Parental Influence on Child Change in Physical Activity During a Family-Based Intervention for Child Weight Gain Prevention

Background:This study examined the association between parent and child change in physical activity during a family-based intervention for child weight gain prevention.Methods:Daily step counts were recorded for parents and children in 83 families given a goal to increase activity by 2000 steps per day above baseline. Linear mixed effects models were used to predict child change in daily step counts from parental change in step counts.Results:Both maternal (P < .0001) and paternal (P < .0001) change in step counts for the current day strongly predicted child change in step counts for that day. On average, a child took an additional 2117.6 steps above baseline on days his or her mother met her goal versus 1175.2 additional steps when the mother did not meet her goal. The respective values were 1598.0 versus 1123.1 steps for fathers. Day of week moderated the maternal effect (P = .0019), with a larger impact on Saturday and Sunday compared with weekdays. A similar but nonsignificant pattern was observed for fathers.Conclusions:Encouraging parents to increase physical activity, particularly on weekends, may be a highly effective way to leverage parental involvement in interventions to increase children’s physical activity.

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Formative work to design a digital learning self-assessment and feedback tool to prevent weight gain among college students

Digital Health ◽

10.1177/2055207620979458 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 205520762097945

Author(s):

Melissa A Napolitano ◽

Sarah Beth Lynch ◽

Meghan N Mavredes ◽

Benjamin D Shambon ◽

Laurie Posey

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

College Students ◽

Weight Gain ◽

Usability Testing ◽

Formative Research ◽

Weight Gain Prevention ◽

Digital Learning ◽

High Fat ◽

Prototype Development ◽

Sugary Beverages

Objective While colleges have implemented brief, tailored interventions for health-risk areas such as alcohol prevention, theoretically-guided digital learning offerings for weight gain prevention have lagged behind in programming and implementation. Thus, the objective was to design and usability test a weight gain prevention digital learning platform for college students with modules targeting key nutrition and physical activity behaviors. Methods Development occurred in iterative phases: formative research, descriptive normative data collection, prototype development, and usability testing. Formative research consisted of background work and survey administration to incoming and current freshmen. Prototype development was guided by theories of behavior change and cognitive processing, and consisted of brief assessment and feedback using written text, graphs, and videos. Iterative usability testing was conducted. Results Current freshmen reported eating more quick order meals per week than incoming freshman, but fewer high-fat snacks and fewer sugary beverages. Current freshmen reported more sedentary time than incoming freshmen. Based on iterative testing results, eight behavioral targets were established: breakfast, high-fat snacks, fried foods, sugary beverages, fruit/vegetables, physical activity, pizza intake, and sedentary behavior. Initial usability testers indicated the modules were easy to understand, held their attention, and were somewhat novel. Analysis of qualitative feedback revealed themes related to content, layout, structure and suggested refinements to the modules. Conclusions A gap exists for evidence-based obesity prevention programs targeted to adolescents as they transition into adulthood. Brief, tailored digital learning interventions show promise towards addressing key behavioral nutrition and physical activity targets among students during the transition to college.

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How COVID-19 lockdown and reopening affected daily steps: evidence based on 164,630 person-days of prospectively collected data from Shanghai, China

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s12966-021-01106-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ding Ding ◽

Minna Cheng ◽

Borja del Pozo Cruz ◽

Tao Lin ◽

Shuangyuan Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

At Risk ◽

Body Composition ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Linear Mixed Model ◽

University Education ◽

Control Group ◽

Daily Step ◽

Step Counts ◽

Reduced Physical Activity

Abstract Background COVID-19 lockdowns may lead to physical inactivity, a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases. This study aims to determine: 1) the trajectory in daily step counts before, during and after the lockdown in China, and 2) the characteristics associated with the trajectories. Methods From December 2019 to July 2020, smartphone-based step counts were continuously collected in 815 Chinese adults residing in Shanghai over 202 days across three phases: before, during, and after the lockdown. Participant characteristics were reported, and height, weight and body composition measured before the lockdown. A ‘sharp’ regression discontinuity design with cluster robust standard errors was used to test the effect of the lockdown and reopening on daily steps and a linear mixed model was used to examine the characteristics associated with trajectories during the observed period. Results Based on 164,630 person-days of data, we found a sharp decline in daily step counts upon the lockdown (24/01/2020) by an average of 3796 (SE = 88) steps, followed by a significant trend of increase by 34 steps/day (SE = 2.5; p < .001) until the end of the lockdown (22/03/2020). This increasing trend continued into the reopening phase at a slower rate of 5 steps per day (SE = 2.3; p = 0.029). Those who were older, married, university educated, insufficiently active, had an ‘at risk’ body composition, and those in the control group, were slower at recovering step counts during the lockdown, and those who were older, married, without university education and with an ‘at risk’ body composition recovered step counts at a slower pace after the reopening. Conclusions Despite later increases in step counts, COVID-19 lockdown led to a sustained period of reduced physical activity, which may have adverse health implications. Governments and health professionals around the world should continue to encourage and facilitate physical activity during the pandemic.

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An Examination of the Activity Patterns of Elementary School Children

Pediatric Exercise Science ◽

10.1123/pes.14.4.432 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 432-441 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Susan D. Vincent ◽

Robert P. Pangrazi

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Individual Variability ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Same Sex ◽

Factorial Anova ◽

Step Counts ◽

Meaningful Activity ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Steps Per Day

Research has suggested a trend of decreasing activity with age necessitating a renewed emphasis on promoting physical activity for children. The purpose of this study was to assess current physical activity levels of children and to establish initial standards for comparison in determining appropriate activity levels of children based on pedometer counts. Children, 6–12 years old (N = 711), wore sealed pedometers for 4 consecutive days. Mean step counts ranged from 10,479–11,274 and 12300–13989 for girls and boys respectively. Factorial ANOVA found a significant difference between sex (F = 90.16, p < .01) but not among age (F = 0.78, p = .587). Great individual variability existed among children of the same sex. Further analysis found significant differences among children of the same sex above the 80th percentile and below the 20th percentile. A reasonable activity standard might be approximately 11,000 and 13,000 steps per day for girls and boys respectively, although further discussion of this is warranted. The descriptive nature of this study provides insights into the activity patterns of children and the mean step counts for boys and girls at each age can serve as a preliminary guide for determining meaningful activity levels for children based on pedometer counts.

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Pedometer-determined physical activity among primary schoolchildren in Kuala Lumpur

Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare ◽

10.1177/2010105818823784 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 115-123

Author(s):

Bee Suan Wee ◽

Awang Bulgiba ◽

Abd. Talib Ruzita ◽

Mohd. Noor Ismail ◽

Bee Koon Poh

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Primary School ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Activity Level ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Kuala Lumpur ◽

Daily Step ◽

Step Counts ◽

Primary Schoolchildren ◽

Physical Activity Levels

Objective: The aim of this study was to objectively measure physical activity and its association with sociodemographic factors among Malaysian primary school-age children. Methods: A total of 111 primary school children in Kuala Lumpur were selected through random sampling. Activity pattern was determined using pedometers and differences by sex, ethnicity and body mass index categories were analysed. The relationship between pedometer-determined physical activity and sociodemographic factors were also studied. Results: Overall, boys attained significantly higher daily step counts than girls (9573 ± 4145 vs 7313 ± 2697). Significant difference in daily step counts between boys and girls were observed during weekdays ( p<0.01), weekends ( p<0.05) and total mean step counts ( p<0.01). Malay ethnicity showed higher daily step counts during weekdays than weekends ( p<0.05). Compared with boys, girls had higher odds (OR=5.58; 95% CI 1.12, 27.77) of not meeting the recommended daily step counts. Those who had low physical activity levels had higher odds (OR=15.75; 95% CI 1.78, 139.33) of not meeting recommended daily step counts than children who had moderate physical activity level. Conclusion: Boys were significantly more active than girls and physical activity was greater during weekdays than on weekends. The primary schoolchildren in Kuala Lumpur were sedentary, with minimum physical activity being observed. Differences in sexes and physical activity levels influenced pedometer step counts in children.

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Measuring Children’s Activity Levels: The Association Between Step-Counts and Activity Time

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.3.2.221 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 221-229 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Aaron Beighle ◽

Robert P. Pangrazi

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Strong Association ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Activity Time ◽

Free Living ◽

Step Counts ◽

Steps Per Day

Background:The primary purpose of this study was to describe the association between activity time and step counts in children.Methods:Subjects were 590 students (334 girls, 256 boys) with each gender having a mean age of 9.2 ± 1.8 y. All subjects wore the Walk4Life 2505 pedometer for four consecutive weekdays. This pedometer simultaneously measures both step counts and activity time.Results:Boys accumulated significantly more minutes of activity time/day (140.9 ± 39.6 vs. 126.3 ± 38.1), steps/day (13,348 ± 4131 vs. 11,702 ± 3923), and steps per min (93.99 ± 5.8 vs. 91.85 ± 5.8) than girls (P < 0.001) Steps/day was a significant predictor of activity time/day (P < 0.0001).Conclusions:Boys accumulate more steps per day and more activity time per day than girls. There is a strong association between steps per day and activity time in children. Daily steps per minute as a measure of free living physical activity in children is explored

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Physical activity and weight gain prevention in older men

International Journal of Obesity ◽

10.1038/ijo.2011.266 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 36 (9) ◽

pp. 1165-1169 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

E J Shiroma ◽

H D Sesso ◽

I-M Lee

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Weight Gain ◽

Older Men ◽

Weight Gain Prevention

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Laboratory-Assessed Markers of Cardiometabolic Health and Associations with GIS-Based Measures of Active-Living Environments

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15102079 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (10) ◽

pp. 2079 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Samantha Hajna ◽

Kaberi Dasgupta ◽

Nancy Ross

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Living Environment ◽

Cardiometabolic Health ◽

Active Living ◽

Daily Step ◽

Step Counts ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Intensity Physical Activity ◽

Living Environments

Active-living-friendly environments have been linked to physical activity, but their relationships with specific markers of cardiometabolic health remain unclear. We estimated the associations between active-living environments and markers of cardiometabolic health, and explored the potential mediating role of physical activity in these associations. We used data collected on 2809 middle-aged adults who participated in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007–2009; 41.5 years, SD = 15.1). Environments were assessed using an index that combined GIS-derived measures of street connectivity, land use mix, and population density. Body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), hemoglobin A1c, and cholesterol were assessed in a laboratory setting. Daily step counts and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) were assessed for seven days using accelerometers. Associations were estimated using robust multivariable linear regressions adjusted for sociodemographic factors that were assessed via questionnaire. BMI was 0.79 kg/m2 lower (95% confidence interval (CI) −1.31, −0.27) and SBP was 1.65 mmHg lower (95% CI −3.10, −0.20) in participants living in the most active-living-friendly environments compared to the least, independent of daily step counts or MVPA. A 35.4 min/week difference in MPVA (95% CI 24.2, 46.6) was observed between residents of neighborhoods in the highest compared to the lowest active-living-environment quartiles. Cycling to work rates were also the highest in participants living in the highest living-environment quartiles (e.g., Q4 vs. Q1: 10.4% vs. 4.9%). Although active-living environments are associated with lower BMI and SBP, and higher MVPA and cycling rates, neither daily step counts nor MVPA appear to account for environment–BMI/SBP relationships. This suggests that other factors not assessed in this study (e.g., food environment or unmeasured features of the social environment) may explain this relationship.

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Objectively assessed physical activity patterns and physical function in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study in Taiwan

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034645 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. e034645

Author(s):

Ming-Chun Hsueh ◽

Ru Rutherford ◽

Chien-Chih Chou ◽

Jong-Hwan Park ◽

Hyun-Tae Park ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Physical Function ◽

Older Women ◽

Handgrip Strength ◽

Older Men ◽

Daily Step ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Step Counts ◽

Single Leg Stance

ObjectivesTo objectively assess light physical activity (PA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), step counts and number of 10 min MVPA bouts and their association with physical function among older adults.DesignCross-sectional design.SettingUrban community setting in Taiwan.Participants127 Taiwanese older adults aged over 65 years (mean age=70.8±5.3 years; 72% women).Primary and secondary outcome measuresTriaxial accelerometers were used to measure PA variables for 10 hours/day for seven consecutive days. Then, five physical function components (handgrip strength, single-leg stance, 5-metre walk speed, timed up and go and sit-to-stand test) were measured. Multiple linear regressions were used to perform separate analyses for older men and women.ResultsFor older women, daily MVPA time (β: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.64; p=0.004), daily step counts (β: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.78; p=0.009) and number of 10 min MVPA bouts (β: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.53; p=0.049) were positively associated with handgrip strength after adjusting for accelerometer wear time, sedentary time and other confounders. Furthermore, daily MVPA time was positively associated with a single-leg stance (β: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.49; p=0.036) and higher daily step counts were associated with shorter walking speed performance (β: −0.31, 95% CI: −0.57, −0.001; p=0.049). None of the variables of the objectively assessed PA patterns was associated with physical function outcomes among older men due to their small sample size.ConclusionsDaily MVPA, MVPA bouts of at least 10 min and accumulated daily steps are important for improving physical function among older women. Future prospective research should establish causal associations between PA patterns and functional ability among older adults.

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Adding team-based financial incentives to the Carrot Rewards physical activity app increases daily step count on a population scale: a 24-week matched case control study

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s12966-020-01043-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Emma Pearson ◽

Harry Prapavessis ◽

Christopher Higgins ◽

Robert Petrella ◽

Lauren White ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Financial Incentives ◽

Step Count ◽

Daily Step ◽

Individual Level ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Daily Step Count ◽

Steps Per Day ◽

The Impact ◽

Experimental Group

Abstract Background Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) targeting physical inactivity have increased in popularity yet are usually limited by low engagement. This study examined the impact of adding team-based incentives (Step Together Challenges, STCs) to an existing mHealth app (Carrot Rewards) that rewarded individual physical activity achievements. Methods A 24-week quasi-experimental study (retrospective matched pairs design) was conducted in three Canadian provinces (pre-intervention: weeks 1–12; intervention: weeks 13–24). Participants who used Carrot Rewards and STCs (experimental group) were matched with those who used Carrot Rewards only (controls) on age, gender, province and baseline mean daily step count (±500 steps/d). Carrot Rewards users earned individual-level incentives (worth $0.04 CAD) each day they reached a personalized daily step goal. With a single partner, STC users could earn team incentives ($0.40 CAD) for collaboratively reaching individual daily step goals 10 times in seven days (e.g., Partner A completes four goals and Partner B completes six goals in a week). Results The main analysis included 61,170 users (mean age = 32 yrs.; % female = 64). Controlling for pre-intervention mean daily step count, a significant difference in intervention mean daily step count favoured the experimental group (p < 0.0001; ηp2 = 0.024). The estimated marginal mean group difference was 537 steps per day, or 3759 steps per week (about 40 walking min/wk). Linear regression suggested a dose-response relationship between the number of STCs completed (app engagement) and intervention mean daily step count (adjusted R2 = 0.699) with each new STC corresponding to approximately 200 more steps per day. Conclusion Despite an explosion of physical activity app interest, low engagement leading to small or no effects remains an industry hallmark. In this paper, we found that adding modest team-based incentives to the Carrot Rewards app increased mean daily step count, and importantly, app engagement moderated this effect. Others should consider novel small-teams based approaches to boost engagement and effects.

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