Designing Strategies for the Development of Health and Physical Activities of Women in Iran

: The current study aimed to design strategies to develop women’s health and physical activities in Iran. This study was drafted in the descriptive-correlational framework following an applied objective. The population of the study in the qualitative section consisted of 10 professors of sports management and sociology and in the quantitative section consisted of 160 experts (e.g., female sports managers and experts, women’s sports activists, and professors of sports management) selected through a purposive and comprehensive sampling method. Data collection was performed through a 20-items questionnaire drafted to examine the four fundamental factors of the study (e.g., management, social, economic, and cultural factors). The content validity and face validity of the questionnaire were confirmed by 10 university faculty members. The structural equation modeling in PLS software (version 3) was used to analyze the statistical data. The findings of the study indicated that among the study variables, the variable of management in the development of health and physical activities, with a correlation level of 75% and at a value of 5.696, was considered the most effective variable. Furthermore, among the essential elements of the study, in the cultural factor, the effect of the social values and beliefs in the participation of women in sports activities was reportedly at a correlation rate of 87%. In the management factor, the assignment of management roles to women in sports was at a correlation rate of 85%. In the economic factor, the element of budget allocation to women’s sports was at a correlation rate of 73%. In the social factor, the impact of the Ministry of Health and Education and the Ministry of Sports and Youth in creating sports events for the development of women’s health in the various provinces of Iran was at a correlation rate of 92%. All of the aforementioned items were among the most contributing factors in the essential elements of the study. In conclusion, it can be stated that the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Federations of Public Sports succeeded to initiate programs in the development of Iranian women’s health and sports by employing a comprehensive plan that included allocating budget, highlighting the role of women in the sports management positions, and cooperating with different agencies and organizations.

Epidemiology of Concussions in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Sports: 2014/15-2018/19

Background: Updated epidemiology studies examining sports-related concussions (SRCs) are critical in evaluating recent efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of SRCs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports. Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of SRCs in 23 NCAA sports during the 2014/15-2018/19 academic years. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: SRC and exposure data collected in the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program were analyzed. Injury counts, rates, and proportions were used to describe injury characteristics by sport, event type (practices, competitions), injury mechanism (player contact, surface contact, equipment/apparatus contact), and injury history (new, recurrent). Injury rate ratios (IRRs) were used to examine differential injury rates, and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were used to examine differential distributions. Results: A total of 3497 SRCs from 8,474,400 athlete-exposures (AEs) were reported during the study period (4.13 per 10,000 AEs); the competition-related SRC rate was higher than was the practice-related SRC rate (IRR, 4.12; 95% CI, 3.86-4.41). The highest SRC rates were observed in men’s ice hockey (7.35 per 10,000 AEs) and women’s soccer (7.15 per 10,000 AEs); rates in women’s soccer and volleyball increased during 2015/16-2018/19. Player contact was the most prevalently reported mechanism in men’s sports (77.0%), whereas equipment/apparatus contact was the most prevalently reported mechanism in women’s sports (39.2%). Sex-related differences were observed in soccer, basketball, softball/baseball, and swimming and diving. Most SRCs reported in men’s sports (84.3%) and women’s sports (81.1%) were reported as new injuries. Conclusion: Given the increasing SRC rates observed in women’s soccer and volleyball during the latter years of the study, these results indicate the need to direct further attention toward trajectories of SRC incidence in these sports. The prevalence of equipment/apparatus contact SRCs in women’s sports also suggests that SRC mechanisms in women’s sports warrant further investigation. As most SRCs during the study period were reported as new injuries, the prevalence of recurrent SRCs in men’s and women’s ice hockey is also noteworthy.

Information Technology in Sports Clothing

The purpose of this study, to meet the needs of Muslim women to carry out exercise activities so that Muslim women do not struggle to find clothes that fit their style in everyday life, using Social media as a tool for promotion. This study used a descriptive method to describe the efforts of Muslim women's sports clothing through social media as a promotional tool because nowadays many women who already use hijab during exercise. The results obtained from this research added employment opportunities. The reason to be accomplished and get noticed is the clarity of the utilization of social media and see what is being needed by women today. The conclusion of this research is young people especially those who have not opened the business, this business is used as an example or the first step of opening the daily effort to increase income and learn to become a professional entrepreneur

Sport Media Vectors: Gender and Diversity, Reconstructing the Field

In this book, Walzak, Collura and Vidotto bring together an invited collection of writing from emerging scholars about sports, sports media and equity. We are excited about this work as authors span from undergraduates and Masters students to doctoral candidates from Canada and Ireland. All of us are passionate and excited about the possibilities for equity and radical change that needs to happen across the sports and sports media landscape to make sports truly equitable. This collection reflects the author's personal investments and interest in sports. Chapter themes include racialized sports women, media inequities in women's sports including basketball, soccer and swimming, and personal narratives of disability in sport.

Re-thinking Women's Sport Research: Looking in the Mirror and Reflecting Forward

Despite decades of research and advocacy—women's professional sports continue to be considered second class to men's sports. The goal of this paper is to rethink how we state, present, and solve problems in women's sport. To affect true change, the wisdom of a broad stakeholder group was embraced such that varied perspectives could be considered. A three-question survey was developed to examine what key constituents believe is working in women's sports, what they believe the salient challenges are for women's sport, and how they would prioritize the next steps forward in the post-pandemic sport landscape. Results indicated siloed differences of opinion based upon the age and role of the stakeholder in the women's sport ecosystem. We discuss the implications and offer recommendations as to how we as scholars might recalibrate our approach to women's sport scholarship to maximize the impact of our research and affect change.

From the Editor

From the Editor, Dr. Miho J. Tanaka Journal of Women's Sports Medicine

History of Women's Sports Medicine

This editorial reviews the rationale for development of Women’s Sports Medicine Programs in the United States. Current issues surrounding the lack of sex-specific analysis in the published literature are reviewed. There is an ongoing need for basic, translational, and clinical research in optimizing care of female athletes and active women of all ages. The importance of the newly established Journal of Women’s Sports Medicine in fulfilling that need is discussed.

Content analysis of biological sex-specific media coverage of sport: The case of National Collegiate Athletic Association athletic department home webpages

Studies have found that media coverage of women's sports is inadequate when compared with coverage of men's sports with regards to the amount of coverage as well as the type of coverage across men's and women’s sports. With few exceptions, past research has found inequitable coverage of female and male athletes in every media form studied, from print and television to the internet. Some exceptions to the findings include not-for-profit media, such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association News, and internet-based publications. The current study combined the two media types to determine if athletic departments that are affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association offer more balanced coverage of female and male athletes on their official websites than has been found in past research. The results revealed that although the type of coverage the athletes received was similar, the amount was not. In articles and photographs on National Collegiate Athletic Association athletic department home webpages, females were underrepresented in comparison to their participation rates in collegiate athletics. These webpages from 30 not-for-profit, National Collegiate Athletic Association affiliated institutions, across six conferences, did not lead to the overall balance in coverage that was originally expected. implications for Title IX are discussed.