scholarly journals The Environment Can Explain Differences in Adolescents’ Daily Physical Activity Levels Living in a Deprived Urban Area: Cross-Sectional Study Using Accelerometry, GPS, and Focus Groups

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1517-1524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen J. Moore ◽  
Catherine A. Nixon ◽  
Amelia A. Lake ◽  
Wayne Douthwaite ◽  
Claire L. O’Malley ◽  
...  

Background:Evidence suggests that many contemporary urban environments do not support healthy lifestyle choices and are implicated in the obesity pandemic. Middlesbrough, in the northeast of England is one such environment and a prime target for investigation.Methods:To measure physical activity (PA) levels in a sample of 28 adolescents (aged 11 to 14 years) and describe the environmental context of their activity and explore where they are most and least active over a 7-day period, accelerometry and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology were used. Twenty-five of these participants also took part in focus groups about their experiences and perceptions of PA engagement.Results:Findings indicated that all participants were relatively inactive throughout the observed period although bouts of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were identified in 4 contexts: school, home, street, and rural/urban green spaces, with MVPA levels highest in the school setting. Providing access to local facilities and services (such as leisure centers) is not in itself sufficient to engage adolescents in MVPA.Conclusion:Factors influencing engagement in MVPA were identified within and across contexts, including ‘time’ as both a facilitator and barrier, perceptions of ‘gendered’ PA, and the social influences of peer groups and family members.

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Xu ◽  
Minghui Quan ◽  
Hanbin Zhang ◽  
Chenglin Zhou ◽  
PeiJie Chen

Purpose This study examined the associations of physical activity levels between parents and their pre-school children based on gender and weekday/weekend. Method A total of 247 parent-preschool child triads from Shanghai, China were analyzed. The children had a mean age of 57.5 ± 5.2 months. Both sedentary behavior and physical activity were measured in all participants using an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer over seven consecutive days from Monday through the following Sunday. A multivariate regression model was derived to identify significant relationships between parental and child physical activity according to gender and weekday/weekend. Results There was a significant correlation between mothers’ and girls’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity (TPA) on weekdays. Fathers’ MPVA levels correlated significantly with those of boys and girls, with paternal influence appearing to be stronger than maternal influence. However, there was not a significant correlation between fathers’ and children’s TPA. TPA levels of both mothers and fathers correlated with those of girls, but not with those of boys. Parental sedentary levels on the weekend correlated significantly with girls’ levels, but not with boys’ levels. Children’s physical activity levels on weekends were influenced more by fathers’ activity levels than by mothers’, while the opposite was observed on weekdays. Conclusion Sedentary behavior and physical activity levels of parents can strongly influence those of their preschool children, with maternal influence stronger during the weekdays and paternal influence stronger on the weekends. Parents’ activity levels influence girls’ levels more strongly than they influence boys’ levels.


2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1281-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline AJ Vissers ◽  
Andy P Jones ◽  
Kirsten Corder ◽  
Amy Jennings ◽  
Esther MF van Sluijs ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the association between breakfast consumption and physical activity in a well-characterised sample of English children.DesignCross-sectional study using food diaries to record breakfast consumption and accelerometry to assess physical activity.SettingNorfolk county, England.SubjectsChildren (n 1697) aged 9–10 years from the SPEEDY (Sport, Physical Activity and Eating behaviour: Environmental Determinants in Young people) study.ResultsBoys who consumed a poor-quality breakfast based on dairy product, cereal and fruit intakes spent approximately 7 min more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during weekday afternoons and evenings compared with those who did not consume breakfast (P < 0·05). On weekend days, boys who consumed a poor- or good-quality breakfast spent approximately 6 and 5 min less time respectively being sedentary during the mornings compared with breakfast non-consumers (P < 0·05). Boys who consumed a good-quality breakfast spent almost 3 min more in MVPA during the morning on weekend days compared with non-consumers, and boys who consumed a poor- or good-quality breakfast were 22 % and 16 % more active overall respectively than breakfast non-consumers (P < 0·05). During the rest of the day, boys who consumed a good-quality breakfast spent about 11 min less time being sedentary (P < 0·05) and 7 min more time in MVPA (P < 0·01).ConclusionsAlthough some associations between breakfast consumption and physical activity were detected for boys, the present study does not provide strong evidence that failing to consume breakfast, or having a low energy intake at breakfast time, is detrimental to children's physical activity levels.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 811-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Elane Silva dos Santos ◽  
Sofia Wolker Manta ◽  
Guilherme Pereira Maximiano ◽  
Susana Cararo Confortin ◽  
Tânia Rosane Bertoldo Benedetti ◽  
...  

Background: To examine the level of physical activity and sedentary behavior (SB), measured with accelerometers, in older adults from a city in southern Brazil according to sociodemographic and health characteristics.Methods: The sample consisted of 425 older adults (≥63 y) from the EpiFloripa Aging Study. Light physical activity (LPA), moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and SB were measured with accelerometers over a period of 7 days.Results: The older adults spent two-thirds of the time of use in SB, one-third in LPA, and only 2.1% (95% confidence interval, 1.8–2.2) in MVPA. In the final adjusted model, lower levels of MVPA were observed for women, as well as higher SB and lower LPA and MVPA for those with higher age. There were also trends toward prolonged SB and lower LPA when participants had a higher educational level and toward lower MVPA with higher body mass index.Conclusions: Constant monitoring of physical activity levels and SB using objective measures is recommended and interventions should be directed at the groups most exposed to excessive SB and low levels of MVPA.


Author(s):  
Ritu Singh ◽  
Neha Upadhyai ◽  
Puneet Ohri ◽  
Megha Luthra

Background: Adequate levels of physical activity combined with a balanced diet are two essential components of healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating and physical activity habits formed during childhood can persist into adulthood and prevent or delay premature onset of a number of chronic diseases.Methods: Present cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire-based interview. It was conducted among school going children of age 8 years to 18 years. A total of 318 students were included in the study by means of total enumeration from class 2nd to class 12th of a selected school of field practice area conducted from July 2019 to September 2019.Results: The total of 318 students participated in the study. Majority of the respondents were involved in Moderate to vigorous physical activity (40.3%). Moreover, majority were found to be normal on the basis of stunting, wasting and body mass index for age 80.2%, 79.2%, 64.4% respectively.Conclusions: Physical activity level was found to be low as the age of children advanced. In female students the level of physical activity was low to moderate as compared to male students. Solutions to improve physical activity and nutritional status in children need to be incorporated for Indian schools’ curricula.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242517
Author(s):  
Takumi Aoki ◽  
Kazuhiko Fukuda ◽  
Chiaki Tanaka ◽  
Yasuko Kamikawa ◽  
Nobuhiro Tsuji ◽  
...  

The current focus of meeting the physical activity guidelines for children and young people include preventing conditions such as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, obesity, low bone density, depression, and injuries. However, the relationship between sleep habits and meeting physical activity guidelines is still unclear. This study aimed to assess this relationship among fifth- to eighth-grade (ages 10–14) Japanese children. This cross-sectional study included 3,123 children (boys: 1,558, girls: 1,565, mean age: 12.5 ± 1.2 years). Questionnaires were used to assess parameters such as moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, school and weekend night sleep durations, social jetlag, daytime sleepiness, napping, screen time, and breakfast intake. Participants were divided into an achievement and a non-achievement group depending on their physical activity guideline achievement status (i.e., whether they met the children’s physical activity guideline of 60 min or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day). Then, to determine the sleep habits in relation to the children’s achievement of guideline-recommended physical activity levels, multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. In fifth- and sixth-grade (ages 10–12) boys, an inverse association was observed between physical activity guideline achievement and daytime sleepiness. In seventh- and eighth-grade (ages 12–14) boys, physical activity guideline achievement was inversely associated with social jetlag and skipping breakfast. Additionally, in seventh- and eighth-grade girls, physical activity guideline achievement was inversely associated with inappropriate sleep duration on weekends and screen time. These results suggest that meeting the physical activity guideline is related to favorable sleep habits in Japanese children. However, their relevance may differ by school type and gender.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mizrahi ◽  
Fiona Naumann ◽  
Carolyn Broderick ◽  
Juliane Samara ◽  
Mary Ryan ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to quantify physical activity levels and determine the barriers to physical activity for women with ovarian cancer.Materials and MethodsWomen with ovarian cancer from 3 oncology clinics enrolled in the cross-sectional study. Physical activity and barriers to physical activity were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Perceived Physical Activity Barriers scale, respectively. Demographic, medical, and anthropometric data were obtained from medical records.ResultsNinety-five women (response rate, 41%), with a mean (SD) age of 61 (10.6) years, a body mass index of 26.5 (6.8) kg/m2, and 36.6 (28.2) months since diagnosis, participated in the study. The majority of the participants had stage III (32%) or IV (32%) ovarian cancer, were undergoing chemotherapy (41%), and had a history of chemotherapy (93%). The majority of the participants reduced their physical activity after diagnosis, with 19% meeting recommended physical activity guidelines. The participants undergoing treatment reported lower moderate-vigorous physical activity compared with those not undergoing active treatment (mean [SD], 42 [57] vs 104 [119] min/wk; P < 0.001) and less total physical activity barriers (mean [SD], 49 vs 47; P > 0.4). The greatest barriers to physical activity included fatigue (37.8%), exercise not in routine (34.7%), lack of self-discipline (32.6%), and procrastination (27.4%).ConclusionsWomen with ovarian cancer have low levels of physical activity. There are disease-specific general barriers to physical activity participation. The majority of the participants reduced their physical activity after diagnosis, with these patients reporting a higher number of total barriers. Behavioral strategies are required to increase physical activity adherence in this population to ensure that recommended guidelines are met to achieve the emerging known benefits of exercise oncology.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 649-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melisa Comte ◽  
Erin Hobin ◽  
Steve Manske ◽  
Catherine Casey ◽  
Jane Griffith ◽  
...  

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in physical education (PE) was associated with increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels in adolescents.Methods:This was a cross sectional study comparing MVPA levels in senior-years students—grade 11 and 12—enrolled in high school PE during the semester data were collected compared with those not enrolled in PE in that same semester. The primary outcome measure was daily MVPA measured by accelerometry. The primary exposure was participation in PE.Results:Among the 508 adolescents (16.9 ± 0.8 yrs, 49% female, n = 338 exposed to PE) studied, no differences in MVPA (47.0 ± 25.8 vs. 43.9 ± 25.0 mins/day, P = .25) or sedentary time (540.2 ± 94.7 vs. 550.2 ± 79.4 mins/day, P = .79) were noted between students enrolled in PE compared with students not enrolled in PE. Participation in PE was associated with a greater odds of achieving >60 minutes of MVPA daily (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.04−2.75). This association was stronger among boys (OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2−4.8) than girls (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 5−2.7).Conclusion:Enrollment in PE in grade 11 or 12 is associated with modestly higher levels of MVPA and an increased likelihood of meeting PA guidelines among students in grades 11 and 12, particularly among boys.


2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Beghin ◽  
Jérémy Vanhelst ◽  
Elodie Drumez ◽  
Jairo Migueles ◽  
Yannis Manios ◽  
...  

BackgroundIt has been shown that meteorological conditions and season affect physical activity (PA) during adolescence. Today, meteorological conditions have never been combined to study their influence on PA level in a single sample of a large adolescent multicountries population. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of meteorological conditions on PA in adolescents from several European countries.MethodsThe study included 2024 healthy adolescents aged 12.5–17.4 years who participated in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence cross-sectional study. Participants wore a uniaxial accelerometer for 7 consecutive days to measure total PA and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in a one-off measurement manner. Comparison of PA according to meteorological conditions was done using linear mixed models.ResultsThe highest difference of MVPA was observed in boys on free days when comparing the best meteorological conditions versus the worse (ie, +39% with highest temperature, +29% without rainfall, +39% with highest sunlight duration and +21% with highest length of day) and in girls on free days (ie, +26% with highest sunlight duration). This increase in MVPA contributed to a simultaneous increase in total PA when considering the same meteorological condition parameters.ConclusionsMeteorological conditions act as a determinant of PA differentially between boys and girls. PA and MVPA in boys are mainly modified by meteorological conditions on free days whereas PA and MVPA in girls are modified by sunlight duration.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Marchant ◽  
Flavia Bonaiuto ◽  
Marino Bonaiuto ◽  
Emma Guillet Descas

ObjectivesThe aims of this research were (1) to compare the levels of physical activity of eHealth users and non-users, (2) to determine the effects of these technologies on motivations, and (3) to establish the relationship that could exist between psychological constructs and physical activity behaviors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 569 adults who responded to an online questionnaire during confinement in France. The questions assessed demographics, usage of eHealth for exercise and physical activity, and behavioral levels. The questionnaire also measured the constructs of Social Cognitive Theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and automaticity facets toward eHealth for exercise and physical activity.ResultsParticipants who were users of eHealth for exercise and physical activity presented significantly higher levels of vigorous physical activity and total physical activity per week than non-users (p &lt; 0.001). The chi-square test showed significant interactions between psychological constructs toward eHealth (i.e., self-efficacy, behavioral attitudes, intentions, and automaticity) and physical activity levels (all interactions were p &lt; 0.05). Self-efficacy was significantly and negatively correlated with walking time per week. Concerning the automaticity facets, efficiency was positive and significantly correlated with vigorous physical activity levels per week (p &lt; 0.05). Then, regressions analyses showed that self-efficacy and automaticity efficiency explained 5% of the variance of walking minutes per week (ß = −0.27, p &lt; 0.01) and vigorous physical activity per week (ß = 0.20, p &lt; 0.05), respectively.ConclusionThis study has shown that people during confinement looked for ways to stay active through eHealth. However, we must put any technological solution into perspective. The eHealth offers possibilities to stay active, however its benefits and the psychological mechanisms affected by it remains to be demonstrated: eHealth could be adapted to each person and context.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Yun-yang Deng ◽  
Qing-wei Zhong ◽  
Hai-li Zhong ◽  
Feng Xiong ◽  
Yue-bin Ke ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: Previous studies have reported inverse associations between certain healthy lifestyle factors and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but limited evidence showed the synergistic effect of those lifestyles. This study examined the relationship of a combination of lifestyles, expressed as Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS), with NAFLD. Design: A community-based cross-sectional study. Questionnaires and body assessments were used to collect data on the six-item HLS (ranging from 0 to 6, where higher scores indicate better health). The HLS consists of non-smoking (no active or passive smoking), normal BMI (18·5–23·9 kg/m2), physical activity (moderate or vigorous physical activity ≥ 150 min/week), healthy diet pattern, good sleep (no insomnia or <6 months) and no anxiety (Self-rating Anxiety Scale < 50), one point each. NAFLD was diagnosed by ultrasonography. Setting: Guangzhou, China. Participants: Two thousand nine hundred and eighty-one participants aged 40–75 years. Results: The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 50·8 %. After adjusting for potential covariates, HLS was associated with lower presence of NAFLD. The OR of NAFLD for subjects with higher HLS (3, 4, 5–6 v. 0–1 points) were 0·68 (95 % CI 0·51, 0·91), 0·58 (95 % CI 0·43, 0·78) and 0·35 (95 % CI 0·25, 0·51), respectively (P-values < 0·05). Among the six items, BMI and physical activity were the strongest contributors. Sensitivity analyses showed that the association was more significant after weighting the HLS. The beneficial association remained after excluding any one of the six components or replacing BMI with waist circumference. Conclusions: Higher HLS was associated with lower presence of NAFLD, suggesting that a healthy lifestyle pattern might be beneficial to liver health.


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