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The Effects of and Attitudes towards the Practice of Physical...
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The Effects of and Attitudes towards the Practice of Physical Activity

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 4122

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stefania Toselli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Science, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: anthropometry; body composition; quality of life; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pasqualino Maietta Latessa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna - Rimini, 47921 Rimini, Italy
Interests: exercise; adapted physical activity; aging; fitness
Dr. Sofia Marini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna - Rimini, 47921 Rimini, Italy
Interests: exercise; adapted physical activity; quality of life; public health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Regular physical activity contributes towards improving and maintaining health status and is important for human development throughout the entire lifespan of a person. Regular physical activity has numerous beneficial effects on the mind and body. There is strong evidence for the beneficial effects of physical activity on health, in the areas of all-cause mortality, cancer, cardiovascular health, musculoskeletal health, metabolic health, and psychosocial health. It can also be helpful for controlling weight and improving body composition. Physical activity includes any form of movement that entails an increase in energy consumption. Despite its established physical and mental health benefits, a large proportion of the population does not participate in adequate physical activity, either by not being sufficiently active or by maintaining a sedentary lifestyle. Nowadays, it is known that behavioral aspects have a central role in people’s health for increasing quality of life, preventing disease, improving management of an existing disease, and reducing overall healthcare costs.  For these reasons, understanding the motivation, attitude, and behavior of individuals regarding regular exercise participation is important for protecting their physical and psychosocial health. Motivation is a key factor that influences individuals’ initiation and maintenance of behavior and not only affects physical activity participation, but is also a critical factor for exercise adherence.

The purpose of this research collection is to add information on:

  • Effects of physical activity on physical and psychosocial health;
  • Attitudes towards physical activity in different groups (e.g., age, sex);
  • Strategies for increasing physical activity practice and improving health.

This Special Issue provides an excellent opportunity to publish different types of research (including quantitative and qualitative research articles, original articles, and short communications, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis) focusing both on physical activity practice and its physical and psychosocial health’ impact and on the reasons why some people are physically active and others are not. We invite researchers from a variety of disciplinary areas (including medicine, nutrition, anthropometrics, psychology and sociology, and sports science, among others) to submit their manuscripts on these topics for this Special Issue of IJERPH. 

Dr. Stefania Toselli
Dr. Pasqualino Maietta Latessa
Dr. Sofia Marini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical activity
  • attitude
  • health status
  • motivation
  • barriers and facilitators
  • mixed method research

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 782 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Variables That Influence the Walkability of School Environments Based on the Delphi Method
by David Cerro-Herrero, Josué Prieto-Prieto, Mikel Vaquero-Solis, Miguel Ángel Tapia-Serrano and Pedro Antonio Sánchez-Miguel
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14201; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114201 - 30 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1619
Abstract
Walkability is determined the presence or absence of factors such as quality sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, traffic, etc. The ability to walk to the school environment may be one of the variables that promotes active commuting levels. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
Walkability is determined the presence or absence of factors such as quality sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, traffic, etc. The ability to walk to the school environment may be one of the variables that promotes active commuting levels. The aim of this study was to examine the walkability of school environments using the Delphi method. This study used the Delphi method to measure the walkability. A total of 18 experts were selected. First, a list of variables was designed by the control group and sent three times to the experts. Later, the items were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to test the consensus of the experts. The list of variables that influence walkability showed a good consensus among the experts at the end of the process. This list was formed by 48 items and organized in six factors: traffic and safety (eleven items), signage (eight items), sidewalk (ten items), transport consistency (five items), activity (five items), and finally, urban planning (nine items). The experts agreed on the need to analyze the environments of educational centers and measure the variables that affect walkability. This study has identified the most important barriers. In the future, a measurement instrument should be developed that allows centers to be compared with others in terms of their levels of walkability. Moreover, it might be a resource for more policies to be developed with the aim to promote active commuting to school. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of and Attitudes towards the Practice of Physical Activity)
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15 pages, 655 KiB  
Article
Physical Activity Behavior, Motivation and Active Commuting: Relationships with the Use of Green Spaces in Italy
by Alessia Grigoletto, Alberto Loi, Pasqualino Maietta Latessa, Sofia Marini, Natascia Rinaldo, Emanuela Gualdi-Russo, Luciana Zaccagni and Stefania Toselli
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9248; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159248 - 28 Jul 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2047
Abstract
Many benefits of physical activity (PA) are observed with weekly average volumes of 150–300 min at moderate intensity. Public parks may be an attraction for many people living in the city and could help to achieve the recommended dose of PA. The present [...] Read more.
Many benefits of physical activity (PA) are observed with weekly average volumes of 150–300 min at moderate intensity. Public parks may be an attraction for many people living in the city and could help to achieve the recommended dose of PA. The present study aims to understand the motivation that drives people to a park and evaluate the amount of PA practiced by park-goers. A questionnaire was anonymously administered to 383 voluntary visitors to the Arcoveggio park (Bologna), aged 18–70 years. Sixty-one percent of participants practiced outdoor PA. Differences in park use between sexes and age groups were found. PA was higher in men than in women and in the 18–30 age group than in other age groups. Most participants travelled to the park in an active way (86.4%), resulting in easier attainment of the recommended amount of PA (64.5%). The main motivations for using the park were related to relaxation, performing PA, or both. According to a multiple regression model, the time per week spent at the park, the method of getting there, and the kind of PA were significant explanatory variables of the amount of PA practiced. In particular, the highest number of minutes of PA was achieved by those who travelled to the park by running, while those using vehicles presented the lowest number. All initiatives to promote active commuting and activities in the urban park represent an important strategy to improve health, supporting adults to lead an active lifestyle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of and Attitudes towards the Practice of Physical Activity)
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