Background: Childhood is an important period for developing maturity in thinking. Accumulating evidence shows the association between physical activity and cognitive function. Although both the intelligence quotient and emotional quotient have been reported to be associated with physical activity, there is a limited amount of published research regarding the association between physical activity and cognitive function in children and youths. With respect to creativity, an important skill for the twenty-first century, little evidence on the creative quotient promotion in childhood is available. The present study, therefore, is designed to explore the correlation between physical activity and creativity. Methods: The participants included 1447 students with different age groups in 34 schools from Southern Thailand. Age groups were categorized according to Thailand’s 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, where 521 students were aged 6–9 years, 487 students were aged 10–13 years, and 439 students were aged 14–17 years. Creativity was measured through the use of the Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production (TCT-DP). Active play, time with family and peers, and sedentary behavior were monitored by the Thailand Physical Activity Children Survey-the Student Questionnaire (TPACS-SQ). Results: The correlation between the TCT-DP score representing creativity and active play was noticed in adolescents (r = 0.148, p = 0.001), but not found in participants aged 6–13 years. Active play was associated with time with family and peers in all age groups (r = 0.485, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The present data supports the idea that optimal physical activity is required during childhood for developing thinking process. Promotion of active play with family and peers may facilitate creativity skills.
Virtual runs (real running or walking activities using online recording platforms) have been popular in the digital age and could have the potential to promote physical activity (PA) in workplaces. We investigated the effects of a virtual-run intervention (VRI) on PA and body compositions among university employees. A three-phase intervention was conducted over 6 months: 0 (pre-intervention), 1 (during intervention), and 2 (post-intervention). Exercise stages of change were assessed in phases 0 and 2. Body compositions (body weight, body mass index, fat mass, percentage of fat mass, fat-free mass, and percentage of fat-free mass) were assessed in phases 0, 1, and 2. Running and walking times were recorded through a mobile application. Forty-seven participants completed the VRI. The number of participants at the maintenance stage increased from 34.04% in phase 0 (n = 16) to 63.83% in phase 2 (n = 30). None of the changes in body compositions were significant (p > 0.05). The median running and walking time among participants at the maintenance stage was 151.85 (interquartile range, 109.15) min/week. Future research should focus on approaches to improve the efficacy of VRIs and their effects on health outcomes.
Undergraduate students often engage in nighttime activities and electronic device usage that may adversely affect sleep quality and academic performance; therefore, factors associated with sleep quality are important. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of poor sleep quality in undergraduate students. Four hundred and five undergraduate students participated in a cross-sectional study and had no history of psychological disorders or use of medications affecting sleep. Data was collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire, electronic device usage questionnaire and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Multivariate logistic regression was employed to analyze the factors associated with poor sleep quality. Among the undergraduate students in this study, 65.93% reported having poor sleep quality. The factors associated with poor sleep quality were stress (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01–1.06) and musculoskeletal discomfort (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.23–2.99) after controlling for other variables. Undergraduate students frequently experience poor sleep quality, with stress and musculoskeletal discomfort being major contributors. These findings highlight the importance of mental health support and stress management programs in improving sleep quality and overall well-being, as well as in preventing long-term detrimental consequences for undergraduate students’ mental health, physical health and academic performance.