Requirements, Design and Pilot Study of a Physical Activity Activation System Using Virtual Communities

2017 ◽  
pp. 405-425
Author(s):  
Lamia Elloumi ◽  
Margot Meijerink ◽  
Bert-Jan van Beijnum ◽  
Hermie Hermens
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Activation System

Self-Referent Thoughts in Exercise: The Self-Perception in Exercise Questionnaire

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit Sorensen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Physical Activity Level ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Language Version ◽  
Social Comfort ◽  
And Gender

Adherence to lifestyle changes - beginning to exercise, for example - is assumed to be mediated by self-referent thoughts. This paper describes a pilot study and three studies conducted to develop and validate a questionnaire for adults to determine their self-perceptions related to health-oriented exercise. The pilot study identified items pertinent to the domains considered important in this context, and began the process of selecting items. Study 2 examined the factor structure, reduced the number of items, determined the internal consistency of the factors, and explored the discriminative validity of the questionnaire as to physical activity level and gender. Four factors with a total of 24 items were accepted, measuring mastery of exercise, body perception, social comfort/discomfort in the exercise setting, and perception of fitness. All subscales had acceptable internal consistencies. Preliminary validity was demonstrated by confirming hypothesized differences in scores as to gender, age, and physical activity level. The third study examined and demonstrated convergent validity with similar existing subscales. The fourth study examined an English-language version of the questionnaire, confirming the existence of the factors and providing preliminary psychometric evidence of the viability of the questionnaire.

scholarly journals Promotion of active ageing through interactive artificial agents in a smart environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Menezes ◽  
Rui P. Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Training System ◽  
Regular Physical Activity ◽  
List Type ◽  
Multi Agent System ◽  
Agent System ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Elderly Users

Abstract Societies in the most developed countries have witnessed a significant ageing of the population in recent decades, which increases the demand for healthcare services and caregivers. The development of technologies to help the elderly, so that they can remain active and independent for a longer time, helps to mitigate the sustainability problem posed in care services. This article follows this new trend, proposing a multi-agent system composed of a smart camera network, centralised planning agent, a virtual coach, and robotic exercise buddy, designed to promote regular physical activity habits among the elderly. The proposed system not only persuades the users to perform exercise routines, but also guides and accompanies them during exercises in order to provide effective training and engagement to the user. The different agents are combined in the system to exploit their complementary features in the quest for an effective and engaging training system. Three variants of the system, involving either a partial set of those agents or the full proposed system, were evaluated and compared through a pilot study conducted with 12 elderly users. The results demonstrate that all variants are able to guide the user in an exercise routine, but the most complete system that includes a robotic exercise buddy was the best scored by the participants. Article Highlights Proposal of a multi-agent system to help elderly adopting regular physical activity habits. A virtual coach and a robotic exercise buddy provide both guidance and companionship during the exercise. A pilot study conducted with 12 elderly users demonstrated an effective and engaging training system.

The Effects of the BAILAMOSTM Dance Program on Physical Activity Levels and Cognition of Older Latino Adults: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432110209
Author(s):  
Guilherme M. Balbim ◽  
Susan Aguiñaga ◽  
Olusola A. Ajilore ◽  
Eduardo E. Bustamante ◽  
Kirk I. Erickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Global Cognition ◽  
Latino Adults ◽  
And Performance

Objective: To investigate the effects of the BAILAMOSTM dance program on physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory, and cognitive health. Methods: A parallel, two-armed pilot study was conducted with 57 older Latinos randomized to the BAILAMOSTM dance program ( n = 28) or health education (HE) ( n = 29). We conducted two- and three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs. Results: BAILAMOSTM participants increased participation in leisure moderate-to-vigorous PA (LMVPA) ( F[1,53] = 3.17, p = .048, η2 G = .01) and performance in global cognition relative to HE participants ( F[1,52] = 4.19, p = .045, η2 G = .01). Attendance moderated increases in moderate PA, MVPA, LMVPA, and total PA ( p < .05). Participants of both groups with ≥75% attendance increased participation in PA. Among participants with <75% attendance, BAILAMOSTM participants increased PA relative to HE. Discussion: BAILAMOSTM positively impacted self-reported PA and global cognition in older Latinos. Even smaller doses of dance appear to impact self-reported PA levels.

667 Effects of Sleep-Extend on glucose metabolism in women with a history of gestational diabetes: A pilot study

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A261-A261
Author(s):  
Sirimon Reutrakul ◽  
Pamela Martyn-Nemeth ◽  
Laurie Quinn ◽  
Kirstie Danielson ◽  
Brett Rydzon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Glucose Metabolism ◽  
Gestational Diabetes ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Living ◽  
Short Sleep ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sleep Extension

Abstract Introduction Experimental and epidemiological data have linked insufficient sleep to increased diabetes risk. Women with a history of gestational diabetes (GDM) have a 7-fold greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This pilot study explored the feasibility of a sleep extension intervention in women with a history of GDM and short sleep, and the effects on glucose metabolism. Methods Women age 18–45 years with a history of GDM (at least 1 year postpartum) and actigraphy confirmed short sleep duration (&lt;7h/night) on weekdays were randomized at a ratio of 1 control (healthy living information) to 2 cases (6 weeks of “Sleep Extend” intervention: use of a Fitbit, weekly digital content, interactive tools, and coach delivered feedback in order to increase sleep duration). An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), 7-day actigraphy recording and questionnaires were obtained at baseline and 6 weeks (at the end of the intervention). Results Twelve women (mean (SD) age 40.3 (4.5) years) participated (n=8 Sleep Extend, n=4 control). Compared to baseline, nightly sleep duration increased in Sleep Extend group (+30.6 (48.8) minutes) but decreased in the control group (-6.8 (22.9) minutes). Both fasting and 2-h glucose levels from OGTT increased in both groups but were greater in the control group (Sleep extend vs. healthy living: fasting glucose +2.1 (9.8) vs. +12.8 (7.3) mg/dL; 2-h glucose +8.2 (21.9) vs. +20.0 (19.4) mg/dL). Self-reported sleep quality improved in both groups. When compared controls, Sleep Extend participants reported improved fatigue symptoms (Promis fatigue score change -5.1 (9.3) vs. 7.0 (1.0), p=0.008), and self-reported physical activity tended to increase (+1614 (3659) vs. -2900 (3922) MET-minutes/week). Combining all participants, an increase in sleep duration correlated with a decrease in fatigue (r= -.62, p=0.04) and anxiety symptoms (r= -.69, p=0.02). Conclusion Sleep extension through coaching and use of remote monitoring is feasible in women with a history of GDM. It appears to decrease fatigue and may improve glucose metabolism and physical activity. Support (if any) NIDDK P30 DK092949

scholarly journals Acceptability, Feasibility and Preliminary Evaluation of a Novel, Personalised, Home-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Chronic Heart Failure (Active-at-Home-HF): a Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nduka C. Okwose ◽  
Leah Avery ◽  
Nicola O’Brien ◽  
Sophie Cassidy ◽  
Sarah J. Charman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Chronic Heart Failure ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Step Count ◽  
Home Based ◽  
At Home

Abstract Purpose Less than 10% of heart failure patients in the UK participate in cardiac rehabilitation programmes. The present pilot study evaluated feasibility, acceptability and physiological effects of a novel, personalised, home-based physical activity intervention in chronic heart failure. Methods Twenty patients (68 ± 7 years old, 20% females) with stable chronic heart failure due to reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (31 ± 8 %) participated in a single-group, pilot study assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week personalised home-based physical activity intervention aiming to increase daily number of steps by 2000 from baseline (Active-at-Home-HF). Patients completed cardiopulmonary exercise testing with non-invasive gas exchange and haemodynamic measurements and quality of life questionnaire pre- and post-intervention. Patients were supported weekly via telephone and average weekly step count data collected using pedometers. Results Forty-three patients were screened and 20 recruited into the study. Seventeen patients (85%) completed the intervention, and 15 (75%) achieved the target step count. Average step count per day increased significantly from baseline to 3 weeks by 2546 (5108 ± 3064 to 7654 ± 3849, P = 0.03, n = 17) and was maintained until week 12 (9022 ± 3942). Following completion of the intervention, no adverse events were recorded and quality of life improved by 4 points (26 ± 18 vs. 22 ± 19). Peak exercise stroke volume increased by 19% (127 ± 34 vs. 151 ± 34 m/beat, P = 0.05), while cardiac index increased by 12% (6.8 ± 1.5 vs. 7.6 ± 2.0 L/min/m2, P = 0.19). Workload and oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold also increased by 16% (49 ± 16 vs. 59 ± 14 watts, P = 0.01) and 10% (11.5 ± 2.9 vs. 12.8 ± 2.2 ml/kg/min, P = 0.39). Conclusion The Active-at-Home-HF intervention is feasible, acceptable and effective for increasing physical activity in CHF. It may lead to improvements in quality of life, exercise tolerance and haemodynamic function. Trial Registration www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT0367727. Retrospectively registered on 17 September 2018.

scholarly journals Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Are Independently Associated with the Metabolic Syndrome, Results from the SCAPIS Pilot Study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e0131586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Örjan Ekblom ◽  
Elin Ekblom-Bak ◽  
Annika Rosengren ◽  
Mattias Hallsten ◽  
Göran Bergström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document