Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Unilateral preference is dominant due to the intensive use of sport-specific movements in football. However, little is known about the possible correlation between unilateral functional movement and the center of pressure-based postural performance. The main aim of this study is to examine the correlation between functional movement screen (FMS) and postural stability in football players from an asymmetrical perspective. Materials and Methods: Fifty professional football players (male n = 25; age 21.40 ± 1.94 years; female n = 25; age 21.04 ± 1.24 years) volunteered for this study. All subjects completed a FMS test consisting of seven items and postural sway measures for dominant and non-dominant sides. Spearman’s correlation and the Mann-Whitney U-test were used for statistical processing. Results: A negative correlation was found between dominant and non-dominant sides FMS in scores and postural sway parameters in both male and female groups (p &lt; .05). Hurdle step (HS) and rotary stability (RS) proved to be strong predictors of postural stability for both groups (p &lt; .001). No significant differences were observed between dominant and nondominant sides in FMS items and postural sway parameters in both groups (p &gt; .05). Conclusions: The correlation of the FMS and postural sway measures may be useful to identify possible postural problems in football players. Therefore, the FMS test may be preferred by practitioners and physiotherapists.

Yücel MAKARACI

Kazım NAS

Kerem GÜNDÜZ

Mehmet İLERI

Relationship between functional movement screen scores and postural stability in football players: An asymmetrical approach

足球运动员功能性运动筛查评分与姿势稳定性的关系：一种非对称性方法

The present study aims to develop and establish the reliability of the System for the Technical Assessment of Kumite (STAK) in karate. Twenty karate fighters aged between 10 and 22 years, consisting of novice and expert athletes participated in the present study. The reliability process focused on three points: i) analysis and evaluation by experts of the content of the observation instrument; ii) analysis and evaluation by expert evaluators of the athletes' performance in each of the chosen techniques; and iii) reliability of the evaluators' observations. The technical evaluation system in karate evaluated the Mawashi Geri, Ura Mawashi Geri, Kizami Zuki, and Gyaku Zuki techniques, described in the literature as the most common techniques in kumite competitions, which were adjusted to different levels of proficiency. Substantial to almost complete intra-rater reliability was observed for both expert and beginner athletes' evaluations, with ICC values ranging from 0.774 to 0.959. These values suggest that the evaluation conducted at different times did not cause significant interference in the assessment and that the estimate of this agreement is within a 95% confidence interval. Overall, the inter-observer and intra-rater reliability results suggest that the STAK evaluation process is reliable for assessing the success criteria of different techniques to help coaches in the promotions to Kyu and Dan ranks. The present study also indicates that novice athletes may require more specific and consistent evaluation criteria to improve their observation technique and refine their ability to interpret success variables in each motor action.

Filipe Ferreira

Rui Miguel Silva

Georgian Badicu

Jaroslaw Muracki

Bartlomiej Bogdanski

Adam Kawczynski

Development, validation, and reliability of a new instrument of observation and technical evaluation in karate athletes

空手道运动员观察与技术评估新工具的开发、验证与可靠性研究

Introduction: The association between physical activity levels and digital habits has garnered interest, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to elucidate this association among secondary school students in Warsaw, Poland. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional investigation used a questionnaire to assess physical activity, intensity of device use, and two sub-scales of digital hygiene. The sample consisted of 629 students aged 15–19. Results: 31% of students reported high levels of physical activity, 27.7% indicated proficient control over screen time, and 33.1% demonstrated effective notification management. Statistical analysis revealed that moderate to high levels of physical activity were associated with increased likelihood of disciplined screen time (OR for moderate = 2.351, 95% CI [1.335–4.139]; OR for high = 3.933, 95% CI [2.205–7.015]). Device overuse was inversely related to screen time management (OR for not overusing = 13.983, 95% CI [7.546-25.909]; OR for average use = 5.748, 95% CI [3.083–10.717]). Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of digital hygiene, potentially indicating a stronger correlation with screen time management than physical activity alone. Interventions should take it into account to foster a holistic approach to healthy lifestyle habits in young populations.

Magdalena Woynarowska

Anna Dzielska

Szymon Stanislaw Wojcik

Mariusz Panczyk

Magdalena Bigaj

Physical activity and selected elements of adolescents’ digital hygiene in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19疫情期间波兰青少年身体活动与数字卫生若干要素

Athletes and teams typically obtain an advantage when competing at home, a phenomenon known as home advantage (HA). This study investigates the longitudinal effect of HA in the Brazilian Football Championship (Série A) over 21 seasons, analyzing 8,405 matches from 2003 to 2023. The results showed that the average HA was 35.1 ± 7.7%, while the competitive balance (CB) was 0.838 ± 0.145. A negative, non-significant correlation (r = -0.321, p = 0.157) was found between HA and CB, with CB explaining 10.3% of HA variation in the Brazilian league. HA de-creased over time, likely due to improved logistics, fairer refereeing, among others. Conversely, a gradual increase in CB was observed, evidencing a greater competitive imbalance among teams. Surprisingly, the absence of spectators during the 2020 season, due to COVID-19 restrictions, did not significantly impact HA, suggesting other influencing factors. The findings align with global trends, showing a declining HA in football leagues worldwide. This study highlights the complexity of HA, emphasizing the need for future research to explore its multi-factorial nature in Brazilian football.

Werlayne Leite

Marcelo C. Zanetti

Analysis of the longitudinal effect of home advantage in the Brazilian Football Championship – Série A

巴西足球甲级联赛主场优势的纵向效应分析

Introduction: In the literature, the effectiveness of the extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in patients with heel spur was confirmed, but the therapy protocol has not been established when used as monotherapy. The aim of the study was to verify whether the frequency of ESWT and the number of sessions used as monotherapy in patients with heel spur have an impact on the final result of the therapy. Methods: 85 patients were divided into three subgroups. All patients were treated 5 times with different intervals between ESWT sessions, in the group I, ESWT was ad-ministered every day, in group II every other day and in the group III once a week. Results: Before starting therapy, pain level in VAS in subgroups I, II and III was 6, 7 and 9, respectively. After two weeks, the pain level was equal 4 in all subgroups. In this time, the subgroup I was one week after completing therapy, subgroup II was just after completing therapy and subgroup III after 2 out of 5 treatments. Finally, after 8 weeks, when all subgroups terminated therapy, VAS was in the range 2–3. When comparing the subgroups, with the numbers available no significant difference could be detected. Conclusion: Received results proved the effectiveness of ESWT used as monotherapy in patients with heel spur. The length of the intervals between subsequent ESWT sessions did not have a statistically significant impact on the final result of the therapy, which was at a similar level in all subgroups.

Anna Karafova

Daria Budnicka

Barbara Duda-Biernacka

Wioletta Mikulakova

Marian Karafa

Does the frequency and number of ESWT sessions in patients with heel spurs affect the final result of the therapy?

跟腱炎患者中ESWT治疗的频率和次数是否影响最终治疗效果？

Introduction: Motor skills are fundamental to athletic performance, particularly in sports like handball, where coordination, speed, and power are critical. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an innovative coordination training program on the profile of motor skills of adolescent handball players compared to traditional training methods. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 27 young handball players. Participants were divided into an experimental group (n = 15) receiving additional co-ordination training and a control group (n = 12) following standard training. The participants’ motor fitness was assessed using selected population tests from the EUROFIT Physical Fitness Test Battery and the International Committee for the Standardization of Physical Fitness Tests (ICSPFT). Statistical analysis included the Mann–Whitney U test for between-group differences and the Wilcoxon test for within-group comparisons, with significance set at p &lt; 0.05. Results: The experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement in the examined components of motor performance (p = 0.038 – 0.001), compared to the control group. This was particularly evident in terms of aerobic capacity, as diagnosed by the Beep Test, agility and running speed (shuttle run), anaerobic abilities (vertical jump, 10 m sprint, tapping, and medicine ball throw), and muscular endurance measured by sit-ups (p &lt; 0.05). The participants in the experimental group were characterized by low within-group variability in the achieved results, which also showed increased homogeneity with each subsequent post-test measurement during the experimental intervention (mean test-index V%: pretest = 12.29; posttest 1 = 11.86; posttest 2 = 10.71). Conclusions: The 32-week experimental training program focused on coordination had a significant and comprehensive impact on the motor fitness profile of young handball players, suggesting that its inclusion in regular training sessions could optimize training and competition performance. Further research is needed to examine the long-term benefits and applicability of these methods in a broader population of athletes.

Michal Spieszny

Wojciech Wasacz

Zbigniew Kamys

Tadeusz Ambrozy

Krzysztof Kasicki

Pawel Kapuscinski

Lukasz Rydzik

The impact of coordination training on motor skills in adolescent handball players aged 14–15 years: A randomized controlled trial

协调训练对14-15岁青少年手球运动员运动技能的影响：一项随机对照试验

Abbreviation	BJHPA
Journal Impact	0.62
Quartiles(Global)	SPORT SCIENCES(Q4)

Publication Information	Publisher: Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport，Publishing cycle: ，Journal Type: journal，Open Access Journals: Yes
Basic data	Year of publication: 2019，Proportion of original research papers: 78.57%，Self Citation Rate:0.00%， Gold OA Rate: 92.59%
Average review cycle	网友分享经验：30 Weeks

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

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Relationship between functional movement screen scores and postural stability in football players: An asymmetrical approach

Development, validation, and reliability of a new instrument of observation and technical evaluation in karate athletes

Physical activity and selected elements of adolescents’ digital hygiene in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic

Analysis of the longitudinal effect of home advantage in the Brazilian Football Championship – Série A

Does the frequency and number of ESWT sessions in patients with heel spurs affect the final result of the therapy?

Analysis of the longitudinal effect of home advantage in the Brazilian Football Championship – Série A

Does the frequency and number of ESWT sessions in patients with heel spurs affect the final result of the therapy?

Development, validation, and reliability of a new instrument of observation and technical evaluation in karate athletes

Physical activity and selected elements of adolescents’ digital hygiene in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic

The impact of coordination training on motor skills in adolescent handball players aged 14–15 years: A randomized controlled trial

ISSN	2080-1297, 2080-9999
h-index	8