Adults Want to Play Too: Feasibility of an Adult Physical Activity Program Designed to Maximize Enjoyment

Background: Few adults in the United States obtain sufficient physical activity (PA) despite knowledge of the associated health benefits. The current feasibility study examined the feasibility of a novel modified sports intervention designed to promote enjoyment and sustained PA in sedentary adults. Methods: The US adults (N = 22, mean age 39.2 y, male/female percentage 54.5/45.5) in Central Pennsylvania participated in the PlayFit sports program for 60-minute sessions, 2 to 3 times per week, over the course of 10 weeks and 24 game sessions; completing 198 person sessions collectively. Primary outcomes were PA (accelerometry) and intervention satisfaction. Results: Percentage of time in moderate to vigorous activity ranged from 35.0% (volleyball) to 91.2% (ultimate frisbee). Percentage of time spent in vigorous activity ranged from 0.0% (volleyball) to 29.5% (team handball). Satisfaction, based on a 10-point scale with 10 being the most satisfied, ranged from 7.7 (kickball) to 8.7 (floor hockey and soccer). On average, all sports were rated highly, with the majority rated >8.5 and one rated <8.0. Percentage of time spent in the moderate to vigorous range was lower in men than in women (73.2% vs 80.0%, P = .01), but did not differ by age or body mass index. Conclusions: PlayFit is a promising first step in exploring the potential of modified sports programs to enhance population PA levels.

Download Full-text

Providing Access to Physical Activity: The Intersection of Teaching, Outreach, and Scholarship

Kinesiology Review ◽

10.1123/kr.2015-0041 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 409-415

Author(s):

Danielle D. Wadsworth ◽

Mary E. Rudisill ◽

Jared A. Russell ◽

James R. McDonald ◽

David D. Pascoe

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Graduate Students ◽

Service Learning ◽

Social Ties ◽

The United States ◽

Learning Opportunities ◽

Training Center ◽

Research Projects ◽

Team Handball

The School of Kinesiology at Auburn University unites teaching, research, and outreach efforts to provide access to physical activity for local, statewide, and global communities. This paper provides a brief overview of the programs as well as strategies to mobilize efforts for physical activity outreach within an academic setting. School-wide efforts include youth initiatives, physical activity assessments offered through our TigerFit program, and the United States Olympic Team Handball training center. All programs provide service-learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as outreach outcomes. Furthermore, the programs provide a platform for scholarship in the form of publications, partnerships for grant submissions, and student research projects. Merging teaching, outreach, and scholarship has provided longevity for the programs, thereby establishing long-term social ties to the community and providing continued access to physical activity to promote public health.

Download Full-text

The Perceptions of Physical Activity in the Somali Community of the Twin Cities of Minnesota [University of Minnesota, Twin Cities]

Journal of Student Research ◽

10.47611/jsr.vi.625 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sumaya Hassan Noor ◽

Fahima Osman ◽

Sarah Reddy Tummala

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Twin Cities ◽

Activity Levels ◽

University Of Minnesota ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Community Centers ◽

Adult Participants ◽

The Us

This qualitative research investigates the perceptions of physical activity held by Muslim Somali men and women in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Following the civil war in Somalia in the early 90s, Minnesota received a large influx of Somali-identified people who eventually formed the largest Somali community in the country. As members of this community, we have observed the wide array of beliefs in how Somali people view physical activity and its importance. Little information exists in the literature about the physical activity levels of Somali-identified people since most of this health information is categorized by race. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Spring 2018 with participants recruited from local college campus’, mosques, and community centers. Questions probed at how factors such as age, gender, and immigration status impact physical activity. A total of eighteen adult participants were interviewed, eight males and ten females. Data analysis of transcripts included data reduction, conclusion drawing, and verification, using at least two independent reviewers at each stage to protect against bias. Preliminary results demonstrate that most participants conveyed that their religion and culture promote health, but may hinder rates of physical activity. Results also show that changes in lifestyle between Somalia and the US have a direct effect on the decreased rates of physical activity. Immigrant participants listed a different set of needs upon coming to the United States, and physical activity did not rank highly on that list for most. Implications for practice will be discussed, including the need for culturally relevant health promotion as a means of adaptation into the westernized culture and the need for interventions that allow students to incorporate physical well-being with their studies.

Download Full-text

Income-based inequalities in self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among adolescents in England and the United States: a cross-sectional study

10.1101/2020.05.15.20102673 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shaun Scholes ◽

Jennifer S Mindell

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

The United States ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

High Income ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Us ◽

Low Income Households

Objective: Quantify inequalities in self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in England and the United States (US). Design: Population-based cross-sectional study. Participants: 4019 adolescents aged 11-15 years in England (Health Survey for England 2008, 2012, 2015) and 4312 aged 12-17 years in the US (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-16). Main outcome measures: Three aspects of MVPA: (1) doing any, (2) average min/day (MVPA: including those who did none), and (3) average min/day conditional on participation (MVPA-active). Using hurdle models, we quantified inequalities (average marginal effects: AMEs) using the absolute difference in marginal means. Results: In England, adolescents in high-income households were more likely than those in low-income households to have done any formal sports/exercise in the last seven days (boys: 11%; 95% CI: 4% to 17%; girls: 13%; 95% CI: 6% to 20%); girls in high-income households did more than their low-income counterparts (MVPA: 6 min/day, 95% CI: 2 to 9). Girls in low-income households spent more time in informal activities than girls in high-income households (MVPA: 21 min/day; 95% CI: 10 to 33), whilst boys in low-income versus high-income households spent longer in active travel (MVPA: 21 min/week; 95% CI: 8 to 34). In the US, in a typical week, recreational activity was greater among high-income versus low-income households (boys: 15 min/day; 95% CI: 6 to 24 min/day; girls: 19 min/day; 95% CI: 12 to 27). In contrast, adolescents in low-income versus high-income households were more likely to travel actively (boys: 11%; 95% CI: 3% to 19%; girls: 10%; 95% CI: 3% to 17%) and do more. Conclusions: Policy actions and interventions are required to increase MVPA across all income groups in England and the US. Differences in formal sports/exercise (England) and recreational (US) activities suggest that additional efforts are required to reduce inequalities.

Download Full-text

“Willpower knows no obstacles”: Examining Neoliberal Postfeminist Messaging in Nike’s Transnational Advertisements for Women

Communication & Sport ◽

10.1177/21674795211063537 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 216747952110635

Author(s):

Anna Posbergh ◽

David L. Andrews ◽

Samuel M. Clevenger

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Female Athlete ◽

Transnational Feminism ◽

Transnational Corporation ◽

The United States ◽

Marketing Strategies ◽

Global Marketing ◽

The Us ◽

United States Mexico ◽

Representations Of Women

Nike, a US-headquartered transnational corporation lauded for its putatively empowering women-centered advertisements, frequently releases nationally/regionally focused advertisements depicting women determinedly engaging in physical activity and, in doing so, overcoming gendered barriers and stigmas. Indeed, the global ubiquity of the empowered (Nike-clad) woman illustrates Nike’s role in advancing women’s empowerment, both in the US and globally. Universalizing “just do it” beyond geographical borders, Nike’s form of transnational feminism centers on a carefully manufactured, Western-centered image of empowered female athleticism. However, this notably contradicts transnational feminist efforts to reject the universalization of Western-centered representations of women. Using a critical cultural studies approach in concert with a transnational feminist framework, we analyze six recent Nike advertisements (the United States, Mexico, the Middle East, Turkey, India, and Russia) and critique the corporation’s universalization of neoliberal postfeminist messaging within its global marketing strategies. We find that Nike utilizes three thematics to extend their caricature of the (Nike-powered) female athlete beyond the spatial and symbolic borders of the US market: responsibilitization, competitive individualism, and empowerment. We conclude that Nike normalizes a white, Western-centered neoliberal postfeminism, undermining the structural and sporting realities of the non-white/non-Western women their promotional campaigning seeks to embolden.

Download Full-text

Income-based inequalities in self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among adolescents in England and the United States: comparisons from two cross-sectional surveys

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21237/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shaun Scholes ◽

Jennifer S Mindell

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

The United States ◽

Active Travel ◽

High Income ◽

Absolute Difference ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Us ◽

Low Income Households

Abstract Background: Inequalities in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) may reflect differences in the propensity to do any, the amount of time spent active, or both. Using self-reported data from 4019 adolescents aged 11-15 years in England (Health Survey for England 2008, 2012, 2015) and 4312 aged 12-17 years in the US (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-16) we examined inequalities in MVPA.Methods: Hurdle models estimated inequalities by household income in three aspects: (1) doing any, (2) average minutes/day (MVPA: including those who did none), and (3) average minutes/day conditional on participation (MVPA-active). Inequalities after confounder adjustment (average marginal effects: AMEs) were quantified by computing the absolute difference in marginal means (low-income households as reference).Results: In England, adolescents in high-income households were more likely than those in low-income households to have done any formal sports/exercise in the last seven days (AMEs boys: 11%; 95% CI: 4, 17; girls: 13%; 6, 20); girls in high-income households spent more time being active than their low-income counterparts (AME formal MVPA: 6 minutes/day, 95% CI: 2, 9). Girls in low-income households spent more time in informal activities than girls in high-income households did (AME informal MVPA: 21 minutes/day; 95% CI: 10, 33), whilst boys in low-income versus high-income households spent longer in active travel (AME active travel MVPA: 21 minutes/week; 95% CI: 8, 34). In the US, in a typical week, recreational activity was greater among high-income versus low-income households (AMEs recreational boys: 15 minutes/day; 95% CI: 6, 24; girls: 19 minutes/day; 95% CI: 12, 27). In contrast, adolescents in low-income versus high-income households were more likely to travel actively (AMEs boys: 11%; 95% CI: 3, 19; girls: 10%; 95% CI: 3, 17) and spend more time engaged. Conclusions: Policy actions and interventions are required to increase levels of MVPA across all income groups in England and the US. Differences in formal sports/exercise (England) and recreational (US) activities suggest that additional efforts are required to move adolescents in low-income households from inactivity to activity, and to enable those already active to do more.

Download Full-text

Secular Trends in Physical Activity Among Immigrants in the United States, 2009–2018

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2020-0812 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Myungjin Jung ◽

Heontae Kim ◽

Seungho Ryu ◽

Minsoo Kang

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adult ◽

Linear Trend ◽

The United States ◽

Secular Trends ◽

Immigrant Population ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Activity Promotion ◽

The Us ◽

Linear Trends

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate secular trends in domain-specific physical activity in the immigrant population in the US between 2009 and 2018. Method: A secondary data analysis from the 2009–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; a total of 7282 immigrants in the US were included in this analysis. All domain-specific physical activity was assessed by a self-reported questionnaire. Tests for linear trends were performed to examine the trends of each physical activity time using orthogonal polynomial coefficients. Physical activity trends were assessed by the whole group and the various subgroups. Results: Total physical activity showed an upward linear trend in female (Ptrend = .04) and young adult (Ptrend = .009) immigrants. Work-related physical activity showed an upward linear trend in young adult immigrants (Ptrend = .01). Recreational physical activity showed an upward linear trend in young adult (Ptrend = .03) and Mexican American (Ptrend < .001) immigrants and in immigrants living in the US for 15–29 years (Ptrend = .02). In contrast, we observed downward linear trends in transit-related physical activity for immigrants across male (Ptrend = .04), middle-aged adult (Ptrend = .01), and non-Hispanic black groups (Ptrend = .004) and in immigrants living in the US for 15–29 years (Ptrend = .03). Conclusion: There were no significant linear trends in the 4 domains of physical activity in the overall US immigrant population; however, trends in domain-specific physical activity in the US immigrant population differed by gender, age, race/ethnicity, and length of residence. These findings may inform physical activity promotion strategies targeting US immigrant populations with diverse sociocultural backgrounds.

Download Full-text

Using Electronic Step Counters to Increase Lifestyle Physical Activity: Colorado on the Move™

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.1.3.181 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 181-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Holly R. Wyatt ◽

John C. Peters ◽

George W. Reed ◽

Gary K. Grunwald ◽

Mary Barry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Weight ◽

The United States ◽

Intervention Trial ◽

Prevent Weight Gain ◽

Good Target ◽

The Us ◽

Lifestyle Physical Activity ◽

Behavioral Goal ◽

Average Yearly Increase

Background:Obesity is an epidemic in the United States, yet few programs have been implemented on a widespread basis to deal with it. Colorado on the Move is a state-wide program with a specific quantifiable behavioral goal for increasing lifestyle physical activity (i.e. walking) and decreasing energy intake to prevent weight gain.Methods:A nonrandomized intervention trial designed to increase walking by 2000 steps/d using electronic step counters.Results:The intervention was effective in increasing average steps/d by at least 2000 over a 14-wk period.Conclusion:The Colorado on the Move intervention was effective in significantly increasing physical activity over a 14-wk period. Steps/d appears to be a good target for use in interventions to increase physical activity. Simply increasing physical activity in the population by 2000 steps/d could help in preventing the average yearly increase in body weight seen in the US population.

Download Full-text

Open Streets Initiatives in the United States: Closed to Traffic, Open to Physical Activity

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2012-0376 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1468-1474 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jill A. Kuhlberg ◽

J. Aaron Hipp ◽

Amy Eyler ◽

Genevieve Chang

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Promotion Strategy ◽

Evaluation Procedures ◽

Populations At Risk ◽

Route Length ◽

The Us ◽

Us Cities

Background:The ciclovía, or open streets concept, is a community-level physical activity (PA) promotion strategy where streets are closed to motorized traffic and open for individuals to engage in PA. This paper presents an overview of such initiatives in the United States (US) to understand their potential in PA promotion, comparing event and city characteristics.Methods:We searched ciclovía and open streets initiatives held in 2011 in the US using internet searches, publication databases, social media, and personal contacts. We extracted data on the each initiative’s frequency, route length, attendance, evaluation procedures, and sociodemographic characteristics of host cities.Results:Our search yielded 47 US cities with open streets in 2011. Cities were diverse in sociodemographic characteristics. Route lengths ranged from a few blocks to 51 miles and event frequency ranged from annual to monthly. Reporting number of participants for events was sporadic. Few events conducted formal evaluations.Conclusion:The number of US cities hosting open streets is increasing. The sociodemographics of the host cities suggest a potential to increase physical activity in populations at risk for developing chronic diseases through these initiatives. However, further evaluation is required. Identifying successful promotion and evaluation tactics would boost the health promotion potential of these initiatives.

Download Full-text

A Case Report Exploring Activity Intensity in Inpatient Rehabilitation after Stroke

Case Reports in Medicine ◽

10.1155/2010/507476 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2010 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kathryn Zalewski ◽

Julie Kerk ◽

Kristina Laundre ◽

Amber Wacek ◽

Melissa Wiedmeyer

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Case Report ◽

Stroke Rehabilitation ◽

Inpatient Rehabilitation ◽

The United States ◽

Rehabilitation Unit ◽

Physical Demand ◽

Low Intensity ◽

Activity Intensity ◽

The Us

Background and Purpose. Inpatient rehabilitation in countries other than the United States (US) has been described as a time where patients are often not engaged in intensive physical activity. The purpose of this case report is to explore the amount and intensity of physical activity provided in inpatient rehabilitation after stroke in the US.Methods. This study presents a case report of a person admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation unit after sustaining a first stroke. A customized data collection tracked type of activity, activity intensity and social interaction every 5 minutes during the rehabilitation day.Results. 74 percent of the day was spent in low intensity, often seated, physical activity; 14% of the day was spent resting or sleeping. Only 2.91% the day was spent in moderate or high intensity activity with a mobility focus.Conclusions. Consistent with other studies, this case report suggests a relatively low physical demand to rehabilitation delivered in inpatient stroke rehabilitation. This case begins to raise questions about optimized rehabilitation parameters for acute stroke rehabilitation.

Download Full-text

Household Food Insecurity and Children’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in the United States: The Healthy Communities Study

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021002536 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Sophia M. Navarro ◽

Marisa M. Tsai ◽

Lorrene D. Ritchie ◽

Edward A. Frongillo ◽

Barbara A. Laraia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

The United States ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Sedentary Behaviors ◽

Healthy Communities ◽

Household Food ◽

The Us ◽

Children’S Physical Activity

Abstract Objective: To examine associations between household food insecurity and children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Design: Secondary analysis was conducted on the Healthy Communities Study, an observational study from 2013-2015. Household food insecurity was assessed by two items from the US Department of Agriculture’s 18-item US Household Food Security Survey Module. Physical activity was measured using the 7-day Physical Activity Behavior Recall instrument. Data were analyzed using multilevel statistical modeling. Setting: 130 communities in the US. Participants: 5,138 US children ages 4-15 years. Results: No associations were found for the relationship between household food insecurity and child physical activity. A significant interaction between household food insecurity and child sex for sedentary behaviors was observed (P=0.03). Conclusions: Additional research capturing a more detailed assessment of children’s experiences of food insecurity in relation to physical activity is warranted. Future studies may consider adopting qualitative study designs or utilizing food insecurity measures that specifically target child-level food insecurity. Subsequent research may also seek to further explore sub-group analyses by sex.

Download Full-text