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Online ISSN:
2406-1379

ISSN:
1821-3480

Volume 18 , Issue 1, (2026)

Published:
17.12.2025.

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Published: 17.12.2025.

Online First is a feature that enables the publication of final revised articles online before their inclusion in a printed issue. This accelerates the dissemination of research findings and ensures that your authors' work reaches the audience promptly.

Articles published through Online First are assigned a DOI upon their online posting. They should be cited as follows:

Author(s). Title of the article. Exercise and Quality of Life. Advance online publication. DOI:10.31382/xxxx

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Authors in this issue:

Brigita Banjac, Ivana M. Milovanović, Ivana Milovanović, Kaja Teraž, Kostas Alexandris, Nebojša Maksimović, Patrik Drid, Radenko Matić, Saša Pišot, Stefan Janković, Tatjana Tubic,

17.12.2025.

Original scientific paper

The Current Point of View: Sustainable Sports Tourism in Vojvodina

The expectations of modern sports tourists, athletes, and recreationists are increasingly focused on integrated contents and perspectives that are related to the concept of sustainability. Such a development trend requires that research directions be directed towards the contexts of this interdisciplinary approach. This study focuses on the development of sustainable sports tourism, aiming to assess the current state of sports tourism in Vojvodina through a SWOT analysis and to examine stakeholder perspectives via interviews. This is a cross-sectional study, which comprises SWOT analysis, and semi-structured interviews (N = 30). Results discover that region of Vojvodina has potential for tourism development. However, due to poor implementation of strategies, disorganization and limited resources, it has not yet reached its potential. These obstacles could be overcome through stronger brand differentiation and strategic management, while emphasizing the advantages of this region, such as the preserved nature, multiculturalism, authentic food and sustainable principles.

Radenko Matić, Ivana Milovanović, Brigita Banjac, Patrik Drid, Nebojša Maksimović, Kostas Alexandris

17.12.2025.

Original scientific paper

Multidimensional Effects of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Youth Athletes: Evidence from Slovenian Coaches

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in early 2020, caused widespread disruptions to youth sport, including curriculum-based physical activity, organized sports, and active transportation. This study investigated the impact of repeated lockdowns on organized youth sport participation, physical fitness, skill development, and psychosocial well-being in Slovenia. An online survey was conducted between November and December 2021 with 116 coaches of U13–U19 athletes across multiple sports disciplines. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric analyses were employed to examine participation trends, training adaptations, and perceived athlete outcomes. Following the first lockdown, 14.6% of athletes dropped out, while 6.5% of teams reported increased membership. After the summer break, participation rebounded, and the second lockdown had a smaller impact, indicating partial resilience in youth sport engagement. Training frequency and modality were substantially affected, with 20% of coaches not implementing remote sessions and fewer than half conducting post-lockdown fitness assessments. Coaches reported declines in general physical fitness (71%) and sport-specific skills (70%), heterogeneous changes in body mass, and reduced self-confidence and motivation in over 50% of athletes, whereas team spirit remained relatively stable. A significant association between perceived changes in body mass and motivation highlighted the role of physical self-concept in supporting engagement. These findings demonstrate that prolonged interruptions to organized youth sport have multidimensional effects on physical, technical, and psychosocial development. Future research should explore long-term consequences, identify effective mitigation strategies, and consider sport-specific, age, and gender-related factors to enhance resilience in youth sports systems under exceptional circumstances.

Saša Pišot, Ivana M. Milovanović, Kaja Teraž

17.12.2025.

Original scientific paper

Internal consistency reliability of the Serbian version of the EMI-2 questionnaire in the fitness population

Although it is crucial to know the motivation underlying engaging in various activities, including physical ones, there is no Serbian version of a questionnaire for assessing motivation for exercise. The aim of this study is to evaluate the internal consistency reliability of the Serbian version of the EMI-2 questionnaire (Markland & Ingledew, 1997) in the fitness population. The research sample consisted of 1087 participants who exercise in fitness centers in the territory of the Banja Luka region. The integrated measuring instrument is made up of two parts: the first, self-created part of the questionnaire was used to describe the participants, and the second, standardised EMI-2 questionnaire was used to evaluate motivation for exercise. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the participants and the subscales. The Cronbach's alpha test was used to test the reliability of the EMI-2 scales, and Pearson correlation was used among the EMI-2 subscales. The results indicate a good reliability of the subscales in the range 0.606-0.850 and an overall reliability of 0.932. Pearson's correlation coefficient indicates a statistically significant correlation between the subscales except for Social Recognition with Positive Health and Nimbleness. The Serbian version of the EMI-2 has satisfactory internal consistency reliability and interrelatedness of the subscales.

Stefan Janković, Tatjana Tubic