Aim/Purpose: This study aims to examine the influence of digital competences, technology acceptance, and individual factors (gender and educational level) on academic achievement in Physical Education and Sports Science (PESS). Background: Prior research has established a positive correlation between digital competences and performance, but the mediating role of technology acceptance remains unclear. Furthermore, there is no evidence in the literature about this relationship among students pursuing degrees in PESS. Methodology: A survey was administered to 344 students pursuing degrees in PESS. The Students’ Digital Competence Scale (SDiCoS) measured digital competences, while the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) assessed technology acceptance. Academic performance was evaluated based on students’ GPAs. Contribution: This paper investigated the role of digital competence within the TAM framework and its influence on academic performance. We propose that digital competence variables positively impact students’ intention to use digital tools for learning. This aligns with TAM principles, where intention and attitude toward technology predict its actual use. Our findings further strengthen the understanding of TAM by confirming strong connections between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude toward technology. Additionally, the study suggests that digital competence and frequent device usage patterns might be more prevalent in postgraduate education. Findings: The investigation supports the link between digital competences and technology acceptance in PESS students. Specifically, TAM variables, particularly attitudes and intentions regarding technology use, significantly predicted these students’ academic performance. Interestingly, no direct association was found between SDiCoS digital competences and academic performance. Digital competence variables were positively associated with students’ intention to use digital tools for learning. Gender differences emerged, with females reporting higher academic performance and proficiency in Communicate, Collaborate, and Share (CCS) competences. Furthermore, postgraduate students reported digital competences, higher academic performance, stronger intentions to use technology, and more frequent utilization of laptops/tablets. Recommendations for Practitioners: Educators, administrators, and policymakers should consider targeted interventions and curriculum development to enhance academic performance in the fields of physical education and sports science. Specifically, strategies should focus on fostering digital competences in areas relevant to the field while addressing gender-specific needs. Recommendation for Researchers: Future research should further explore the nuanced relationship between digital competences, technology acceptance, and academic performance, with a focus on refining the predictive efficacy of TAM variables, and examining the role of individual factors, such as motivation and self-efficacy. Impact on Society: The findings have implications for improving academic outcomes in PESS, ultimately contributing to the development of a highly skilled and technology-literate workforce in this field. Future Research: Future research should examine the specific mechanisms through which digital competences and technology acceptance influence academic performance to develop effective interventions and strategies.

Background: Mental disorders in terms of depression, anxiety, and stress are one of the major causes of burden globally. Over the last two decades, the use of plant-based substances in the treatment of mental disorders in combination or not with medication has increasingly attracted the interest of the scientific research community. However, even if there is a plethora of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, most of them have low bioavailability, rendering them unable to insert into the bloodstream to exert their biological activities. Methods: This is a comprehensive narrative review that critically summarizes and scrutinizes the new approaches to the treatment of mental disorders using curcumin, also highlighting its bioavailability properties. The most accurate were searched using effective and relevant keywords. Results: This narrative review reveals substantial evidence that curcumin can exert significant effects on several mental disorders. However, despite the low cost, the extensive and confirmed potency of curcumin and its involvement in signaling pathways and the scientifically confirmed data regarding its molecular mechanisms of action against mental disorders, this naturally occurring compound presents low oral bioavailability. Pharmaceutical technology has provided solutions to increase the bioavailability of curcumin. Combination with piperine, galactomannosides, liposomal formulation or nanoformulation overcomes the bioavailability and solubility disadvantages. Conclusions: Although curcumin demonstrates anti-anxiety, anti-depressive and anti-stress properties, studies on humans are limited and heterogeneous. Further research is highly recommended to determine the most functional formula, dose, duration, and possible side effects of curcumin on mental disorders in humans. Based on the current knowledge, the curcumin nanoformulation and Theracurmin, a form of colloidal submicroscopic particles, seem to be the most effective bioavailable formulations, which may be examined in future clinical human studies.

Background/Objectives: Motor creativity is a vital component of preschoolers’ growth and development. However, its underlying determinants remain largely underexplored. This study investigates the interrelationship among playful behavior, social profile, and motor creativity in preschool children, emphasizing its implications for holistic health and development. Methods: A total of 200 children and their kindergarten teachers from Greece participated in the study. The Children’s Playfulness Scale (CPS) was employed to assess the children’s playfulness, while a sociometric test was used to evaluate their social standing within peer groups. Motor creativity was measured through TCAM, a performance-based test focusing on fluency, imagination, and originality. Results: The findings revealed that the dimensions of playful behavior, particularly motor and social playfulness, significantly and positively influenced motor creativity, a core component of physical and mental health in early childhood. Conversely, certain aspects of social behavior had a negative association with imaginative capacities. Conclusions: The study underscores the critical role of movement-based playful activities in fostering children’s physical, emotional, cognitive, and social health. It highlights the need for educators to design developmentally appropriate motor play activities that cultivate creativity and social integration, promoting a balanced and health-oriented early education framework. The results contribute to educational policy and practice by reinforcing the importance of structured motor play in supporting preschoolers’ well-being and comprehensive development.

Research has shown that a whole-school approach (WSA) is needed to increase student physical activity. There is a lack of empirical data on teachers’ opinions and needs regarding the implementation of a WSA approach to encourage physical activity. Our study aims to address this gap by identifying teachers’ and academics’ beliefs about the usefulness, content, and delivery mode of a WSA in fostering physical activity. To address the research aim, an exploratory mixed methods design was employed. Initially, a qualitative study with academics and stakeholders was conducted, followed by a quantitative investigation with teachers and school employees. In the first study, seven participants working in education took part in one-to-one interviews concerning their views on the usefulness, content, and delivery of whole-school education. The participants stressed the importance of the WSA and urged that educational authorities should consider the needs of children and the school community, promote teacher collaboration, pursue longevity, and engage with stakeholders and institutions throughout the process. In the second study, 160 school teachers and staff answered a survey about the content and delivery mode of an educational material for the promotion of WSA to fostering physical activity. The analyses indicated that participants preferred a three to six hours course, a hybrid mode of delivery, inclusion of best practices, and knowledge on how to implement a WSA. The study’s findings reveal several implications and recommendations for educators creating comprehensive school-based physical activity programs.

This study examined the influence of student–teacher relationships and school infrastructure on preschool children’s motor creativity, encompassing fluency, originality, and imagination. Twenty teachers completed the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale for 200 children (10 children per teacher). The research team recorded aspects of the school’s physical environment through Movement Play Scale and assessed children’s motor creativity via the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement test. The results revealed that dimensions of the student–teacher relationship, such as conflict and dependency, negatively impacted fluency, and originality components of motor creativity. Contrary to expectations, teacher participation in movement activities did not significantly contribute to motor creativity, potentially due to over-direction limiting children’s autonomy. Similarly, the school’s infrastructures were negatively linked to fluency and originality. The findings underscore the importance of nurturing autonomy-supportive environments and balancing guidance with opportunities for independent exploration. Teachers should also invest in adaptable educational spaces to foster creativity without encouraging dependency. This study emphasizes the critical role of supportive relational and environmental factors in shaping preschool children’s creative movement abilities.