Physical fitness is an important marker of health from a young age, yet it has been little studied in adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study aimed to compare physical fitness, physical activity levels, and sedentary behaviors between adolescents with and without ID. A cross-sectional analytical design was used with 569 adolescents divided into two groups: 303 with ID (13.54 ± 1.07 years; 180 boys, 123 girls) and 266 without ID (13.54 ± 1.10 years; 142 boys, 124 girls). Data were collected over a three-month period from November 2022 to February 2023. Physical fitness was assessed using the Eurofit test battery, including grip strength, explosive strength, seated trunk flexion, and the 20-meter shuttle run. Anthropometric measurements were also taken, and physical activity and sedentary behavior were assessed using the CAPAS-Q 8–18 questionnaire. Adolescents with ID showed significantly lower physical activity level and higher sedentary behavior than their peers without ID (p < .001). They also performed worse on grip strength, explosive strength, and cardiorespiratory endurance tests (d = -0.77 to -1.23 for boys; d = -0.77 to -1.73 for girls; p < .001). Findings highlight disparities and support the need for further longitudinal and intervention research.

Sports tourism, combining leisure travel with spectating or participating in sporting activities, is a rapidly growing industry with substantial economic, social, and cultural impacts. Vojvodina, an autonomous province in northern Serbia, offers significant potential for the development of sports tourism, however, it faces challenges such as limited strategic coordination and underutilized resources. This paper examines two projects that are a part of the Europe DEPART (DEveloPment of a sustAinable spoRts Tourism in Europe) initiative and demonstrate sustainable approaches to sports tourism in Serbia: the Tour de Fruška and EuroVelo6 Danube Bicycle Route in Serbia. Both projects highlight the importance of connecting natural and cultural assets, fostering healthy lifestyles, and promoting environmentally and socially sustainable tourism practices. The paper concludes that building on these successes can help Vojvodina enhance its sports tourism offerings, strengthen stakeholder cooperation, and support long-term regional development. 

Physical activity is widely recognised as an important component of children’s physical, psychological, and social well-being, which is closely associated with their overall quality of life. However, empirical evidence regarding this relationship among elementary school students in Indonesia remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association between physical activity and quality of life among elementary school students. A quantitative cross-sectional correlational design was employed, involving 159 students from a public elementary school. Physical activity was measured using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), while quality of life was assessed using the Elementary School Students’ Quality of Life (ESQoL) scale, comprising six domains. Data analysis included reliability testing, descriptive statistics, normality testing, Spearman correlation, partial correlation, and multiple regression analyses controlling for grade level and gender. Both instruments demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (PAQ-C α = 0.853; ESQoL α = 0.783). Results indicated a positive and statistically significant association between physical activity and overall quality of life (r = 0.254; p < 0.01), which remained significant after controlling for demographic variables. Regression analyses further revealed that physical activity was significantly associated with school functioning and peer relationships domains, but not with other domains. These findings indicate that physical activity is positively associated with specific aspects of elementary school students’ quality of life, although causal inferences cannot be drawn due to the cross-sectional design.

The aim of this study was to investigate the independent associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with glycemic control parameters in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 44 individuals with T2DM (age: 52.20 ± 9.02 years; T2DM duration: 5.39 ± 4.65 years; baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C): 7.05 ± 0.78%) participated in this study. Following blood analysis, anthropometric assessments, and resting blood pressure measurements, participants performed the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) to estimate peak oxygen uptake (VO_₂peak). The main findings indicated that relative VO_₂peak was significantly and inversely associated with HbA1C in the unadjusted model (B = -0.12, p = 0.03), explaining 10.7% of the variance. However, this association was attenuated and became non-significant after adjusting for age, T2DM duration, and body mass index (BMI). Neither relative nor absolute VO_₂peak was significantly associated with fasting blood glucose (B = -0.41, p = 0.42 and B = -0.13, p = 0.20, respectively). Age emerged as the only independent predictor of FBG (B = 0.07, p = 0.04). These results suggest that the association between CRF and long-term glucose regulation in this population is complex and heavily influenced by demographic and anthropometric factors, highlighting the need for a multifactorial approach in clinical assessments.

Physical activity is generally associated with better psychological well-being, yet the role of sedentary behavior as a distinct contributor to perceived stress remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine the associations of total physical activity and sedentary behavior with perceived stress and its components in a cross-sectional sample. A total of 40 adults (24 females) participated in the study. Perceived stress was assessed using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), including total score and subcomponents of helplessness and self-efficacy. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between physical activity indicators and perceived stress outcomes, adjusting for sex and age. Sedentary behavior was positively associated with total perceived stress (B = 0.35, 95% CI [0.08, 0.62], p = .018) and perceived helplessness (B = 0.41 [0.14, 0.68], p = .005), but not with self-efficacy (B = −0.01 [−0.34, 0.32], p = .941). Total physical activity was not significantly associated with any perceived stress outcome (all p ≥ .556), suggesting that sitting time, rather than overall activity volume, was more consistently related to perceived stress. Sedentary behavior appears to be more strongly related to perceived stress than total physical activity. Interventions targeting stress regulation may benefit from focusing not only on increasing physical activity but also on reducing prolonged sitting.

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.

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.

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.

Modern directions in the development of physical education in the world emphasize the importance of health-related physical fitness (HRPF), with special attention to the development and monitoring of knowledge about HRPF through the application of a targeted questionnaire. The main goal of this research was to analyze the characteristics of the HRPF questionnaire adapted to the Serbian language. After adjustment to Serbian language and terminology, questionnaire was administered to a sample of 270 children, 175 children of the fifth grade (11 to 12 years) and 95 children f the eighth grade (14 to15 years). In both subsamples, the questionnaire has shown good internal consistency (Cronbach's α was 0.73 for fifth grade and 0.67 for eighth grade) and good features of most questions. The results also suggested problems with three questions which needed adjustment for further use: Question Q2 - Jana wants to do something after school what would help her to become successful in the football team she plays in, she should; Question Q11 - Volleyball is good; Question Q25 - If you want to be stronger, you should. After that kind of implementation, the questionnaire can be recommended for evaluation of HRPF of older primary-school children.

The present cross-over study investigated whether a half-marathon race might impose changes in lipid profile, muscle function, hematological parameters, and oxidative status in 10 amateur male runners and whether polyphenol-rich aronia juice may counteract these potential alterations.

Subjects (age 30.8 ± 2.3 years) ran a simulated half-marathon race (21.1 km), after they had consumed breakfast with 200 mL of aronia juice/placebo on two occasions separated by one week. Blood samples were taken at baseline, 15 min, 1 h, and 24 h after the run. 

Results revealed a significant increase in the levels of total, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides immediately after the run (by 6.97%, 9.23%, and 38.46%, respectively), which tended to return to the baseline values after 24 hours. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase increased significantly after the race and started decreasing 24h after the race, still being 16.18% higher compared with the baseline. The run induced a marked increase in total number of leukocytes, and granulocytes, with an eventual return to the baseline levels.

The obtained results suggest that a half-marathon run is intense enough to cause lipid mobilization, muscle damage and compromise the immune response in recreational male runners. Acute aronia juice intake was not sufficient to attenuate the observed changes.