This research aims to promote motor activity in children with autism spectrum disorder through the development of an adapted integrated soccer project played outdoors. The project is carried out in collaboration with the nonprofit “Smile Association” of the city of Frosinone (Lazio-Italy) and the Pegaso and Parthenope Universities. The main purpose of the Smile Association is to provide an educational and sports service in an area poorly provided with opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities, allowing them to change their predominantly sedentary condition and, through corporeality, to improve cognitive, affective, and relational processes. Participation in sports activities allows for the development of motor skills, social interactions, and cognitive stimulation. There is a need for available resources and programs dedicated exclusively to children with ASD to help them develop social, motor, and cognitive skills. One of the programs that might be helpful is a structured group play program involving physical activity. In addition, through the project, a dense social network has been activated between the third sector, sports companies, and local health authorities. The project aims to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda in Articles 3, 4, and 11. This paper describes the correlation between learning and motor activity. According to the hypotheses of this research, integrated soccer activity implements cognitive skills, particularly those related to memory for visual stimuli and to the theory of mind, as well as sense-motor skills. Work carried out to improve attentional skills can reduce stereotypical behaviours. The results showed that continuous and regular engagement in motor activities has positive health outcomes for children with autism in terms of reduced symptomatology and improved quality of life. A total of 108 statistical units (the control group consisted of 18 statistical units, and the sample comprised 90 participants) aged 8 to 11 years were examined. The project is aimed at girls (in compliance with Art. 5 regarding gender equality); however, the participants identified by the local health authority are predominantly male.

Background: Cancer survivors who do not engage in regular physical activity often experience persistent psychological distress and fatigue, which can significantly impact their quality of life. While handgrip strength (HGS) is recognized as an indicator of overall health and physical resilience, the combined role of HGS and physical inactivity in predicting psychological distress and fatigue in this population remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationships between self-reported physical inactivity, HGS, and psychological distress, specifically depressive symptoms, anxiety, and cancer-related fatigue (CRF), in physically inactive cancer survivors. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 42 physically inactive cancer survivors (mean age = 63.2 years, SD = 8.96) recruited from the Cancer Institute (IRCCS) in Bari, Italy. Physical inactivity was quantified based on self-reported weekly physical activity minutes, with all participants engaging in less than 150 min per week. The participants underwent HGS assessment and completed validated psychological measures, including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y1 and STAI-Y2), and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Results: Bivariate correlations were examined via Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of psychological distress and fatigue, adjusting for covariates such as age, sex, cancer type, and time since treatment completion. Both lower HGS and greater physical inactivity were significantly correlated with greater depressive symptoms (HGS: ρ = −0.524, p < 0.001; physical inactivity: ρ = −0.662, p < 0.001), greater fatigue severity (HGS: ρ = −0.599, p < 0.001; physical inactivity: ρ = −0.662, p < 0.001), and increased trait anxiety (HGS: ρ = −0.532, p < 0.001; physical inactivity: ρ = −0.701, p < 0.001). No significant associations were found between physical inactivity or HGS and state anxiety (p > 0.05). Multiple regression analyses confirmed that both HGS and physical inactivity independently predicted depressive symptoms (HGS: β = −0.435, p = 0.009; physical inactivity: β = −0.518, p = 0.002), trait anxiety (HGS: β = −0.313, p = 0.038; physical inactivity: β = −0.549, p < 0.001), and fatigue (HGS: β = −0.324, p = 0.033; physical inactivity: β = −0.565, p < 0.001), even after adjusting for covariates. Low physical activity and reduced muscle strength independently predict psychological distress and fatigue in cancer survivors. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential exacerbating role of physical inactivity in both physical and psychological vulnerability, underscoring the need for interventions promoting regular exercise. Integrating strength assessments and structured physical activity programs may be key strategies in survivorship care to improve mental well-being and overall quality of life.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death globally. In recent years, interest in multicomponent interventions has grown as a response to the multifactorial complexity of CVDs. However, the literature still shows little systematic investigation into the effectiveness of multicomponent training (MCT) in the field of CVDs, accompanied by terminological confusion. This study aims to summarize and critically appraise the recent literature through a narrative review. A narrative review was conducted, synthesizing evidence from studies published between 2010 and January 2025. The databases searched included PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using predefined search terms related to CVDs and MCT, and medical subject headings (MeSHs) and Boolean syntax. Two team authors independently extracted relevant information from the included studies. MCT significantly improved hemodynamic parameters in CVD patients, with reductions in systolic, diastolic, mean blood pressure, and heart rate. Physical fitness measures showed consistent enhancements whereas anthropometric improvements often corresponded with blood pressure reductions. Psychological outcomes varied across studies, with intervention duration emerging as a key factor in effectiveness. MCT interventions could lead to improvements in clinical outcomes, risk factor reduction, and patient adherence. Although findings on psychological parameters remain inconsistent, the overall evidence supports their integration into both clinical and community settings.

The phenomenon of school dropout represents a significant challenge for educational systems. Research showes that student motivation is a key predictor of school persistence, influencing the quality and continuity of learning processes (Froiland et al., 2016). In this context, Augmented Reality (AR) has emerged as an innovative tool capable of increasing student engagement and motivation (Garzón et al., 2021; Lembo et al., 2023). This paper presents an experimental study conducted with upper secondary school students, aimed at investigating the role of AR in supporting intrinsic motivation. The intervention, implemented through the Merge Cube, revealed significant differences in interest, effort, and perceived pressure, confirming the potential of AR as an innovative teaching strategy and as a preventive approach to school dropout. Realtà aumentata e motivazione intrinseca: approccio preventivo al drop-out nella scuola secondaria di secondo grado. Il fenomeno della dispersione scolastica rappresenta una sfida significativa per i sistemi educativi. La ricerca evidenzia come la motivazione degli studenti sia un predittore fondamentale della persistenza scolastica, influenzando la qualità e la continuità dei processi di apprendimento (Froiland et al., 2016). In quest’ottica, la Realtà Aumentata (AR) si è affermata come uno strumento innovativo, capace di aumentare il coinvolgimento e la motivazione degli studenti (Garzon et al., 2021; Lembo et al., 2023). La presente ricerca sperimentale, condotta con studenti della scuola secondaria di secondo grado, ha indagato il ruolo della Realtà Aumentata nel sostenere la motivazione intrinseca. Tale intervento, tramite Merge Cube, ha evidenziato differenze significative nelle dimensioni di interesse, impegno e pressione percepita, confermando il potenziale dell’AR come strategia didattica innovativa e come approccio preventivo al drop-out scolastico.

Quando Einstein affermò che “l’apprendimento è esperienza, ogni altra cosa è solo informazione”, voleva evidenziare come esista una netta differenza tra un apprendimento prettamente nozionistico, basato sulla fissazione mnemonica di fatti e concetti, e un apprendimento di natura esperienziale, più centrato su un ruolo attivo e partecipativo del soggetto. Mentre il primo risulta essere riduttivo, il secondo coinvolge il soggetto nella sua interezza, andando a considerarlo come un’unità, non più come scisso nelle sue singole componenti. Attraverso dei programmi formativi destrutturati, offerti da tecnici, ad un campione di bimbi in età prescolare, vogliamo dimostrare l’efficacia del metodo e la necessità di training specifici per i docenti relativi alla correlazione fra neurosviluppo ed attività motorie ed espressive. When Einstein said that "learning is experience, everything else is just information", he wanted to highlight how there is a clear difference between a purely notional learning, based on the mnemonic fixation of facts and concepts, and a learning of an experiential nature, more centred on an active and participatory role of the subject. While the former turns out to be reductive, the second involves the subject in its entirety, going to consider it as a unit, no longer as a clean in its individual components. Through deconstructed training programmes, offered by technicians, to a sample of pre-schoolers, we want to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method and the need for teacher-specific training related to the correlation between neurodevelopment and activities motors and the expressive.