnosis and radical surgery still are the only way to increase the expectation of life of patients affected by this pathology.

Selective chemoprophylaxis guided by multifactorial analysis in superficial bladder cancer.

One hundred and five patients with superficial bladder cancer (60 primary and 45 recurrent tumors) entered a prospective chemoprophylaxis trial after transurethral resection of the tumor. The drug for chemoprophylaxis was chosen by a computer which received the tumor data and analyzed them through a previous program of recurrence risk factors (multivariant analysis). In comparison with the aleatory selection of the drug, this statistical computerized choice has diminished the recurrence index (from 8 to 3) and increased the interval free of disease (from 70 to 83.5 months) in this group of patients.