Ana Sofia Fernandes Ribeiro

Objective: To examine the psychosocial impact and parental stress associated with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities in children, with a particular focus on the relationships between parental response styles and family stress and impact. Design: A descriptive, cross‐sectional, prospective study was conducted. Methods: The study included parents of children with neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities. Participants completed the Family Management Style Framework, Parenting Stress Index, and Parental Response Style Questionnaire. In addition, clinical characteristics related to psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders were collected via parent‐reported questionnaire items and analysed as categorical variables. Results: One hundred parents participated in the survey, with data from 100 children analysed. Discomfort and Stress showed positive and significant relationships with all the factors of the Parental Response Style Questionnaire, except for Overprotection, while the Family Management Style Framework subscales did so with the Apathy/dysphoria. The presence and clinical complexity of psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders were significantly associated with higher levels of parental stress and family impact. Conclusions: Families of children with intellectual disabilities face substantial challenges that affect family functioning and daily activities. The presence and clinical complexity of psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders emerged as key clinical characteristics associated with increased parental stress and family impact. Given the cross‐sectional design of the study, these findings should be interpreted as associative, and no causal, directional, or temporal inferences can be drawn. Impact: Parents provided critical insights into the challenges of caring for children with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities, contributing to a better understanding of family dynamics and stress‐related factors. Identifying relevant clinical characteristics may help nurses and other health professionals tailor family‐centred interventions. Reporting Method: This paper is reported according to the STROBE Statement. Patient or Public Contribution: Parents of children with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities were the subjects of data collection for this study and participated in the survey after providing voluntary consent to participate.

To examine the psychosocial impact and parental stress associated with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities in children, with a particular focus on the relationships between parental response styles and family stress and impact. A descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted. The study included parents of children with neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities. Participants completed the Family Management Style Framework, Parenting Stress Index, and Parental Response Style Questionnaire. In addition, clinical characteristics related to psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders were collected via parent-reported questionnaire items and analysed as categorical variables. One hundred parents participated in the survey, with data from 100 children analysed. Discomfort and Stress showed positive and significant relationships with all the factors of the Parental Response Style Questionnaire, except for Overprotection, while the Family Management Style Framework subscales did so with the Apathy/dysphoria. The presence and clinical complexity of psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders were significantly associated with higher levels of parental stress and family impact. Families of children with intellectual disabilities face substantial challenges that affect family functioning and daily activities. The presence and clinical complexity of psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders emerged as key clinical characteristics associated with increased parental stress and family impact. Given the cross-sectional design of the study, these findings should be interpreted as associative, and no causal, directional, or temporal inferences can be drawn. Parents provided critical insights into the challenges of caring for children with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities, contributing to a better understanding of family dynamics and stress-related factors. Identifying relevant clinical characteristics may help nurses and other health professionals tailor family-centred interventions. This paper is reported according to the STROBE Statement. Parents of children with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities were the subjects of data collection for this study and participated in the survey after providing voluntary consent to participate.

Background: Tele-exercise—using mobile apps or digital platforms—has expanded access to guided physical activity, potentially contributing to public health. The motivational mechanisms that drive individuals to use mobile fitness apps may differ from more traditional forms of exercise and remain limited. Given that motivation undeniably plays a role in the uptake and maintenance of exercise, this study aims to provide insight into the motivational regulation of tele-exercise users, based on the self-determination theory. Methods: An ad hoc scale was developed. Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the scale. Data were inferentially analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Results: The ad hoc scale showed adequate consistency indices with reliability values ≥0.83, for all (i.e., intrinsic, identified, introjected) motivation dimensions. CFA confirmed the factor structure, with loads >0.51, and composite reliabilities 0.54 to 0.74, for each factor. Construct validity was proven adequate through adjustment of indices tests [Comparative Fit Index (CFI) =0.990; Tucker & Lewis Index (TLI) =0.976, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) =0.058]. Statistically significant differences were found relative to sex, previous activity level and fitness goal, for some but not all motivation types (n=753). No statistically significant differences were found for motivation, relative to age. Conclusions: The common understanding that intrinsic motivation is desirable for sustained behavior change may need to be reinterpreted for the field of leisure-time, tele-exercise. These findings provide new insights into how motivation varies among fitness app users and suggest that digital interventions may benefit from reframing motivational strategies to better support exercise adherence.

Background: Pediatric illnesses not only impose physical challenges on affected children, but also profoundly impact their emotional well-being. Understanding how parents respond to their children’s psychological distress during medical experiences is crucial for enhancing the overall support provided to these families. Aim: This study evaluated the internal structure of the Parental Response Styles Questionnaire (PRSQ), designed to differentiate parental responses to psychological distress in children with pediatric illnesses. Methods: A sample of 701 parents of children with medical issues responded to the PRSQ, reporting their different emotional expressions and responses to their children’s expressions of distress during the medical experience. Results: Factor analysis confirmed, in three of the five subsamples, an internal scale structure consisting of four factors: apathy and dysphoria, irritability and rejection, overprotectiveness, and perceived maladjustment. The invariance analyses revealed that congenital heart disease and neurological disorders are more similar in function to each other than pediatric cancer. Parents of children with neurological disorders exhibited a notably insecure pattern of parental responsiveness. Conclusions: In pediatric contexts, parental responses to their children’s emotional distress are significant factors in the process of adaptation. These responses can be measured, differentiated, and, ideally, managed by nurses and other healthcare professionals. The Parental Response Styles Questionnaire (PRSQ) is a promising tool for assessing parental reactions during their children’s treatment, and its structure appears to be particularly robust across diagnoses such as pediatric cancer, congenital heart disease, and neurological disorders.

This cross-sectional observational study aims to determine isokinetic normality data at different speeds, and isometric data of ankle and knee joints, in healthy basketball players aged 15–16 years old. The participants were recruited through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, and biomechanical variables were collected. The study involved 42 participants. Right-leg dominance was higher in women (85.7%) than in men (78.6%). Men had a higher weight, height, and body mass index compared to women. Statistically significant differences were observed between sex and height (p < 0.001). Significant differences were found between sexes in knee flexor and extensor strength at different isokinetic speeds (30°, 120°, and 180°/s), except for the maximum peak strength knee flexion at 180°/s in the right leg. In the ankle, the variables inversion, eversion, and work strength values at different isokinetic speeds and full RoM, by sex, were not significantly different, except for the right (p = 0.004) and the left (p = 0.035) ankle full RoM. The study found lower knee extensor strength in women, indicating the need to improve knee flexor/extensor strength in women to match that of men, as seen in other joints. The results can guide the development of preventive and therapeutic interventions for lower limb injuries in basketball players.

The technological transformation and advertising utilized in the footwear industry significantly impact purchasing decisions. The gait properties, barefoot and with shoes, change depending on the footwear structure. The aim of this work is the biomechanical analysis of walking barefoot and with different sports shoes in a controlled group of 12 children between 4 and 6 years old. Kinematic and spatiotemporal variables were analyzed using a BTS motion capture analysis system with the Helen Hayes protocol. Previously, a survey was carried out with 262 families with children between 4 and 6 years old to justify the choice of footwear for this study. No significant differences were found between any of the measured conditions. The kinematic results showed significant differences in the ankle (right sagittal plane p = 0.04, left p < 0.01; right frontal plane p < 0.01, left p < 0.01), knee (right and left sagittal plane p < 0.01) and hip (right sagittal plane p < 0.01, left p = 0.04; right frontal plane p = 0.03). Additionally, the post hoc analysis revealed significant differences between barefoot gait and different footwear. The footwear used for this study and each one’s various characteristics are not preponderant in the spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters of the children’s gait. Thus, the footwear purchase may be conditioned by its design or composition and other properties may not be relevant.