Mia Peric - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mia Peric

Research paper thumbnail of Utjecaj trenažnih operatora na snagu i fleksibillnost sinkro- plivačica u različitim periodima natjecateljske sezone

Research paper thumbnail of Match Outcome and Running Performance Among UEFA Champions League Soccer Players

Studia sportiva

This study aimed to examine position-specific differences in running performance (RP) according t... more This study aimed to examine position-specific differences in running performance (RP) according to the match outcome in UEFA Champions League (UCL). The players’ RPs (n=244) were collected during UCL group stage matches (n=20) in the 2020/21 season using semiautomatic optical system InStat Fitness, and classified according to their playing positions as: central defenders (CD; n=79), fullbacks (FB; n=65), central midfielders (CM; n=55), wide midfielders (WM; n=28) and forward (FW; n=17). The RP variables included: total distance covered, low-intensity (LIR) (<14.3km/h), running (14.4–19.7 km/h), high-speed running (HSR) (19.8–25.1 km/h), and sprinting (>25.2 km/h). Match outcome was observed as win, draw and loss. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine differences in RP according to the match outcome. Significant differences in TD (F-test=4.16, p=0.02) and LIR (F-test=4.51, p=0.01) among match outcomes were observed for FBs. Specifically, FBs covered significa...

Research paper thumbnail of Central obesity and physical activity risk behaviors in early school-age children, cross-sectional representative cohort study in Croatia

Research paper thumbnail of Specificity of the Associations between Indices of Cardiovascular Health with Health Literacy and Physical Literacy; A Cross-Sectional Study in Older Adolescents

Medicina

Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular health status (CVHS) is an important determinant of hea... more Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular health status (CVHS) is an important determinant of health, while it is theorized that health literacy (HL) and physical literacy (PL) could be directly related to CVHS. The aim of this study was to evaluate gender-specific associations between PL and HL and indices of CVHS in adolescence. Materials and Methods: The participants were 247 adolescents (177 females) from Split-Dalmatia county in Croatia who were tested on HL, PL, and CVHS (physical activity level (PAL) and lipid profile). The lipid profile included total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins, non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins. Gender-stratified multivariate cluster analysis (K-means clustering) was used to group participants into three homogenous groups on the basis of their HL and PL, while differences between clusters in CVHS were evidenced by analysis of the variance and consecutive post-hoc tests. Results: The lipid profi...

Research paper thumbnail of Sport factors and alcohol consumption among adolescents on island Brač

The aim of this study was to explore correlation of alcohol consumption with sport factors in hig... more The aim of this study was to explore correlation of alcohol consumption with sport factors in high school adolescents on island Brac. The participants were all high school students, 267 (114 Female, 153 Male), from all schools on island Brac (Supetar, Bol and Pucisca), aged 16.25±1.48 years. For the purpose of this study, we used an extensive, previously validated, self-administered AUDIT questionnaire which also included sociodemographic factors. Collected data was processed in Statistica by descriptive statistics, frequency tables and logistic regression for some of the variables examined. The results show that 29.21% of students reported harmful alcohol drinking, while 70.78% belong to the category of non-harmful alcohol consumption. “Sport result” (54%) increases possibility of harmful alcohol drinking, while other sport factors are not preventive ones. Preventive and education programme, as well as future studies are needed to prevent potential health and social risk of adolesc...

Research paper thumbnail of Are Health Literacy and Physical Literacy Independent Concepts? A Gender-Stratified Analysis in Medical School Students from Croatia

Children

Health literacy (HL) and physical literacy (PL) are concepts responsible for achieving and mainta... more Health literacy (HL) and physical literacy (PL) are concepts responsible for achieving and maintaining positive health behaviors. This study aimed to investigate gender-specific associations: (i) between PL and HL; and (ii) among HL, PL, and body composition. We observed 253 students attending health-area high schools from southern Croatia (181 girls; 16.9 ± 1.4 years). HL was assessed by the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire, PL by the PLAYself questionnaire, and body composition by bioimpedance analysis. The t-test was used to assess the differences between genders, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to establish the associations between variables. The results showed a similar level of HL (t-test = 0.2; p = 0.83) and PL (t-test = 0.01; p = 0.99) in boys and girls. Significant but small correlations were identified between HL and PL only in the girls (<10% of common variance). The body composition indices were significantly correlated with PL only...

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting Injury Status in Adolescent Dancers Involved in Different Dance Styles: A Prospective Study

Children, 2020

The positive effects of dance on health indices in youth are widely recognized, but participation... more The positive effects of dance on health indices in youth are widely recognized, but participation in dance is accompanied with a certain risk of injury. This prospective study aimed to investigate injury occurrence and to evaluate the possible influences of specific predictors on the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems and injuries in adolescent dancers. Participants were 126 dancers (21 males; 11–18 years), who were competitors in the urban dance, rock and roll, and standard/Latin dance genres. Predictors included sociodemographic factors, anthropometric/body build indices, sport (dance) factors, and dynamic balance. The outcome variable was injury status, and this was evaluated by the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC). Predictors were evaluated at baseline, and outcomes were continuously monitored during the study period of 3 months. During the study course, 53% of dancers reported the occurrence of a musculoskeletal problem/injury, and dan...

Research paper thumbnail of The Reliability, Validity and Applicability of Two Sport-Specific Power Tests in Synchronized Swimming by

Authors submitted their contribution of the article to the editorial board.

Research paper thumbnail of Toward (more) effective antidoping policy in sports: what should we target in antidoping efforts?

Research paper thumbnail of Alcohol Drinking Among Kosovar Adolescents: An Examination of Gender-Specific Sociodemographic, Sport, and Familial Factors Associated With Harmful Drinking

Substance Use & Misuse, 2016

Adolescent alcohol consumption is a significant public-health problem, although there is a lack o... more Adolescent alcohol consumption is a significant public-health problem, although there is a lack of studies investigating this issue in Kosovo. The aim of this investigation was to examine the prevalence of alcohol drinking, and the factors associated with harmful drinking (HD) in Kosovar 17-18 years old adolescents. The sample comprised 636 girls and 366 boys (17-18 years old) from Pristina, Kosovo. The independent variables included sociodemographic factors, variables examining familial-monitoring and conflict (familial-variables), and sport-factors. Alcohol-drinking (dependent variable) was measured by means of the alcohol use disorders identification test scale. 39% of the girls and 43% of the boys reported HD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; 95% confidence interval = 0.90-1.55). A higher likelihood of HD is found for those girls whose mothers have an advanced education (OR = 1.59), who reported a higher level of conflict with their parents (OR = 1.95), whose parents are frequently absent from home (OR = 1.93), and who reported lower religiosity (OR = 0.90). HD is more frequent among boys who have participated longer in sports (OR = 1.49), whose fathers have an advanced education (OR = 1.80), and who reported higher level of familial conflict (OR = 2.87). The prevalence of HD is high. Knowing the problems related to alcohol drinking in girls (violence, trafficking, etc.), public-health authorities should urgently develop a specific preventive programme (SPP) to combat the misuse of alcohol. In preparing SPP, special attention should be paid to the varying influences of the studied factors on HD in boys and girls.

Research paper thumbnail of Analysis of the Association Between Motor and Anthropometric Variables with Change of Direction Speed and Reactive Agility Performance

Journal of human kinetics, Jan 29, 2015

There is an evident lack of studies examining the factors associated with reactive agility perfor... more There is an evident lack of studies examining the factors associated with reactive agility performances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between anthropometrics, body composition, jumping capacity, reactive strength, and balance with a stop-and-go change of direction speed (CODS) and reactive agility. The total sample comprised 39 male (body height: 182.95 ± 5.19 cm; body mass: 80.66 ± 7.69 kg) and 34 female (body height: 171.45 ± 6.81 cm; body mass: 61.95 ± 6.70 kg) college-level athletes (21.9 ± 1.9 years of age). The variables included body height, body mass, the percentage of body fat (BF%), balance as measured by an overall-stability index, the countermovement jump (CMJ), a reactive-strength index (RSI), stop-and-go reactive agility, and stop-and-go CODS. To define the associations between motor and anthropometric variables with CODS and reactive agility, the participants were clustered into three achievement groups based on their CODS and reactive agility...

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of competitive achievement among pubescent synchronized swimmers: an analysis of the solo-figure competition

The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 2014

This study examined the applicability of sport-specific fitness tests (SSTs), anthropometrics, an... more This study examined the applicability of sport-specific fitness tests (SSTs), anthropometrics, and respiratory parameters in predicting competitive results among pubescent synchronized swimmers. A total of 25 synchronized swimmers (16-17 years; 166.2 ± 5.4 cm; and 58.4 ± 4.3 kg) volunteered for this study. The independent variables were body mass, body height, Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), lean body mass percentage, respiratory variables, and four SSTs (two specific power tests plus one aerobic- and one anaerobic-endurance test). The dependent variable was competitive achievement in the solo figure competition. The reliability analyses, Pearson's correlation coefficient and forward stepwise regression were calculated. The SSTs were reliable for testing fitness status among pubescent synchronized swimmers. The forward stepwise regression retained two SSTs, BF% and forced vital capacity (FVC, relative for age and stature) in a set of predictors of competitive a...

Research paper thumbnail of The Development of a New Stop'n’go Reactive-Agility Test

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2014

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and the validity of a newly cons... more The main objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and the validity of a newly constructed reactive-agility test that can be used to define the reactive-agility performance in sports that employ repeated scenarios of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;stop&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;n&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;go&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; agility. Measuring is done by original hardware based on the ATMEL microcontroller AT89C51RE2. A total of 36 college-aged male athletes (age, 22.1 ± 2.4 years; body height, 182.45 ± 5.19 cm; body mass, 80.67 ± 7.69 kg) and 21 college-aged female athletes (age, 21.4 ± 2.5 years; body height, 171.45 ± 6.81 cm; body mass, 61.95 ± 6.70 kg) were evaluated for a stop&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;n&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;go reactive-agility test (SNG-RAT), stop&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;n&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;go change of direction speed (SNG-CODS), countermovement jump, and anthropometrics. The reliability analyses suggested a high consistency for the applied tests (SNG-CODS, intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.87 and 0.92; SNG-RAT, ICC = 0.81 and 0.86, for men and women, respectively). The SNG-RAT and SNG-CODS shared &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;40% of the common variance. The longer version of the SNG-RAT, which included 5 unpredictable changes of direction, was found to be valid among men. At the same time, the shorter version of the SNG-RAT (3 unpredictable changes of direction) is suggested for women because it better discriminates more agile from less agile athletes. Because the SNG-RAT and SNG-CODS were performed on the same course, we believe that simultaneously performing both tests can be beneficial when defining…

Research paper thumbnail of Sport-specific and anthropometric predictors of synchronised swimming performance

International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 2013

ABSTRACT Predictors of sport-performance in synchronised swimming (Synchro) are rarely investigat... more ABSTRACT Predictors of sport-performance in synchronised swimming (Synchro) are rarely investigated. In this study we studied the applicability of sport-specific and anthropometric predictors of Synchro performance for young athletes (all females, 15–17 years of age, 6–8 years of experience in Synchro). Initially, four sport-specific tests (determining characteristic anaerobic and aerobic endurance) are examined with regard to its reliability. The results show the appropriate reliability of the four sport-specific tests (according to ICC, and the Bland Altman plot), while significant learning effects are found for one of the applied tests. Anthropometric indices (body height, body weight, body fat and lean body mass) are not significantly correlated to Synchro performance in solo-figures (criterion). Multiple regression shows the significant prediction of the Synchro solo-figure performance by means of sport-specific tests (R = 0.72; Rsq = 52%). The cross-validation sub-sample elicited a high correlation between predicted and achieved performance score (r = 0.80) Further studies are necessary to determine the longitudinal changes of the tested parameters and their influence on competitive achievement in this sport for different age categories.

Research paper thumbnail of Metric characteristic of tests for assessment of specific skills in synchronized swimming

Synchronized swimming is an Olympic sport which, from the kinesiological aspect, belongs to the a... more Synchronized swimming is an Olympic sport which, from the kinesiological aspect, belongs to the aesthetic sport group. Considering the lack of specific tests in the field, the authors set the goal to produce tests to assess the synchronized swimming skills of female adult beginners. The study involved 25 kinesiology students aged 20.5 ± 1.29. Their synchronized swimming knowledge had been evaluated through 4 tests by judges and marked by grades 1-5, mandatory composition was graded 0-1-2. The 4 tests ((back layout position (BLP), Tub position (TP), Ballet leg position (BP), Flamingo position (FP)) were performed as a part of the subject called Swimming - the basics of movement. Given that construction and validation of the tests have been performed, we determined the objectivity of judges on statistically significant level, the homogeneity of particles sensitivity (KS test), factor validity had been demonstrated on 3 out of 4 tests (BLP, TP, FP), while pragmatic validity (regression...

Research paper thumbnail of Injury Occurrence and Return to Dance in Professional Ballet: Prospective Analysis of Specific Correlates

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Professional ballet is a highly challenging art, but studies have rarely examined factors associa... more Professional ballet is a highly challenging art, but studies have rarely examined factors associated with injury status in ballet professionals. This study aimed to prospectively examine gender-specific correlates of injury occurrence and time-off from injury in professional ballet dancers over a one-year period. The participants were 99 professional ballet dancers (41 males and 58 females). Variables included: (i) predictors: sociodemographic data (age, educational status), ballet-related factors (i.e., experience in ballet, ballet status), cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and consumption of illicit drugs; and (ii) outcomes: injury occurrence and time-off from injury. Participants were questioned on predictors at the beginning of the season, while data on outcomes were collected continuously once per month over the study period. Dancers reported total of 196 injuries (1.9 injuries (95% CI: 1.6–2.3) per dancer in average), corresponding to 1.4 injuries per 1000 dance-hours (95% ...

Research paper thumbnail of Reliability and Factorial Validity of Non-Specific and Tennis-Specific Pre-Planned Agility Tests; Preliminary Analysis

Journal of human kinetics, 2017

Agility is an important quality in tennis, yet there is an evident lack of studies focussing on t... more Agility is an important quality in tennis, yet there is an evident lack of studies focussing on the applicability of tennis-specific agility performances and comparing them to equivalent non-specific agility performances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and factorial validity of three tests of pre-planned agility, performed in specific (with a tennis racquet) and non-specific (without a tennis racquet) conditions. The sample consisted of 33 tennis players (13 males and 20 females; age: 18.3 ± 1.1 years and 18.6 ± 1.3 years; body height: 185.4 ± 51 cm and 169.3 ± 4.2 cm, 74.0 ± 4.4 kg and 61.2 ± 3.1 kg, respectively). The variables comprised three agility tests: a 20-yard test, a T-test and the Illinois test, all performed in both specific and non-specific conditions. Between-subject and within-subject reliability were found to be high (Cronbach Alpha: 0.93 to 0.98; Coefficient of Variation: 3 to 8%), with better within-subject reliability and stability of the m...

Research paper thumbnail of Vitamin D Status and Analysis of Specific Correlates in Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Croatia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Nov 8, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Injury Occurrence and Return to Dance in Professional Ballet: Prospective Analysis of Specific Correlates

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Professional ballet is a highly challenging art, but studies have rarely examined factors associa... more Professional ballet is a highly challenging art, but studies have rarely examined factors associated with injury status in ballet professionals. This study aimed to prospectively examine gender-specific correlates of injury occurrence and time-off from injury in professional ballet dancers over a one-year period. The participants were 99 professional ballet dancers (41 males and 58 females). Variables included: (i) predictors: sociodemographic data (age, educational status), ballet-related factors (i.e., experience in ballet, ballet status), cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and consumption of illicit drugs; and (ii) outcomes: injury occurrence and time-off from injury. Participants were questioned on predictors at the beginning of the season, while data on outcomes were collected continuously once per month over the study period. Dancers reported total of 196 injuries (1.9 injuries (95% CI: 1.6–2.3) per dancer in average), corresponding to 1.4 injuries per 1000 dance-hours (95% ...

Research paper thumbnail of Vitamin D Status and Analysis of Specific Correlates in Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Croatia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Vitamin D deficiency is a globally important problem, particularly in children, but there is a la... more Vitamin D deficiency is a globally important problem, particularly in children, but there is a lack of information regarding this deficiency in preschool children from southeastern Europe. This study aimed to establish the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and associations of gender, time spent outdoors, physical activity (PA), and body mass index (as predictors) with the 25(OH)D level (outcome) in healthy preschool children. The participants were preschoolers (all 5–6 years of age) from southern Croatia. All the participants were tested during their mandatory medical examination 6–7 months prior to school enrollment. The PA was obtained using the preschool-age physical activity questionnaire (Pre-PAQ), which categorizes PA into five levels (from sedentary to vigorous PA). The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was high: 58% of the children had 25(OH)D levels of <50 nmol/L (deficiency), and an additional 29% had an insufficient level of 25(OH)D (50–75 nmol/L). Boys had higher...

Research paper thumbnail of Utjecaj trenažnih operatora na snagu i fleksibillnost sinkro- plivačica u različitim periodima natjecateljske sezone

Research paper thumbnail of Match Outcome and Running Performance Among UEFA Champions League Soccer Players

Studia sportiva

This study aimed to examine position-specific differences in running performance (RP) according t... more This study aimed to examine position-specific differences in running performance (RP) according to the match outcome in UEFA Champions League (UCL). The players’ RPs (n=244) were collected during UCL group stage matches (n=20) in the 2020/21 season using semiautomatic optical system InStat Fitness, and classified according to their playing positions as: central defenders (CD; n=79), fullbacks (FB; n=65), central midfielders (CM; n=55), wide midfielders (WM; n=28) and forward (FW; n=17). The RP variables included: total distance covered, low-intensity (LIR) (<14.3km/h), running (14.4–19.7 km/h), high-speed running (HSR) (19.8–25.1 km/h), and sprinting (>25.2 km/h). Match outcome was observed as win, draw and loss. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine differences in RP according to the match outcome. Significant differences in TD (F-test=4.16, p=0.02) and LIR (F-test=4.51, p=0.01) among match outcomes were observed for FBs. Specifically, FBs covered significa...

Research paper thumbnail of Central obesity and physical activity risk behaviors in early school-age children, cross-sectional representative cohort study in Croatia

Research paper thumbnail of Specificity of the Associations between Indices of Cardiovascular Health with Health Literacy and Physical Literacy; A Cross-Sectional Study in Older Adolescents

Medicina

Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular health status (CVHS) is an important determinant of hea... more Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular health status (CVHS) is an important determinant of health, while it is theorized that health literacy (HL) and physical literacy (PL) could be directly related to CVHS. The aim of this study was to evaluate gender-specific associations between PL and HL and indices of CVHS in adolescence. Materials and Methods: The participants were 247 adolescents (177 females) from Split-Dalmatia county in Croatia who were tested on HL, PL, and CVHS (physical activity level (PAL) and lipid profile). The lipid profile included total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins, non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins. Gender-stratified multivariate cluster analysis (K-means clustering) was used to group participants into three homogenous groups on the basis of their HL and PL, while differences between clusters in CVHS were evidenced by analysis of the variance and consecutive post-hoc tests. Results: The lipid profi...

Research paper thumbnail of Sport factors and alcohol consumption among adolescents on island Brač

The aim of this study was to explore correlation of alcohol consumption with sport factors in hig... more The aim of this study was to explore correlation of alcohol consumption with sport factors in high school adolescents on island Brac. The participants were all high school students, 267 (114 Female, 153 Male), from all schools on island Brac (Supetar, Bol and Pucisca), aged 16.25±1.48 years. For the purpose of this study, we used an extensive, previously validated, self-administered AUDIT questionnaire which also included sociodemographic factors. Collected data was processed in Statistica by descriptive statistics, frequency tables and logistic regression for some of the variables examined. The results show that 29.21% of students reported harmful alcohol drinking, while 70.78% belong to the category of non-harmful alcohol consumption. “Sport result” (54%) increases possibility of harmful alcohol drinking, while other sport factors are not preventive ones. Preventive and education programme, as well as future studies are needed to prevent potential health and social risk of adolesc...

Research paper thumbnail of Are Health Literacy and Physical Literacy Independent Concepts? A Gender-Stratified Analysis in Medical School Students from Croatia

Children

Health literacy (HL) and physical literacy (PL) are concepts responsible for achieving and mainta... more Health literacy (HL) and physical literacy (PL) are concepts responsible for achieving and maintaining positive health behaviors. This study aimed to investigate gender-specific associations: (i) between PL and HL; and (ii) among HL, PL, and body composition. We observed 253 students attending health-area high schools from southern Croatia (181 girls; 16.9 ± 1.4 years). HL was assessed by the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire, PL by the PLAYself questionnaire, and body composition by bioimpedance analysis. The t-test was used to assess the differences between genders, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to establish the associations between variables. The results showed a similar level of HL (t-test = 0.2; p = 0.83) and PL (t-test = 0.01; p = 0.99) in boys and girls. Significant but small correlations were identified between HL and PL only in the girls (<10% of common variance). The body composition indices were significantly correlated with PL only...

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting Injury Status in Adolescent Dancers Involved in Different Dance Styles: A Prospective Study

Children, 2020

The positive effects of dance on health indices in youth are widely recognized, but participation... more The positive effects of dance on health indices in youth are widely recognized, but participation in dance is accompanied with a certain risk of injury. This prospective study aimed to investigate injury occurrence and to evaluate the possible influences of specific predictors on the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems and injuries in adolescent dancers. Participants were 126 dancers (21 males; 11–18 years), who were competitors in the urban dance, rock and roll, and standard/Latin dance genres. Predictors included sociodemographic factors, anthropometric/body build indices, sport (dance) factors, and dynamic balance. The outcome variable was injury status, and this was evaluated by the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC). Predictors were evaluated at baseline, and outcomes were continuously monitored during the study period of 3 months. During the study course, 53% of dancers reported the occurrence of a musculoskeletal problem/injury, and dan...

Research paper thumbnail of The Reliability, Validity and Applicability of Two Sport-Specific Power Tests in Synchronized Swimming by

Authors submitted their contribution of the article to the editorial board.

Research paper thumbnail of Toward (more) effective antidoping policy in sports: what should we target in antidoping efforts?

Research paper thumbnail of Alcohol Drinking Among Kosovar Adolescents: An Examination of Gender-Specific Sociodemographic, Sport, and Familial Factors Associated With Harmful Drinking

Substance Use & Misuse, 2016

Adolescent alcohol consumption is a significant public-health problem, although there is a lack o... more Adolescent alcohol consumption is a significant public-health problem, although there is a lack of studies investigating this issue in Kosovo. The aim of this investigation was to examine the prevalence of alcohol drinking, and the factors associated with harmful drinking (HD) in Kosovar 17-18 years old adolescents. The sample comprised 636 girls and 366 boys (17-18 years old) from Pristina, Kosovo. The independent variables included sociodemographic factors, variables examining familial-monitoring and conflict (familial-variables), and sport-factors. Alcohol-drinking (dependent variable) was measured by means of the alcohol use disorders identification test scale. 39% of the girls and 43% of the boys reported HD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; 95% confidence interval = 0.90-1.55). A higher likelihood of HD is found for those girls whose mothers have an advanced education (OR = 1.59), who reported a higher level of conflict with their parents (OR = 1.95), whose parents are frequently absent from home (OR = 1.93), and who reported lower religiosity (OR = 0.90). HD is more frequent among boys who have participated longer in sports (OR = 1.49), whose fathers have an advanced education (OR = 1.80), and who reported higher level of familial conflict (OR = 2.87). The prevalence of HD is high. Knowing the problems related to alcohol drinking in girls (violence, trafficking, etc.), public-health authorities should urgently develop a specific preventive programme (SPP) to combat the misuse of alcohol. In preparing SPP, special attention should be paid to the varying influences of the studied factors on HD in boys and girls.

Research paper thumbnail of Analysis of the Association Between Motor and Anthropometric Variables with Change of Direction Speed and Reactive Agility Performance

Journal of human kinetics, Jan 29, 2015

There is an evident lack of studies examining the factors associated with reactive agility perfor... more There is an evident lack of studies examining the factors associated with reactive agility performances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between anthropometrics, body composition, jumping capacity, reactive strength, and balance with a stop-and-go change of direction speed (CODS) and reactive agility. The total sample comprised 39 male (body height: 182.95 ± 5.19 cm; body mass: 80.66 ± 7.69 kg) and 34 female (body height: 171.45 ± 6.81 cm; body mass: 61.95 ± 6.70 kg) college-level athletes (21.9 ± 1.9 years of age). The variables included body height, body mass, the percentage of body fat (BF%), balance as measured by an overall-stability index, the countermovement jump (CMJ), a reactive-strength index (RSI), stop-and-go reactive agility, and stop-and-go CODS. To define the associations between motor and anthropometric variables with CODS and reactive agility, the participants were clustered into three achievement groups based on their CODS and reactive agility...

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of competitive achievement among pubescent synchronized swimmers: an analysis of the solo-figure competition

The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 2014

This study examined the applicability of sport-specific fitness tests (SSTs), anthropometrics, an... more This study examined the applicability of sport-specific fitness tests (SSTs), anthropometrics, and respiratory parameters in predicting competitive results among pubescent synchronized swimmers. A total of 25 synchronized swimmers (16-17 years; 166.2 ± 5.4 cm; and 58.4 ± 4.3 kg) volunteered for this study. The independent variables were body mass, body height, Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), lean body mass percentage, respiratory variables, and four SSTs (two specific power tests plus one aerobic- and one anaerobic-endurance test). The dependent variable was competitive achievement in the solo figure competition. The reliability analyses, Pearson's correlation coefficient and forward stepwise regression were calculated. The SSTs were reliable for testing fitness status among pubescent synchronized swimmers. The forward stepwise regression retained two SSTs, BF% and forced vital capacity (FVC, relative for age and stature) in a set of predictors of competitive a...

Research paper thumbnail of The Development of a New Stop'n’go Reactive-Agility Test

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2014

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and the validity of a newly cons... more The main objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and the validity of a newly constructed reactive-agility test that can be used to define the reactive-agility performance in sports that employ repeated scenarios of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;stop&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;n&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;go&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; agility. Measuring is done by original hardware based on the ATMEL microcontroller AT89C51RE2. A total of 36 college-aged male athletes (age, 22.1 ± 2.4 years; body height, 182.45 ± 5.19 cm; body mass, 80.67 ± 7.69 kg) and 21 college-aged female athletes (age, 21.4 ± 2.5 years; body height, 171.45 ± 6.81 cm; body mass, 61.95 ± 6.70 kg) were evaluated for a stop&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;n&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;go reactive-agility test (SNG-RAT), stop&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;n&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;go change of direction speed (SNG-CODS), countermovement jump, and anthropometrics. The reliability analyses suggested a high consistency for the applied tests (SNG-CODS, intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.87 and 0.92; SNG-RAT, ICC = 0.81 and 0.86, for men and women, respectively). The SNG-RAT and SNG-CODS shared &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;40% of the common variance. The longer version of the SNG-RAT, which included 5 unpredictable changes of direction, was found to be valid among men. At the same time, the shorter version of the SNG-RAT (3 unpredictable changes of direction) is suggested for women because it better discriminates more agile from less agile athletes. Because the SNG-RAT and SNG-CODS were performed on the same course, we believe that simultaneously performing both tests can be beneficial when defining…

Research paper thumbnail of Sport-specific and anthropometric predictors of synchronised swimming performance

International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 2013

ABSTRACT Predictors of sport-performance in synchronised swimming (Synchro) are rarely investigat... more ABSTRACT Predictors of sport-performance in synchronised swimming (Synchro) are rarely investigated. In this study we studied the applicability of sport-specific and anthropometric predictors of Synchro performance for young athletes (all females, 15–17 years of age, 6–8 years of experience in Synchro). Initially, four sport-specific tests (determining characteristic anaerobic and aerobic endurance) are examined with regard to its reliability. The results show the appropriate reliability of the four sport-specific tests (according to ICC, and the Bland Altman plot), while significant learning effects are found for one of the applied tests. Anthropometric indices (body height, body weight, body fat and lean body mass) are not significantly correlated to Synchro performance in solo-figures (criterion). Multiple regression shows the significant prediction of the Synchro solo-figure performance by means of sport-specific tests (R = 0.72; Rsq = 52%). The cross-validation sub-sample elicited a high correlation between predicted and achieved performance score (r = 0.80) Further studies are necessary to determine the longitudinal changes of the tested parameters and their influence on competitive achievement in this sport for different age categories.

Research paper thumbnail of Metric characteristic of tests for assessment of specific skills in synchronized swimming

Synchronized swimming is an Olympic sport which, from the kinesiological aspect, belongs to the a... more Synchronized swimming is an Olympic sport which, from the kinesiological aspect, belongs to the aesthetic sport group. Considering the lack of specific tests in the field, the authors set the goal to produce tests to assess the synchronized swimming skills of female adult beginners. The study involved 25 kinesiology students aged 20.5 ± 1.29. Their synchronized swimming knowledge had been evaluated through 4 tests by judges and marked by grades 1-5, mandatory composition was graded 0-1-2. The 4 tests ((back layout position (BLP), Tub position (TP), Ballet leg position (BP), Flamingo position (FP)) were performed as a part of the subject called Swimming - the basics of movement. Given that construction and validation of the tests have been performed, we determined the objectivity of judges on statistically significant level, the homogeneity of particles sensitivity (KS test), factor validity had been demonstrated on 3 out of 4 tests (BLP, TP, FP), while pragmatic validity (regression...

Research paper thumbnail of Injury Occurrence and Return to Dance in Professional Ballet: Prospective Analysis of Specific Correlates

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Professional ballet is a highly challenging art, but studies have rarely examined factors associa... more Professional ballet is a highly challenging art, but studies have rarely examined factors associated with injury status in ballet professionals. This study aimed to prospectively examine gender-specific correlates of injury occurrence and time-off from injury in professional ballet dancers over a one-year period. The participants were 99 professional ballet dancers (41 males and 58 females). Variables included: (i) predictors: sociodemographic data (age, educational status), ballet-related factors (i.e., experience in ballet, ballet status), cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and consumption of illicit drugs; and (ii) outcomes: injury occurrence and time-off from injury. Participants were questioned on predictors at the beginning of the season, while data on outcomes were collected continuously once per month over the study period. Dancers reported total of 196 injuries (1.9 injuries (95% CI: 1.6–2.3) per dancer in average), corresponding to 1.4 injuries per 1000 dance-hours (95% ...

Research paper thumbnail of Reliability and Factorial Validity of Non-Specific and Tennis-Specific Pre-Planned Agility Tests; Preliminary Analysis

Journal of human kinetics, 2017

Agility is an important quality in tennis, yet there is an evident lack of studies focussing on t... more Agility is an important quality in tennis, yet there is an evident lack of studies focussing on the applicability of tennis-specific agility performances and comparing them to equivalent non-specific agility performances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and factorial validity of three tests of pre-planned agility, performed in specific (with a tennis racquet) and non-specific (without a tennis racquet) conditions. The sample consisted of 33 tennis players (13 males and 20 females; age: 18.3 ± 1.1 years and 18.6 ± 1.3 years; body height: 185.4 ± 51 cm and 169.3 ± 4.2 cm, 74.0 ± 4.4 kg and 61.2 ± 3.1 kg, respectively). The variables comprised three agility tests: a 20-yard test, a T-test and the Illinois test, all performed in both specific and non-specific conditions. Between-subject and within-subject reliability were found to be high (Cronbach Alpha: 0.93 to 0.98; Coefficient of Variation: 3 to 8%), with better within-subject reliability and stability of the m...

Research paper thumbnail of Vitamin D Status and Analysis of Specific Correlates in Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Croatia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Nov 8, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Injury Occurrence and Return to Dance in Professional Ballet: Prospective Analysis of Specific Correlates

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Professional ballet is a highly challenging art, but studies have rarely examined factors associa... more Professional ballet is a highly challenging art, but studies have rarely examined factors associated with injury status in ballet professionals. This study aimed to prospectively examine gender-specific correlates of injury occurrence and time-off from injury in professional ballet dancers over a one-year period. The participants were 99 professional ballet dancers (41 males and 58 females). Variables included: (i) predictors: sociodemographic data (age, educational status), ballet-related factors (i.e., experience in ballet, ballet status), cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and consumption of illicit drugs; and (ii) outcomes: injury occurrence and time-off from injury. Participants were questioned on predictors at the beginning of the season, while data on outcomes were collected continuously once per month over the study period. Dancers reported total of 196 injuries (1.9 injuries (95% CI: 1.6–2.3) per dancer in average), corresponding to 1.4 injuries per 1000 dance-hours (95% ...

Research paper thumbnail of Vitamin D Status and Analysis of Specific Correlates in Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Croatia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Vitamin D deficiency is a globally important problem, particularly in children, but there is a la... more Vitamin D deficiency is a globally important problem, particularly in children, but there is a lack of information regarding this deficiency in preschool children from southeastern Europe. This study aimed to establish the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and associations of gender, time spent outdoors, physical activity (PA), and body mass index (as predictors) with the 25(OH)D level (outcome) in healthy preschool children. The participants were preschoolers (all 5–6 years of age) from southern Croatia. All the participants were tested during their mandatory medical examination 6–7 months prior to school enrollment. The PA was obtained using the preschool-age physical activity questionnaire (Pre-PAQ), which categorizes PA into five levels (from sedentary to vigorous PA). The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was high: 58% of the children had 25(OH)D levels of <50 nmol/L (deficiency), and an additional 29% had an insufficient level of 25(OH)D (50–75 nmol/L). Boys had higher...