Gender Differences in Response to a Physical Activity Intervention in Overweight and Obese Children

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary S. Goldfield ◽  
Risa Mallory ◽  
Denis Prud’homme ◽  
Kristi B. Adamo

Background:This study evaluated the effects of gender on response to a behavioral intervention that rewarded increases in physical activity (PA) with increases in access to TV viewing.Methods:We performed a secondary analysis of a clinical trial that randomized 30 overweight or obese, 8- to 12-year-old children to an intervention (8 boys, 6 girls) or control (7 boys, 9 girls) group. Participants wore accelerometers every day for 8 weeks and attended biweekly meetings to download the activity monitors. For the intervention group, accumulating 400 counts of PA on accelerometers earned 1 hour of TV time, which was controlled by a Token TV electronic device. Controls wore activity monitors but had free access to T V.Results:Compared with girls, boys in the intervention group exhibited greater increases in overall daily PA counts (110% versus 40%, P < .05) and minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; +18.1 versus +2.7, P < .05). Neither boys nor girls in the control group showed significant changes in overall PA or intensity of PA.Conclusion:Wearing an accelerometer in combination with rewarding PA with TV might be a more effective intervention for increasing overall PA and time spent in MVPA in overweight and obese boys than it is for overweight or obese girls.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-348
Author(s):  
Sheri J. Hartman ◽  
Dori Pekmezi ◽  
Shira I. Dunsiger ◽  
Bess H. Marcus

Background: Latinas have high rates of sedentary behavior and related health disparities, but it is unknown if interventions to increase physical activity will also reduce sedentary time. The current study examined changes in objectively measured sedentary time among Latinas in a randomized controlled trial of a physical activity intervention. Methods: Spanish-speaking Latinas (N = 202) were randomized to an exercise or wellness group and wore an accelerometer at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Results: Participants were sedentary on an average of 8.86 hours per day (SD = 2.60) at baseline. The intervention group had significantly greater increases in sedentary time compared with the control group, with the intervention group engaging in 146 more minutes per week of sedentary time at 6 months and 254 minutes per week of sedentary time at 12 months than the control group (P = .02). The intervention effect on sedentary behavior remained after controlling for moderate to vigorous physical activity. Additionally, time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity was positively associated with more sedentary time (P = .04). Conclusion: An intervention to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity resulted in greater sedentary time, raising concerns regarding compensation and highlighting the need for interventions to address both physical activity and sedentary behavior to improve public health.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Swirski ◽  
Netasha Shaikh ◽  
Amy Chinner ◽  
Ellen Gaaikema ◽  
Elizabeth Coulthard

Biochemical and neuropsychological changes due to poor sleep may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative disorders, such as dementia. Physical activity is widely thought to improve sleep; however, the optimal intensity/duration of physical activity required is unknown. This 14-week, single-blind study (n=23) investigated the feasibility of a self-directed physical activity intervention in healthy adults using actigraphy and cognitive function measures as primary outcomes. Participants were randomised to a control group (no change in routine) or the intervention group (increased physical activity) and were provided with an actigraphy device to monitor activity. Participants completed daily sleep/activity diaries and three cognitive assessment sessions. Vigorous physical activity increased between baseline and week 3 for the intervention group only, with no identifiable impact on sleep. This change was not sustained at week 12. Performance on an executive function task and delayed visuospatial recall improved from baseline to week 12 for the intervention group only. Contrary to our expectations, increasing light-moderate physical activity was associated with more impaired sleep across all participants. It is clear that the relationships between physical activity, sleep and cognition are complex and require further investigation. We discuss optimal methodologies for clinical trials investigating physical activity and/or sleep interventions targeting cognition.


2020 ◽  
pp. 109019812097119
Author(s):  
Whitney A. Welch ◽  
Caroline P. Groth ◽  
Siobhan M. Phillips ◽  
Bonnie Spring ◽  
Juned Siddique

Background and Aims To estimate and compare the change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between an accelerometer and technology-supported physical activity (PA) log across a 3-week PA intervention. Method Participants ( N = 204, 77% female, age = 33 ± 11 years, body mass index = 28.2 ± 7.1 kg/m2) were randomized to one of two activity-related intervention arms: (1) increase MVPA intervention or (2) decrease sedentary behavior active control. Participants wore an accelerometer while simultaneously completing a technology-based PA log every day for 5 weeks: a 2-week baseline assessment phase and a 3-week intervention phase. Bivariate linear mixed-effects models and correlations were used to characterize the relationship of MVPA between measurement methods throughout the intervention. Effect sizes were calculated to determine the intervention effect by measurement method. Results At baseline, PA log MVPA was 28 minutes greater than accelerometer-based minutes of MVPA in the active control group. This difference was 35 minutes (95% CI [23.7, 46.1]) greater at follow-up than at baseline measurement in the MVPA intervention group. In the active control group, there was a significant 16-minute (95% CI [6.0, 26.5]) increase between the two measures from baseline to follow-up. The intervention effect size based on the PA log was 0.27 (95% CI [0.14, 0.39]) and 0.42 (95% CI [0.28, 0.56]) when using the accelerometer. Discussion and Conclusions Our results indicate that PA log MVPA and accelerometer MVPA estimate significantly different minutes per day of MVPA. It is important researchers use caution when comparing MVPA intervention outcomes from different measurement methods.


Author(s):  
Dandan Mo ◽  
Mi Xiang ◽  
Mengyun Luo ◽  
Yuanyuan Dong ◽  
Yue Fang ◽  
...  

Gamification and social incentives are promising strategies to increase the effectiveness of web-based physical activity (PA) interventions by improving engagement. In this study, we designed a PA intervention integrating gamification and social incentives based on the most popular social networking service in China, WeChat. A controlled trial involving 52 Chinese undergraduate students was implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Subjects in the intervention group received a 7-week intervention. PA behavior and related social cognitive variables according to the theory of planned behavior were measured at the baseline and after the intervention. Daily physical activity duration was measured during the intervention. The results showed that PA-related subjective norms, perceived behavior control, and intention, as well as self-reported vigorous physical activity and moderate physical activity in the intervention group, were increased after the intervention, compared with the control group (p <0.05). During the intervention, perceived daily physical activity duration in the intervention group was on the rise, while it declined in the control group (p <0.001). The findings indicate that WeChat-based intervention integrating gamification and social incentives could effectively increase subjectively measured PA and related social cognition among Chinese undergraduate students and that it is a promising way to ameliorate the problem of insufficient PA among youths.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Fijalkowska ◽  
J Mazur ◽  
A Dzielska ◽  
H Nalecz ◽  
W Ostrega ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Healthy Me (HM) interventional study was oriented on improvement of physical activity (PA) in 15-year old girls but also included component of eating habits, smoking prevention and personal competencies. Innovative elements of the project involved usage of fitness-band with continuous monitoring of PA and special dedicated smartphone apps. Purpose To assess the effectiveness of 1-year prophylactic intervention with the use of mobile technology in girls between 14 and 15 year of age, in relation to the level of their satisfaction with the program. Methods 1198 girls 14–15 years old from 48 randomly selected schools from all over Poland participated in the HM during 2017/2018 school year. Schools were randomized to full or partial intervention and control group, respectively 636, 277 and 285 girls. Questionnaire data from the beginning and the end of the HM regarding four factors (low PA, eating sweets, smoking and stress level) were analyzed. Mean changes (MC) calculated according to the definition given in table 1 were applied as outcome measure. Satisfaction with the program was assessed after 1 year of participation in the HM as low, average and high. General linear models with main effects were estimated and adjusted for initial level of each factor. Results At the beginning of the study 87% participants did not fulfill criteria for recommended PA, 9% smoked during last 30 days and 67% ate sweets more than ones per week. Mean stress level was 6.92±2.92 points. For the entire study group, the only significant change after 1 year intervention was lower frequency of eating sweets (p=0,007). However, the higher satisfaction with the study resulted in the significantly higher effectiveness of HM intervention (table 1). Mean changes in the analyzed factors Analyzed factor Range Mean change in entire group (SE) Mean change by level of satisfaction p1 p2 low (SE) average (SE) high (SE) Physical activity (MVPA) 0–7 days −0.076 (0.063) −0.396 (0.137) −0.147 (0.068) 0.261 (0.119) 0.001 0.068 Smoking-past 0 – never 0.039 (0.028) 0.270 (0.066) 0.034 (0.033) −0.004 (0.057) 0.002 0.067 6–30 days or more Eating sweets 0 – never −0.296 (0.045) −0.047 (0.101) −0.285 (0.050) −0.313 (0.086) 0.069 0.016 6 – every day more than once Stress Cohen scale 0–16 points 0.105 (0.090) 0.498 (0.211) 0.138 (0.105) −0.424 (0.183) 0.003 0.823 SE: standard error; MVPA: moderate to vigorous physical activity; p1: main effect of the level of satisfaction; p2: main effect of the intervention group. Conclusion Program that was dedicated for improvement of PA in teenage girls could also profitably influence other factors related to health behaviours and stress level in this group but intervention must be perceived by participants as rewarding. It seems, that attractiveness of interventional program design, increased by mobile technologies, is key for its effectiveness for teens. Acknowledgement/Funding National Health Program, Ministry of Health


Author(s):  
Joonyoung Lee ◽  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Tsz Lun (Alan) Chu ◽  
Xiangli Gu ◽  
Ping Zhu

Globally, more than half of school-aged children do not engage in the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Given that developing sufficient fundamental motor skills (FMS) competence during early elementary school years is important for a child’s physical and cognitive development, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an 8-week FMS-based afterschool program on physical and cognitive health outcomes among elementary children. Participants were 31 K–2 students (19 girls, 12 boys; Mage = 6.65 ± 0.98) from three public elementary schools in the southwestern United States who were assigned to the intervention group (FMS-based afterschool program; n = 20) or the control group (traditional afterschool program; n = 11). A 2 × 2 repeated measures MANOVA showed significant changes in FMS competence and MVPA between the intervention and the control group over time. However, no significant changes were found in cognitive functioning. The 8-week FMS-based afterschool program showed significant improvements in FMS competence and MVPA, compared to a traditional afterschool program. This finding suggests that structured FMS-focused strategies (e.g., fun games and goal setting) can be a critical component when implementing a physical activity program to enhance children’s motor skills and physical activity behavior.


2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan J. Graham ◽  
Margaret Schneider ◽  
Dan M. Cooper

Purpose. To determine whether the amount of television (TV) watched by participants enrolled in a physical activity intervention mediates or moderates program effectiveness. Design. Nine-month, controlled, school-based physical activity intervention. Setting. Public high school. Participants. One hundred twenty-two sedentary adolescent females (mean + standard deviation age = 15.04 + 0.79 years). Intervention. Supervised in-class exercise, health education, and internet-based self-monitoring. Measures. Physical activity by 3-day physical activity recall; TV viewing by self-reports; cardiovascular fitness by cycle ergometer. Analysis. T-tests were conducted to examine between-group differences. Linear regression equations tested the mediating or moderating role of TV watching relative to the intervention. Results. TV viewing moderated the intervention's effect on vigorous activity; the intervention significantly predicted change in physical activity among high (β = −.45; p < .001), but not among low (p > .05), TV watchers. TV viewing did not mediate the intervention effect. Conclusions. Consistent with displacement theory, adolescents who watched more TV prior to the intervention showed postintervention increases in vigorous physical activity and concomitant decreases in TV viewing, whereas those who watched less TV showed no change in physical activity or TV viewing.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl A. Howe ◽  
Ryan A. Harris ◽  
Bernard Gutin

Objective. To determine if a 10-month after-school physical activity (PA) intervention could prevent deleterious changes in body composition and cardiovascular (CV) fitness in young black boys.Methods. Following baseline measures, 106 boys (8–12 yrs) were randomized to either a control group or an intervention group, further divided into attenders (ATT) and nonattenders (NATT), participating in ≥60% or <60% of the intervention, respectively. The daily intervention consisted of skills development (25 min), vigorous PA (VPA, 35 min), and strengthening/stretching (20 min) components. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.Results. Following the intervention, the ATT exhibited an increase in moderate-to-vigorous PA and a significant reduction in BMI, fat mass, and %BF compared to the control group. A significant association among the intervention energy expenditure and changes in body composition and CV fitness was observed only in the ATT group.Conclusion. An after-school PA program of sufficient length and intensity can promote healthy changes in body composition and fitness levels in black boys who attend at least 3 days/week.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 884-895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Waters ◽  
Marina Reeves ◽  
Brianna Fjeldsoe ◽  
Elizabeth Eakin

Background:Several recent physical activity intervention trials have reported physical activity improvements in control group participants. Explanations have been proposed, but not systematically investigated.Methods:A systematic review of physical activity intervention trials was conducted to investigate the frequency of meaningful improvements in physical activity among control group participants (increase of ≥ 60 minutes [4 MET·hours] of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week, or a 10% increase in the proportion of participants meeting physical activity recommendations), and possible explanatory factors. Explanatory factors include aspects of behavioral measurement, participant characteristics, and control group treatment.Results:Eight (28%) of 29 studies reviewed reported meaningful improvements in control group physical activity, most of which were of similar magnitude to improvements observed in the intervention group. A number of factors were related to meaningful control group improvements in physical activity, including the number of assessments, mode of measurement administration, screening to exclude active participants, and preexisting health status.Conclusions:Control group improvement in physical activity intervention trials is not uncommon and may be associated with behavioral measurement and participant characteristics. Associations observed in this review should be evaluated empirically in future research. Such studies may inform minimal contact approaches to physical activity promotion.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Cronholm ◽  
Björn E. Rosengren ◽  
Caroline Karlsson ◽  
Magnus K. Karlsson

Background:The activity-stat theory infers that total physical activity (PA) in children is constant, independent of environmental interventions.Methods:We conducted a 3-year prospective population-based controlled PA intervention study including, at baseline, 7- to 9-year-old children (66 boys, 40 girls in the intervention and 50 boys, 38 girls in the control group). PA was increased in the intervention group from 60 to 200 minutes/week, while the controls maintained 60 minutes/week. We registered weekly duration of total PA and leisure-time PA and daily duration of sedentary activities, through questionnaires at baseline and 2 and 3 years after baseline.Results:Between intervention and control groups PA was similar before intervention start. After intervention start, total PA in both genders was increased during the entire period (P-values adjusted for age and Tanner stage at follow-up between 0.001 and 0.002). Duration of sedentary activities was unchanged with no group differences. Children in the intervention group changed their behavior so that they also achieved more leisure-time PA.Conclusions:A 3-year school-based PA intervention program in prepubertal children increases the duration of total PA without increasing the duration of sedentary activities, and the program seems to initiate more PA during leisure-time. Our results refute the activity-stat theory.


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