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Abstract: Time spent in nature benefits human mental and physical well-being. However, much of the variance in out- comes of nature contact remains unexplained, suggesting that new mechanistic pathways need to be considered. Here, we tested a novel conceptual model linking nature contact with life satisfaction via pathways involving positive experiences of living in and experiencing the world through the physical self. Using data from the Body Image in Nature Survey (BINS; N = 50,363), representing respondents from 58 nations and speaking 36 different languages, we find that nature contact is associated with greater self-compassion and greater perceived resto- ration in nature, which in turn are associated with more positive body image. In addition, more positive body image is associated with greater life satisfaction. These associations were robust to sensitivity tests, generalised to all gender identities and age groups, and held individually in almost all national groups and languages. Although replications are needed, we propose that the materialities of natural environments help to link bodily experiences to the production and experience of well-being, a process that is largely stable across national groups.
Keywords: body image, connectedness to nature, perceived restoration, nature contact, life satisfaction, self-compassion
Published in RUP: 10.07.2026; Views: 441; Downloads: 11
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Abstract: Background & aims Time-restricted eating (TRE) has attracted increasing attention from researchers and the public. Recent studies suggest that the combination of TRE with energy restriction (ER) may have more favourable effects on both physical and biochemical aspects compared to ER alone. The aim of the present 3-month intervention study was to determine the effects of an 8-h early time-restricted eating and an 8-h late time-restricted eating with ER (eTRE + ER and lTRE + ER) compared to 12-h ER alone on body mass and other anthropometric and cardiometabolic risk factors in participants with overweight and obesity. Methods Participants (n = 108) were allocated to three different groups according to their personal chronotype: eTRE + ER (37 participants), lTRE + ER (37 participants) and ER (34 participants). Ninety-three participants completed the entire 3-month intervention (34 in eTRE + ER, 28 in lTRE + ER and 31 in ER). Anthropometric and cardiometabolic risk factors were measured at baseline and after 1, 2 and 3 months of the intervention. Sleep quality and quality of life were assessed at baseline and after 3 months of the intervention. ER was determined based on the individual's resting metabolic rate. Effects were analyzed using the per-protocol approach. Results Results showed a significant time main effect (p < 0.001), suggesting a decrease in body mass at the end of the 3-month intervention with a mean loss of −5.0 kg (95 % CI, −5.7, −4.3) for the eTRE + ER group, −4.4 kg (95 % CI, −5.2, −3.6) for the lTRE + ER group and −4.3 kg (95 % CI, −5.0, −3.6) for the ER group, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.319). eTRE + ER had greater improvements in fat mass (−1.2 % (95 % CI, −2.1, −0.2), p = 0.013) and fasting glucose (−0.35 mmol/L (95 % CI, −0.63, −0.06), p = 0.012) than participants in the lTRE + ER group and greater improvements in fat mass (−1.1 % (95 % CI, −2.0, −0.1), p = 0.022), metabolic age (−3 years (95 % CI, −5, −0), p = 0.028) and diastolic blood pressure (−4 mmHg (95 % CI, −8, −0), p = 0.033) than the participants in the ER group. No significant changes were found between the groups for the other parameters measured. Conclusions There was no difference in body mass between the eTRE + ER, lTRE + ER and ER groups after 3 months of intervention. However, eTRE + ER showed a greater benefit for fasting blood glucose, certain anthropometric parameters and diastolic blood pressure compared to lTRE + ER and/or ER alone. Other anthropometric, biochemical and health-related parameters were not affected by eating window.
Keywords: time-restricted eating, overweight, chronotype, body composition, intermittent fasting, energy restriction
Published in RUP: 30.05.2025; Views: 2917; Downloads: 31
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Keywords: fibromyalgia, chronic pain, fatigue, body awareness, phenomenology
Published in RUP: 16.07.2021; Views: 3838; Downloads: 32
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Abstract: : Falls are a major cause of injury and morbidity in older adults. To reduce the incidence of falls, a systematic assessment of the risk of falling is of paramount importance. The purpose of this systematic review was to provide a comprehensive comparison of the diagnostic balance tests used to predict falls and for distinguishing older adults with and without a history of falls. We conducted a systematic review of the studies in which instrumented (force plate body sway assessment) or other non-instrumented balance tests were used. We analyzed the data from 19 prospective and 48 retrospective/case-control studies. Among the non-instrumented tests, the single-leg stance test appears to be the most promising for discrimination between fallers and non-fallers. In terms of body sway measures, the center-of-pressure area was most consistently associated with falls. No evidence was found for increased benefit of the body sway test when cognitive tasks were added, or the vision was eliminated. While our analyses are limited due to the unbalanced representation of different test and outcome measures across studies, we can recommend the single-leg test for the assessment of the risk of falling, and the measurements of body sway for a more comprehensive assessment.
Keywords: older adults, falls, fall history, body sway, functional reach, single-leg test, Romberg test
Published in RUP: 10.09.2020; Views: 5893; Downloads: 94
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Keywords: skeletal muscles, muscle fibers, contractile properties, body-builders, power athletes
Published in RUP: 08.08.2016; Views: 7456; Downloads: 212
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