Search

Search Results

• THE NUMBER AND SITUATION OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN SLOVAKIA AND THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS ACTIVITIES

  Péter Zidek

  Anetta Müller

  Views:

  95

  This research paper analyzes socially disadvantaged children in Slovakia, focusing on current statistics and factors influencing their engagement in sporting activities. Drawing on recent data, the study highlights the prevalence and distribution of socially disadvantaged groups among children in Slovakia. It also investigates the multifaceted factors impacting their participation in sports, including the roles of parents, peer groups, coaches, and other socio-cultural influences. By examining these factors, the research aims to understand the barriers and facilitators to sports participation among socially disadvantaged children. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of the intersection between socio-economic status and sports engagement, offering insights for policymakers, educators, and practitioners seeking to develop targeted interventions and programs to promote sports inclusion and equity among disadvantaged youth in Slovakia.

• INFLUENCING FACTORS OF SPORT VOLUNTEERING AMONG EU CITIZENS

  Tamás Nagy

  Dávid Paár

  Tamás Laczkó

  Views:

  159

  If there were a ‘country of volunteers,’ it would be one of the most populous countries in the world, with almost 1 billion people involved in some form of volunteering worldwide. Volunteers play an essential role in the smooth running and operation of sports associations and the performance of the assigned tasks. Our research examines the extent to which they contribute to volunteering along with different socio-demographic variables. For our analysis, we used data from the European Commission in December 2017 in 28 European Member States (28,031 people). We used ten independent factors that may influence participation in volunteering. We examined by chi-square test whether there was a relationship with the performance of sports volunteering for the selected variables. Subsequently, incorporating all these variables into a logistic regression model, we estimated how much it contributes to volunteering. The significance level was p <0.05. Based on the results of the bivariate correlation study, gender, age, life satisfaction, frequency of sports, education, type of residence, and social status, social status significantly influences participation in sports volunteering (p <0.001). Based on a multivariate correlation study, demographic, quality of life, sports, socio-cultural, and socioeconomic variables significantly influence volunteering (p <0.001). Our research has demonstrated that participation in sports volunteering is affected by several factors. Our research did not cover the study of motivational factors of athletes.

   

• INVESTIGATION ON THE IMMUNOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

  Alexandra Réka Berki

  Attila Csaba Arany

  Ilona Jámbor

  Krisztina Szabó

  Marianna Mile

  Gabriella Makra

  Zoltán Csiki

  László Balogh

  Gábor Papp

  Views:

  729

  Introduction: Effects of physical activity on immune functions may largely depend on the type of activity, its intensity and duration. However, little information is available regarding the immunological effects of sporting activities in older ages.

  The aim of our study was to examine the changes in a wide spectrum of lymphocyte subtypes after a period of regular workout among healthy women of different ages.

  Methods: In our study, we enrolled 16 elderly women (between ages of 60-75 years) formerly not engaged in regular physical activity, who took part in lightweight conditioning gymnastic exercise program. Eight young athletes and 26 young adults with sedentary lifestyle served as controls. The percentages of peripheral NK, NKT cells, T and B lymphocyte subtypes were determined by flow cytometry based on the staining of extracellular markers and intracellular cytokines.

  Results: Lymphocyte subgroups did not differ between the groups of young athletes and young adults with sedentary lifestyle. However, in elderly women, levels of NKT cells were lower, while ratios of T helper / T cytotoxic cells were higher compared to younger individuals. At the end of exercise program, in elderly women, percentages of naive B cells decreased, while levels of switched-memory B cells increased. Furthermore, proportions of Th2 cells increased, while levels of immunosuppressive CD4+CD127-CD25^bright Treg cells decreased as the result of regular exercise.

  Conclusion: Differences observed after lightweight exercise programs reflect a presumably enhanced immunoreactivity and increased ability for immune responses in older ages.