Eating disorders comprise an array of mental disturbance with profound implications for individuals' psychophysical and societal well-being. Extensive research has elucidated the role of the Big Five personality traits in explaining individual differences in the risk of eating disorders, overshadowing alternative personality taxonomies, such as the Dark Triad - DT (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe relation between specific sport practice and possible spine modifications is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different sports on the spine in adult varsity athletes across a six month sports season. Forty-four athletes (24.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFlexibility training is a fundamental biological process that improves the quality of life of the elderly by improving the ranges of motion of joints, postural balance and locomotion, and thus reducing the risk of falling. Two different training programs were assessed acutely and after 12 weeks by means of the sit-and-reach test. Thirty-one healthy older adults were randomly divided into three groups: the Experiment I group (Exp) performed strength and static stretching exercises; the Experiment II group performed dynamic and static stretching exercises; and participants assigned to the control group maintained a sedentary lifestyle for the entire period of the study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess and estimate the personality changes that occurred before and after the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila and to model the ways that the earthquake affected adolescents according to gender and sport practice. The consequences of earthquakes on psychological health are long lasting for portions of the population, depending on age, gender, social conditions and individual experiences. Sports activities are considered a factor with which to test the overall earthquake impact on individual and social psychological changes in adolescents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The use of self-reported data in epidemiological surveys leads to misclassification of the prevalence of obesity as the participants overestimate or underestimate height, weight and/or both. Such misclassifications vary according to gender, age, status and ethnicity.
Objectives: To estimate on a sample of youth of both sexes (1) the difference between self-reported data and measured height and weight and (2) the extent of misclassification of BMI deriving from such differences.