The prevailing rights and quality of life approaches call for the inclusion of people with diversity and/or disabilities in society, including their participation in the educational system. Therefore, different institutions are urging countries to take action to ensure that students with disabilities receive the accommodations and supports they need within the framework of inclusive education. The idiosyncrasies of physical education (PE) classes can be an opportunity to encourage the participation and inclusion of these students. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the PE teachers’ perception about their preparation to address inclusive education. The study involved 260 Spanish primary and secondary PE teachers who answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, three dichotomic questions about their initial and ongoing preparation and the Evaluation of Teacher Training for Inclusion Questionnaire (CEFI-R). PE teachers believe that they have not received the necessary initial preparation and they consider it important to assist in ongoing courses to address their students’ diverse needs. PE teachers are aware of the importance of inclusive education and perceive greater difficulties in secondary education. PE teachers also showed a good predisposition to teach students with special educational support needs, especially found in primary school teachers through the CEFI-R Dimension 1, with statistically significant differences.
Psychomotricity is a tool that allows the development of different capacities, skills and corporal abilities of people. Currently, it is included in early childhood education programmes due to its importance in children’s development, but, even so, it is not always given the role they deserve. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of early childhood education teachers towards the needs and current state of psychomotor skills in the educational context of Extremadura schools and compare the information provided by teachers that work in rural and urban areas. A questionnaire was administered using a tablet and a Google Forms application. The sample consisted of 216 teachers, selected using a non-probability sampling method based on coexistence sampling. The Mann–Whitney U test was applied to determine the relationships between the different items and dimensions according to the location of the school, and Spearman’s Rho test was used to find out if there is any relationship between the age of the teachers and their responses in the different dimensions. The results showed that psychomotor skills do not receive the place they deserve, with insufficient material and facilities, inadequate training, few sessions and inappropriate programming, together with the rest of the components of the cycle. Therefore, it can be concluded that it is necessary to include psychomotor skills in the training of teachers and that the centres should be concerned about providing teachers with the necessary material and spaces for their work.
All children, including those living with disabilities, have the right to be provided with Inclusive Education (IE) together with appropriate support in scholarly settings. A key factor for educational inclusion is peers’ attitudes towards disabilities, which impact disabled students’ social participation and learning. Physical Education (PE) classes represent an opportunity for students with disabilities to get psychological, social, health, and educational benefits. This study aimed to assess Spanish students’ attitudes regarding their peers with disabilities during PE lessons and to explore possible differences between gender, school location, and age group. The sample consisted of 1437 students from public schools in Extremadura (Spain) from the primary and secondary stages. Participants completed the Attitude towards Students with Disabilities in Physical Education (EAADEF-EP) Questionnaire. The Mann-Whitney U test was carried out to establish differences in scores according to sex, school location, age group, and correlations between age and item scores using the Spearman’s Rho test. The results displayed significant differences in the total and item scores considering sex and centre location, with good reliability values (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.86). The EAADEF-EP Questionnaire has proven to be a quick, easy, and inexpensive tool to assess attitudes. Girls and participants whose school was in a rural setting had better attitudes towards inclusion. This study’s results highlight the importance of carrying out educational actions and programs to improve students’ attitudes towards their peers with disabilities considering the influences of the studied variables.
Hypertension (HTN) has a high prevalence in the overall population, affecting people’s mental health. Physical Activity (PA) has proven to be an effective tool to improve mental health. This study analyzed the associations between Depression and Anxiety prevalence, medication use for these disorders (antidepressants and anxiolytics) and Physical Activity Level (PAL) in people with HTN. A cross-sectional study was conducted with data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 (ENSE2017) with a final sample of 3228 individuals over 15 years of age with HTN who resided in Spain. Data normality was assessed through the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Associations between Depression and Anxiety prevalence, antidepressant and anxiolytic use and PAL were studied using a chi-square test. Possible differences between Depression and Anxiety prevalence and medication use according to the PAL were analyzed with a z-test for independent proportions. Depression or Anxiety and antidepressant and anxiolytic use odds ratios (OR) were calculated for every PAL group, taking the “Very Active” group as a reference. Risk factors were evaluated using multiple binary logistic regression. Dependency relationships were found between Depression and Anxiety prevalence, antidepressant and anxiolytic use and PAL (p < 0.001). The Inactive group displayed the highest prevalence and medication use according to their PAL (p < 0.05). Higher ORs for Depression or Anxiety and pharmacological treatments used were also found in the Inactive group compared to the other PAL groups.
Satisfaction with physical activity during Physical Education classes leads to improved health and adherence to future healthy lifestyle habits, in addition, higher levels of physical activity have also been widely associated with higher academic achievement in primary school. To find out how satisfied Extremadura students are with the physical activity they perform, a questionnaire was distributed with different items related to positive and negative feelings they may feel during the practice. The differences between the items of the questionnaire and the total median scores according to sex and center location were analyzed and found to be present in all the items that refer to positive feelings. Additionally, the relationship between age and the mean score obtained through the questionnaire was evaluated, without discovering any significant correlations. The results showed that students are generally satisfied with the physical activity they practice in their classes and that this has benefited their academic performance.
Adventure tourism is among the sectors that has experienced the greatest growth in participation in recent years. In addition, it provides a unique opportunity to generate different benefits for rural populations as well as for the preservation of their environment. The objective of this study was to analyze gender differences in the profile, estimated expenditure, perception of economic impact and satisfaction of adventure tourists visiting the Valle del Jerte (Extremadura, Spain) for kayaking activities. The sample was composed of 511 tourists who kayaked in the Valle del Jerte. Gender differences were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test in continuous variables and Pearson’s chi-square test in categorical variables. The predominant profile of the kayaking tourist is Spanish, married, employed, with university education, lives with their partner with children at home, chooses a rural home for accommodation, travels with companions, uses their own car for transportation, spends 550 euros on average, has good perceptions of the economic impact of the activity on the destination and is satisfied with the kayak service received. This information is relevant for public and private organizations as well as for the local community to be able to offer services more oriented to the tourist who engages in these activities, as well as to attract more tourists.