Paulo Martins

Physical education (PE) occupies a distinctive position at the intersection of education, health, movement, and human development. Earlier volumes of this Research Topic have reflected the breadth of questions arising at this intersection, including motor competence, health, motivation, well-being, and pedagogical innovation. Volume III continues this broad inquiry through contributions that examine movement and physical activity from different physical, psychological, educational, relational, and social perspectives.The collection does not presuppose that these perspectives form a single explanatory sequence. Rather, their coexistence creates an opportunity to consider where different lines of inquiry intersect, where they remain distinct, and what questions become visible when physical education, health, and educational innovation are examined within the same research space.Volume III brings together a broad and methodologically diverse body of work spanning children, adolescents, university students, athletes, pre-service and practising teachers, as well as family and community contexts. The contributions include controlled and quasi-experimental interventions, longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, qualitative research, instrument and indicator development, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, alongside protocol and opinion articles. This diversity reflects the breadth of the Research Topic itself, encompassing questions of health and well-being, physical and motor competence, cognition and learning, motivation and engagement, professional competence, social relationships, and pedagogical and technological innovation.Rather than forming a single coherent framework, these strands intersect at multiple points while also retaining important conceptual and methodological differences. Considered together, they provide a broad view of the questions that emerge when physical education, health, and educational innovation are examined within the same research space.From physical and motor competence to health, learning, and development Physical and motor competence offer an important starting point for understanding how movement may relate to broader developmental outcomes. Across Volume III, competence is approached at different levels, from fundamental motor skills and physical fitness to physical literacy and broader competencies developed through PE. Although these constructs are not interchangeable, together they reinforce the importance of considering what individuals are able to do, understand, and experience through movement, rather than reducing physical activity to its frequency or intensity alone. A meta-analysis of fundamental motor skill interventions in preschool children (Li et al.) reported improvements extending beyond motor outcomes to executive functions and socialemotional competence, while an interdisciplinary model of preschool motor health (Du et al.) addressed the assessment of children's motor development from a broader health perspective. At later developmental stages, school-based HIIT (Pérez-Ramírez et al.) and aerobic exercise combined with blood-flow restriction (Jiang and Che) linked changes in physical fitness with cognitive or mentalhealth outcomes, and a prescription-based health-education programme integrating functional movement screening (Li et al.) illustrated how assessment, exercise prescription, and health education can be combined within a more individualised intervention.Physical literacy is represented through several distinct contributions. Volume III includes the development and validation of a physical-literacy assessment questionnaire for college students (Liu et al.), an examination of physical literacy, physical-activity attitudes, and sustainable healthy lifestyles among adolescents (İlbak et al.), and an exploratory study of how Cypriot PE teachers understand and engage with physical literacy (Christodoulides et al.). A quasi-experimental study of elective PE and core PE competencies (Wang et al.) similarly examines students' perceived competencies within a particular curricular context. Together, these contributions illustrate the importance of considering movement capability alongside knowledge, motivation, and opportunities for continued participation.The relationship between movement and learning is also addressed through cognitive processes. A review of physical activity and children's cognitive function (Dong and Wang) highlights the potential relevance of cognitively engaging forms of activity, while research on 24-h movement behaviours, inhibitory control, and learning ability (Chang and Huang) and a follow-up exercise intervention examining executive functions in typical pupils and pupils with language-learning difficulties (Shi et al.) further connect movement with cognitive and educational outcomes. These studies place movement in relation to cognitive and educational outcomes, while differences in design and population caution against assuming a single explanatory pathway.Health and well-being broaden this developmental picture further. Across the collection, movement and physical activity are examined in relation to a wide range of health-related outcomes, including social-emotional competence (Fu et al.), mental health (Zhang et al.), emotional and behavioural problems (Shi et al.), problematic mobile-phone use (Shi et al.), and mental-health literacy (Chen and Wang). These relationships are explored through psychological and educational processes such as resilience, school adaptation, and autonomous fitness behaviour, illustrating the diversity of pathways through which movement may be associated with health and well-being. These contributions alsoshow that health-related outcomes associated with movement are not reducible to physical or motor competence alone and are examined alongside psychological resources, behavioural patterns, and educational conditions.Importantly, learning-related outcomes in...

Contemporary society demands the training of children and adolescents in environments that promote respect and educational values. That being said, educating children and adolescents extends beyond the mere transmission of academic content. It involves fostering individuals who are healthy, responsible, and prepared to face life's challenges. This requires an educational environment grounded in respect, human values, and practices that promote physical, mental, and social well-being. In this context, Physical Education (PE) emerges as a pivotal discipline in promoting healthy habits, encompassing regular physical activity, proper nutrition, and the reduction of sedentary behavior.The World Health Organization (WHO) warns of the high rates of overweight and obesity, urging immediate action. In fact, the WHO has highlighted the concerning rates of overweight and obesity among young people in various countries, emphasizing the need for preventive actions starting from the early stages of schooling. Formal education, especially Physical Education, plays a crucial role in improving healthy habits through educational programs. Since the 20th century, studies have increased in educational centers and sports schools, not only promoting physical activity but also seeking to generate long-term adherence among students and athletes. This second volume of the Research Topic Physical Education, Health and Education Innovation includes contributions that highlight innovative programs promoting healthy habits related to physical activity, nutrition, and mental well-being in formal education, including primary, secondary, and university students. As said, schools, as significant social institutions, play a leading role in combating these issues, particularly through educational programs integrated into PE classes. Recent research indicates that as students progress through the educational system, especially in Secondary Education, there is a tendency to decrease physical activity and increase behaviors detrimental to health, such as alcohol and tobacco use, poor nutrition, and sedentary lifestyles. Therefore, PE should not be limited to encouraging occasional sports practice but should aim to develop continuous adherence to physical activity and sport throughout students' lives. Innovative interventions, such as that proposed by Deng L. et al., involving complex exercises like fancy rope-skipping, have demonstrated benefits not only in motor coordination but also in developing cognitive skills like selective attention and concentration. Incorporating such practices into the school curriculum can be an effective and accessible strategy to enhance students' holistic development.Another critical aspect related to physical activity is its contribution to mental health and social interaction within the school environment. Research by Galán-Arroyo et al., shows that physical self-efficacy—the perception of one's motor competence—can act as a protective factor against bullying. Students who feel physically capable tend to exhibit greater self-confidence and social skills, reducing their vulnerability to situations of violence or exclusion.In this regard, PE also becomes a privileged space for developing pro-social values such as empathy, cooperation, and respect for diversity. Ongoing teacher training, as discussed by Hernández-González et al., should include inclusive pedagogical strategies capable of meeting the needs of all students, including students with disabilities, fostering an inclusive and equitable school environment.Interventions conducted in Primary Education, such as the study by Gallotta MC. et al., reinforce the importance of balancing study time with moments of movement and physical stimulation. Simple and playful activities, like rope skipping, have shown positive effects on motor coordination and attention in children aged 7 to 9 years. Similarly, Urbano-Mairena et al., highlight the benefits of active breaks during lessons, which can significantly increase physical activity levels without compromising academic performance. Moreover, a positive effect has also been reported as a result of approaches that combine sport and learning to promote the healthy development of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The study by Wang Y. et al., shows that a Badminton ‘Body-Smart Integration’ intervention can improve the cognitive ability of students with intellectual disabilities, with the latter showing a significant improvement in cognitive ability compared to students in the badminton group and the control group.Beyond childhood, the implementation of physical activity programs has also proven effective in reducing screen time among university students, as observed by Özkara AB. et al. Encouraging participation in active leisure activities contributes to a a healthier and more balanced routine. Although often seen as a culprit in promoting sedentary behavior, technology, when well applied, can be an ally in the educational process. Cui Z. et al., identified a positive relationship between the use of digital technologies and students' physical outcomes, provided there is genuine engagement with the proposed activities. In this case, engagement serves as a key mediator for the success of technological interventions.Zhao and Ji., on the other hand, explored the use of virtual reality in teaching sailing and showed that this technology can significantly enhance students' intrinsic motivation and learning compared to traditional methods. This approach appears promising, especially in contexts where practical teaching faces structural limitations.In the sports field, the coach plays a central role in the development of young athletes. Studies like that of Liu X. et al., reveal that individualized strategies, combining physical and psychological aspects, are essential for guiding athletes toward healthy and sustainable choices.However, the competitive...

Psychotherapeutic Playback Theatre (PPT) is a new psychotherapeutic format inspired by Playback Theatre and several therapies. The research presented here aims to study the impact of PPT on the Well-being and Psychological Distress of participants in this expressive-based group psychotherapy. To achieve this, after training 30 psychotherapists and creating an implementation handbook for their use, the research team assisted 20 of them (individually or in groups of two or three) in implementing therapeutic groups that offered 12 weekly sessions, each lasting two to three hours. Nine groups were formed, including a total of 50 participants, who were assessed before and after the PPT program using questionnaires evaluating Psychological Distress and Well-being. The latter consisted of six subscales: Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Personal Growth, Positive Relations with Others, Purpose in Life, and Self-Acceptance. A control group of 50 participants was assessed using the same variables. No significant differences were found between pre- and post-tests in the control group. However, significant differences were observed in the PPT group, with Psychological Distress decreasing and Well-being improving, both on the total scale and across all subscales except for Self-Acceptance. This set of results allows us to establish connections between participation in the PPT sessions and the positive psycho-emotional effects on participants.

Background/Objectives Accurate assessments of energy intake (EI) are needed in lifestyle interventions to guarantee a negative energy balance (EB), thereby losing weight. This study aimed (1) to compare objectively measured and self-reported EI and (2) to determine the predictors of underreporting divided by sex, adiposity and BMI category. Methods Seventy-three participants [mean (SD): 43.7 (9.2) years, BMI = 31.5 (4.5) kg/m², 37% females] of the Champ4Life intervention were included in this study. EI was measured using the “intake-balance method” and self-reported through 3-day food records. Fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Bland–Altman analysis was performed to compare both EI assessments. Results Self-reported EI was lower than measured EI during both neutral (–355 kcal/d) and negative EB (–570 kal/day). While no significant trends were observed for EI evaluation in either neutral (p = 0.315) or negative EB (p = 0.611), limits of agreement were wide (–1720 to 1010 and –1920 to 779 kcal/day, respectively). In females, the degree of misreporting (kcal/day and %) was predicted by weight (p = 0.032 and p = 0.039, respectively) and FM (p = 0.029 and p = 0.037, respectively). In males, only BMI (p = 0.036) was a predictor of misreporting (kcal/day). Conclusion Self-reported EI did not agree with measured EI. Our results show that larger body size was associated with higher levels of underestimation for EI (females only). Nevertheless, misreporting EI is a complex issue involving more associations than merely body composition. A deeper understanding could inform counseling for participants filling out food records in other to reduce misreporting and improve validity.

Client feedback research is a new but encouraging area that recognizes the importance of engaging patients in offered treatments and the relevance of the relationship between therapist and client. This study aimed to explore clients’ experiences of goal-oriented work using Personal Projects Analysis (PPA). PPA was applied to 5 participants of a psychodrama group after their consent and in agreement with the ethics and deontology research university committee. Their progress was evaluated with Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM; 4 moments) and subjective well-being measures. Findings show how personal projects may be informative about clients’ difficulties and change processes. All outcomes on CORE-OM went below clinical cut-off points, and all these changes are reliable and clinically significant. PPA offers a consistent way to implement the goals approach in a psychotherapeutic context successfully. Nevertheless, some adjustments need to be implemented in the goal-oriented work using PPA.

The Ageing Attitudes Questionnaire—AAQ was validated for the Portuguese population to understand the importance of attitudes towards old age and their impact on the subjective well-being of older adults. A sample of 400 subjects (from 18 to 93 years) answered a socio-demographic questionnaire, and the AAQ, composed of three subscales (psychosocial losses, physical change, and psychological growth). The CFA confirmed the tri-factorial structure with very good adjustment of the model to the data, with the Cronbach alpha of the total scale scoring 0.84 and ranging from 0.65 to 0.77 for each factor. A total of nine items were omitted for poor factor loadings (<0.50), namely in factor 1 items 9-17-20, in factor 2 items 7 and 24 and, finally, in factor 3 we omitted items 4-18-19-21. Notwithstanding, three items below the criteria were maintained, as they conceptually fit into the factor. Of the final 15 AAQ items, 5 belong to the Psychosocial Loss Factor, 6 to Physical Change Factor, and 4 to Psychosocial Growth Factor. This tree factor model explained 50.1% of the total variance. In conclusion, this study supports that AAQ has acceptable validity, confirming the composite reliability and the discriminant validity, but not the convergent validity. Through multi-group analysis, the invariance of the scale was confirmed. This validation is of pivotal importance once it allows measuring attitudes towards ageing in the Portuguese population, thus facilitating the prevention of ageism and the promotion of well-being across the lifespan.

Scientific literature shows increased interest in the aged and the aging phenomenon. The Aging Attitudes Questionnaire - AAQ was validated for the Portuguese population to understand the importance of attitudes towards old age and their impact on the subjective well-being of the elderly. A sample of 400 subjects (from 18 to 93 years) answered a socio-demographic questionnaire, and the AAQ was composed of three subscales (psychosocial losses, physical change, and psychological growth). The CFA confirmed the tri-factorial structure with very good adjustment of the model to the data with the Cronbach alpha of the total scale scoring .84 and ranging from .65 to .77 for each factor. A total of 9 items were omitted both for poor factor loadings (<0.50. Notwithstanding, 3 items below the criteria were maintained, as they conceptually fit into the factor. Of the final 15 AAQp items, 5 belong to the Psychosocial Loss factor, 6 to Physical Change, and 4 to Psychosocial Growth. This tree factor model explained 50.1 % of the total variance. In conclusion, this study supports that AAQ has acceptable validity, confirming the composite reliability and the discriminant validity, but not the convergent validity. Through multi-group analysis, the invariance of the scale was confirmed. This validation is of pivotal importance once it allows measuring the attitudes towards aging, thus facilitating the promotion of wellbeing across the lifespan.

Purpose Despite adaptive thermogenesis (AT) being studied as a barrier to weight loss (WL), few studies assessed AT in the resting energy expenditure (REE) compartment after WL maintenance. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to understand if AT occurs after a moderate WL and if AT persists after a period of WL maintenance; and (2) if AT is associated with changes in body composition, hormones and energy intake (EI). Methods Ninety-four participants [mean (SD); BMI, 31.1(4.3)kg/m²; 43.0(9.4)y; 34% female] were randomized to intervention (IG, n = 49) or control groups (CG, n = 45). Subjects underwent a 1-year lifestyle intervention, divided in 4 months of an active WL followed by 8 months of WL maintenance. Fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and REE by indirect calorimetry. Predicted REE (pREE) was estimated through a model using FM, FFM. EI was measured by the “intake-balance” method. Results For the IG, the weight and FM losses were − 4.8 (4.9) and − 11.3 (10.8)%, respectively (p < 0.001). A time–group interaction was found between groups for AT. After WL, the IG showed an AT of -85(29) kcal.d⁻¹ (p < 0.001), and remained significant after 1 year [AT = − 72(31)kcal.d⁻¹, p = 0.031]. Participants with higher degrees of restriction were those with an increased energy conservation (R = − 0.325, p = 0.036 and R = − 0.308, p = 0.047, respectively). No associations were found between diet adherence and AT. Following a sub-analysis in the IG, the group with a higher energy conservation showed a lower WL and fat loss and a higher initial EI. Conclusion AT in REE occurred after a moderate WL and remained significant after WL maintenance. More studies are needed to better clarify the mechanisms underlying the large variability observed in AT and providing an accurate methodological approach to avoid overstatements. Future studies on AT should consider not only changes in FM and FFM but also the FFM composition.

Spontaneity and its connections to mental health and wellbeing are a central issue in both theory and practice of psychodrama, and the specialized literature sometimes even associates the presence of pathology to a lack of spontaneity. This paper describes spontaneity in Moreno’s theory, its assessment, its association with other measures and concepts, and scientific advances in the field. Specifically, we present results obtained with the English and Portuguese-language versions concerning its assessment. The main purpose of this work was to study the spontaneity measure (SAI-R) in a 3 first-order factors version for a Portuguese sample of 439 subjects, divided into two independent samples. The mean age of participants was 25.6 years (SD = 10.2), and ages ranged between 18 and 64 years. Data was collected through an online platform of a Portuguese market research company. The results revealed that the 3-factor model has acceptable validity for items 1 (“Creative”) and 7 (“Euphoric”), confirming the composite reliability, the convergent validity, but not the discriminant validity. Through multi-group analysis, the model proved to be stable. Notwithstanding the need for complementary studies, including clinical samples, the SAI-R is a short and valid instrument in clinical and non-clinical contexts when evaluating spontaneity.

Spontaneity and its connections to mental health and wellbeing are a central issue in both theory and practice of psychodrama, and the specialized literature sometimes even associates the presence of pathology to a lack of spontaneity. This paper describes spontaneity in Moreno's theory, its assessment, its association with other measures and concepts, and scientific advances in the field. Specifically, we present results obtained with the English and Portuguese-language versions concerning its assessment. The main purpose of this work was to study the spontaneity measure (SAI-R) in a 3 first-order factors version for a Portuguese sample of 719 subjects, divided into two independent samples. The participants were aged 18 to 69. The mean age of participants was 28.5 years (SD = 7.51), and ages ranged between 18 and 69 years. Data was collected through an online platform of a Portuguese market research company. The results revealed that the 3-factor model has acceptable validity when items 1 (“Creative”) and 7 (“Euphoric”), confirming the composite reliability, the convergent validity, but not the discriminant validity. Through multigroup analysis, the model showed to be stable. Notwithstanding the need for complementary studies, including clinical samples, the SAI-R is a short and valid instrument in clinical and non-clinical contexts when evaluating spontaneity.