Objectively Measured Physical Activity in South African Children Attending Preschool and Grade R: Volume, Patterns, and Meeting Guidelines

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-156
Author(s):  
Simone A. Tomaz ◽  
Trina Hinkley ◽  
Rachel A. Jones ◽  
Rhian Twine ◽  
Kathleen Kahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Income ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Vigorous Intensity ◽  
Objectively Measured ◽  
Formal School ◽  
Objectively Measured Physical Activity

Purpose: To assess physical activity (PA) and determine the proportion of preschoolers meeting PA recommendations in different income settings in South Africa. Methods: Preschoolers from urban high-income (UH), urban low-income (UL), and rural low-income (RL) settings wore an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer for 7 days. PA variables of interest included volume moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) and total PA (light- to vigorous-intensity PA), hourly PA patterns, and percentage of children meeting guidelines (180 min/d of total PA, inclusive of 60 min/d of MVPA). Between-sex differences were assessed using t tests and Mann–Whitney U tests; between-setting differences assessed using 1-way analyses of variance and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Results: For all children (n = 229, aged 5.17 [0.69] y), average MVPA was 124.4 (37.5) minutes per day and total PA was 457.0 (61.1) minutes per day; 96.9% of children met guidelines. Boys did significantly more MVPA than girls (136.7 [39.37] vs 111.5 [30.70] min/d, P < .001), and UH preschoolers were significantly less active than UL and RL preschoolers (UH 409.1 [48.4] vs UL 471.1 [55.6] and RL 461.6 [61.4], P < .001). Conclusion: In both practice and research, it is necessary to explore ways to ensure that South African preschoolers from all income settings continue to engage in and benefit from healthy volumes of PA. This is especially important as preschoolers transition to a formal school environment.

Factors Influencing Break-Time Physical Activity of South African Primary School Learners From Low-Income Communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 618-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Uys ◽  
Catherine Elizabeth Draper ◽  
Sharief Hendricks ◽  
Anniza de Villiers ◽  
Jean Fourie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School ◽  
South African ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Low Income ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Action Planning ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Break Time

Background:The purpose of this study was to assess factors that influence physical activity (PA) levels during break-times in South African primary school children.Methods:The System for Observing Play and Leisure Activities in Youth (SOPLAY) was used to observe PA levels during break-times at low-income schools (4 intervention, 4 control). The intervention was based on action-planning including: school environment, curriculum, and family involvement. Categories of observed activity included Sedentary, Eating, Walking, or Vigorous PA. Contextual factors assessed included teacher supervision, equipment, and crowding. Chi-square tests were used to determine associations between PA levels and contextual factors.Results:In the 970 observations made, 31% of learners were sedentary, 14% were eating, 29% were walking, and 26% were engaged in vigorous PA. There were no differences in break-time PA between intervention and control groups (NS). With supervision, children were more likely to eat and less likely to do vigorous PA (P = .035). Playground crowding was associated with lower levels of vigorous activity and more sedentary behavior (P = .000).Conclusions:PA during break-time was adversely affected by over-crowding and lower with supervision. The results suggest that interventions may be targeted at the school policy environment to reduce these barriers to PA.

scholarly journals Sex Differences In Objectively Measured Physical Activity Among Individuals With ACL Reconstruction

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (5S) ◽  
pp. 746
Author(s):  
Christopher Kuenze ◽  
Lisa Cadmus-Bertram ◽  
Karin Pfeiffer ◽  
Caroline Lisee ◽  
Stephanie Trigsted ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Objectively Measured ◽  
Objectively Measured Physical Activity

Objectively measured physical activity levels of children and adolescents in rural South Africa: High volume of physical activity at low intensity

2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Craig ◽  
Ruth Bland ◽  
John Reilly
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
South African ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Rural South ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
African Children ◽  
Objectively Measured ◽  
Objectively Measured Physical Activity ◽  
South African Children

There is limited evidence on objectively measured physical activity from Africa. This study quantified physical activity by accelerometry in rural South African children at ages 7, 11, and 15 years. Total physical activity was generally high (mean accelerometer counts per minute ranged 485–1017 across the 3 groups), but moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity was low: <1% of the sample met international recommendations. A low intensity, high volume of physical activity is present in rural South African children and adolescents.

One-year Stability of Objectively Measured Physical Activity in Young Brazilian Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafaela Costa Martins ◽  
Felipe Fossati Reichert ◽  
Renata Moraes Bielemann ◽  
Pedro C. Hallal
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Climate Information ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Intensity Physical Activity ◽  
Vigorous Intensity ◽  
One Year ◽  
Objectively Measured ◽  
Summer Rain ◽  
Objectively Measured Physical Activity

Background:To evaluate the 1-year stability of objectively measured physical activity among young adults living in South Brazil, as well as assessing the influences of temperature, humidity and precipitation on physical activity.Methods:A longitudinal study was conducted over 12 consecutive months (October 2012 to September 2013). Sixteen participants (8 men) used GT3X+ accelerometers 1 week per month for the entire year. Climate variables were obtained from an official climate information provider.Results:Physical activity was remarkably stable over the year—the proportion of the day spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was around 5% in every month. Average temperature (ρ = –0.64; P = .007), humidity (ρ = –0.68; P = .004) and rain (ρ = –0.67; P = .004) were inversely correlated to MVPA in the Summer. Rain was also inversely correlated to MVPA in the Spring (ρ = –0.54; P = .03).Conclusions:Objectively measured physical activity was stable over a 1-year period. Climate variables consistently influenced physical activity practice in the Summer, but not in the other seasons.

scholarly journals Association between physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and clustered cardiovascular risk in South African children from disadvantaged communities: results from a cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000823
Author(s):  
Ivan Müller ◽  
Cheryl Walter ◽  
Rosa Du Randt ◽  
Ann Aerts ◽  
Larissa Adams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
South African ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Disadvantaged Communities ◽  
Significant Difference

Background/AimPhysical inactivity (PIA) is a growing global health problem and evidence suggests that PIA is a key driver for cardiovascular and chronic diseases. Recent data from South Africa revealed that only about half of the children achieved recommended daily physical activity (PA) levels. Assessing the intensity of PA in children from low socioeconomic communities in low-income and middle-income countries is important to estimate the extent of cardiovascular risk and overall impact on health.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey in eight quintile 3 primary schools in disadvantaged communities in the Port Elizabeth region, South Africa. Children aged 10–15 years were subjected to PA, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and skinfold thickness assessments. Cardiovascular risk markers were converted into standardised z-scores and summed, to obtain a clustered cardiovascular risk score.ResultsOverall, 650 children had complete data records. 40.8% of the children did not meet recommended PA levels (ie, logged <60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day). If quartiles were developed based on children’s cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and MVPA levels, a significant difference was found in clustered cardiovascular risk among children in the highest versus lowest fitness (p<0.001) or MVPA (p<0.001) quartiles.ConclusionsCRF and objectively assessed PA are closely linked with children’s clustered cardiovascular risk. Given that 4 out of 10 South African schoolchildren from marginalised communities do not meet international PA recommendations, efforts should be made to ensure that promoting a physically active lifestyle is recognised as an important educational goal in primary schools.Trial registration numbersISRCTN68411960 and H14-HEA-HMS-002.

scholarly journals Objectively measured physical activity in obese women with and without migraine

Cephalalgia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 886-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale S Bond ◽  
J Graham Thomas ◽  
Kevin C O’Leary ◽  
Richard B Lipton ◽  
B Lee Peterlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Obese Women ◽  
Sensewear Armband ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Maximum Pain ◽  
Vigorous Intensity ◽  
Objectively Measured ◽  
And Control ◽  
Objectively Measured Physical Activity

Aim The aim of this article is to cross-sectionally compare objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels and their association with migraine characteristics in obese women with and without migraine. Methods Obese women seeking weight loss treatment were divided into migraine ( n = 25) and control ( n = 25) groups matched by age and body mass index (BMI). Participants wore the SenseWear Armband monitor for seven days to objectively evaluate daily light-(LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA). Migraine diagnosis was confirmed by a neurologist using ICHD-3-beta criteria. Migraine characteristics were tracked daily using a smartphone-based diary over a four-week period immediately preceding the objective PA assessment. Results Migraine participants spent 57.9 fewer minutes/day in LPA (141.1 ± 56.4 vs. 199.1 ± 87.7, p = 0.019) and 24.5 fewer minutes/day in MVPA (27.8 ± 17.0 vs. 52.3 ± 26.0, p < 0.001), compared to controls. Migraine participants reported 4.8 ± 3.1 migraine days/month (mean duration = 17.1 ± 8.9 hours; mean maximum pain severity = 6.4 ± 1.7 on a 0–10 scale). Higher BMI ( p < 0.05), but not migraine characteristics, were related to lower total PA. Additionally, total objectively measured PA was not associated with how often PA was reported to exacerbate migraine attacks during the four-week diary assessment. Conclusions Obese women with migraine spent nearly 1.5 hours/day less in PA compared to controls; however, lower PA was not related to migraine characteristics. Further research is needed to identify PA barriers and effective interventions in obese women with migraine.

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