Marta Sevilla-Sanchez

Addictive behaviours are associated with substantial neurobiological, psychological, and behavioural impairments. Exercise training has emerged as a potential complementary strategy in addiction treatment; however, the characteristics of exercise interventions and their associated outcomes remain insufficiently characterized. This scoping review (ScR) was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Searches were conducted across three electronic databases for studies published between January 2015 and March 2025. Eligible studies investigated structured exercise training interventions in individuals with substance-related or behavioural addictions. Data were extracted regarding study characteristics, addiction type, exercise modality, FITT parameters, and neurobiological, biochemical, psychological, behavioural, and addiction-related outcomes. Five human intervention studies met the inclusion criteria, all addressing substance-related addictions, including alcohol use disorder, methamphetamine use disorder, and polysubstance dependence. Three studies evaluated acute exercise interventions, whereas two investigated structured exercise programmes lasting 8–12 weeks. Aerobic exercise was the most frequently investigated modality, although combined aerobic and resistance training, yoga, cycling, soccer-based exercise, circuit training, and functional exercise were also identified. Exercise intensity ranged from moderate to vigorous, with substantial variability in frequency, session duration, intervention period, and reporting of progression, supervision, and adherence. Reported outcomes included dopamine-related measures, mood, anxiety, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, affect, and craving. The available evidence suggests potentially relevant effects of exercise across neurobiological, psychological, and addiction-related domains, but the limited number and heterogeneity of studies preclude conclusions regarding the effectiveness of specific exercise prescriptions. The current evidence base on structured exercise training in addictive behaviours remains limited and heterogeneous and is restricted, among the eligible intervention studies identified, to substance-related addictions. Exercise may represent a promising complementary approach, but evidence is insufficient to establish optimal exercise modalities, FITT prescriptions, or sustained clinical benefits. Future research should prioritize adequately powered longitudinal randomized controlled trials, standardized reporting of exercise prescription and adherence, and comprehensive assessment of clinically relevant addiction-related outcomes.

Background: Childhood nutrition is essential for development and disease prevention. Parental dietary practices and sociodemographic factors shape children’s eating habits. Objective: To assess the association between parental diet quality, children’s diet, and nutritional status, as well as the influence of caregiver sociodemographic factors. Design: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using data from two waves of the PASOS study (2019–2020 and 2022–2023), which are nationally representative multicentre observational surveys. The analyses were restricted to participants with complete information on parental diet quality, children’s diet quality, and relevant covariates. Methods: Participants aged 8–16 years from the PASOS 2019–2020 (n = 1028) and 2022–2023 (n = 572) studies were included. Caregivers provided sociodemographic information and completed the Short Diet Quality Screener (SDQS), a validated questionnaire to assess parental diet quality. Children’s diet quality was assessed using the validated KIDMED index. Based on parental SDQS scores, participants were classified into low (≤50th percentile) or adequate/high (>50th percentile) diet quality groups. Associations were analysed using logistic regression and Pearson correlation. Results: Higher parental diet quality was consistently associated with greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet and higher consumption of fruit, breakfast cereals, and fish among children in both study waves. Children whose caregivers had better diet quality also showed a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity. Parental diet quality was positively associated with children’s diet quality and inversely related to several adiposity indicators, although associations with anthropometric measures were generally weak. Conclusions: Family-based approaches are essential for improving diet quality and preventing childhood obesity.

Introduction: Monitoring childhood obesity at a national scale is essential for planning health policies. This study analyzes the 2 decades secular trends of pediatric weight status in Spain. Methods: Comparison of two nationwide representative cross-sectional studies: EnKid, conducted from 1998 to 2000, and PASOS from 2019 to 2020. Healthy weight, overweight, obesity, excess weight, severe obesity, and abdominal obesity were estimated. Analyses were stratified by developmental stage, gender, and mother educational level. Results: From 2000 to 2019, the prevalence of abdominal obesity significantly increased from 16.0% to 22.6% (p < 0.05). Girls experienced a significant rise in the prevalence of obesity: from 3.16% to 7.20% (p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis revealed a significantly higher odd ratio of excess weight (1.17, 95% CI: 1.01–1.36; p = 0.043), obesity (1.43, 95% CI: 1.08–1.90; p < 0.001), and abdominal obesity (1.57, 95% CI: 1.31–1.88; p < 0.05) in 2019 than in 2000. Moreover, we found a strong significant increase in the likelihood of obesity (2.40; 95% CI: 1.44–3.97; p < 0.01), severe obesity (4.56; 95% CI: 1.07–19.4; p = 0.04), and abdominal obesity (2.48; 95% CI: 1.82–3.37; p < 0.001) among girls. Finally, in 2019, lower socioeconomic status participants were also more likely to present excess weight (1.25; 95% CI: 1.05–1.48; p < 0.05), obesity (1.45; 95% CI: 1.07–1.97; p < 0.05), and abdominal obesity (1.65; 95% CI: 1.35–2.02; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Pediatric obesity has increased in Spain over 2 decades. Effective health policies are urgent.

The relevance of force steadiness (FS) in relation to task performance remains unclear. This systematic review with meta‐analysis examines the strength of the relationship between FS and the physical task performance aspect of functionality in older adults, focusing on both upper and lower limbs. We conducted a comprehensive search across databases, including MEDLINE, Ovid, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science, up to February 2024. We included correlations from observational or longitudinal studies that provided objective measures of task performance in both healthy and unhealthy older adults. A meta‐analysis with robust variance estimation was performed to account for dependencies among effect sizes. Of 1293 studies screened, 21 met the inclusion criteria and 15 contributed data to the meta‐analysis. Our findings revealed a moderate, statistically significant relationship between FS and task performance in the upper limbs ( r = 0.58, 95% CI [0.49–0.65], p < 0.01) with negligible heterogeneity ( I ² = 0%). For the lower limbs, the relationship was also moderate ( r = 0.45, 95% CI [0.27–0.58], p < 0.01) but with moderate heterogeneity ( I ² = 50.66%). These results highlight a notable association between FS and physical function in both upper and lower limbs. However, caution is warranted due to the moderate to high risk of bias in 13 studies and evidence of publication bias in studies focused on the upper limbs. Despite these limitations, our study emphasizes the importance of FS in clinical practice and underscores the need for improved methods in measuring FS and its link to physical function. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42021247720

This scoping review aims to map existing evidence on the effects of judo and wrestling on cognitive performance in youth. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was followed, retrieving documents from inception up to March 2025. The search encompassed six electronic databases: Web of Science, SCOPUS, PubMed, Sport Discus, ERIC, and PsycInfo; and other identification methods. Eligible studies included original studies involving judo or Olympic wrestling practices, with or without control groups, acute or chronic, of both sexes, age >6 and <18 years old, from any competitive level. Quantitative assessments of executive functions, cognitive performance, or academic achievement were required for inclusion. A total of 1368 studies were initially identified, and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles were included in this scoping review, encompassing a combined sample of 683 participants (50% males). As a result, despite the heterogeneous nature of interventions with varying types and characteristics, the studies consistently revealed a positive association between judo or wrestling practice and behavioral and neurocognitive variables. Notwithstanding, it is essential to note that the suboptimal overall quality of the included studies. The findings suggest potential executive function benefits from judo or wrestling in youth. However, results require cautious interpretation due to limited rigorous research. Future studies should examine dose-response relationships considering age, maturation, experience, and include active control groups.

Introduction: This study examines the distribution of events and event records (EVRs) in elite judo competitions, encompassing both male and female categories. Sample: By analyzing data from the 2018, 2019, and 2021 World Championships, the study incorporates 6487 events (EVs) and 2340 contests classified by their last event (cEV). Results: The predominant occurrence of EV2 and EV3 in male (23.2% and 36.6%) and female (26.8% and 31.7%) contests suggests consistent patterns. Statistical analyses reveal non-uniform distributions of events within temporal units (TUs). Small associations were found between EVRs and TUs for EV1, EV2 and EV3 (Cramer’s V = 0.103 to 0.171; p<0.001), while moderate associations were observed for EV4 (Cramer’s V = 0.260 to 0.271; p<0.001) with no associations detected for EV5 and EV6, in both sexes. Female contests generally feature fewer events, concentrated within the same TU, indicating shorter durations compared to males. The study emphasizes the association between the occurrence of EVRs and the moment they occur, demonstrating similar patterns across sexes. Waza-ari was significantly overrepresented in the TU1 for both males and females (SR = 2.1 and 2.2, respectively). In contrast, Ippon was overrepresented in the Golden Score (TU-GS) period (SR = 3.3) for males. Notably, cEV1, cEV2, and cEV3 exhibit timing variations between male and female categories, while cEV4 share equivalent timing. Conclusion: This research provides comprehensive insights into the dynamics of elite judo contests, informing professionals on the nuanced strategies needed for male and female judo athletes. The observed tendency of athletes to adopt an offensive approach at the beginning of contests, focusing on throws or body controls in groundwork over penalizations, adds a valuable layer to understanding the competitive dynamics in judo.

Purpose: Physical activity (PA) provides multiple health-related benefits in children and adolescents, however, at present, the majority of young people are insufficiently physically active. The aim of this study was to evaluate if neighborhood walkability and/or socio-economic status (SES) could affect the practice of walking, play outdoors and sports practice in a representative sample of Spanish children and adolescents. Methods: A sample of 4092 youth (aged 8–16 years old) from 245 primary and secondary schools in 121 localities from each of the 17 Spanish autonomous communities participated in the study. Walk Score was used to evaluate walkability of the neighborhood and household income was used as an indicator of SES. A 7-item self-reported validated questionnaire, was used to assess PA levels, and in a subsample of 10% of the participants, randomly selected from the entire sample, PA was objectively measured by accelerometers. Results: Youth from more walkable areas reported more minutes walking per day compared with those from less walkable neighborhoods (51.4 vs 48.8 minutes, respectively). The lowest average minutes spent in playing outdoors was found among participants from low-SES and low-walkable neighborhoods. Neighborhood SES influenced on the participation in team sports during the weekend, being this participation higher in high SES neighborhoods. Conclusion: Providing high walkable environments seems a good strategy to promote PA regardless SES levels. It seems that improving the walkability is a key component to partially overcome the SES inequalities, especially in urban areas with low SES. High-SES environments can offer better sports facilities and more organized physical activities than low-SES ones.

Background: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial for safeguarding the well-being and quality of life perception, appropriate growth, and development of children and adolescents, while also mitigating the risk of future adult-onset diseases. Objective: To assess associations between perceived quality of life and healthy lifestyle and related outcomes in Spanish children and adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 8–16-year-old children and adolescents (n = 3534) were included in the nationwide study of Physical Activity, Sedentarism, and Obesity in Spanish Youth (PASOS). Data were collected through (1) questionnaires on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), healthy lifestyle outcomes (dietary intake, physical fitness, sleep, and screen time), and (2) anthropometric measurements for weight status assessment. Data were analysed by logistic regression, using the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as the grouping variable. Results: Participants with a lower HRQoL were those with a lower adherence to the MedDiet and lower achievement of the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables. They were also less likely to follow the recommendations for screen time and sleep (with the exception of the weekend) compared to participants with a higher HRQoL. Participants with a lower HRQoL showed a lower healthy weight status and poorer physical fitness than those with a higher HRQoL. Conclusions: Healthy eating habits, healthy weight status (normal weight), appropriate sleep time, physical fitness, and limited screen time play a crucial role in the perceived quality of life in children and adolescents.

Background: Non-communicable chronic diseases are associated with a low-quality diet, low physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Objective: To assess how parents’ diet and physical activity habits were associated with their offsprings’ lifestyles. Study design: A cross-sectional analysis of 8–16-year-old children and adolescents (n = 2539; 51.9% girls) was carried out within the frame of the first edition of the Physical Activity, Sedentarism, Lifestyles, and Obesity in Spanish Youth study (PASOS-2019). Data on adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet), daily moderate–vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and screen time per day (television, computer, video games, and mobile phone) were collected from children and adolescents, and data on parents’ diet quality and physical activity were compiled. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between parents’ lifestyles and those of children and adolescents. Results: High diet quality of parents was associated with higher adherence to the MedDiet of children and adolescents, as well as high consumption of fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts, and legumes. The high physical activity level of parents was associated with the low consumption of fast foods, sweets, and candies in children and adolescents. Children with high levels of physical activity were those whose parents showed better diet quality and physical activity levels. Conclusions: Parents’ high diet quality and physical activity were associated with healthy lifestyles, higher adherence to the MedDiet, and physical activity of their offspring, mainly in adolescents.