Gender-related differences in self-reported problematic exercise symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AimsTo provide quantitative summarized evidence on gender-related differences in self-reported problematic exercise (PE) symptoms.MethodsEligible studies were searched up to December 31, 2021 in the databases MEDLINE, Current Contents Connect, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SciELO, and Dissertations & Theses Global. Studies were considered eligible if they included information that allowed the calculation of the differences of interest as expressed by either the aggregate or subscales scores of the main self-reported instruments of PE identified by previous research (i.e., Commitment to Exercise Scale, Compulsive Exercise Test, Exercise Addiction Inventory, Exercise Dependence Questionnaire, Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised, and Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire). Data were analysed using three-level meta-analytic models. Potential moderator variables were examined using meta-regressions.ResultsA total of 168 effect-sizes from 117 studies (N = 65,718) were retrieved. Results showed (i) small overall differences favouring males for the aggregate scores of the instruments (g = 0.105), (ii) small-to-moderate differences favouring females for symptoms involving withdrawal (g = 0.169 and 0.118), lack of exercise enjoyment (g = 0.226), and the employment of exercise as a means to ends such as health improvement (g = 0.222), mood management (g = 0.158 and 0.226), and body weight control (g = 0.453 and 0.465); and (iii) small differences favouring males for symptoms involving spending considerable amount of time in the activity (g = 0.250), exercising with greater volume/intensity than planned (g = 0.254), a need for increased amounts of exercise to achieve the desired effect (g = 0.291), loss of control over the behaviour (g = 0.101), reduction or cessation of other activities because of exercise (g = 0.323), and continue to exercise despite physical and/or psychological issues being caused or exacerbated by this behaviour (g = 0.243).ConclusionsAdopting a gender-informed perspective may be needed both in the professional praxis of exercise and health practitioners prescribing and guiding exercise practice and in the design of prevention and treatment efforts aimed at avoiding the occurrence of PE.     

Wellness,Emotion Regulation,and Relapse During Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Using a cross-sectional study design, the authors investigated the impact of wellness and emotion regulation on relapse in 179 individuals currently enrolled in substance use disorder treatment. An integration of the indivisible self model of wellness (Myers & Sweeney, 2004) and the covert antecedents model of relapse (Marlatt, 1985) informed the study hypothesis that emotion regulation mediates the wellness-relapse relationship. Binomial logistic regressions revealed that Creative Self wellness (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09, p = .002), reappraisal (OR = 1.08, p = .008), difficulties in emotion regulation (OR = 1.03, p = .007), and Physical Self wellness (OR = 0.95, p < .001) were associated with the odds of relapse on any given day during treatment. Sobel tests indicated 2 occurrences of full mediation, including that difficulties in emotion regulation mediated the relationship between Coping Self wellness and relapse (OR = 0.97, p = .015).     

Smartphone distraction-addiction: Examining the relationship between psychosocial variables and patterns of use

The use of smartphones has been increasing worldwide. Usage of these devices has been associated with addiction and adverse emotional states. This study employs a mixed methods approach to study these relationships in an Australian sample. The study comprised of 164 participants aged between 18–70 who completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, the Smartphone Addiction Scale, and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. Seven participants were also interviewed providing answers of a qualitative nature. Smartphone addiction significantly predicted higher levels of smartphone usage. Additionally, smartphone addiction, and distractibility also significantly predicted higher levels of stress, depression and anxiety. Qualitative results identified themes such as convenience, time of the day and activities in relation to smartphone usage as well as short-and long-term effects of this usage. Findings indicated that both distraction and addiction have an influence in the use of smartphones and that an increased usage has detrimental consequences to emotional health. Themes such as dependence and temptation and interferences appear congruent and consistent with the results of scales used.     

Internet addiction: characteristics of a questionnaire and prevalence in Norwegian youth (12-18 years)

The use of the Internet has increased considerably during the last few years, and there are also some clinical observations that some people 'get hooked', and develop an Internet addiction. An epidemiological study was performed in a representative sample of the Norwegian youth population (N= 3,237; response rate 45.2%). The proportion not using Internet was only 4.9%, while 35.8% were non-frequent users, and 49.6% (1,591) were frequent (weekly) users. They used the Internet on the mean 4.3 hours a week. A mean of 1.98% (boys 2.42%, girls 1.51%) could be described as having an 'Internet addiction' according to the criteria in the Diagnostic Questionnaire of Young (1998), and an additional 8.68% (in sum 10.66) were considered to have an at-risk Internet use (boys 9.21%, girls 8.13%). If these proportions were calculated on individuals who used the Internet frequently, 4.02% fulfilled 5 criteria, and an additional 17.66% 3-4 criteria, giving quite high figures of problematic Internet use (in sum 21.68). The different diagnostic criteria gave a broad range of affirmative answers (from 0.4% to 27.9%). The results have important implications for further studies of prevalence, implementation of preventive measures, and the development of treatment approaches for Internet addiction.     

Limbic-striatal memory systems and drug addiction

Drug addiction can be understood as a pathological subversion of normal brain learning and memory processes strengthened by the motivational impact of drug-associated stimuli, leading to the establishment of compulsive drug-seeking habits. Such habits evolve through a cascade of complex associative processes with Pavlovian and instrumental components that may depend on the integration and coordination of output from several somewhat independent neural systems of learning and memory, each contributing to behavioral performance. Data are reviewed that help to define the influences of conditioned Pavlovian stimuli on goal-directed behavior via sign-tracking, motivational arousal, and conditioned reinforcement. Such influences are mediated via defined corticolimbic-striatal systems converging on the ventral striatum and driving habit-based learning that may depend on the dorsal striatum. These systems include separate and overlapping influences from the amygdala, hippocampus, and cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex on drug-seeking as well as drug-taking behavior, including the propensity to relapse.