scholarly journals How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Health Promotion Actions Developed Through Youth-Centered Participatory Action Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110465
Author(s):  
Manou Anselma ◽  
Teatske M. Altenburg ◽  
Jos W. R. Twisk ◽  
Xinhui Wang ◽  
Mai J. M. Chinapaw
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Intervention Effects ◽  
Baseline Design ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Motor Fitness ◽  
Suboptimal Outcome

Most actions targeting children’s health behaviors have limited involvement of children in the development, potentially contributing to disappointing effectiveness. Therefore, in the 3-year “Kids in Action” study, 9- to 12-year-old children from a lower-socioeconomic neighborhood were involved as coresearchers in the development, implementation, and evaluation of actions targeting health behaviors. The current study describes the controlled trial that evaluated the effects on children’s energy balance-related behaviors, physical fitness, and self-rated health, as well as experienced challenges and recommendations for future evaluations. Primary school children from the three highest grades of four intervention and four control schools were eligible for participation. Outcome measures assessed at baseline, and at 1- and 2-year follow-up were as follows: motor fitness by the MOPER test ( N = 656, N = 485, N = 608, respectively), physical activity and sedentary behavior by accelerometry ( N = 223, N = 149, N = 164, respectively), and consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and snacks and self-rated health by a questionnaire ( N = 322, N = 281, N = 275, respectively). Mixed-model analyses were performed adjusted for clustering within schools and relevant confounders. Significant beneficial intervention effects were found on self-reported consumption of energy/sports drinks at T2 versus T0, and on total time and ≥5-minute bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at T1 versus T0. Significant adverse effects were found on “speed and agility” and “coordination and upper-limb speed.” No other significant effects were found. The inconsistent intervention effects may be explained by the dynamic cohort and suboptimal outcome measures. We advise future studies with a similar approach to apply alternative evaluation designs, such as the delayed baseline design.

scholarly journals Objectively assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels among primary school children in Norway: The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP)

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (21_suppl) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Hai Deng ◽  
Per Morten Fredriksen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Levels

Aims: The objective was to investigate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels (MVPA) of primary school children at baseline of the Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP), Norway. Methods: Data on 2123 children aged 6–12 years were included for analysis (75% participation rate). Average minutes per day in MVPA was objectively measured using accelerometry based on seven-day averages. The sample was analysed for age-, sex-, socioeconomic-, and season-related patterns. A linear regression investigated the moderating effect of these factors as well as body mass index and waist circumference. Results: Some 86.5% of the sample had at least 60 min/day MVPA, averaging 90.7 min/day. The main differences in daily averages were between age groups 6½–9 and 10–12 ( p < .05). Boys (95.8 min/day, 95% CI: 94.1–97.5) were more active than girls (85.6 min/day, 95% CI: 83.9–87.2) in all age groups ( p < .0001). MVPA was lower by 3.5 min ( p < .0001) per additional year of age in the linear regression (R2 = 0.176) and was reduced by 20 min less per day in MVPA in the winter months compared with the summer months ( p < .0001). Conclusions: Physical activity levels are already in decline from 6–7 years old and are likely to continue to decline into adolescence. Interventions must therefore focus on primary school children.

scholarly journals Do overweight/obesity and low levels of leisure-time vigorous physical activity moderate the effect of occupational physical activity on self-rated health of construction workers?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Van den Berge ◽  
S. H. Van Oostrom ◽  
H. F. Van der Molen ◽  
S. J. W. Robroek ◽  
C. T. J. Hulshof ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Material Handling ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Manual Material Handling ◽  
Strenuous Work ◽  
Low Levels

Abstract Purpose To investigate the combined effects of occupational physical activity (OPA) and either overweight/obesity or low levels of leisure-time vigorous physical activity (LTVPA) on self-rated health. Methods A longitudinal study was performed among 29,987 construction workers with complete data on 2 Workers’ Health Surveillance Programs during 2010–2018. Self-reported OPA involved strenuous work postures and manual material handling. Low level of LTVPA was defined as self-reported vigorous activity for less than three times per week lasting at least 20 min per session. Overweight and obesity were based on Body Mass Index (BMI) (25.0 ≤ BMI < 30.0 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2, respectively) using measured body height and weight. Self-rated health was measured using a single item question. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the associations between the separate risk factors at baseline and self-rated health at follow-up. The combined effects of demanding OPA and either overweight/obesity or low level of LTVPA on self-rated health were analyzed using the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). Results Mean follow-up duration was 31.7 (SD = 14.9) months. Construction workers with strenuous work postures (OR 1.35 95% CI 1.25–1.46), manual material handling (OR 1.29 95% CI 1.19–1.40), obesity (OR 1.31 95% CI 1.17–1.47) and low LTVPA (OR 1.13 95% CI 1.01–1.25) were more likely to report poor self-rated health at follow-up. No statistically significant interaction effects were found for OPA and obesity or low LTVPA. Conclusions OPA, obesity and low level of LTVPA were separate risk factors for poor self-rated health, but did not appear to have a synergistic effect.

scholarly journals Validation of self-reported physical activity by accelerometry among primary school children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: a pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Mary Vincent Mosha ◽  
Elizabeth Kasagama ◽  
Philip Ayieko ◽  
Jim Todd ◽  
Sia E. Msuya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Moderate Positive Correlation

Background: Self-reports are commonly used to assess physical activity in children.  Existing self-reports for physical activity have not been validated for use among primary school children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. In order to understand if primary school children can accurately report their physical activity, we examined the validity of self-reported physical activity against accelerometer measured physical activity. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July, 2018 among four primary schools in Moshi municipal and Moshi rural districts, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.  A total of 51 primary school children aged 9–11 years were enrolled using a simple random sampling technique. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect physical activity related variables. In addition, children wore accelerometers for seven consecutive days to capture physical activity movements. Spearman’s rank test and Bland Altman plots were used for assessing validity and agreement between self-reports and accelerometer moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Results: The mean age of the study participants was 10 (SD=0.8) years. Majority of the study participants were female 32 (63%). A moderate, positive correlation was found between self-reports and accelerometer MVPA (rho=0.36, p=0.009). Accelerometer had higher MVPA compared to self-reports. Children who reported walking to school had higher MVPA for both accelerometer and self- reports compared to children who use other means of transport to school, e.g. school buses (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study found the moderate positive correlation between self-reports and accelerometers. Self-reports are prone to errors due to recall bias, and this interferes their validity.  More research is needed to develop better self-reported measures with specific activities which can easily be recalled by children. Also, researchers have to be aware of self-reports validity limitation.

scholarly journals Perceptions and measurement of playtime physical activity in English primary school children: The influence of socioeconomic status

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 438-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola McWhannell ◽  
Carmel Triggs ◽  
Samantha Moss
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
School Children ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
High Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Low Socioeconomic

Children in areas of low socioeconomic status might face barriers to physical activity during school playtime in comparison to their high socioeconomic status counterparts. However, limited research within the area currently prevents evidence-based interventions from being targeted appropriately. This exploratory study aimed to assess and compare playtime physical activity levels and perceptions of physical activity in primary school children from two schools of different socioeconomic status. Fifty-three children wore an accelerometer during playtime for three school days while 33 children participated in single-sex focus groups to elicit their experiences of physical activity during playtime. Results revealed that children from the low socioeconomic status school spent more time in sedentary activities ( P = 0.001) and spent less time in moderate and moderate to vigorous physical activity ( P = 0.001) than children from the high socioeconomic status school. Despite some between-school similarities in their perceptions of physical activity, differences resonated in their reasons for taking part in physical activity, perceptions of the play environment and ideas to improve physical activity. These findings contribute to current research and provide in-depth information from active users of the play environment that could be useful to inform new interventions for schools of varying socioeconomic status.

scholarly journals The Associations Between Socioeconomic Status and Lifestyle Factors in European Adolescents: A Population-based Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-124
Author(s):  
Dario Novak ◽  
Štefan Lovro ◽  
Branislav Antala ◽  
Arunas Emeljanovas ◽  
Brigita Mieziene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Mediterranean Diet ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Self Rated Health

Abstract The main purpose of the present study was to determine the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and lifestyle factors. In this cross-sectional study, participants were 3,072 adolescents from two European countries of Lithuania and Serbia. The dependent variable was SES, while independent variables were gender, adherence to a Mediterranean diet, body-mass index, self-rated health, psychological distress, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviour. The associations between dependent and independent variables were analysed by using logistic regression analysis. In univariate model, middle/high SES was associated with higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet (ptrend = 0.003), good self-rated health (OR 1.51; 95 % CI 1.12 to 2.05) and meeting recommendations of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (OR 2.09; 95 % CI 1.45 to 3.00), yet inversely associated with psychological distress (OR 0.81; 95 % CI 0.66 to 0.99) and sedentary behaviour (OR 0.80; 95 % CI 0.68 to 0.94). No associations were found between SES and bodymass index and gender. In multivariate model, the same associations occurred between middle/high SES and lifestyle factors. In conclusion, special strategies and policies, based on more affordable nutrition and participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, should be implemented within the system.

scholarly journals Cutpoint-free accelerometer metrics to assess children’s physical activity: an example using the school day

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart J. Fairclough ◽  
sarah taylor ◽  
Alex Rowlands ◽  
Lynne M. Boddy
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Brisk Walking ◽  
Mixed Linear Models ◽  
Cut Point ◽  
School Day

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to use a novel accelerometer metric, the minimum acceleration value above which the most active accumulated x-min are accumulated, and to apply it to data collected in primary school children to explore its utility for reporting the most active 30-min during the school day. The aims were to (i) investigate associations between the most active 30-min during the school day (M30ACC) metric and health indicators, and (ii) demonstrate that applying an equivalent cut-point to the M30ACC metric will give similar, and therefore comparable prevalence results as a traditional moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) cut-point approach.Methods:Data were available for 297 children (156 girls; age 10 years) who wore wrist-mounted accelerometers for 7-days. School day MVPA and the minimum acceleration value above which the most active 30-min were accumulated during school (M30ACC) were calculated. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) (number of 20-m shuttle run test (SRT) laps) were also measured. Mixed linear models investigated associations between M30ACC and health indicators. Agreement between ranked MVPA and M30ACC values was assessed using percent agreement, kappa, sensitivity, and specificity statistics. Results:The mean M30ACC value was 242.7 (99.3) mg, and mean school day MVPA was 34.3 (14.8) min. M30ACC thresholds related to health indicators were 213 mg (BMI), 206 mg (WHtR), and 269 mg (CRF) for girls. The equivalent values for boys were 234mg (BMI), 230 mg (WHtR), and 327 mg (CRF). The 30 min school day MVPA guideline averaged for the week and on every valid day was achieved by 54.9% and 24.9% of the sample, respectively. 63.0% of the participants achieved the equivalent M30ACC threshold averaged for the week, and 20.2% achieved it on every valid day of the week. Less than half of girls and 75% of boys accumulated 30 min of school day MVPA. Just less than 50% of girls and &gt;80% of boys had M30ACC values ≥200 mg, which is equivalent to brisk walking. Agreement between MVPA and M30ACC tertiles was high, reflected by the agreement (89.2% to 94.6%), Kappa scores (0.76 to 0.86), and values for sensitivity and specificity, which exceeded 90%.Conclusions:The results demonstrate the utility of M30ACC as a PA metric that is based on measured accelerations and is not heavily influenced by researcher decisions. M30ACC has potential as an accelerometer-specific metric for generating PA guidelines related to health indicators, and easily understood forms of activity, such as brisk walking.

scholarly journals Understanding Youths’ Ability to Interpret 3D-Printed Physical Activity Data and Identify Associated Intensity Levels: Mixed-Methods Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Graeme Morgan Crossley ◽  
Melitta Anne McNarry ◽  
Michael Rosenberg ◽  
Zoe R Knowles ◽  
Parisa Eslambolchilar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Physical Activity Intensity ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Activity Intensity

BACKGROUND A significant proportion of youth in the United Kingdom fail to meet the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. One of the major barriers encountered in achieving these physical activity recommendations is the perceived difficulty for youths to interpret physical activity intensity levels and apply them to everyday activities. Personalized physical activity feedback is an important method to educate youths about behaviors and associated outcomes. Recent advances in 3D printing have enabled novel ways of representing physical activity levels through personalized tangible feedback to enhance youths’ understanding of concepts and make data more available in the everyday physical environment rather than on screen. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this research was to elicit youths’ (children and adolescents) interpretations of two age-specific 3D models displaying physical activity and to assess their ability to appropriately align activities to the respective intensity. METHODS Twelve primary school children (9 boys; mean age 7.8 years; SD 0.4 years) and 12 secondary school adolescents (6 boys; mean age 14.1 years; SD 0.3 years) participated in individual semistructured interviews. Interview questions, in combination with two interactive tasks, focused on youths’ ability to correctly identify physical activity intensities and interpret an age-specific 3D model. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, content was analyzed, and outcomes were represented via tables and diagrammatic pen profiles. RESULTS Youths, irrespective of age, demonstrated a poor ability to define moderate-intensity activities. Moreover, children and adolescents demonstrated difficulty in correctly identifying light- and vigorous-intensity activities, respectively. Although youths were able to correctly interpret different components of the age-specific 3D models, children struggled to differentiate physical activity intensities represented in the models. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the potential use of age-specific 3D models of physical activity to enhance youths’ understanding of the recommended guidelines and associated intensities.

scholarly journals Associations of Social Media Use With Physical Activity and Sleep Adequacy Among Adolescents: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandhya V Shimoga ◽  
Erlyana Erlyana ◽  
Vida Rebello
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Daily Exercise ◽  
Sleep Adequacy

BACKGROUND Adolescents’ use of social media, which has increased considerably in the past decade, has both positive and negative influences on adolescents’ health and health behaviors. As social media is the most prominent communication tool of choice for adolescents, it is important to understand the relationship between the frequency of social media use and health behaviors among this population. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to examine the associations between the frequency of social media use and physical activity and sleep adequacy among middle and high school students. METHODS We used data from the Monitoring the Future survey (2014 and 2015), a nationally representative, annual, cross-sectional survey of American 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students (N=43,994). Health behaviors examined were frequency of vigorous physical activity and frequency of getting 7 hours of sleep (never/seldom, sometimes, and every day/nearly every day). We measured frequency of social media use using a Likert-like scale (never, a few times a year, 1-2 times a month, once a week, or every day). Multivariable generalized ordered logistic regressions examined the association of social media use with different levels of physical activity and sleep. We estimated marginal effects (MEs) for the main independent variable (social media use frequency) by holding all other variables at their observed values. RESULTS The study population comprised 51.13% (21,276/42,067) female students, 37.48% (17,160/43,994) from the South, and 80.07% (34,953/43,994) from a metropolitan area, with 76.90% (33,831/43,994) reporting using social media every day. Among physically active students, frequent social media use was associated with a higher likelihood of vigorous daily exercise (ME 50.1%, 95% CI 49.2%-51.0%). Among sedentary students, frequent social media use was associated with a lower likelihood of vigorous daily exercise (ME 15.8%, 95% CI 15.1%-16.4%). Moderately active students who used social media once or twice a month had the highest likelihood of reporting vigorous daily exercise (ME 42.0%, 95% CI 37.6%-46.3%). Among those who normally got adequate sleep, daily social media users were least likely to report adequate sleep (ME 41.3%, 95% CI 40.4%-42.1%). Among those who were usually sleep deprived, daily social media users were more likely to report adequate sleep (ME 18.3%, 95% CI 17.6%-19.0%). CONCLUSIONS Regular social media use every day was associated with a reinforcement of health behaviors at both extremes of health behaviors, whereas a medium intensity of social media use was associated with the highest levels of physical activity and lowest sleep adequacy among those with moderate health behaviors. Hence, finding an optimal level of social media use that is beneficial to a variety of health behaviors would be most beneficial to adolescents who are in the middle of the health behavior spectrum.

scholarly journals Body Composition and Physical Fitness Tests Among US Army Soldiers: A Comparison of the Active and Reserve Components

2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (5) ◽  
pp. 502-513
Author(s):  
Dale W. Russell ◽  
Joshua Kazman ◽  
Cristel Antonia Russell
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Mild Depression ◽  
Physical Test ◽  
Us Army

Objectives: US Army reserve soldiers and active-duty soldiers differ in their daily work demands and supporting resources, yet research on reservists’ health and fitness is lacking. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine whether physical test failure rates and health behaviors differed between active-duty soldiers and reserve soldiers and (2) establish which demographic and health behavioral factors were associated with failing physical tests. Methods: We analyzed a sample of 239 329 US Army active-duty and reserve soldiers surveyed from September 2013 through March 2015 using the Global Assessment Tool. We extracted data on soldier demographic characteristics and health behaviors, as well as Body Composition Test (BCT) and Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) results. We compared the 2 groups using the active-to-reserve adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for each variable. We used logistic regression models to determine which variables were associated with failing these tests. Results: The odds of failing the BCT (aOR = 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-0.78) or the APFT (aOR = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.30-0.32) were lower among active-duty soldiers than among reservists, and the odds of doing high levels of high-intensity interval training (aOR = 1.47; 95% CI, 1.42-1.51), resistance training (aOR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.42-1.48), and vigorous physical activity (aOR = 2.92; 95% CI, 2.86-2.98) were higher among active-duty soldiers than among reservists. The odds of using tobacco (aOR = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.35-1.40), binge drinking alcohol (aOR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.09-1.13), having insomnia (aOR = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.43-1.48) or mild depression (aOR = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.48-1.53), and sustaining a physical activity–related injury (aOR = 2.52; 95% CI, 2.47-2.57) were higher among active-duty soldiers than among reservists. Conclusions: Policy makers and military leaders could use this information to implement health screenings and tailor health-promotion, intervention, and treatment programs.

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