Study Design.: A cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire. Objective.: The aim was to investigate the prevalence and intensity of low back pain (LBP) in people with lower limb amputation (LLA) and to analyze the association factors that can influence the genesis of LBP. Summary of Background Data.: It is still unclear whether LBP is more prevalent in the amputated population than in its nonamputated counterpart. Given the multifactorial nature of LBP, it is necessary to explore possible factors that can influence its presence and intensity, to build a solid background to define a better rehabilitation pathway for the management of these people. Methods.: The online questionnaire included six sections: informed consent of the study, demographic information, comorbid conditions, history of LLA, history of LBP, and acceptance of the amputation. Results.: Between March and June 2021, 239 participants [mean age (SD): 49.2 (11.5); female 11%] completed the survey (response rate: 32%). From the results of this study, LBP in LLA showed a prevalence of 82% postamputation and 70% in the last year. A logistic regression with a backward method showed that participants who had problems in the not affected leg presented 1.58 (95% confidence interval: 0.70; 2.45) times higher odds to have LBP after the amputation. Conclusion.: This study shows that the prevalence of LBP in lower limb amputees appears to be higher than in the general population, with similar levels of pain intensity and frequency. The highest percentage of people with a sedentary lifestyle not practicing any kind of sports emphasizes the importance of educating this population on the importance of physical activity. New strategies to invest in the education of this population in terms of physical activity are needed. Level of Evidence: Level 4.

Exercise is a first-line intervention for osteoarthritis (OA). However, exercise adherence remains low, and existing studies exploring factors influencing adherence have yielded inconclusive results based on quantitative data. This study aims to synthesise qualitative studies focused on the perceived facilitators and barriers affecting exercise adherence in individuals with OA. A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies was conducted. Relevant articles were sourced from MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, CINAHL, and PsychInfo until November 2024. Studies focused on adults (≥16 years) with hip or knee OA who had participated in exercise programmes to manage OA. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. Data analysis followed Thematic Synthesis by Thomas & Harden to identify descriptive and analytical themes. The confidence of the evidence was evaluated through the Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual). A total of 21 studies involving 458 participants were included. From seven descriptive themes, three analytical themes were developed: (i) Mind-Body Connection, (ii) Social Support Systems, and (iii) Environmental Enablers. These themes underscore the importance of personal beliefs, experiences, and mindsets, alongside social and environmental factors, in promoting or hindering exercise adherence. This study highlights the multifaceted cognitive, social, and environmental factors influencing exercise adherence in individuals with OA. The findings suggest that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is insufficient for promoting sustained exercise engagement. Future quantitative research should build upon these insights to develop tailored strategies for enhancing exercise adherence in people with OA.

From an active ageing perspective, investigating how adults use apps and wearables for health purposes might improve well-being strategies supported by widely adopted technologies. This study investigated adults' perceptions of using apps and wearables for health purposes. A qualitative interview study was conducted. Adults (+18) using an app/wearable to monitor at least one health variable (e.g. physical activity and diet) were eligible. Transcriptions were analysed using the Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Nineteen participants (34.3 ± 14.5 years; men/women: 8/11) joined the study and from their transcriptions 5 themes were created: 1) Easy and accurate monitoring of health: balancing users' needs and technological challenges; 2) Self-improvement and motivation: usefulness of rewarding behaviours and gamification towards achievements; 3) Requiring personalized apps and wearables: aesthetics and wearability; 4) Beyond simple monitoring: prevention and care throughout daily life; 5) Awareness of potentially dangerous digital data world: from distress to fixation. Apps and wearables were highly valued by our participants for effectively managing and enhancing their health and sports performance while ensuring education, motivation, ease of use, safety, and prevention. However, issues such as privacy concerns, wearability, and lack of integration need to be addressed to improve adoption, enhance usability and support active ageing initiatives.

Background: Fostering innovative and more effective interventions to support active aging strategies from youth is crucial to help this population adopt healthier lifestyles using technologies they are already familiar with. Mobile health (mHealth), particularly apps and wearables, represents a promising approach due to its versatility, ease of use, and ability to monitor multiple health variables simultaneously. Moreover, these devices offer opportunities for personalization and support in health behavior change, making them valuable tools for shaping healthy habits from a young age. Objective: This study aims to (1) investigate whether young adults (18‐26 years old) use apps or wearables to monitor or improve their health variables (ie, physical activity, diet, and mental health); (2) examine how they use them; (3) identify the most commonly used apps and wearables and the most frequently monitored health variables across these domains; and (4) evaluate the importance of different characteristics and functions of apps and wearables for health purposes. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a public involvement framework to enhance the research quality and was conducted through an anonymous web survey disseminated across Italy over a 3-month period. The survey consisted of 5 sections: (1) demographics, (2) mobile apps and wearable devices for physical activity and sports, (3) mobile apps and wearable devices for diet, (4) mobile apps and wearable devices for mental health, and (5) preferences regarding mobile apps and wearable devices. Participants were eligible if they were young adults who reported using at least one app or wearable device to monitor at least one health variable (eg, steps, training, sleep, calorie intake). No additional eligibility criteria were applied. Results: A total of 693 questionnaires were analyzed for aims 1 and 4, with the sample showing an equal gender distribution (females: 363/693, 52.4%). For aims 2 and 3, a total of 317 questionnaires were included. Participants using an app or wearable for physical activity accounted for 320 (46.2%), while 60 (8.7%) and 156 (22.5%) reported use for diet and mental health, respectively. Moreover, the frequency of use was predominantly on a daily basis, particularly for wearables. The app and wearable characteristics identified as most important were user-friendliness, free access to content, loading speed, and icon clarity. Conclusions: Findings suggest that Italian young adults, particularly women, predominantly use wearables over apps to track health data, with both being checked on a daily basis. Physical activity is the most frequently monitored domain, likely due to its ease of tracking, while diet and mental health receive less attention. Overall, these tools are used more for monitoring than for actively improving health-related variables. The most valued characteristics identified by young adults include ease of use, free access to all content, and fast loading speed. These insights should guide the design and refinement of digital health interventions targeting this population.

In recent years, fighting arts (e.g., Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, Boxe) have gained broader attention due to their multiple benefits, involving both physical and psychological enhancements for practitioners. Despite that, studies revolving around specific psychological characteristics such as personality traits are scarce. This study explored potential connections between the personality traits of practitioners and the specific fighting art they engage in, and investigated levels of anxiety and depression in fighting artists. A web-based cross-sectional survey instrument was developed and disseminated across the entire Italian territory. Participants were eligible if adults (> 18 years old) engaged in any fighting arts for a minimum of one year, with no additional restrictions. The survey employed the Big Five Inventory (BFI) with 44 questions to explore personality traits using the OCEAN model, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to explore anxiety and depression levels. A total of 770 questionnaires were collected from July to September 2023. Participants were mainly men (M = 571, 74.5%; F = 199, 25.8%; mean age 45.2 ± 14.8), and most of the participants practised in the North of Italy (N = 493, 64.0%). The mean age of practice was 28.5 ± 14.9 years and the most practised fighting arts were Judo (N = 349, 45.3%), Karate (N = 272, 35.3%) and Jujitsu (N = 42, 5.5%). Personality traits were identified as openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism and the results were as follows: O) 40.1 ± 6.30; C) 37.1 ± 5.78; E) 28.2 ± 5.64; A) 35.1 ± 5.08; N) 19,8 ± 5,51. Anxiety and depression scored respectively 5.93 ± 3.14 and 3.67 ± 2.74. Fighting artists exhibit elevated levels of positive personality traits, such as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. Conversely, neuroticism tends to be lower among them. Moreover, anxiety and depression levels among fighting artists are lower than the Italian normative values. Fighting arts, particularly Karate and Judo, emerge as promising avenues for adults seeking innovative or complementary strategies to foster positive personality traits (e.g., openness, conscientiousness) while mitigating anxiety and depression. Future studies could explore other personality traits, including Machiavellianism, and explore additional psychological characteristics such as aggressiveness to provide a more comprehensive understanding.

Background: Recently, mobile health and mobile apps have been proposed as a potential tool to improve different outcomes (eg, daily steps, blood glucose) in both people with and without chronic conditions. In particular, healthy people could benefit from these tools by improving health variables and for prevention. Previous evidence investigated different types of health interventions adopting apps in various settings and populations, but evidence of their effectiveness is still unclear. Objective: The aim was to assess the effectiveness of mobile apps in improving health variables (eg, daily steps, maximal aerobic capacity) in healthy adults, involving an intervention regarding physical activity, diet, or their combination thereof. Evidence would suggest if apps could be effectively adopted in health interventions aiming toward prevention. Methods: A systematic review was performed using Medline via PubMed, Cochrane Library—CENTRAL, and Embase. Only randomized controlled trials comparing the same intervention provided with and without a mobile app or a treatment and a mobile app compared with the treatment only were included in this systematic review. The Risk of Bias tool 2.0 was used to assess the risk of bias, and the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) was adopted for rating the certainty of evidence. Results: Considering studies up to June 2025, only 2 studies were included in the review of mobile apps for physical activity, and none were included for mobile apps for diet and none for mobile apps for physical activity and diet combined. The quality of evidence of the 2 studies included was low due to a high risk of bias, several missing data, and deviation from the original interventions, suggesting a scarce rigor in the methodology adopted. Therefore, mobile apps’ effectiveness in improving diet, physical activity, or their combination cannot be assessed. Conclusions: Despite the widespread use of mobile apps for health and the large number of relative publications, the results of this systematic review did not allow us to ascertain the effectiveness of mobile apps for health, but they provided fundamental insights for future research. Hence, it is not possible to state if apps for health might be used as supporting tools for health interventions aiming toward prevention and health improvements in healthy people. There is an urgent need to develop stronger evidence of apps’ effectiveness in addressing different populations and types of interventions for different health domains.