Background: The postponement and cancellation of the competition season due to COVID-19 could cause significant mental health problems for an elite athlete. The aim of this study was to describe the mental health characteristics of Estonian elite athletes, their training conditions, competition possibilities, and the support they received during COVID-19. Methods: Athletes completed self-reported questionnaires (including Emotional State Questionnaire). The authors applied descriptive statistics, t-test, and χ² test for comparison of study groups (p < 0.05). Results: Altogether 102 athletes (♂ = 44) were surveyed. The most disturbing issue for athletes was the closing of training centers (57.8%) and cancellation of competitions (50%); 64.7% of athletes reported a negative response from not being able to visit healthcare specialists. Fortunately, athletes could receive virtual coaching. Two-thirds of the athletes had some indication of distress (♀ > ♂): 25% of males and 39.7% of females had symptoms indicating depression; ♀ = 27.6%, ♂ = 13.6% anxiety; ♀ = 56.9%, ♂ = 31.8% fatigue (p = 0.021); ♀ = 55.1%, ♂ = 27.2% insomnia (p = 0.009); 27.5% thought about ending their career (frequency in high distress group compared with low: p = 0.022); and 2.9% were certain they would stop their training completely. Family members were the biggest emotional supporters; 16.7% did not get support from anyone. Conclusion: The Estonian sport community needs to adapt to life in a pandemic environment and help athletes to maintain training and competition activities and in turn, their mental health.

Rhythmic gymnasts (RGs) are more likely to be dissatisfied with their body mass and shape compared to untrained controls (UCs). However, due to the lack of information, the aim of this study was to investigate the associations of body image perception (BIP) with body composition, daily energy consumption and different blood biochemical markers in adolescent RGs compared to UCs. Thirty-three highly trained RG girls and 20 UC girls aged 14–18 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Height, body mass, body composition, energy intake, resting energy expenditure, training volume and different blood biochemical markers were measured. The body attitude test (BAT) was used to evaluate the BIP of the participants. There were no differences in the total BAT scores between the groups. In RGs, the BAT score correlated positively with the serum resistin level (r = 0.35; p = 0.047). A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that 40.8% of the variability in the BAT score was determined by resistin and BMI. The association of BIP with resistin values was observed only in RGs. In conclusion, our findings add to the increasing evidence that resistin may be a link between BIP and body composition, most likely through fat mass, in adolescent female RGs.

The aim of this investigation was to determine the associations of serum irisin and fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) with the measures of energy homeostasis, training stress and other energy homeostasis hormones in highly trained adolescent rhythmic gymnasts (RG). Thirty-three RG and 20 untrained controls (UC) aged 14–18 years participated in this study. Body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), peak oxygen consumption, and different energy homeostasis hormones in serum, including irisin, FGF-21, leptin, and resistin, were measured. Irisin and FGF-21 were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between RG and UC groups. In RG, serum irisin was positively associated with REE (r = 0.40; p = 0.021) and leptin (r = 0.60; p = 0.013), while serum FGF-21 was related to body fat mass (r = 0.46; p = 0.007) and leptin (r = 0.45; p = 0.009). Irisin was related to FGF-21, independent of age, body fat, and lean masses (r = 0.36; p = 0.049) in RG. In conclusion, serum irisin concentration was associated with energy expenditure and serum FGF-21 level with energy availability measures in lean adolescent athletes, while no relationships of irisin and FGF-21 with energy status measures were observed in lean nonathletic adolescents.

The purpose of this investigation was to study whether prolonged competitive rhythmic gymnastics training influenced bone mineral accrual in premenarcheal girls. Eighty-nine girls (45 rhythmic gymnasts [RG] and 44 untrained controls [UC]) between 7 and 9 years of age were recruited and measured annually for four years (not all participants were measured at every occasion). Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to assess the development of whole body (WB), femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral content (BMC). In addition, body composition, blood adipokine and jumping performance characteristics were obtained. For longitudinal analyses, hierarchical mixed-effects models were constructed to predict differences in the development of WB, FN and LS BMC between RG and UC groups, while accounting for differences in body composition, blood adipokine and jumping performance values. It appeared that from 8 years of age, RG had lower (p < 0.05) fat mass and leptin values, and higher (p < 0.05) jumping performance measures in comparison with UC girls. Hierarchical mixed-effects models demonstrated that RG had 71.9 ± 12.0, 0.23 ± 0.11 and 1.39 ± 0.42 g more (p < 0.05) WB, FN and LS BMC, respectively, in comparison with UC girls. In addition, WB, FN and LS BMC increased more (p < 0.05) between 7 to 12 years of age in RG girls in comparison with UC. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the prolonged exposure to competitive rhythmic gymnastics trainings in premenarcheal girls is associated with greater bone mineral accrual despite lower body fat mass and leptin values.

Background and Objectives: Pediculosis, or head lice infestation, is a widespread health problem that can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, or social background. The purpose of this study was to clarify the occurrence of pediculosis among Estonian preschool- and primary school-aged children according to their parents and the parent’s awareness of pediculosis and related behaviors. Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire was completed by the parents of the preschool children (n = 1141) in 2019 and the parents of the elementary school children (n = 362) in 2021. For the descriptive data, t-test, Mann–Whitney or χ² test, linear regression, and logistic regression analyses were applied. Results: According to the parents, pediculosis had occurred in 34.7% of the children, and more than one-third of pediculosis patients had experienced it more than twice. Lice were mainly acquired from elementary school or preschool and less often from friends, relatives, or training environments. Parents’ knowledge of head lice was rather good; the average score of the correct answers was 14.0 ± 3.4 (max. 20). In the multivariate analysis, higher age (coefficient 0.07, p < 0.001), healthcare education (coefficient 1.19, p < 0.001), and a previous occurrence of pediculosis in a family (coefficient 1.95; p < 0.001) were factors influencing better knowledge. In order to treat the infestation, antilice shampoo and combing were the most often used methods. Conclusion: Despite parents’ awareness, pediculosis infestations continue to be common among our children.

Follistatin is a member of the activin–follistatin–inhibin hormonal system and is proposed to affect bone metabolism. However, data regarding the effect of follistatin on bone are relatively scarce and contradictory in humans. The purpose of the current study was to investigate possible associations of serum follistatin concentration with bone mineral characteristics in lean and physically active adolescent girls. Bone mineral density, body composition, resting energy expenditure and different energy homeostasis hormones in serum including follistatin, leptin and insulin were investigated. Significant relationships (p < 0.05) between serum follistatin (1275.1 ± 263.1 pg/mL) and whole-body (WB) bone mineral content (r = 0.33), WB areal bone mineral density (aBMD) (r = 0.23) and lumbar spine (LS) aBMD (r = 0.29) values were observed. Serum follistatin remained associated with LS aBMD independent of body fat and lean masses (r = 0.21; p < 0.05). However, the follistatin concentration explained only 3% (R² × 100; p = 0.049) of the total variance in LS aBMD values. In conclusion, serum follistatin concentrations were associated with bone mineral values in lean adolescent girls with increased physical activity. Follistatin was an independent predictor of lumbar spine areal bone mineral density, which predominantly consists of trabecular bone.