Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the association between the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with sociodemographic parameters and lifestyle during COVID-19 confinement in Mexico, Chile, and Spain. Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study, with 742 observations of online surveys in 422, 190, and 130 individuals from Mexico, Chile, and Spain, respectively. Sociodemographic data, presence of comorbidities, food habits, and physical activity (PA) patterns were evaluated. The HRQoL was evaluated according to the SF-36 Health Survey. The multilinear regression analysis was developed to determine the association of variables with HRQoL and its physical and mental health dimensions. Results: The female sex in the three countries reported negative association with HRQoL (Mexico: β −4.45, p = 0.004; Chile: β −8.48, p <0.001; Spain: β −6.22, p = 0.009). Similarly, bad eating habits were associated negatively with HRQoL (Mexico: β −6.64, p <0.001; Chile: β −6.66, p = 0.005; Spain: β −5.8, p = 0.032). In Mexico, PA limitations presented a negative association with HRQoL (β −4.71, p = 0.011). In Chile, a sedentary lifestyle (h/day) was linked negatively with HRQoL (β −0.64, p = 0.005). In Spain, the highest associations with HRQoL were the presence of comorbidity (β −11.03, p <0.001) and smoking (β −6.72, p = 0.02). Moreover, the PA limitation in Mexico (β −5.67, p = 0.023) and Chile (β −9.26, p = 0.035) was linked negatively with mental health. Conclusions: The bad eating habits, PA limitations, female sex, comorbidity presence, and smoking were parameters linked negatively with HRQoL.

Background: Evidence suggests that physical self-concept (PSC) is linked to well-being in children and adolescents. Objective: The objective was to investigate the association of PSC with mental health (i.e., depression and body image), physical status (i.e., fitness and weight status) and lifestyle (physical activity (PA) patterns and nutritional level) in Chilean schoolchildren. Methods: A total of 617 schoolchildren (n = 271 girls and n = 346 boys) aged 10–14 years participated in this study. Self-concept, depression and body image dissatisfaction were determined by questionnaires. Physical fitness, PA, screen time (ST), Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence and anthropometric parameters were also included. Results: Poor PSC was linked to bad cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) (<42 VO2max) (OR 1.64; 95%CI 1.12–2.34; p = 0.01), severe body image dissatisfaction (OR 2.51, 95%CI 0.99–6.35; p = 0.05), ST of more than two hours a day (OR 2.1; 95%CI 1.41–3.12; p < 0.001), PA after school of no more than two hours per week (OR 1.52; 95%CI 1.08–2.13; p = 0.015) and depression (OR 1.80; 95%CI 1.1–2.92; p = 0.017). High nutritional level showed an association with general PSC and general self-concept (p < 0.05). Absence of body image dissatisfaction was related to general self-concept (p < 0.01) and physical condition dimensions (p < 0.05). Conclusions: PSC is associated with CRF, PA after school, ST and nutritional level. According to mental health variables, poor PSC is related to depression in Chilean schoolchildren. Therefore, promoting a healthy lifestyle among children should be a target of community- and school-based interventions to promote PSC.

This study analyzed the relationship between athletes' perception of coach competence and their satisfaction, mediated by the influence of authentic leadership and perceived justice in team sports players. A cross-sectional study carried out with 115 (49.6% women and 50.4% men; 17.96 ± 2.85 years old; 8.18 ± 4.67 years of experience), soccer (53.9%), and handball (46.1%) players, all members of performance teams. The player's perception of coach competency, authentic leadership, justice, and satisfaction with the coach was measured. Correlation between variables and comparison throughout gender, sport, and experience were analyzed. Also, a multiple sequential mediation model was tested (coach competence → authentic leadership → coach justice → satisfaction with the coach, 95% CI 10,000 bootstrapping). There was a significant relationship ( p < 0.05) between all the variables, differences in the perception of satisfaction with the coach based on sport, and the perception of coach justice related to the years of experience in the sport. The multiple sequential mediation model (ɖ21 = 0.468; p < 0.001; IE = 0.098; CI = 0.020; 0.183), and the total indirect effect (IE = 0.310; CI = 0.138; 0.479) were significant. In conclusion, the results suggest that athletes emphasize that if the coach is competent and promotes justice to achieve the athlete's satisfaction without neglecting the influence of their authentic leadership style, this can strengthen their relationship and satisfaction with the coach.

This research aims at studying the effect of comparative feedback on psychological variables (competence valuation, perceived competence, autonomous motivation, amotivation, subjective well-being) and performance (throwing speed and accuracy). A total of 73 handball players from the highest Spanish handball (Iberdrola League) category participated in this study. After previously rating satisfaction with their head coach, they were indiscriminately assigned to one of three different experimental conditions measuring feedback, positive, negative, and none. There were significant differences in competence valuation, perceived competence, autonomous motivation, and throwing speed in the three feedback groups, more concretely, low satisfaction with the head coach. Positive effects were found when there was low satisfaction with the coach and positive feedback on the competence valuation, autonomous motivation, and throwing speed compared to negative or no feedback. These results have important implications for optimizing coaches’ behaviors in relation to athlete well-being and performance.

In the handball initiation, different elements are involved to train all the participant children, in order to develop their psychomotricity to solve different tasks that the game presents to them. For this, the competition is a space where the players can put into practice the learning they have developed. However, in Latin America, the structure and focus of the competition do not necessarily allow this to happen. From this perspective, the objective of this study is to understand how the pedagogical approach or the lack of it regarding competition impacts the learning processes of children who are beginners in handball in Latin America. Qualitative research with a phenomenological design was used. As inclusion criteria, the participants were required to be: a) physical education teachers; b) to be linked to the initiation stages of Handball; c) a minimum of 5 years of experience working in Latin America. As result, the value of competition to generate integration of learning in players and a progressive approach to game situations is highlighted. Therefore, it is concluded that any training action in the initiation to sport must be contextualized as a space rich in learning, so the competition must also be. En la iniciación al balonmano intervienen elementos que buscan capacitar psicomotrizmente a todos los niños participantes para resolver diferentes tareas que presenta el juego. Para ello, la competición es un espacio donde los jugadores pueden poner en práctica los aprendizajes desarrollados. Sin embargo, en Latinoamérica, la estructura y el enfoque de la competencia no necesariamente permite que esto suceda. Desde esa perspectiva, el objetivo del presente estudio es el comprender como el enfoque pedagógico o la inexistencia de este respecto a la competencia impacta los procesos de aprendizaje de los niños iniciantes en balonmano en Latinoamérica. Se utilizó la investigación cualitativa con un diseño fenomenológico. Como criterios de inclusión se exigió que los participantes sean: a) profesores de educación física; b) que estén vinculados a las etapas de iniciación al Balonmano (de benjamín a mini); c) mínimo 5 años de experiencia trabajando en Latinoamérica. Como resultados se destaca el valor que tiene la competición para generar integración de aprendizajes en los jugadores y un acercamiento progresivo a las situaciones del juego. Por lo tanto, se concluye que toda acción formativa en la iniciación al deporte debe estar contextualizada como un espacio rico en aprendizajes, por lo que la competencia también lo debe ser.