Background: Gardening activities became increasingly popular in health promotion. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of gardening-based training or horticultural therapy on domains of health, including mental, physical and general health. Method: The MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane, EMBASE, Greenfile, CINAHL, WHO ICTRP, and Clinicaltrials.gov databases were searched from their inception to September 2023. Peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or experimental studies with intervention and control groups in English that evaluated the effect of gardening activity or horticultural therapy on health domains. Adult participants living with chronic conditions were selected. Author, year, location, sample size, participant characteristics, study characteristics, type of intervention, measurement time points, measured outcomes, measurements, effect sizes and p values were extracted. Results: Twenty-three studies (n = 4535) with 13 RCTs and 10 quasi-experimental studies were included. The participants had a mean age of 54.39 years, and the majority of them were females (63.25%). Types of chronic conditions included physical dysfunction, pain, obesity, anxiety, depression, hypertension, cognition disfunction, etc. The effects of gardening activities were compared with those of the control by categorizing health into three domains: mental health (SMD = -0.31; 95% CI: -0.97, 0.34), physical health (SMD = -0.25; 95% CI: -0.62, 0.11) and general health (SMD = -0.08; 95% CI: -0.20, 0.05). Conclusions: Gardening-based training programs have a small-to-medium effect on mental health in people living with chronic conditions. Relatively small effects were found for physical health and general health. Future research is recommended to better understand the impact of gardening activities on health. Trial registration: This systematic review is registered to PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/) with registration ID: CRD42024504948.

This case study explores the transition from disordered eating (DE) to an eating disorder (ED) in a 23-year-old female orienteer. Despite her talent as an athlete, her eating habits and training practices led to significant health concerns. After following an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet for 3 years, she exhibited symptoms of DE, including low energy intake (1,200 kcal/day), low body weight (50.1 kg, BMI: 16.9), and amenorrhea. Her condition deteriorated over 2 years, resulting in a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN) by February 2023. During the treatment process, the athlete utilized a multidisciplinary approach that included dietitians, psychologists, and physicians. Despite achieving some initial progress, including a slight increase in body weight and the return of menstruation in July 2022, her health declined after psychological consultations were halted, leading to a further decrease in body fat and persistent low serum iron levels. This case highlights the importance of continuous monitoring, timely intervention, and a coordinated multidisciplinary team in addressing DE and ED in athletes. It also highlights the significance of effective communication among healthcare professionals and the need for comprehensive treatment strategies that include psychological, nutritional, and medical support. This study highlights the significance of early detection, suitable intervention, and the prevention of long-term health complications, such as decreased bone density and cardiovascular issues, in athletes with DE and ED.

Background: disordered eating (DE) and eating disorders (ED) can negatively impact athletes’ health, wellbeing, and athletic performance. Objective: this cross-sectional study aims to assess DE risk, body composition, and nutrition knowledge among elite Hungarian athletes. Methods: DE risk was assessed using DESA-6H and EAT-26 scales, nutrition knowledge through the Abridged Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (A-NSKQ), and body composition with the OMRON BF511 device. The data were analyzed using Kendall’s tau correlations, Mann–Whitney U tests, and ROC analysis. Results: a total of 71 athletes participated (39.4% males, mean age = 24.8 years, SD = 4.8 years and 60.6% females, mean age = 24.3 years, SD = 4.3 years). At-risk scores on the DESA-6H scale were recorded for nine athletes (12.7%), while 32.4% scored in the risk zone on the EAT-26, with female athletes in aesthetic, endurance and weight-dependent sports being most affected. Low BF was observed in four males and four females. Nutrition knowledge (49.1%) was below the acceptable threshold. DESA-6H significantly correlated with EAT-26 scores, BMI, sports nutrition knowledge, and A-NSKQ total scores. A statistically significant difference by gender was found in the EAT-26 total score (p = 0.019, d = 0.65). Risk groups significantly differed in A-NSKQ scores (p = 0.026, d = 0.511) and sport nutrition knowledge, specifically (p = 0.016, d = 0.491). Using EAT-26 to identify at-risk athletes and the DESA-6H recommended cut-off, the ROC analysis showed a sensitivity of 29.1% and a specificity of 95.7%. Conclusions: insufficient nutrition knowledge plays a role in being at-risk for DE and ED. These results underscore the need for early detection, early sport nutrition education across all elite athletes, with particular attention to female athletes in aesthetic, endurance and weight-dependent sports, and for monitoring these athletes to prevent DE. Further work is warranted to optimize screening tools such as EAT-26 and DESA-6H for elite athletes.

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Background: Few studies have addressed mental health in finswimmers. Objective: This study examines the effect of NLP used as mental training on the finswimmers’ anxiety, self-confidence, self-esteem, and swimming records. Methods: The NLP intervention lasted two months. The study involved thirty young finswimmers (mean age M = 15.53, SD = 1.024), divided equally into two groups: the experimental and the control group. We carried out a pre- and post-test research design and conducted a follow-up test. We used two questionnaires, the French version of the CSAI-2R and the French version of the PSPP, along with semi-structured interviews for all three tests. Results: In the post-intervention test, the experimental group significantly decreased their cognitive anxiety (β = −3.47, p < .001) and somatic anxiety (β = −2.20, p = .001). Significantly increased their self-confidence (β = 2.07, p < .001), their global self-esteem (β = 1.93, p = .002), and their physical self-worth (β = 2.13, p = .004). The same parameters, except for the global self-esteem, also recorded significant change in the follow-up test, p < .005. Time effect did not show significance in the body attractiveness, physical strength, physical conditioning, and sport competence. Furthermore, outcomes showed notable between-subject variability in the mental skills, suggesting substantial variability in baseline parameter levels between individuals. Consequently, the finswimmers enhanced their swimming records. Conclusions: NLP showed a powerful impact in optimizing finswimmers’ mental health and, accordingly, their athletic performance. Besides, the technique showed relatively durable effectiveness. Coaches can reinforce the effect through ongoing NLP training.

Background: Adequate nutrient intake is an essential part of athletes’ preparation, which results in more effective training adaptation, recovery, better body composition ratios, and improved sports performance. Inadequate nutrient intake or lack of knowledge can lead to disordered eating and eating disorders, the prevalence of which is higher among athletes than in the general population. In most cases, these unwanted outcomes occur because athletes do not seek the help of a qualified dietitian. According to a 2019 report by the International Olympic Committee, disordered eating and eating disorders’ point prevalence ranges from 6% to 45% in women and 0% to 19% in men. In Hungary, no athlete sample has been tested with screening questionnaires for eating disorders, and the development of reliable measurement tools for identifying this problem is also necessary. Objective: The aim of this study is to present the Hungarian version of the DESA-6 questionnaire (DESA-6H) for screening disordered eating among athletes and to investigate its convergent validity (CV), as well as to evaluate athletes’ nutritional behaviors based on comparative study results. Methods: The DESA-6H questionnaire was tested on elite athletes (n = 131) and recreational athletes (n = 123) aged 14 and older. Kendall’s tau-b correlation was used to establish the CV between the DESA-6H and the total EAT-26 score, as well as between the DESA-6H and the three subscales of the EAT-26. The same method was used to test the potential linear relationship between eating behavior questionnaires and weekly training hours. Chi-square tests were conducted to test the relationships between nominal variables. Differences between groups based on age and sport participation levels were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis H tests, and post-hoc analyses were conducted using Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The CV analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the DESA-6H and the total EAT-26 score (τb = 0.49, p < 0.001), the EAT-26 Dieting subscale (τb = 0.53, p < 0.001), and the EAT-26 Bulimia subscale (τb = 0.39, p < 0.001). In the total sample, 20.4% scored above the threshold on the DESA-6H, while 40.1% scored above the threshold on the EAT-26. Among sports categories, the highest prevalence was found in aesthetic, weight-dependent, and endurance sports. A significant difference was observed in the DESA-6H scores based on gender (U = 4948.50, Z = –5.210, p < 0.001) and sports participation level (U = 6847.50, Z = –2.123, p = 0.034), with large (Cohen’s d = 0.68) and small ( Cohen’s d = 0.26) effect sizes. The Mann-Whitney U-test showed no significant difference between the 14–17-year-old and 18+ age groups in terms of DESA-6H scores (U = 6082.00, Z = –1.017, p = 0.309). No statistically significant differences were found between the two age groups on the EAT-26 scores either (U = 6490.00, Z = –0.220, p = 0.826). Overall, the statistical tests consistently supported the convergent validity of the DESA-6H when compared with the EAT-26. Conclusions: Based on the results of our research, it can be concluded that the DESA-6H questionnaire is a reliable tool for screening disordered eating among Hungarian athletes. Its application can help in the early detection and prevention of eating disorders.

Objective: Physical activity and adequate sleep are essential for health and wellbeing. University students face distinct challenges affecting their habits. This study investigates sociodemographic impacts on physical activity and sleep patterns, and examines the association between physical activity and sleep quality in Hungarian university students. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among students (N = 1,340, mean age 20.00 ± 1.59 years; 60.7% female and 39.3% male) from the Budapest University of Economics and Business. The survey was based on sociodemographic data, the Hunarian version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires. In IPAQ-SF, respondents indicated physical activities lasting at least 10 min during the last seven days. Responses were categorised by WHO and IPAQ guidelines. Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) was calculated. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0.0.0, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Most participants (85.8%–86.9%) performed below the WHO recommendations for moderate-intensity physical activity. Significant sex differences were noted in physical activity levels (p < 0.001 for vigorous intensity; p < 0.043 for moderate intensity), with men being more active than women. Regarding sleep quality, 57.1% of participants reported good sleep quality (PSQI 0–5), 36.1% had moderate sleep disturbances (PSQI 6–10), and 6.8% experienced poor to severe sleep disturbances (PSQI 11–21). Women reported significantly poorer sleep quality than men did (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant interaction between energy expenditure on physical activity and sports participation frequency (β = −0.09, p = 0.012), indicating that regular sports participation may buffer against potential negative effects of high overall physical activity on sleep quality. The model explained 3.1% of the variance in sleep quality (R² = 0.031, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The relationship between physical activity (MET-minutes/week) and sleep quality was moderated by the frequency of sports participation. Given that poor sleep can negatively impact academic performance, health, and well-being, these findings support the promotion of organized sports within university settings. Interventions targeting both physical activity and sleep hygiene may yield synergistic benefits, particularly for students with sedentary lifestyles.