scholarly journals Limitations of Canada’s physical activity data: implications for monitoring trendsThis article is part of a supplement entitled Advancing physical activity measurement and guidelines in Canada: a scientific review and evidence-based foundation for the future of Canadian physical activity guidelines co-published by Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism and the Canadian Journal of Public Health. It may be cited as Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 32(Suppl. 2E) or as Can. J. Public Health 98(Suppl. 2).

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S185-S194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Katzmarzyk ◽  
Mark S. Tremblay

The current low level of physical activity among Canadians is a dominant public health concern. Accordingly, a clear understanding of physical activity patterns and trends is of paramount importance. Irregularities in monitoring, analysis, and reporting procedures create potential confusion among researchers, policy-makers, and the public alike. The purpose of this paper is to consolidate reported findings and provide a critical assessment of the physical activity surveillance procedures, analytical practices, and reporting protocols currently employed in Canada to provide insights for accurate and consistent interpretation of data, as well as recommendations for future surveillance efforts.

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S218-S224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark S. Tremblay ◽  
Roy J. Shephard ◽  
Lawrence R. Brawley ◽  
Christine Cameron ◽  
Cora Lynn Craig ◽  
...  

This article summarizes the main findings from the papers included in this journal supplement. It consolidates the evidence currently available to inform and advance the development of physical activity guidelines for Canadians, and it highlights the specific needs of various population subgroups. The challenges of translating guideline information into effective and persuasive physical activity messages, of campaigns to disseminate messages, and of related evaluations are underlined. Recommendations on how to proceed are based on the evidence base provided by this series of papers; the immediate next steps mandated by this initiative are outlined and priorities for future research are indicated.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S135-S147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Martin Ginis ◽  
Audrey L. Hicks

This paper provides a brief overview of the epidemiological data regarding Canadians with physical disabilities, with a particular emphasis on health status. A literature review is then presented, focusing on activity levels and the physiological and health-related quality of life benefits of activity for people with four different physical disabilities (arthritis, fibromyalgia, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis). The unique physical activity barriers faced by people with physical disabilities are discussed. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of a physical activity guide for Canadians with physical disabilities.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S9-S15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Sharratt ◽  
William E. Hearst

This historical background paper chronicles the major events leading to the development of Canada’s physical activity guides (for children, youth, adults, and older adults). The paper outlines the process and the steps used, including information (where applicable) regarding national partners, project administration, Health Canada communications, product development, endorsement, distribution and implementation, collateral activities, media relations and evaluation framework. Brief summaries of the science that led to the recommended guidelines are included. The paper also summarizes the various physical activity guide assessment and evaluation projects and their findings, particularly as they relate to research carried out on Canada’s physical activity guides for children and youth (and the associated support resources).


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S1-S8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark S. Tremblay ◽  
Roy J. Shephard ◽  
Lawrence R. Brawley

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), in partnership with Health Canada and others, released Canada’s first physical activity guide for adults in 1998, with specific versions for older adults in 1999 and for children and youth in 2002. Research in the physical activity sciences (e.g., basic science, behavioural assessment, dose–response relationships, epidemiology, health messaging, physical activity measurement) has advanced rapidly since these publications. A detailed review of relevant current research is thus required, to assess whether the existing guidelines and resulting guides need revision or renewal. This introductory paper provides a brief chronology of events leading to the preparation of this journal supplement, including a statement of purpose and an overview of organization and content. A brief discussion of the purpose of the physical activity guidelines and guides, intended biological, psychological, and behavioural outcomes, and the way in which guidelines relate to on-going measurement and surveillance is provided as a context for the papers that follow.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S170-S184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence R. Brawley ◽  
Amy E. Latimer

Physical activity guidelines offer evidence-based behavioural benchmarks that relate to reduced risk of morbidity and mortality if people adhere to them. Essentially, the guidelines tell people what to do, but not why and how they should do it. Thus, to motivate adherence, messages that translate guidelines should convey not only how much physical activity one should attempt and why it is recommended, but also how to achieve such a recommendation. Canada's physical activity guides exemplify how guidelines can be translated. This paper (i) provides a brief overview of the challenges encountered in creating the existing guides and (ii) highlights important practical issues and empirical evidence that should be considered in the future when translating guidelines into messages and disseminating these messages. We draw on the successes of past efforts to translate the goals of physical activity guidelines and on recent literature on messages and media campaigns to make recommendations. Information to motivate people to move toward the goals in physical activity guidelines should be translated into a set of messages that are informative, thought provoking, and persuasive. These messages should be disseminated to the public via a multi-phase social-marketing campaign that is carefully planned and thoroughly evaluated.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S208-S217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark S. Tremblay ◽  
Dale W. Esliger ◽  
Angelo Tremblay ◽  
Rachel Colley

Canadian public health messages relating to physical activity have historically focused on the prescription of purposeful exercise, most often assessing leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). Although LTPA contributes to total energy expenditure (TEE), a large part of the day remains neglected unless one also considers the energy expended outside of purposeful exercise. This paper reviews the potential impact of incidental (non-exercise or non-purposeful) physical activity and lifestyle-embedded activities (chores and incidental walking) upon TEE and indicators of health. Given that incidental movement occurs sporadically throughout the day, this form of energy expenditure is perhaps most vulnerable to increasingly ubiquitous mechanization and automation. The paper also explores the relationship of physical inactivity, including sleep, to physical activity, TEE, and health outcomes. Suggestions are provided for a more comprehensive physical activity recommendation that includes all components of TEE. Objective physical activity monitors with time stamps are considered as a better means to capture and examine human movements over the entire day.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S161-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Cameron ◽  
Cora L. Craig ◽  
Fiona C. Bull ◽  
Adrian Bauman

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reach of different versions of Canada’s physical activity guide (CPAG) and their impacts, including immediate effects (awareness, knowledge, beliefs, future intention to be active, first steps towards behavioural change) and population levels of physical activity. The analysis is based on eligible adults aged 18 years and older (n = 8,892) included in the 2003 Physical Activity Monitor (PAM) survey. The 2003 PAM was a cross-sectional, telephone interview of a representative population sample. Secular trends of Canadians aged 12 years and older were examined, using representative samples from the National Population Health and Canadian Community Health Surveys. Unprompted recall of any guidelines for physical activity was very low (4%), whereas prompted recall of the CPAG was higher (37%). Unprompted and prompted recall were higher among women and high-income earners, and increased with level of education. Behaviours associated with “seeking information” and “initiating action” were associated with unprompted and prompted recall. Beliefs about the benefits of physical activity and intention to be active were also associated with prompted recall. Unprompted CPAG recall, knowledge about the amount of activity required to meet the CPAG, intention to be active, “seeking information”, and “initiating action” were associated with being “sufficiently active”. The CPAG is an appropriate set of public health guidelines or recommendations around physical activity. The low unprompted recall rate points to the need for a coordinated, well-funded approach to communication of these guidelines, involving governmental and non-governmental partners and intermediaries in municipalities, schools, workplaces, and the recreational, public health, and health-care systems.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2F) ◽  
pp. S217-S230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale W. Esliger ◽  
Mark S. Tremblay

L’évaluation précise de la quantité d’activité physique pratiquée de façon régulière constitue une donnée fondamentale dans l’étude de la relation entre l’activité physique et la santé. Cependant, plusieurs techniques de mesure de l’activité physique ne donnent que des résultats valables pour une seule journée comme, par exemple, la dépense d’énergie réalisée d’après une auto-évaluation par questionnaire, le nombre de pas fait d’après un podomètre, l’intensité d’activité physique mesurée au moyen d’un accéléromètre comptant le temps à faire des exercices d’intensité modérée à vigoureuse. On peut maintenant utiliser les techniques de monitorage qui informent davantage sur les comportements actifs et sédentaires pour approfondir l’étude de la relation entre la santé et la fréquence, l’intensité et la durée des mouvements accomplis. Cet article présente comment un monitorage objectif, avec une attention particulière portée à l’accélérométrie, peut dresser un bilan d’activité / d’inactivité. Au moyen de données objectives prélevées dans la littérature, on présente un bilan kinésique détaillé et des exemples d’étude de cas incorporant des données et leur interprétation. La quantité d’informations recueillies dans ce profil complet offre de nouvelles avenues de surveillance et d’études scientifiques pouvant déboucher sur de nouvelles directives en matière de pratique de l’activité physique. Nous présentons les résultats de diverses façons pour démontrer les dangers d’une mauvaise interprétation des données quand on évalue une population d’après son taux de conformité aux directives contenues dans le Guide d’activité physique canadien. Nous énonçons des recommandations en matière de profil kinésique / akinésique et nous proposons quelques pistes de recherche.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S109-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Janssen

The aim of this review is to provide a scientific update on evidence related to the biological and psycho-social health benefits of physical activity in school-aged children and youth. To accomplish this aim, the first part of the paper reviews existing physical activity guidelines for school-aged children and youth, with an emphasis placed on how Canada’s guidelines compare and contrast with those of other countries and organizations. The paper then provides an overview of physical activity levels of Canadian children and youth, which indicates that few Canadian youngsters meet current physical activity recommendations. The next section of the paper summarizes the literature that informs how much physical activity is required to promote health and well-being in children and youth. The paper then provides suggestions on modifications that could be made to Canada’s physical activity guidelines for children and youth. Specifically, consideration should be given to setting both minimal (≥60 min/d) and optimal (up to several hours per day) physical activity targets. The final section identifies future research needs. In this section, a need is noted for comprehensive dose–response studies of physical activity and health in the paediatric age group.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2F) ◽  
pp. S189-S205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence R. Brawley ◽  
Amy E. Latimer

Les directives relatives à la pratique de l’activité physique proposent des comportements types qui diminuent le risque de morbidité et de mortalité si on y adhère. En fait, les directives indiquent le quoi faire, mais ni le pourquoi ni le comment. Par conséquent, pour favoriser la pratique de l’activité physique, les messages issus des directives ne devraient pas seulement donner la quantité d’activité physique à faire et pourquoi, mais aussi comment le faire. Les guides d’activité physique canadiens sont une mise en application de ces directives. Dans cet article, nous présentons un bref aperçu des défis créés par la publication de ces guides et nous relevons les aspects pratiques et les observations empiriques à prendre en compte dans le futur pour élaborer et diffuser des messages congruents. Nous nous inspirons des succès passés pour bien communiquer les directives relatives aux objectifs de la pratique de l’activité physique et nous nous référons à la littérature scientifique récente en matière de promotion pour faire des recommandations. Pour motiver les gens à atteindre les objectifs véhiculés dans les directives, il faut formuler des messages à caractère informatif, incitatif et convaincant. On devrait diffuser ces messages auprès du public au moyen d’une campagne de promotion en plusieurs étapes, soigneusement planifiée et soumise à une évaluation rigoureuse.


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