ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH25
Background: Psychological well-being, cognitive function, dexterity, bimanual coordination, and the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) have not previously been directly compared between individuals with long COVID and those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This study therefore compared these outcomes in individuals with long COVID (mean illness duration ≈16 months) and ME/CFS (mean illness duration ≈16 years), relative to age-matched healthy controls. Methods: Psychological well-being was assessed using a battery of validated questionnaires, including the Health Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), post-exertional malaise (PEM), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), MRC Dyspnoea Scale, Self-Efficacy for Living with a Chronic Condition (SELTC), Edinburgh Neurological Symptoms Questionnaire (ENS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Stroop test, and Trail Making Tests A and B. These assessments were administered remotely via a purpose-built mobile application. Dexterity and bimanual coordination were measured in person using the Purdue Pegboard Test. PTSD and CPTSD were assessed in person using the International Trauma Questionnaire, a self-report measure aligned with International Classification of Diseases diagnostic criteria. Results: Individuals with long COVID and ME/CFS showed broadly comparable performance across measures of psychological well-being and cognitive function. Both patient groups reported significantly worse outcomes than healthy controls for pain, fatigue, post-exertional malaise, sleep quality, mobility, usual activities, self-care, breathlessness, neurological symptoms, self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. No significant group differences were observed for cognitive function measures. Performance on the Purdue Pegboard Test was similar between the two patient groups, with both demonstrating poorer dexterity and bimanual coordination relative to controls. The prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD was higher in both patient groups compared with controls, with individuals with long COVID exhibiting higher prevalence rates than those with ME/CFS. Conclusion: These findings indicate that individuals with long COVID and ME/CFS experience comparable impairments in psychological well-being, dexterity, and bimanual coordination relative to healthy controls, despite differences in illness duration. However, PTSD and CPTSD were more prevalent in individuals with long COVID than in those with ME/CFS.
Read CV Nilihan Sanal-HayesECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH25
Background: Is 100 miles the new marathon? Ultra-endurance (UE) races are rapidly increasing in popularity, with most participants being non-professional athletes. While the exceptional physical and psychological capacities required for UE participation have been widely examined, the social dimension of this intensive lifestyle – particularly its impact on partners and spouses – remain largely overlooked. This study advances understanding of non-professional UE sport by centring the experiences of athletes´ partners, arguably the group most affected yet least researched. Methodology: Thirteen in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with partners of UE athletes. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Reflexive Thematic Analysis. The theoretic framework integrated Self-Determination Theory (Deci Ryan, 2000), the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al., 1997), the Serious Leisure Perspective (Stebbins, 1997) and the Facilitators & Constraints Framework (Raymore, 2002). Results: Three interrelated themes characterized partners´ experiences of UE sports: bonding, lifestyle, and ambivalence. Bonding captures connection through shared participation and supportive engagement that fulfils partners´ need for relatedness. Lifestyle reflects the über-presence of performance routines, which are valued for their perceived health benefits. Ambivalence exposes relational tensions in which autonomy, balance, and equality are challenged by the dominance of UE commitments. Relational harmony is sustained when partners negotiate constraints collaboratively, however, obsessive forms of UE passion disrupt this process and frequently lead to conflict. The emergent “share, support, or separate” dilemma faced by partners offers a critical interpretation of the paradox of serious leisure and challenges traditionally male-coded, individualistic narratives of UE sports by foregrounding a more relational understanding. Moreover, these social-relational insights extend and enrich the Framework for Understanding the Phenomenon of UE sports developed in our previous research.
Read CV Tatjana BillECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH25
Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate the independent and joint associations of meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines and sleep duration (SD) recommendations with psychological well-being in Korean adolescents. Additionally, we aimed to identify potential differences in these associations stratified by sex and school level. Methods We analyzed data from the 2021 Survey on Youth Play and Sports Activities conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI). The participants included students from elementary to high school (4th-12th grade). Psychological well-being was assessed using the 26-item Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale, with a high level of well-being defined as a total score above the median (>=87) of the study population. PA was dichotomized based on meeting the guideline of >=60 minutes per day. SD was dichotomized based on age-specific recommendations: 9-12 hours for elementary students and 8-10 hours for middle and high school students. Participants were classified into four groups based on adherence to PA and SD recommendations: Neither (met neither recommendation), Only SD (met only SD recommendation), Only PA (met only PA recommendation), and Both (met both recommendations). Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for independent associations and joint associations across these four groups. Results A total of 2,566 participants were included in the final analysis. In the independent analysis, meeting PA guidelines (OR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.44-2.04) and SD recommendations (OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.06-1.58) were significantly associated with a high level of psychological well-being. In the joint analysis, compared to the Neither group, the Only SD group did not show a significant association (OR=1.19, 95% CI: 0.90-1.58). However, significant associations were observed in the Only PA group (OR=1.65, 95% CI: 1.35-2.01) and the Both group (OR=2.27, 95% CI: 1.72-2.98). In sex-stratified analysis, the association in the Both group was more pronounced in females (OR=3.60, 95% CI: 2.27-5.68) compared to males (OR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.19-2.42). In school-level analysis, significant associations for the Both group were observed in elementary (OR=2.25, 95% CI: 1.47-3.43) and middle school students (OR=2.79, 95% CI: 1.77-4.40). However, for high school students, the association was not statistically significant (OR=1.60, 95% CI: 0.76-3.37), likely due to the small sample size meeting both recommendations (3.8%, n=32/N=848). Conclusion Meeting PA guidelines was associated with a high level of psychological well-being, with the most pronounced association when combined with SD recommendations. This association was more pronounced in females. High school students showed markedly low adherence to both guidelines. These findings suggest the need for integrated PA and sleep strategies tailored to sex and school level.
Read CV Jiwon HONGECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH25