Physical Exercise Predicts Social Competence and General Well-Being in Chinese Children 10 to 15 Years Old: a Preliminary Study

This study examined social and psychological adjustment of immigrant and Canadian-born Chinese children in Canada. Participants included a sample of elementary school children (N = 356, M age = 11 years). Data on social functioning, peer relationships, school-related social competence, perceived self-worth, and loneliness were collected from peer assessments, teacher ratings, and self-reports. The results indicated that immigrant and Canadian-born Chinese children had different experiences of social and psychological adjustment in the school. Among aspects of acculturation, English proficiency and participation in Chinese cultural activities were positively associated with social competence and negatively associated with adjustment problems, particularly in immigrant Chinese children. These results indicate the involvement of contextual factors in children’s social functioning and psychological well-being.

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Relations among chronic bullying victimization, subjective well-being and resilience in university students: a preliminary study

Current Psychology ◽

10.1007/s12144-021-01489-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Santiago Yubero ◽

Marta de las Heras ◽

Raúl Navarro ◽

Elisa Larrañaga

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Well Being ◽

Bullying Victimization ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Preliminary Study

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Effects of an 8-Week Yoga-Based Physical Exercise Intervention on Teachers’ Burnout

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13042104 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 2104

Author(s):

Francesca Latino ◽

Stefania Cataldi ◽

Francesco Fischetti

Keyword(s):

Physical Exercise ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽

Well Being ◽

Emotional Awareness ◽

Body Awareness ◽

Control Group ◽

Professional Burnout ◽

Yoga Practice ◽

Professional Educators

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the efficacy of an 8-week yoga-based physical exercise program to improve mental and emotional well-being and consequently reduce burnout among teachers. We considered yoga because it is a discipline that enhances body awareness and encourages the contact with nature and the respect for every form of life, with a view to a more sustainable and greener global system. We recruited 40 professional educators (40–47 years), teachers in a public high school who reported perceiving signs of stress and emotional discomfort. We randomly assigned the 40 professional educators to either an experimental yoga practice (~60 min, twice a week) group (n = 20) or a control group (n = 20) that received a nonspecific training program (~60 min, twice a week). At baseline and after training we administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory: Educators Survey (MBI-ES) and the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) to assess teachers’ perceived level of awareness and professional burnout. We found a significant Time × Group interaction for the MBI-ES and SMS, reflecting a meaningful experimental group improvement (p < 0.001). No significant pre–post changes were found in the control group. The results suggest that an 8-week yoga practice could aid teachers to achieve a greater body and emotional awareness and prevent professional burnout.

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Caring for Things Helps Humans Grow: Effects of Courteous Interaction with Things on Pro-Environmental Behavior

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13073969 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 3969

Author(s):

Hiroko Kamide ◽

Tatsuo Arai

Keyword(s):

Environmental Behavior ◽

Well Being ◽

Environmentally Conscious ◽

Everyday Objects ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

The Relationship ◽

Active Care ◽

Familiar Objects

The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence of courteous interaction with familiar objects on pro-environmental behavior and well-being. We explored the process of interaction with everyday objects, such as pens and glasses in a preliminary study (N = 64), and to reveal two aspects that define these interactions, namely active care for objects and awareness of learning from the interaction (N = 687; Study 1). The more people cared for and learned through their interactions with a particular object, the more they perceived a connectedness to it (N = 195; Study 2). Furthermore, caring for and learning with familiar objects promoted various environmentally conscious behaviors and contributed to individual well-being (Study 3; N = 600). In this way, we discussed the relationship between interaction with everyday objects, the aspects of these interactions, and the influence of these interactions on an individual’s perspective toward the wider environment.

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Effect of a One-Week Spiritual Retreat on Brain Functional Connectivity: A Preliminary Study

Religions ◽

10.3390/rel12010023 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 23

Author(s):

Nancy A. Wintering ◽

David B. Yaden ◽

Christopher Conklin ◽

Mahdi Alizadeh ◽

Feroze B. Mohamed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Parietal Lobe ◽

Well Being ◽

Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽

Spiritual Well Being ◽

Spiritual Retreat ◽

Baseline Evaluation ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity ◽

Spiritual Impact

Background: Many individuals participate in spiritual retreats to enhance their sense of spirituality or to improve their overall mental and spiritual well-being. We are not aware of any studies specifically evaluating changes in functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in individuals undergoing an intense spiritual retreat program. The goal of this study was to determine whether such changes occur as a result of participating in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Methods: We conducted psychological and spiritual measures in conjunction with functional connectivity analysis of fMRI in 14 individuals prior to and following shortly after their participation in a one-week spiritual retreat. Results: Significant changes in functional connectivity were observed after the retreat program, compared to baseline evaluation, particularly in the posterior cingulate cortex, pallidum, superior frontal lobe, superior parietal lobe, superior and inferior temporal lobe, and the cerebellum. Significant changes in a variety of psychological and spiritual measures were identified as result of participation in the retreat. Conclusion: Overall, these preliminary findings suggest that this intensive spiritual retreat resulted in significant changes in brain functional connectivity, and warrants further investigation to evaluate the physiological, psychological, and spiritual impact of these changes.

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Effects of Physical Exercise on Health and Well-Being of Individuals Living With a Dementia in Nursing Homes: A Systematic Review

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association ◽

10.1016/j.jamda.2015.08.016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 104-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Lindsey Brett ◽

Victoria Traynor ◽

Paul Stapley

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Physical Exercise ◽

Well Being ◽

Health And Well Being

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Comparative Effects of Physical Exercise and Other Behavioral Interventions on Functional Status Outcomes in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617721000485 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Anne L. Shandera-Ochsner ◽

Melanie J. Chandler ◽

Dona E. Locke ◽

Colleen T. Ball ◽

Julia E. Crook ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Physical Exercise ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Functional Decline ◽

Well Being ◽

Control Group ◽

Lifestyle Modifications ◽

Clinical Dementia Rating ◽

Group Sessions

Abstract Objectives: Lifestyle modifications for those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may promote functional stability, lesson disease severity, and improve well-being outcomes such as quality of life. The current analysis of our larger comparative effectiveness study evaluated which specific combinations of lifestyle modifications offered as part of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Action to Benefit Independence in Thinking (HABIT) program contributed to the least functional decline in people with MCI (pwMCI) over 18 months. Methods: We undertook to compare evidence-based interventions with one another rather than to a no-treatment control group. The interventions were five behavioral treatments: computerized cognitive training (CCT), yoga, Memory Support System (MSS) training, peer support group (SG), and wellness education (WE), each delivered to both pwMCI and care partners, in a group-based program. To compare interventions, we randomly withheld one of the five HABIT® interventions in each of the group sessions. We conducted 24 group sessions with between 8 and 20 pwMCI–partner dyads in a session. Results: Withholding yoga led to the greatest declines in functional ability as measured by the Functional Activities Questionnaire and Clinical Dementia Rating. In addition, memory compensation (calendar) training and cognitive exercise appeared to have associations (moderate effect sizes) with better functional outcomes. Withholding SG or WE appeared to have little effect on functioning at 18 months. Conclusions: Overall, these results add to the growing literature that physical exercise can play a significant and lasting role in modifying outcomes in a host of medical conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases.

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