Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 75 in total

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  1. Kuan G, Roy J
    J Sports Sci Med, 2007;6(CSSI-2):28-33.
    PMID: 24198700
    This study examined the association between goal orientations and mental toughness and its influence on performance outcomes in competition. Wushu athletes (n = 40) competing in Intervarsity championships in Malaysia completed Task and Ego Orientations in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ) and Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI). Using cluster analysis techniques including hierarchical methods and the non-hierarchical method (k-means cluster) to examine goal profiles, a three cluster solution emerged viz. cluster 1 - high task and moderate ego (HT/ME), cluster 2 - moderate task and low ego (MT/LE) and, cluster 3 - moderate task and moderate ego (MT/ME). Analysis of the fundamental areas of mental toughness based on goal profiles revealed that athletes in cluster 1 scored significantly higher on negative energy control than athletes in cluster 2. Further, athletes in cluster 1 also scored significantly higher on positive energy control than athletes in cluster 3. Chi-square (χ(2)) test revealed no significant differences among athletes with different goal profiles on performance outcomes in the competition. However, significant differences were observed between athletes (medallist and non medallist) in self- confidence (p = 0.001) and negative energy control (p = 0.042). Medallist's scored significantly higher on self-confidence (mean = 21.82 ± 2.72) and negative energy control (mean = 19.59 ± 2.32) than the non-medallists (self confidence-mean = 18.76 ± 2.49; negative energy control mean = 18.14 ± 1.91). Key pointsMental toughness can be influenced by certain goal profile combination.Athletes with successful outcomes in performance (medallist) displayed greater mental toughness.
  2. Kim Y, Kuan G
    PMID: 32545921 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124251
    The present study examines the relationship between drinking behaviour and drinking refusal self-efficacy among university students, with a focus on the influential roles of sports type and gender. A total of 354 students from Seoul National University of Science and Technology volunteered and participated in this study. The Korean Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-K), the Korean Drinking Refusal Self-Efficacy (DRSE) Questionnaire-Revised, and a questionnaire measuring participation in sports activities were administered to measure students' alcohol drinking behaviours, refusal self-efficacy and sport-related activities, respectively. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, two-way ANOVAs, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The subdomains of DRSE had significant influences on binge drinking. Specifically, low DRSE in situations involving social pressure played a key role in predicting increased binge drinking. There was also a significant relationship between sports type and drinking behaviour, but only for male students. Those who participated in individual sports binge drank less than those who participated in team sports. Finally, gender differences were also revealed in drinking behaviour. Male students were more likely to binge drink compared to their female counterparts. This study offers a foundation for practical interventions to help control problematic drinking behaviour among university students.
  3. Kuan GL, Low WY
    Med J Malaysia, 2015 Oct;70(5):295-9.
    PMID: 26556118 MyJurnal
    INTRODUCTION: The importance of Paediatric Palliative Care (PPC) is increasingly recognised worldwide, with the World Health Organzsation (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsing the development and wide availability of PPC. When these children are in the terminal phase of their illness, PPC should be tailored to the different needs and desires of the child and the family, with the goal of providing the best possible quality of life (QOL) for the days that remain.

    METHOD: Malaysia has yet to develop a national PPC policy. In anticipation of this, as part of a needs based qualitative study, parents' views were solicited, as to the unmet needs of their children during the terminal phases of their illness. A purposive sampling was conducted amongst fifteen parents of nine deceased children (ages 2-14 years, eight cancer, one Prader Willi Syndrome) who had received care in the Paediatric Department, Malacca General Hospital, a Malaysian government hospital. Two focus group discussions and three in-depth interviews were conducted, based on a semi-structured interview guideline. The interviews were audiotaped with permission and the tape recordings were transcribed verbatim. The data were managed and analysed by NVivo 9 software using a thematic analysis approach.

    RESULTS: The frequently emerging themes were the strengths and weaknesses pertaining to the healthcare system, processes within palliative care. These were symptom control, closed communication and lack of support and anticipatory guidance as death approached.

    CONCLUSION: Dying Malaysian children and their families deserve to receive care that is more consistent with optimal palliative care.
  4. Sabo A, Kueh YC, Kuan G
    PLoS One, 2019;14(5):e0215698.
    PMID: 31050664 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215698
    BACKGROUND: The present study was aimed at validating the Malay-language version of the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE-M) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

    METHODS: Data were collected from undergraduate students at all campuses of the Universiti Sains Malaysia. A total of 1,605 students completed the SEE-M (female: 71.5%, male: 28.5%), with the mean age of 20.3 years (SD = 1.5). Perceived self-efficacy was assessed with the 18-item SEE-M. Standard forward-backward translation was performed to translate the English version of the Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE) into the Malay version (SEE-M).

    RESULTS: The 2 initial measurement models tested (1-factor and 3-factor models) did not result in a good fit to the data. Subsequent investigation of the CFA results recommended some modifications, including adding correlations between the item residuals within the same latent variable. These modifications resulted in good fit indices for the 1-factor model (RMSEA = .059, CFI = .939, TLI = .922, SRMR = .049) and the 3-factor model (RMSEA = .066, CFI = .924, TLI = .903, SRMR = .051). The final measurement models comprised all 18 SEE-M items, which had significant factor loadings of more than .40. The test-retest results indicated that the SEE-M was stable, with an intra-class correlation of .99. The composite reliability was .886 for the 1-factor model and .670-.854 for the 3-factor model.

    CONCLUSIONS: The translated version of the SEE-M was valid and reliable for assessing the level of self-efficacy for exercise among university students in Malaysia.

    PERSPECTIVE: This study examining the psychometric properties of the SEE scale based on CFA was the first to assess 2 proposed models (1-factor and 3-factor models) simultaneously and to translate the original, English-language SEE into Malay.

  5. Konter E, Kueh YC, Kuan G
    PMID: 32635576 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17134834
    While courage is widely attributed to athletic pursuits, it has received little scientific attention from both researchers and applied practitioners. A reliable measurement is required to examine courage in sports and competitive activities. Therefore, this research aimed to adapt the original Turkish Sports Courage Scale-31 into American English (SCS-AE). The SCS-31 measure was translated from Turkish into the American English language by the Brislin forward and backward translation technique and language validity. Then, the translated SCS-AE was administered to 548 American university college students (Mean age = 19.02, SD = 1.21). All participants played a sport (e.g., football, soccer, basketball, gymnastics). Based on confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), 31 items of SCS-AE were reduced to 24 items with four factors (i.e., assertiveness, determination, mastery, and venturesome). The fit indices were satisfactory (RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.97, SRMR = 0.06, NFI = 0.96 and NNFI = 0.97). The internal consistency measured by Cronbach alpha, ranging from 0.73 to 0.78, were considered acceptable. The convergent validity and discriminant validity of SCS-AE were also achieved. Our findings indicate strong support for research using the four-factor model of the SCS-AE and adequate support for the five-factor model with sufficient caution regarding the internal consistency of the self-sacrifice factor. While cultural differences in courage perception might exist between these countries, the findings showed more similarities than differences in courage. Results indicated that the SCS-AE is usable for research purposes in the suggested format. Future directions are discussed using the SCS-31 and SCS-AE for research.
  6. Pan M, Ying B, Lai Y, Kuan G
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 18;19(20).
    PMID: 36294043 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013465
    The status of the physical exercise of college students has been a popular topic in China. This study systematically reviewed the exercise status of Chinese college students and its influencing factors. A keyword and reference search were conducted in the Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane library, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Additionally, Google Scholar was searched to collect literatures related to physical activity of Chinese university students published in Chinese and English from 1 January 2017 to 30 July 2022. Fifteen studies met the selection criteria and were included in the review. The results show that the main motivation for Chinese college students to exercise is to strengthen their bodies, with running and walking ranking first and ball games ranking second in importance. Most of the college students exercised three times a week, which is the recommended minimum, and most of their workouts were of moderate intensity. Additionally, the workouts lasted for 30 min to 60 min. The main factors affecting college students' exercise are lack of time due to academic pressure, facilities constraints, and lack of professional exercise guidance. In conclusion, the physical fitness of university students should not be underestimated, and this study provides additional reference to promote healthier lifestyles among Chinese college students.
  7. Mao J, Wang T, Wang Y, Kuan G
    Front Physiol, 2023;14:1301535.
    PMID: 38148897 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1301535
    Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effects on muscle hypertrophy and muscular performance of two resistance training (RT) programs that differed only in set structure: traditional set structure (TS) vs. rest redistribution set structure (RR). Methods: Thirty untrained young men were pair-matched and randomly assigned to a TS (n = 15) or an RR (n = 15) protocol based on individual baseline measures. Participants trained for 8 weeks using the same total body RT routines performed twice weekly. The TS protocol comprised four sets of 10 repetitions per exercise with 120-s interset rest, and the RR involved eight sets of five repetitions per exercise with 51-s interset rest. Participants were tested pre- and post-intervention for body composition, regional muscle thickness, upper- and lower-body muscle maximal strength [1-repetition maximum (1RM)], mean power output and velocity at 75% 1RM and muscular endurance (repetitions to failure at 70% 1RM). Results: Compared to baseline, both groups exhibited equally significantly decreased body fat mass (p < 0.05), increased fat-free mass (p < 0.001), muscle thickness (p < 0.05), upper and lower-body muscular maximal strength (p < 0.001) and endurance performance (p < 0.001). However, both groups only increase the lower-body power output (p < 0.001) but not the upper-body (p > 0.05). No significant differences existed between groups for all measurements (p > 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that RR and TS groups have similar effects for improving muscle hypertrophy and performance in untrained young men.
  8. Kuan G, Morris T, Terry P
    PLoS One, 2017;12(4):e0175022.
    PMID: 28414741 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175022
    Beneficial effects of music on several performance-related aspects of sport have been reported, but the processes involved are not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of relaxing and arousing classical music on physiological indicators and subjective perceptions of arousal during imagery of a sport task. First, appropriate music excerpts were selected. Then, 12 skilled shooters performed shooting imagery while listening to the three preselected music excerpts in randomized order. Participants' galvanic skin response, peripheral temperature, and electromyography were monitored during music played concurrently with imagery. Subjective music ratings and physiological measures showed, as hypothesized, that unfamiliar relaxing music was the most relaxing and unfamiliar arousing music was the most arousing. Researchers should examine the impact of unfamiliar relaxing and arousing music played during imagery on subsequent performance in diverse sports. Practitioners can apply unfamiliar relaxing and arousing music with imagery to manipulate arousal level.
  9. Sabo A, Kuan G, Kueh YC
    BMC Psychol, 2024 Jul 31;12(1):419.
    PMID: 39085962 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01825-3
    The present study examines the mediating effect of psychological factors in the structural relationships between social and physical environmental factors and the amount of physical activity among undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia. The sample consisted of 422 students with a mean age of 20.2 years (SD = 1.27). The majority of the students were female (69.7%) and Malay (81.3%). Standardized scales were used to measure the total amount of physical activity and all the study variables. The final SEM had a good fit to the data: CFI = 0.968, TLI = 0.948, SRMR = 0.036, RMSEA (90%CI) = 0.046 (0.025, 0.065), RMSEA p-value = 0.609 with 11 paths relationships. Family support had a significant effect on perceived benefits and perceived barriers. The effect of friend support on physical activity was significantly mediated by perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and psychological needs satisfaction. The effect of the availability of exercise facilities on physical activity was significantly mediated by perceived benefits and psychological needs satisfaction. Furthermore, psychological needs satisfaction mediated the effect of perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy on physical activity. The study findings illustrated that the application of the social-ecological model and psychological factors is important in order to understand and promote positive physical activity behaviour.
  10. Konter E, Kueh YC, Kuan G
    Malays J Med Sci, 2020 Jul;27(4):85-96.
    PMID: 32863748 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2020.27.4.8
    Background: The nature of the relationship between passion and courage and its influence on soccer performance has yet to be revealed. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine passion attributes (i.e. harmonious and obsessive inclinations) among male soccer players in relation to the level of courageous characteristics (i.e. mastery, determination, assertiveness, venturesome and sacrificial behaviour), other demographic and player characteristics.

    Methods: Data were collected from 278 male soccer players aged 13-38 years (mean [M] = 17.42 ± 4.36) with the number of competitive soccer experiences ranging from 1-28 years (M = 7.51 ± 4.23 years). Participants had at least a year of experience in the sport of soccer completed the validated passion scale, sports courage scale and demographic form.

    Results: Analyses revealed that soccer players with higher levels of total courage (P < 0.001), have more experience in soccer (P = 0.011), and their soccer level being professional (P < 0.001) had a significantly higher score in harmonious passion. There was no significant difference in obsessive passion among different level of total courage (P = 0.154). However, soccer players with more experience (P = 0.011) and higher soccer level being professional (P < 0.001) demonstrated a significant higher score in obsessive passion.

    Conclusion: In conclusion, soccer players with higher harmonious and obsessive passionate attributes had higher courage (except for mastery). In addition, the courageous and passionate traits of the soccer players played meaningful roles in indicating individual and performance variables.

  11. Kuan G, Kueh YC, Abdullah N, Tai ELM
    BMC Public Health, 2019 Jun 13;19(1):751.
    PMID: 31196195 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7109-2
    BACKGROUND: Health-promoting behaviour is an important concept for health education. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of validated instruments to measure levels of health-promoting behaviour in the Malaysian context. The purpose of this study was to validate a Malay-language version of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) using a confirmatory approach.

    METHODS: Participants were 997 university undergraduate students, with a mean age of 21 years (SD = 1.58). The majority of the participants (80.4%) were female. Health-promoting behaviour was assessed using the 52-item HPLP-II, which measures six components of health-promoting behaviour outcomes. HPLP-II was translated into the Malay language using standard forward and backward translation procedures. Participants then completed the HPLP-II Malay version (HPLP-II-M). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted using Mplus 8.0 software on the six domains of HPLP-II-M model.

    RESULTS: The CFA result based on the hypothesised measurement model of six factors was aligned with the original HPLP-II, except for two low loading items which were subsequently removed from the CFA analysis. The final CFA measurement model with 50 items resulted in a good fit to the data based on RMSEA and SRMR fit indices (RMSEA = 0.046, 90%CI = 0.045, 0.048, SRMR = 0.062). The construct reliabilities for the HPLP-II-M subscales were acceptable, ranging from 0.737 to 0.878.

    CONCLUSION: The HPLP-II-M with six components of health-promoting behaviour outcomes and 50 items was considered valid and reliable for the present Malaysian sample.

  12. Sabo A, Kueh YC, Arifin WN, Kim Y, Kuan G
    PLoS One, 2020;15(9):e0239725.
    PMID: 32986724 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239725
    BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the validity of the Malay-translated version scales for assessing the social support and physical environment for exercise activities.

    METHOD: The study was a cross-sectional design in nature, using self-reported questionnaires among the university students in Malaysia. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling approach. Perceptions regarding social support and physical environment were assessed using the Malay-translated version scales. The standard forward-backwards translation was conducted to translate the English version of the scales to the Malay version. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to validate the translated version scales; composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) were computed.

    RESULTS: A total of 857 students participated in this study (female: 49.1%, male: 50.9%). The mean age of the participants was 20.2 (SD = 1.6). The fit indices of the initial hypothesized measurement models (social support and physical environment) were not satisfactory. Further improvements were made by adding covariances between residuals' items within the same factor for each hypothesized model. The final re-specified measurement models demonstrated adequate factor structure for the social support scale with 24 items (CFI = .932, TLI = .920, SRMR = .054, RMSEA = .061), and the physical environment scale with five items (CFI = .994, TLI = .981, SRMR = .013, RMSEA = .054). The CR was .918 for family support, .919 for friend support, .813 for perceived availability, and .771 for perceived quality. The AVEs were .560 for family support, .547 for friend support, .554 for perceived availability, and .628 for perceived quality. The intra-class correlation (ICC) based on test-retest was .920 for family support, .984 for friend support, .895 for availability of facilities, and .774 for quality of facilities.

    CONCLUSION: The Malay version of the social support scale for exercise and the physical environment scale for physical activity were shown to have adequate psychometric properties for assessing perceived social support and physical environment among the university students in Malaysia.

    PERSPECTIVE: This study presented the psychometric properties of the social support and physical environment scales based on CFA and was the first to translate these scales from the original English version to the Malay version.

  13. Nikol L, Kuan G, Ong M, Chang YK, Terry PC
    Front Psychol, 2018;9:1114.
    PMID: 30072929 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01114
    Running in high heat and humidity increases psychophysiological strain, which typically impairs running performance. Listening to synchronous music has been shown to provide psychophysiological benefits, which may enhance running performance. The present randomized, crossover study examined effects of listening to synchronous music on psychophysiological parameters and running performance in hot and humid conditions. Twelve male runners (21.7 ± 2.2 y; 166.17 ± 7.18 cm; 60.32 ± 9.52 kg; 59.29 ± 5.95 ml kg-1 min-1) completed two running trials in simulated conditions (31°C and 70% humidity) with and without synchronous music. Participants ran on a treadmill inside a climatic chamber for 60 min at 60%

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    O2max and continued to run to exhaustion at 80%

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    O2max. Time-to-exhaustion under the synchronous music condition was 66.59% longer (mean = 376.5 s vs. 226.0 s, p = 0.02, d = 0.63) compared to the no music condition. Ratings of perceived exertion were significantly lower for the synchronous music condition at each time point (15, 30, 45, and 60 min) of the steady state portion of the running trials. Small differences in heart rate were detected between conditions. No significant between-condition differences were found in urine specific gravity, percentage of body weight loss, thermal comfort, and blood lactate. Findings suggest that listening to synchronous music is beneficial to running performance and perceived exertion in hot and humid conditions.
  14. Hidrus A, Kueh YC, Norsa'adah B, Kuan G
    PMID: 32024257 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17030922
    Exercise self-efficacy (ESE) is one of the psychological constructs in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). The objective of the present study is to assess the validity and reliability of the Malay version of Exercise self-efficacy scale (ESE-M) among Malaysians with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling method using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out. Participants were invited to complete the ESE-M with 18 items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and composite reliability (CR) was computed using Mplus 8. A total of 331 Malaysians with T2DM with a mean age of 63 years old (Standard Deviation = 0.57) completed the questionnaire. Most of the participants were male (52%) and Malay (89.4%). Two initial CFA models (single factor and three factors) of ESE-M scale were tested and they did not fit to the data well. Several re-specifications of the models were conducted. The final model for the ESE-M showed improvement on the value of model fit indices for the single factor model (comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.952, Tucker and Lewis index (TLI) = 0.938, standardised root mean square (SRMR) = 0.044, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.054) and three factors model (CFI = 0.891, TLI = 0.863, SRMR = 0.049, RMSEA = 0.081). The CR for the self-efficacy factor was 0.921 (single factor), while CR for internal feelings, competing demands and situational (three factors) were 0.762, 0.818 and 0.864, respectively. The final model of single factor ESE-M showed better fit to the data compared to the three factors ESE-M. This indicated that the single factor ESE-M is more suitable to be adopted for future study among Malaysians with T2DM.
  15. Kuan G, Sabo A, Sawang S, Kueh YC
    PLoS One, 2020;15(3):e0230644.
    PMID: 32187222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230644
    BACKGROUND: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Malay version of the decisional balance (DB-M) for exercise (i.e. perceived benefits and perceived barriers) using a cross-sectional design. Also, this study assessed the measurement and structural invariance of the DB-M across gender.

    METHODS: The study sample consisted of 750 students (female: 51.7%, male: 48.3%), with a mean age of 20.2 years (SD = 1.2). Decision balance (DB) scale was assessed with the 10-item DB-M. Standard forward-backward translation was performed to translate the English version of the DB into Malay version (DB-M).

    RESULTS: The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results based on the hypothesised measurement model of two factors and ten items demonstrated adequate factor structure after the addition of some correlated item residuals (comparative fit index (CFI) = .979, Tucker and Lewis index (TLI) = .969, standardised root mean square residual (SRMR) = .037, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .047). The construct reliability and average variance extracted values were .850 and .839, and .542 and .538, for perceived benefits and perceived barriers, respectively. Meanwhile, the Cronbach's alpha was .857 and .859, and the intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was .979 and .960 for perceived benefits and perceived barriers respectively. The findings provided evidence for measurement invariance of DB-M for the male and female samples. The final CFA model fit the data well for both male sample (CFI = .975, TLI = .964, SRMR = .040, RMSEA = .052) and female sample (CFI = .965, TLI = .949, SRMR = .044, RMSEA = .058).

    CONCLUSIONS: The translated version of the DB-M was valid and reliable for assessing the level of perceived benefits and perceived barriers in exercise among university students in Malaysia.

  16. Hidrus A, Kueh YC, Norsa'adah B, Chang YK, Kuan G
    PMID: 34501562 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18178972
    Brain Breaks® are structured physical activity (PA) web-based videos designed to promote an interest in learning and health promotion. The objective of this study was to examine its effects on decision balance (DB) which consists of the perceived benefits (Pros) and perceived barriers (Cons) of exercise in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A randomised controlled trial was conducted among people with T2DM at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. The intervention group received Brain Breaks videos for a period of four months. The intervention and control groups completed the validated Malay version of DB questionnaire for five times, at pre-intervention, the first month, the second month, the third month, and post-intervention. Multivariate Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance was performed for data analysis. A total of 70 participants were included (male = 39; female = 31) with a mean age of 57.6 years (SD = 8.5). The intervention group showed a significant change in the Pros and Cons factors of DB scores over time. The intervention group showed significantly higher scores for the Pros (p-value < 0.001) and lower scores for the Cons (p-value = 0.008) factors than the control group. In conclusion, the Brain Breaks video is an effective intervention to improve decisional balance in patients with T2DM to help them in deciding on behaviour change to be more physically active.
  17. Kueh YC, Sabo A, Kim Y, Kuan G
    PLoS One, 2021;16(9):e0257511.
    PMID: 34591879 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257511
    BACKGROUND: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Korean and Malay version of the decisional balance (DB) for exercise (i.e. perceived benefits and perceived barriers) using a cross-sectional design. Also, this study assessed the measurement and structural invariance of the DB scale across countries.

    METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in Malaysia and Korea. The study sample consisted of 574 Korean participants and 562 Malaysian participants. The mean age of the participants was 19.8 (SD = 1.29) for the Korean sample and 19.8 (SD = 1.22) for the Malaysian sample. Participants were invited to complete the DB scale with the 10-item and two factors (i.e., perceived benefit and perceived barriers). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and invariance test were conducted on the data by using Mplus 8.3.

    RESULTS: The CFA results based on the hypothesised measurement model of two factors and ten items showed sufficient construct validity after adding residual covariance between items within the same factor: CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.970, SRMR = 0.036, RMSEA = 0.036 for the Korea sample, and CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.949, SRMR = 0.055, RMSEA = 0.066 for the Malay sample. For the Korea sample, the construct reliability was 0.62 and 0.74 for perceived benefits and perceived barriers respectively. For the Malay sample, the construct reliability was 0.75 and 0.77 for perceived benefits and perceived barriers respectively. The findings presented evidence for measurement and structural invariance of the DB scale for the Korea and Malaysia samples.

    CONCLUSION: The DB scale was a valid and reliable measure for assessing exercise behaviour and for making comparisons between Korean and Malaysian samples.

  18. Kuan G, Morris T, Kueh YC, Terry PC
    Front Psychol, 2018;9:14.
    PMID: 29459837 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00014
    Music that is carefully selected to match the requirements of activities and the characteristics of individuals has been shown to produce significant impacts on performance enhancement (Priest et al., 2004). There is also evidence that music can enhance imagery (Grocke and Wigram, 2007), although few studies have investigated the effects of music on imagery in the context of sport skills. In the present study, the effects of relaxing and arousing music during imagery on dart-throwing performance, physiological arousal indices, and competitive state anxiety, were investigated among 63 novice dart throwers. Participants had moderate-to-high imagery ability and were randomly assigned to unfamiliar relaxing music (URM), unfamiliar arousing music (UAM), or no music (NM) groups. Performance was assessed by 40 dart throws at a concentric circles dartboard before and after 12 imagery sessions over 4 weeks. Measures of galvanic skin response (GSR), peripheral temperature (PT), and heart rate (HR) were taken during imagery sessions 1 and 12, and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 Revised (CSAI-2R) was administered prior to the pre- and post-intervention performance task. Dart-throwing gain scores were significantly higher for URM than for UAM and NM, with no significant difference between UAM and NM (URM = 37.24 ± 5.66, UAM = 17.57 ± 5.30, and NM = 13.19 ± 6.14,F2,62= 5.03,p= 0.01, η2= 0.14). GSR, PT, and HR reflected lower arousal for URM than for UAM or NM. Significant decreases in somatic anxiety were evident for URM and UAM but not NM. Significant decreases in cognitive anxiety were evident for URM and NM but not UAM. Significant increases in self-confidence were evident for URM but not UAM or NM. Performance improved in all three conditions but URM was associated with the largest performance gain, the lowest physiological indices of arousal, and the most positive CSAI-2R profiles. Listening to relaxing music during imagery may have benefits for performance in other fine motor skills.
  19. Kueh YC, Abdullah N, Kuan G, Morris T, Naing NN
    Front Psychol, 2018;9:1096.
    PMID: 30018580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01096
    Measurement equivalence is often assumed across comparison groups, a pervasive problem related to many self-report instruments. Measurement equivalence, also known as measurement invariance, implies that a measure has the same meaning across different groups of people. In this study, we aimed to examine the measurement and structural invariance among gender of the Malay version of the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale for Youth (PALMS-Y-M). Seven-hundred-and-eighty-three secondary school students (female = 57.3%, male = 42.7%) with mean age 14.5 years (standard deviation = 1.25) from Kota Bharu, Malaysia, volunteered to participate in this study and completed the PALMS-Y-M, consisting of 28 items with seven subscales. We conducted the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and invariance tests on the seven motives of the PALMS-Y-M model. The hypothesized model consisted of 28 observed items and seven latent variables. We used estimator robust to maximum likelihood, MLR to examine the hypothesized measurement and structural invariance. Measurement invariance was tested for three different levels. We first established the configural invariance model, then we compared the metric invariance model and the scalar invariance model with the less restrictive model. Then structural invariance was tested for factor variance, covariance, and means. Findings provided evidence for full measurement and structural invariance of the PALMS-Y-M in males and females. The final CFA model fit the data well for males [comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.922, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.048, standardized root mean residual (SRMR) = 0.050] and females (CFI = 0.922, RMSEA = 0.047, SRMR = 0.053). When invariance of both factor loadings and item intercepts holds in PALMS-Y-M, underlying factors consisting of different motives for participating in PA can be meaningfully compared across gender. Accurate and valid measurement of PALMS-Y-M across comparison groups is crucial for future research that involves examining motives to physical activity in different genders and other socio-cultural variables.
  20. Adikari AMGCP, Appukutty M, Kuan G
    Nutrients, 2020 Jun 29;12(7).
    PMID: 32610465 DOI: 10.3390/nu12071920
    Competitive football players who undergo strenuous training and frequent competitions are more vulnerable to psychological disorders. Probiotics are capable of reducing these psychological disorders. The present study aimed to determine the effect of daily probiotics supplementation on anxiety induced physiological parameters among competitive football players. The randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 20 male footballers who received either probiotics (Lactobacillus Casei Shirota strain 3 × 1010 colony forming units (CFU) or a placebo drink over eight weeks. Portable biofeedback devices were used to measure the electroencephalography, heart rate, and electrodermal responses along with cognitive tests at the baseline, week 4, and week 8. Data were statistically analyzed using mixed factorial ANOVA and results revealed that there is no significant difference between the probiotic and placebo groups for heart rate (61.90 bpm ± 5.84 vs. 67.67 bpm ± 8.42, p = 0.09) and electrodermal responses (0.27 µS ± 0.19 vs. 0.41 µS ± 0.12, p = 0.07) after eight weeks. Similarly, brain waves showed no significant changes during the study period except for the theta wave and delta wave at week 4 (p < 0.05). The cognitive test reaction time (digit vigilance test) showed significant improvement in the probiotic group compared to the placebo (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these findings suggest that daily probiotics supplementation may have the potential to modulate the brain waves namely, theta (relaxation) and delta (attention) for better training, brain function, and psychological improvement to exercise. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism of current findings.
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