Impact of Outdoor Gyms on Adults’ Participation in Physical Activity: A Natural Experiment in Chile

Author(s):  
María J. Oliveros ◽  
Pamela Serón ◽  
Fernando Lanas ◽  
Shrikant I. Bangdiwala

Background: Although low levels of physical activity have slightly decreased globally, the need to reverse the physical inactivity remains urgent. One approach has been the installation of outdoor gyms (OGs). Method: A natural experiment arose from the installation of OGs in different neighborhoods of the city of Temuco, Chile. Baseline measurements were collected between 2006 and 2017 in a cohort of adults participating in the Prospective Urban & Rural Epidemiology study. Physical activity was assessed with the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and time-varying covariates was assessed every 3 years. The multistage hierarchical, nested sampling process and the follow-up assessments led to data correlated at different levels, thus the authors analyzed the data using a logistic multilevel model. Result: 2463 urban adults from 16 neighborhoods, with an average age of 51.7 (9.8) years (67% female), were included. Having an adequate number of OGs improved the odds of complying with the World Health Organization’s recommendations (adjusted odds ratio = 4.64, 3.95–5.45). In addition, being male (odds ratio = 1.53, 1.32–1.77) and under the age of 60 years (odds ratio = 0.83, 0.71–0.97) were associated with being physically active. Conclusion: The presence of more OGs can have a positive impact on physical activity recommendations.

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1641
Author(s):  
Lien T. K. Nguyen ◽  
Binh N. Do ◽  
Dinh N. Vu ◽  
Khue M. Pham ◽  
Manh-Tan Vu ◽  
...  

Background: Comorbidity is common and causes poor stroke outcomes. We aimed to examine the modifying impacts of physical activity (PA) and diet quality on the association between comorbidity and disability in stroke patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 951 stable stroke patients in Vietnam from December 2019 to December 2020. The survey questionnaires were administered to assess patients’ characteristics, clinical parameters (e.g., Charlson Comorbidity Index items), health-related behaviors (e.g., PA using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire- short version), health literacy, diet quality (using the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Quality (DASH-Q) questionnaire), and disability (using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II)). Linear regression models were used to analyze the associations and interactions. Results: The proportion of comorbidity was 49.9% (475/951). The scores of DASH-Q and WHODAS II were 29.2 ± 11.8, 32.3 ± 13.5, respectively. Patients with comorbidity had a higher score of disability (regression coefficient, B, 8.24; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI, 6.66, 9.83; p < 0.001) as compared with those without comorbidity. Patients with comorbidity and higher tertiles of PA (B, −4.65 to −5.48; p < 0.05), and a higher DASH-Q score (B, −0.32; p < 0.001) had a lower disability score, as compared with those without comorbidity and the lowest tertile of PA, and the lowest score of DASH-Q, respectively. Conclusions: Physical activity and diet quality significantly modified the negative impact of comorbidity on disability in stroke patients. Strategic approaches are required to promote physical activity and healthy diet which further improve stroke rehabilitation outcomes.


2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (9) ◽  
pp. 1039-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wagenmakers ◽  
Martin Stevens ◽  
Wiebren Zijlstra ◽  
Monique L Jacobs ◽  
Inge van den Akker-Scheek ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose Despite recognized health benefits of physical activity, little is known about the habitual physical activity behavior of patients after total hip arthroplasty (THA). The purpose of this study was to analyze this behavior and the fulfillment of guidelines for health-enhancing physical activity of these patients compared with a normative population. Subjects and Methods The participants were 273 patients who had undergone a primary THA (minimum of 1 year postoperatively). Comparisons were made between this group and 273 age- and sex-matched individuals from a normative population. Comparisons also were made between participants with THA under 65 years of age and those 65 years of age and older and among participants with THA in different Charnley classes. Level of physical activity was assessed with the Short QUestionnaire to ASsess Health-enhancing physical activity (SQUASH). Results No significant differences in total amount of physical activity or time spent in different categories of physical activity were found between the THA group and the normative group. Participants with THA spent significantly more minutes in activities of moderate intensity compared with the normative group. Participants with THA who were under 65 years of age were significantly more active than older participants with THA. Charnley class had significant effects on time spent at work, time spent in moderate-intensity activities, and total amount of activity, with the least activity performed by participants in Charnley class C. The guidelines were met by 51.2% of the participants with THA and 48.8% of the normative population. Female participants met the guidelines less frequently than male participants in both the combined groups (odds ratio=0.50, 95% confidence interval=0.35–0.72, P&lt;.001) and the THA group (odds ratio=0.48, 95% confidence interval=0.28–0.80, P=.001). Discussion and Conclusion The results suggest that patients after THA are at least as physically active as a normative population. Nevertheless, a large percentage of these patients do not meet the guidelines; therefore, they need to be stimulated to become more physically active.


Author(s):  
Sergio Pulido Sánchez ◽  
Damián Iglesias Gallego

Interest in analyzing physically active behaviors during school recesses has grown in recent years as the school environment has consolidated (recess, physical education classes, lunch-time, before and after school) as a crucial space to bring these levels towards those recommended through intervention programs and improvements in the school environment. Unfortunately, in most of these studies, children do not achieve the 60 min a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommended by the World Health Organization. The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies objectively measured with accelerometers that have emerged in recent years to determine the amount of MVPA of children at recess. This systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. The extraction process for the studies included in this systematic review yielded a total of 43 articles. The studies were classified according to the methodological nature of the research: cross-sectional (n = 34), longitudinal (n = 3) and quasi-experimental (n = 6). The results of the studies confirm that during the recess period younger children are physically more active than older ones and that in general, boys are more physically active than girls. In addition, the data show that the school contributes to more than 40% of the total MVPA. The intervention programs led to an increase in MVPA of up to 5%. Providing schools with equipment and facilities shows that intervention programs are beneficial for raising children’s levels of physical activity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Magalhães ◽  
Elisabete Ramos ◽  
Maria Fátima Pina

Background:Proximity to urban green spaces (UGS) and open sports spaces (OSS) benefits health, promotes physical activity (PA) and sports practice (SP).Objective:Analyze the association between PA or SP according to distances between UGS or OSS and teenagers’ residences or schools.Methods:We evaluated 1333 (53.9% girls) teenagers (13 years old) living and studying in Porto, Portugal (EPITeen cohort). PA was classified as light or moderate/vigorous. Distances were the shortest routes from residences or schools to UGS/OSS, and classified in ≤250 m; >250 m to ≤500 m; >500 m to ≤750 m; >750 m. Chi-square test and chi-square for trends were used to compare proportions; associations were measured using logistic regression, through odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals, adjusting to BMI and parental education.Results:Regarding vicinity’ of schools, the prevalence of moderate/vigorous PA among boys, decreases as distances to OSS increases. For girls, the prevalence of sports decreases as distances to UGS increase. For boys, we found an association between moderate/vigorous PA and proximity to OSS in the vicinity of schools: considering ≤250 m as reference, the odds of moderate/vigorous PA is 0.20 (0.06–0.63) for >250 m to ≤500 m; 0.21 (0.07–0.61) for >500 m to ≤750 m and 0.19 (0.06–0.58) for >750 m.Conclusion:Vicinities of schools seem to influence teenagers to be more physically active and increase sports participation.


Author(s):  
Hidde P. van der Ploeg ◽  
Fiona C. Bull

AbstractIn this editorial we discuss the new 2020 World Health Organization guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour and a series of related papers that are published simultaneously in IJBNPA. The new guidelines reaffirm that physical activity is a ‘best buy’ for public health and should be used to support governments to increase investment in policy and research to promote and ensure physical activity opportunities are available for everyone. New recommendations on sedentary behaviour and inclusion of specific guidelines for people living with disability and/or chronic disease and pregnant and postpartum women are major developments since 2010. We discuss research priorities, as well as policy implementation and the contribution to the sustainable development agenda. The new guidelines can catalyse the paradigm shifts needed to enable equitable opportunities to be physically active for everyone, everywhere, every day.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisling O'Donnell ◽  
Maria Buffini ◽  
Laura Kehoe ◽  
Aoibhín Moore Heslin ◽  
Anne Nugent ◽  
...  

AbstractBeing physically active is associated with fundamental health benefits and assists with the maintenance of normal weight in children. The current World Health Organizations’ recommendation is for children to accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) per day to obtain such benefits. Conversely, time spent in sedentary behaviours including watching screens (ST) are positively associated with the risk of overweight and obesity in young people. The aim of this research was to estimate PA levels and ST usage of Irish children and to examine the relationship with body fat.This analysis was based on data collected from a nationally representative sample of Irish children aged 5–12-years (n = 591, 50% female) from The National Children's Food Consumption Survey II (www.iuna.net). The Child/Youth Physical Activity Questionnaires (C-PAQ/Y-PAQ) were used to measure PA and ST in 5–8 and 9–12-year-olds respectively. Both questionnaires were self-administered, recall instruments that assessed the frequency/duration of activities participated in over the previous 7-day period. The MET minutes (metabolic cost of the activity multiplied by the duration in minutes) of the PA's were calculated per child. Percentage body fat (%BF) was measured by a Tanita BC420MA device and participants were classified into categories based on their %BF, age and gender. Independent t-tests and ANOVA (post-hoc DunnettT-3) were used to assess differences between gender and %BF category.Overall, children spent 93 mins/d being physically active with 69% meeting the > 1hr recommendation. There was a significant difference in the time spent undertaking PA between boys (99 mins/d) and girls (88 mins/d) p = 0.020. Children spent 107 mins/d watching screens with 68% meeting the < 2hr guidance. Girls spent significantly less time watching screens (89 mins/d) than boys (124 mins/d) p ≤ 0.001. Children who had a normal %BF accumulated more PA MET mins/day compared to those who were classified as obese, which was significant in the total population (p = 0.007), for boys (p ≤ 0.001), but not girls (p = 0.929).This preliminary analysis indicates that a high proportion of Irish children are meeting the PA and ST recommendations, with boys being more physically active and spending more time watching screens compared to girls. However, results should be interpreted with caution as PA and ST usage were self-reported by participants. The association between PA MET minutes and %BF suggest that advice to encourage PA participation to combat excess adiposity in Irish children is justified. Future work should examine the role of other potential determinants of obesity in this cohort.


2020 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-102350
Author(s):  
Trine Moholdt ◽  
Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno ◽  
Børge Moe ◽  
Tom Ivar Lund Nilsen

ObjectivesTo examine associations between long-term (11–22 years) adherence to physical activity recommendations and mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease.DesignProspective population-based study with repeated assessments of self-reported physical activity (1984–86, 1995–97 and 2006–08) and follow-up until the end of 2013.SettingCounty of Nord-Trøndelag, Norway.ParticipantsMen and women aged ≥20 years; 32 811 who participated in 1984–86 and 1995–97; 22 058 in 1984–86 and 2006–08; 31 948 in 1995–97 and 2006–09 and 19 349 in all three examinations (1984–1986, 1995–95 and 2006–08).Main outcome measuresAll-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality from the national Cause of Death Registry.ResultsCompared with the reference category comprising individuals who adhered to the physical activity recommendations (≥150 min of moderate intensity or ≥60 min of vigorous intensity physical activity per week) over time, individuals who remained inactive (reporting no or very little physical activity) from 1984–86 to 1995–97 had HRs (95% CI) of 1.56 (1.40 to 1.73) for all-cause mortality and 1.94 (1.62 to 2.32) for cardiovascular disease mortality. Individuals who were inactive in 1984–86 and then adhered to recommendations in 2006–08 had HRs of 1.07 (0.85 to 1.35) for all-cause mortality and 1.31 (0.87 to 1.98) for cardiovascular disease mortality. In a subsample of individuals who participated at all three time points, those who were inactive or physically active below the recommended level across three decades (1984–86, 1995–97 and 2006–2008) had an HR of 1.57 (1.22 to 2.03) for all-cause mortality and 1.72 (1.08 to 2.73) for cardiovascular disease mortality.ConclusionIndividuals who remained, or became, physically inactive had substantially greater risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality compared with those who met the physical activity recommendations throughout the lifespan.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (s1) ◽  
pp. S98-S102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn M. Parker ◽  
Jeanette Gustat ◽  
Janet C. Rice

Background:People are more physically active in neighborhoods that are well designed for walking and bicycling. Building infrastructure for safer cycling is one way to promote physical activity. On-road bike lanes are one type of infrastructure hypothesized to positively impact levels of cycling. The first on-street bike lane was painted in New Orleans, LA during the spring of 2008.Methods:In November of 2007 and again in November 2008, trained observers conducted manual counts of cyclists riding on St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans, LA. The data collected included the number of men, women, adults, and children riding a bicycle with traffic, against traffic, and on sidewalks.Results:Data showed a 57% increase in the average number of riders per day (P < .001). There was a 133% increase among adult female riders (P < .001) and a 44% increase among adult male riders (P < .001). The percentage of cyclists riding in the correct direction, with the flow of traffic, increased from 73% to 82% (P < .001).Conclusions:Bike lanes can have a positive impact in creating a healthy physical environment. Future research should include other streets for comparison purposes and surveys to determine whether riders are substituting biking for nonactive forms of transportation.


Author(s):  
Juleimar S.C. Amorim ◽  
Juliana L. Torres ◽  
Sérgio V. Peixoto

This study examined isolated and combined associations of physical activity (PA) and sitting time (ST) with body mass index (BMI) among older Brazilian adults. We have analyzed baseline data of 8,177 participants aged 50 years and older from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging. Respondents were categorized into sufficient PA/low ST, sufficient PA/high ST, insufficient PA/low ST, or insufficient PA/high ST using the Short Version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression analysis examined the associations of being underweight (BMI, <18 kg/m2), overweight (BMI, 25–29.9 kg/m2), and obese (BMI, ≥30 kg/m2) with PA and ST categories. High ST (≥165 min/day) was associated with overweight (odds ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval [1.11, 1.44]) and obesity (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval [1.21, 1.70]). However, no association was observed between PA and BMI. Participants in the insufficient and sufficient PA/high ST categories were more likely to be obese after adjusting for sociodemographic and health condition. Our findings call for public health initiatives that consider reducing ST in older adults.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Siqueira Reis ◽  
Adriano Akira Ferreira Hino ◽  
Alex Antonio Florindo ◽  
Ciro Romélio Rodriguez Añez ◽  
Marlos Rodrigues Domingues

Background:The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between adolescents’ physical activity practice and their perception about the environment of urban parks.Methods:A school-based representative sample (n = 1,718; boys = 40.4%) of teenagers of Curitiba, Southern region of Brazil. A questionnaire was employed to identify perceived parks environmental features as well as physical activity practice in the parks (PAP), habitual physical activity (HPA) and demographics. The relationship between PAP and parks environments was analyzed through multivariate logistic regression controlling for age and socioeconomic status, HPA and parks distance.Results:After controlling for confounders PAP was associated with lack of space to be physically active, activities to choose from and equipments for both boys and girls, (odds ratio (OR)—ranging from 1.5 to 1.8). Among boys, having people of same age (OR = 1.5) and accessibility (OR = 2.0) showed association with PAP only in crude analysis. However, among girls, to be bulled or teased (OR = 1.4) and accessibility (OR = 1.7) were associated with PAP after confounding control.Conclusions:The results showed that specific attributes in parks may be considered and offered to increase the likelihood of physical activity practice among adolescents in such locations.


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