Physical Activity Patterns and Sedentary Behaviors of Children from Urban and Rural Areas of Cyprus

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior in adolescents living in urban and rural areas. Methods An epidemiological, cross-section study with quantitative design, carried out at the regional level. The sample comprised 6,234 students aged 14 to 19 years, selected using random cluster sampling. The χ2 test and binary logistic regression were used in the analysis. Results A total of 74.5% of adolescents lived in urban areas. After adjustment, rural residents spent less time watching television (odds ratio – OR: 0.45; 95% confidence interval – 95%CI: 0.39-0.52), using a computer and/or playing video games (OR: 0.30; 95%CI: 0.22-0.42), or sitting down (OR: 0.66; 95%CI: 0.54-0.80); chose passive leisure less often (OR: 0.83; 95%IC: 0.72-0.95) and were less likely to be classified as insufficiently active (OR: 0.88; 95%IC: 0.78-0.99) when compared to urban residents, regardless of sex or age. The fact that adolescents living in rural areas who did not work were more likely to be classified as insufficiently active (OR: 2.59; 95%CI: 2.07-3.24) emphasized the significant role of occupation in physical activity levels in this group. Conclusion Adolescents living in rural areas were less exposed to the sedentary behaviors, chose more active leisure, and had higher levels of physical activity. Place of residence and occupation may play a major role in youth lifestyle.

Download Full-text

Children’s Independent Mobility and Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study with Families

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094481 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4481

Author(s):

Chelsea A. Pelletier ◽

Katie Cornish ◽

Caroline Sanders

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Friendship Networks ◽

Independent Mobility ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Urban And Rural Areas ◽

Fear And Anxiety ◽

The Impact

Children’s independent mobility (CIM) is the freedom of children to move around their neighbourhood without adult supervision and is closely related to overall physical activity participation. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted movement behaviours for children, with evidence indicating a decrease in physical activity. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of CIM and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspectives of children and their parents. We completed 21 family (at least one parent and one child aged 7–12) semi-structured interviews with 45 participants living in small urban and rural areas of British Columbia, Canada. Three themes were identified through a reflexive thematic analysis: (1) keeping everyone safe from COVID-19; (2) change in pattern and types of activity; (3) social impacts with family, friends, and community. Participants expressed a perceived increase in unstructured activity and a decrease in structured physical activity during the pandemic, which many parents viewed as a positive change. Parents and children indicated negative feelings due to spending less time with peers and reflected positively about spending more time with family. Parents and children expressed fear and anxiety in trying to keep their families safe from virus spread and creativity in adapting play behaviours. Findings highlight the impact of the pandemic on social friendship networks for families and a shift in activity patterns for children toward unstructured play.

Download Full-text

Using Mobile Health Intervention to Explore the Daily Physical Activity Patterns among University Students: Observational Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.19208 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shao-Wei Yeh ◽

Chun-Yan Yuan ◽

Yu-Feng Wu ◽

Rui Shen

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Exercise ◽

University Students ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Exercise Duration ◽

School Intervention ◽

Sedentary Behaviors ◽

Exercise Participation ◽

Daily Exercise

BACKGROUND Promoting physical activity for adolescence is a global challenge in public health. Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors have been regarded to cause harmful chronic diseases to adolescent lifespan. However, high engagement in mobile technology for students may provide opportunities to help change adolescent unhealthy behaviors. Therefore, school sectors may play an important key role, such as implementing mobile health (mHealth) intervention to change students’ unhealthy behaviors and promote regular physical exercise behaviors, especially during the transition from adolescence to young adult. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore university students’ daily exercise patterns upon intervention of school-based mHealth project. METHODS Students’ physical exercise participation was recorded with students’ mobile application. With 4152 university freshmen (1476 males, 2676 females) and 335898 of their exercise records were analyzed (mean frequency of 38.2 ±16.10 in males, 45.1±10.81 in females) during the semester. RESULTS Under the school intervention project, students that exercised on Friday and Saturday was lower than that on other days, which indicated that the participation in exercise were more active on weekdays than on weekends. Among the participants who completed the requirement set by the school intervention project, both males and females used weekends to do exercise. On the other hand, overweight male university students participated in physical activity more than the requirement of the school intervention project and their exercise duration were found to be significantly higher than other participants. CONCLUSIONS Understanding a week of daily exercise patterns among youth upon the school mHealth Apps intervention can benefit in developing efficient and flexible projects to promote physical health and improve regular exercise participation in youth.

Download Full-text

Physical activity patterns in chronic hemodialysis patients: Comparison of dialysis and nondialysis days

Journal of Renal Nutrition ◽

10.1053/j.jrn.2004.08.002 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 217-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Karen M. Majchrzak ◽

Lara B. Pupim ◽

Kong Chen ◽

Cathi J. Martin ◽

Sheila Gaffney ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Hemodialysis Patients ◽

Chronic Hemodialysis ◽

Physical Activity Patterns

Download Full-text

Physical activity patterns among walkers and compliance with public health recommendations

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1097/00005768-200208000-00005 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 34 (8) ◽

pp. 1255-1261 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

ANN P. RAFFERTY ◽

MATHEW J. REEVES ◽

HARRY B. MCGEE ◽

JAMES M. PIVARNIK

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Physical Activity Patterns

Download Full-text

Physical Activity Patterns After Retirement: The REGARDS Study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1704 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 528-529

Author(s):

Eric Shiroma ◽

J David Rhodes ◽

Aleena Bennet ◽

Monika M Safford ◽

Leslie MacDonald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Light Intensity ◽

Racial Differences ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Accelerometer Data ◽

Tv Viewing ◽

Major Life Events ◽

Major Life ◽

Physical Activity Patterns ◽

Regards Study

Abstract Major life events, such as retirement, may lead to dramatic shifts in physical activity (PA) patterns. However, there are limited empirical data quantifying the magnitude of these changes. Our aims were to objectively measure PA before and after retirement and to describe changes in participation in various types of PA. Participants were employed black and white men and women enrolled in REGARDS (REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke), a national prospective cohort study (n=581, mean age 64 years, 25% black, 51% women). Participants met inclusion criteria if they retired between their first and second accelerometer wearing (2009-2013 and 2017-2018, respectively) and had valid accelerometer data (>4 days with >10 hours/day pre- and post-retirement). Accelerometer-based PA was categorized into average minutes per day spent in sedentary, light-intensity, and moderate-to-vigorous PA. Participants reported changes (less, same, more) in 12 types of PA. After retirement, participants decreased both sedentary time (by 36.3 minutes/day) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (by 5.6 minutes/day). Conversely, there was an increase in light-intensity PA (+18.1 minutes/day) after retirement. Participants reported changes in their participation level in various PA activities. For example, 41% reported an increased amount of TV viewing, 42% reported less walking, and 31% reported increased participation in volunteer activities. Findings indicate that retirement coincides with a change in the time spent in each intensity category and the time spent across a range of activity types. Further research is warranted to examine how these changes in physical activity patterns influence post-retirement health status.

Download Full-text

Objective measurements of daily physical activity patterns and sedentary behaviour in older adults: Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study

Age and Ageing ◽

10.1093/ageing/afs160 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 222-229 ◽

Cited By ~ 84

Author(s):

Nanna Yr Arnardottir ◽

Annemarie Koster ◽

Dane R. Van Domelen ◽

Robert J. Brychta ◽

Paolo Caserotti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Daily Physical Activity ◽

Physical Activity Patterns ◽

Objective Measurements ◽

Gene Environment

Download Full-text

Physical Activity Patterns in the National Weight Control Registry

Obesity ◽

10.1038/oby.2007.6 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 153-161 ◽

Cited By ~ 115

Author(s):

Victoria A. Catenacci ◽

Lorraine G. Ogden ◽

Jennifer Stuht ◽

Suzanne Phelan ◽

Rena R. Wing ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Weight Control ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Physical Activity Patterns

Download Full-text

Physical Activity Patterns in Youth With Intellectual Disabilities

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly ◽

10.1123/apaq.2015-0053 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 374-390 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Samantha J. Downs ◽

Stuart J. Fairclough ◽

Zoe R. Knowles ◽

Lynne M. Boddy

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Age Group ◽

Physical Activity Patterns

The aim of this study was to assess the physical activity (PA) patterns of youth with intellectual disabilities (ID). PA was monitored for 7 days in 70 participants, 5–15 years old, using accelerometers. There were 32 participants included in the final analysis. Habitual PA and the number of continuous bouts accrued for a range of bout lengths (5–600 s) for light (LPA), moderate (MPA), and vigorous (VPA) PA were calculated. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to assess differences in the number of continuous bouts by sex, age, and ID group and between week and weekend days. Participants exhibited short sporadic bursts of activity. The number of continuous bouts decreased as the intensity and duration increased. Few differences in PA patterns were reported by sex, ID group, and age group and between week and weekend days, possibly due to the generally low PA levels in this population.

Download Full-text