Introduction. Physical activity is an important element of physical culture and a healthy lifestyle, and its level can affect health-related quality of life. The literature emphasises the importance of physical activity for physical and mental functioning, but these relationships may be modified by sociodemographic factors, especially in the female population. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the level of physical activity and health-related quality of life in women and to analyse differences in quality of life and level of physical activity depending on selected sociodemographic factors. Material and methods. The study included 200 women. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess quality of life, while the level of physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric methods. The Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn-Bonferroni post-hoc analysis, Spearman's rank correlations and multiple regression were used. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results. Significant positive correlations were found between the level of physical activity and selected SF-36 quality of life scales, in particular General health, Emotional well-being, Energy/Fatigue and Pain. The quality of life of women was differentiated by sociodemographic factors, with the level of education and marital status being the most important. Women with a high quality of life were characterised by a significantly higher level of physical activity compared to women with a low and medium quality of life. Conclusions. Physical activity is significantly associated with health-related quality of life in women and is an important element of physical culture that contributes to improving subjective health assessment. The results obtained indicate the need to promote an active lifestyle among women, taking into account their socio-demographic diversity.
Introduction: The first Nazi concentration camps were established in 1933 within the territory of the Third Reich, and after the outbreak of World War II, also in the occupied countries. Initially, they served as detention sites for the anti-Hitler opposition and individuals opposed to the emerging regime. After the war began, the nature and function of the camps changed dramatically, turning them into places of extermination for several million people. Regardless of time, location, or the tragic circumstances, prisoners engaged in various forms of physical activity. The aim of the study was to identify the forms, roles, and significance of boxing matches in which prisoners of Nazi concentration camps participated during World War II. Material and Methods: A source query was conducted in the Archives of Modern Records, the National Digital Archives, the Central Military Archives of the Military Historical Bureau (Warsaw), the National Library (Warsaw), as well as in central and regional libraries. Historical research methods were applied, primarily source analysis and source criticism. Results: The source query confirmed the presence of various forms of physical activity among prisoners in most Nazi concentration camps. The most common activities included boxing, football, athletics exercises, volleyball, handball, and even wrestling and swimming. Boxing fights were organized in several camps, most frequently in Auschwitz-Birkenau, MauthausenGusen, Gross-Rosen, Neuengamme, Mittelbau-Dora, Majdanek, Dachau, and Flossenb & uuml;rg. They demanded immense determination from the prisoners. The fights were extremely dangerous due to the constant threat to life, the physical exhaustion caused by forced labour, and the lack of sports facilities and equipment. Conclusions: The boxing fights undertaken by prisoners in concentration camps had little in common with the fundamental idea of sport - fair play. It quickly became evident that extremely exhausting labour, severe physical deterioration, and limited food rations did not favour engagement in such a demanding discipline as boxing. Nevertheless, boxing found its place in the concentration camps. For the Nazi perpetrators, the fights served as a form of entertainment, while for the prisoners they often represented a chance for survival and an opportunity to secure a better position within the camp hierarchy.
Background: Vocational college students represent an underserved demographic in physical education (PE) research, often characterized by lower baseline self-efficacy and elevated psychological distress compared to university peers. While gamification is a promising motivational strategy, existing studies have largely neglected vocational settings and rely heavily on pretest-posttest designs, which fail to control for measurement reactivity. Methods: To address these gaps, a Solomon four-group randomized controlled trial was conducted with 200 vocational students (mean age = 19.5 years). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: gamified PE with pretest, gamified PE without pretest, traditional PE with pretest, or traditional PE without pretest. The 16-week intervention incorporated Self-Determination Theory (SDT) principles (points, leaderboards, leveling) via a custom mobile application. Results: Validation of the Solomon design confirmed no pretest sensitization effects (p > 0.05). The gamified intervention produced large, robust effects on Learning Motivation (d = 0.98) and significantly improved locomotor-based physical fitness, specifically cardiovascular endurance (p = 0.002) and sprint speed (p = 0.002). However, muscular strength (pull-ups/sit-ups) and BMI showed no significant changes (p > 0.05), indicating training specificity. Regarding mental health, perceived stress was significantly reduced (d = 0.59), whereas anxiety and depression scores remained unchanged. Mediation analysis identified competence satisfaction (β = 0.853) as the singular dominant driver of motivation, explaining 43% of the variance, while autonomy played a negligible role. Conclusions: Structured gamification is a highly effective pedagogical strategy for enhancing engagement and cardiorespiratory health in vocational PE. However, the lack of improvement in upper-body strength suggests that future interventions must adopt a "hybrid" design that explicitly gamifies resistance-based mechanics to ensure holistic physical development.
Emerging evidence highlights the role of targeted neuromodulation and structured exercise interventions in enhancing functional recovery following stroke. This study compared the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the supplementary motor area and Pilates-based core stability training, within a physical activity-based rehabilitation framework, on balance and gait performance in individuals with subacute stroke. Sixty-six patients were randomly assigned to three groups: group (A) received anodal tDCS over the supplementary motor area combined with conventional physiotherapy; group (B) received Pilates-based core stability training with conventional physiotherapy; and control group (C) received conventional physiotherapy with sham tDCS. Assessments were conducted pre-and post-treatment and included spatiotemporal gait parameters (step length, stance time, swing time, double support time, and velocity), balance indices (Overall Stability Index and Limit of Stability), and stroke-specific quality of life. All groups showed significant post-treatment improvements in gait, balance, and quality of life (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between groups (A) and (B) across outcomes (p > 0.05). However, both groups demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in key gait parameters, balance measures, and quality of life (p <= 0.02). Although both interventions were associated with improvements in functional outcomes, the present study did not detect statistically significant differences between groups.
Background: This study aimed to identify associations between selected socioeconomic factors, self-reported physical fitness and engagement in physical activity, and self-rated lifestyle satisfaction among professional soldiers. Methods: The study included 200 soldiers (38 women and 142 men). The variables analyzed were age, sex, marital status, education, position held, and years of service. Furthermore, the soldiers provided information on their self-reported physical fitness. The study examined whether self-reported life satisfaction was associated with the motives and barriers to engaging in this activity. An author-designed questionnaire method was used; the research tool was an original survey questionnaire. Results: Analysis of the results showed that age (chi2 = 12.50; p = 0.005) and marital status (chi2 = 9.16; p = 0.028) were factors that significantly associated with soldiers' self-reported lifestyle satisfaction. Being in a relationship and being married doubled the odds of reporting very good or good life satisfaction (OR = 2.00; p = 0.017). This likelihood was significantly lower in soldiers rating their physical fitness as average (OR = 0.03; p <= 0.001) and poor (OR = 0.01; p <= 0.001). With regard to the motives and barriers to engaging in physical activity in the soldiers studied, no significant differences were found in self-reported lifestyle satisfaction. Conclusions: The challenges faced by soldiers require responsibility, dedication, and commitment, both physically and mentally. Therefore, their level of lifestyle satisfaction is important. Although this preliminary research was conducted in a small study group, it indicated factors that may significantly affect soldiers' lifestyle satisfaction. Further research is, therefore, needed in this area with a larger number of respondents, including both men and women.
