Maria João Campos

Precompetitive Anxiety and Self-Confidence in Athletes with Disability

This study examined the precompetition temporal patterning of competitive anxiety components in 42 athletes with disability who participated at the national level and at the national trials for the Paralympic Games in a variety of sports. All subjects completed a modified version of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 which measures intensity and direction of the competitive anxiety response on three occasions before competition (1 wk., 2 hr., and 20 min.). Analysis suggested that for cognitive and somatic dimensions athletes with disabilities show a similar precompetition anxiety response to athletes without disability. However, there appear to be some differences, particularly in the intensity of self-confidence, as athletes with disability reported a reduction of self-confidence just prior to competition.

Study Protocol on Hormonal Mediation of Exercise on Cognition, Stress and Immunity (PRO-HMECSI): Effects of Different Exercise Programmes in Institutionalized Elders

Physical activity (PA) in elders has been shown to have positive effects on a plethora of chronic diseases and to improve immunity, mental health, and cognition. Chronic stress has also been shown to have immuno-suppressive effects and to accelerate immunosenescence. Exercise could be a significant factor in ameliorating the deleterious effects of chronic stress, but variables such as the type, intensity, and frequency of exercise that should be performed in order to effectively reduce the stress burden need to be defined clearly. PRO-HMECSI will allow us to investigate which hormonal and immunological parameters are able to mediate the effects of exercise on mucosal immunity, psychological/biological stress, and cognitive functioning in older people. Phase I consists of an observational cross-sectional study that compares elders groups (n = 223, >65 years) by functional fitness levels aiming to identify biomarkers involved in maintaining immune and mental health. Neuroendocrine and immune biomarkers of stress, psychological well-being related to mental health, neurocognitive function, functional fitness, and daily PA will be evaluated. Phase II consists of a 28-week intervention in elders with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) profile (n = 149, >65 years, divided in three groups of exercise and one control group), aiming to investigate whether the positive effect of three different types of chair-based exercise programs on physical and psychological health is mediated by an optimal endocrine environment. Primary outcomes are measures of cognitive function and global health. Secondary outcomes include the evaluation the other dimensions such as immune function, psychological health, and depression. Few studies addressed the effects of different types of exercise interventions in older population samples with MCI. We will also be able to determine which type of exercise is more effective in the immune and hormonal function of this population.

Analysing the structure, validity and reliability of the physical educators’ attitude toward teaching individuals with Disabilities III – Peatid III

Res_eng:The attitudes that teachers hold in relation to teaching students with disabilities is a key factor in the successful inclusion in regular school settings. In order to get a reliable insight on the teacher´s perceptions of inclusion possibility, it is crucial the use of valid instruments. This study intends to test the validity and reliability of the Physical Educators’ Attitude toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities III - PEATID III (Rizzo, 1993), using a Portuguese version. Although this questionnaire is one of the most popular instruments to assess attitudes of Physical Education teachers regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream Physical Education classes, its psychometric properties have never been fully assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. The participants in this study were 413 Portuguese physical educators, 253 males and 160 females, aged between 21 and 58 years old (M=32.43; SD=9.01). Our findings suggest that the PEATID III exhibits poor goodness of fit and does not provide a valid and a reliable scale to measure attitudes of physical educators toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in their classes.