Concurrent smoking and harmful drinking (CSHD) in adolescence is an important public health and social problem, while participation in sports is considered as being protective against CSHD. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the influence of various facets of sports participation on the prevalence of and initiation into CSHD of adolescents. Participants were adolescents from southern Croatia (n = 711, 43.6% females, 16 years of age at study baseline), who were tested at baseline and at follow-up (two years later). Variables included gender, age, sports factors (participation in individual and team sports, sport experience, competitive success, intensity of involvement in sports), and CSHD. The CSHD prevalence did not increase significantly over the course of the study (from 5.6% to 7.5%, p > 0.05). Binomial logistic regression with age and gender as covariates suggested that team sports participation correlated to CSHD prevalence at baseline, and follow-up, with higher risk for CSHD among those adolescents who quit team sports (OR = 9.18 and 2.68, 95%CI = 2.04–22.26 and 1.05–6.83 for baseline and follow-up, respectively), and those never involved in team sports (OR = 9.00 and 3.70, 95%CI = 2.07–39.16 and 1.57–8.72 for baseline and follow-up, respectively). A higher risk of CSHD at baseline was seen among those adolescents who were involved in sports for longer (OR = 1.66, 95%CI = 1.16–2.38). The results are discussed in the context of the fact that the study included adolescents at the age of rigid sports selection (the transition from youth to professional-level sports). Since the majority of participants began CSHD at an earlier age, further studies in subjects of a younger age range are warranted.

Elite karatekas should have specific morphological characteristics suitable for their specializations. This study aimed to determine the differences in morphological characteristics and body composition of elite Montenegrin karate athletes according to different specializations. This study consisted of a total of 16 male karate athletes divided according to specialization in kata (form or movement pattern) and kumite (fighting) disciplines. The subject sample included healthy, black belt karate senior athletes, with no prior injuries divided into kata (n-6, 19.83±4.71 years) and kumite (n-10, 20.4±5.21 years) athletes. Morphological characteristics and body composition were evaluated by a battery of 11 variables: body height (BH), body mass (BM), triceps skinfold (TS), biceps skinfold (BiS), back skinfold (BS), abdominal skinfold (AS), upper leg skinfold (UlS), lower leg skinfold (LlS), body mass index (BMI), fat percentage (FP), and muscle mass percentages (MP). The differences in morphological characteristics and the composition of the body between kata and kumite karatekas were determined by using a statistical procedure with a t-test for small independent samples. It was determined that the kumite had a higher body height, and body weight, as well as a higher percentage of muscle mass than kata karatekas. In other parameters concerning the distribution of subcutaneous adipose tissue, as well as the percentage of body fat, there was no difference between the groups. The results suggest that there is some difference in morphological characteristics between kata and kumite karatekas, but for more complete conclusions an analysis should be performed on a larger sample of high-level karate athletes.

SAŽETAK

No abstract

The modern way of life is the cause of the increasing occurrence of improper body posture in children and adolescents. In athletes, improper body posture can lead to numerous chronic health problems and injuries that affect their performance in sports. The handball game is characterized by dynamism and mobility, with constant and rapid changes of body positions and technique elements. Due to certain characteristics of handball as a sport (parts of the technique that are asymmetric due to playing with one hand) there is a reasonable doubt that handball players are exposed to factors that can cause a development of postural deformities. The aim of the study is to investigate whether scoliotic posture is a frequent occurrence in adolescents who train handball, and whether there is a correlation between the relevant indicators of improper body posture and the dominant hand with scoliotic body posture in handball players. The study was conducted on a sample of 98 adolescents aged 13-18 who had been involved in the training process for over three years and were tested with clinical Adams forward bend test. A posterior examination was used to determine the types of body posture. The sample of variables for the assessment of body posture contained numerical values of eight reference points in the posterior examination. To determine the differences between groups in variables of the questionnaire, and in determining the difference between the respondents in the variables obtained from the questionnaire, the Chi-square test was used, and a contingency table with frequencies and percentages was determined. A significant difference was found between right-sided and normal body posture, where right-sided posture subjects spent significantly more years training a handball compared to those with normal body posture, which suggests that this sport can be associated with the occurrence of a scoliotic posture.