scholarly journals Children with overweight are not less physically active than children of normal-weight

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janneke van Leeuwen ◽  
Bart Koes ◽  
Winifred D. Paulis ◽  
Patrick J.E. Bindels ◽  
Marienke van Middelkoop

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in objectively measured physical activity and in self-reported physical activity between overweight and normal-weight children. Methods Data from a prospective cohort study including children, presenting at the participating general practices in the south-west of the Netherlands, were used. Children (aged 4-15 years) were categorized as normal-weight or overweight using age- and sex specific cut-off points. They wore an ActiGraph accelerometer for one week to register physical activity, and filled out a diary for one week about physical activity. Results A total of 57 children were included in this study. Overweight children spent significantly less percentage time per day in sedentary behavior (β -1.68 (95%CI -3.129, -0.07)). There were no significant differences in percentage time per day spent in light to moderate physical activity (β 1.52 (-0.01, 3.04)), and in moderate to vigorous physical activity (β 0.33 (-0.11, 0.78)). No significant differences were found between children of normal-weight and overweight in self-reported measures of physical activity. Conclusions Overweight children are not less physically active than normal-weight children, which may be associated with the risen awareness towards overweight/obesity and with implemented interventions for children with overweight/obesity.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janneke van Leeuwen ◽  
Bart W. Koes ◽  
Winifred D. Paulis ◽  
Patrick J. E. Bindels ◽  
Marienke van Middelkoop

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in objectively measured physical activity and in self-reported physical activity between overweight and normal-weight children. Methods Data from a prospective cohort study including children, presenting at the participating general practices in the south-west of the Netherlands, were used. Children (aged 4–15 years) were categorized as normal-weight or overweight using age- and sex specific cut-off points. They wore an ActiGraph accelerometer for one week to register physical activity, and filled out a diary for one week about physical activity. Results A total of 57 children were included in this study. Overweight children spent significantly less percentage time per day in sedentary behavior (β − 1.68 (95%CI -3.129, − 0.07)). There were no significant differences in percentage time per day spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (β 0.33 (− 0.11, 0.78)). No significant differences were found between children of normal-weight and overweight in self-reported measures of physical activity. Conclusions Overweight children are not less physically active than normal-weight children, which may be associated with the risen awareness towards overweight/obesity and with implemented interventions for children with overweight/obesity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 765-771
Author(s):  
Kasper Salin ◽  
Mikko Huhtiniemi ◽  
Anthony Watt ◽  
Harto Hakonen ◽  
Timo Jaakkola

Background: This study examined the distribution of objectively measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary time of fifth-grade students during school, leisure time, and physical education (PE) classes. Demographic, anthropometric, and PA data were collected from 17 representative Finnish schools. Methods: To estimate the PA and sedentary time, participants (N = 592) wore wGT3X-BT ActiGraphs for 7 consecutive days. Comparisons were made between genders and different BMI groups. Results: From the study sample, 43.7% met the moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) guidelines. Participants spent 62.2% of the day sedentary and 8.2% in moderate and vigorous activities. Boys performed more MVPA than girls, and girls were more sedentary during school days. Boys had more MVPA than girls in leisure time, but there were no differences in sedentary time. However, an examination of PA assessed during PE classes revealed no differences between boys and girls. Normal-weight boys engaged in more MVPA than overweight and obese boys. No differences were found for girls. Conclusions: The PA levels differ between different BMI groups in leisure time and during school but not during PE lessons. PA for overweight children should be targeted and compulsory PE time should be increased to achieve the PA guidelines.


Author(s):  
Kristina Larsson ◽  
Örjan Ekblom ◽  
Lena V. Kallings ◽  
Maria Ekblom ◽  
Victoria Blom

A physically active lifestyle incurs health benefits and physically active individuals show reduced reactivity to psychosocial stressors. However, the findings are inconclusive and are based on self-reported physical activity and sedentary time. The present study aimed at studying the associations between psychological stressors (job demand, control, support, JD-C-S) and objectively measured physical activity (PA) on various intensities from sedentary (SED) to vigorous physical activity. The participants were 314 employees from a cross-sectional study. PA data were collected with the accelerometer ActiGraph GT3X (Pensacola, FL, USA), SED data with the inclinometer activPAL (PAL Technologies Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, UK), and psychosocial stressors with a web questionnaire. Results showed that vigorous-intensity PA was negatively associated with demand (β −0.15, p < 0.05), even when adjusted for the covariates. SED was negatively associated to support (β −0.13, p < 0.05). Stress significantly moderated relations between support and sedentary time (β −0.12, p < 0.05). Moderate PA (MVPA) was negatively associated with demand, but only when controlling for overtime (β −0.13, p < 0.05). MVPA was also negatively associated with control (β −0.15, p < 0.05) but not when work engagement was included in the model. Being more physically active and spending less time sedentary may help to handle job situations with high demand and low support.


Author(s):  
Emerald G. Heiland ◽  
Örjan Ekblom ◽  
Emil Bojsen-Møller ◽  
Lisa-Marie Larisch ◽  
Victoria Blom ◽  
...  

The bi-directional, day-to-day associations between daytime physical activity and sedentary behavior, and nocturnal sleep, in office workers are unknown. This study investigated these associations and whether they varied by weekday or weekend day. Among 324 Swedish office workers (mean age 42.4 years; 33.3% men), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sedentary behaviors and sleep (total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE)) were ascertained by using accelerometers (Actigraph GT3X) over 8 days. Multilevel linear mixed models were used to assess the bi-directional, day-to-day, within-person associations. Additional analyses stratified by weekend/weekday were performed. On average, participants spent 6% (57 min) of their day in MVPA and 59% (9.5 h) sedentary, and during the night, TST was 7 hours, and SE was 91%. More daytime sedentary behavior was associated with less TST that night, and reciprocally, more TST at night was associated with less sedentary behavior on the following weekday. Greater TST during the night was also associated with less MVPA the next day, only on weekdays. However, daytime MVPA was not associated with TST that night. Higher nighttime SE was associated with greater time spent sedentary and in MVPA on the following day, regardless if weekday or weekend day. Sleep may be more crucial for being physically active the following day than vice versa, especially on weekdays. Nevertheless, sedentary behavior’s relation with sleep time may be bi-directional. Office workers may struggle with balancing sleep and physical activity time.


2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 460-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin L. Van Dijk ◽  
Renate H.M. De Groot ◽  
Hans H.C.M. Savelberg ◽  
Frederik Van Acker ◽  
Paul A. Kirschner

The main goal of this study was to investigate the association between objectively measured physical activity and academic achievement in adolescents. Students in Grades 7 and 9 (N = 255) were included. Overall, we found no significant dose–response association between physical activity and academic achievement. However, in Grade 7 total physical activity volume (Total PA) was negatively associated with academic achievement, while moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was negatively associated with both academic achievement and mathematics performance. In contrast, in Grade 9 both Total PA and MVPA were positively associated with mathematics performance. In addition, the overall association between MVPA and academic achievement followed an inverted U-shaped curve. Finally, Total PA was positively associated with executive functioning, while executive functioning in turn mediated the associations between Total PA and both academic achievement and mathematics performance. These results indicate that the association between physical activity and academic achievement in adolescents is complex and might be affected by academic year, physical activity volume and intensity, and school grade.


2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 549-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Twardzik ◽  
Suzanne Judd ◽  
Aleena Bennett ◽  
Steven Hooker ◽  
Virginia Howard ◽  
...  

BackgroundThere have been mixed findings regarding the relationship between walkability and level of physical activity in adults.MethodsParticipants from The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) national cohort (N=7561) were used to examine the association between Walk Score and physical activity measured via accelerometry. The subsample included geographically diverse adults, who identified as black or white, and were over the age of 45. Linear regression was used to examine the direct effects, as well as the interaction, of Walk Score by sex, age and race.ResultsThe majority of participants lived in a ‘Very Car-Dependent’ location (N=4115). Only 527 lived in a location that was ‘Very Walkable/Walker’s Paradise’. Living in a location with a Walk Score of ‘Very Car-Dependent’ compared with ‘Very Walkable/Walker’s Paradise’ was associated with 19% (0.81; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.90) lower predicted minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, after adjustment for covariates. There was no evidence of statistically significant interactions between Walk Score and sex, age or race (p>0.05).ConclusionAccumulated daily time in moderate to vigorous physical activity was higher for participants living in neighbourhoods designated as ‘Very Walkable/Walker’s Paradise’. This effect was not moderated by sex, age or race of participants.


Author(s):  
Masashi Kanai ◽  
Kazuhiro P. Izawa ◽  
Hiroki Kubo ◽  
Masafumi Nozoe ◽  
Kyoshi Mase ◽  
...  

There is little evidence on how perceptions of the built environment may influence physical activity among post-stroke patients. This study aimed to explore the associations between perceived built environment attributes and objectively measured physical activity outcomes in community-dwelling ambulatory patients with stroke. This cross-sectional study recruited patients who could walk outside without assistance. We assessed both objectively measured physical activity outcomes such as number of steps and duration of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with an accelerometer and the patients’ perceived surrounding built environment with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Environmental Module. Sixty-one patients (67.0 years old) were included. The multiple linear regression analysis showed significant associations of the presence of sidewalks (β = 0.274, p = 0.016) and access to recreational facilities (β = 0.284, p = 0.010) with the number of steps taken (adjusted R2 = 0.33). In contrast, no significant associations were found between perceived built environment attributes and MVPA. These findings may help to suggest an approach to promote appropriate physical activity in patients with stroke depending on their surrounding built environment.


1996 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth Stratton

Physical educators have purported to teach children to be physically active and to promote their fitness. To achieve these goals, children should regularly experience moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during physical education lessons. For the purposes of this review, moderate physical activity is that which elicits a heart rate of 50% of maximum heart rate reserve (MHRR), moderate-to-vigorous activity elicits 60% of MHRR, and vigorous activity elicits 75% of MHRR. Duration criteria were set at 50% of lesson time or 20 min. The majority of lessons described in previous reports failed to achieve these criteria, although problems were noted in method and analyses of data. Lessons with physical activity as a direct goal have been successful in increasing MVPA. A greater focus on physical activity is required in the planning and delivery of physical education lessons if the physical activity and fitness goals of the physical education curriculum are to be met.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e036991
Author(s):  
Nils Abel Aars ◽  
Sigurd Beldo ◽  
Bjarne Koster Jacobsen ◽  
Alexander Horsch ◽  
Bente Morseth ◽  
...  

ObjectivesPhysical activity may be important in deterring the obesity epidemic. This study aimed to determine whether objectively measured physical activity in first year of upper secondary high school predicted changes in body composition over 2 years of follow-up in a cohort of Norwegian adolescents (n=431).DesignA longitudinal study of adolescents (mean age of 16 (SD 0.4) at baseline, 60.3% girls) participating in the Fit Futures studies 1 (2010–2011) and 2 (2012–2013).SettingAll eight upper secondary high schools in two municipalities in Northern Norway.ParticipantsStudents participating in both studies and under the age of 18 at baseline and with valid measurement of physical activity at baseline and body composition in both surveys.Primary and secondary outcomesChange in objectively measured body mass index and waist circumference and change in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured fat mass index, lean mass index (LMI) and appendicular LMI (aLMI) between baseline and follow-up.ResultsAt baseline, boys had significantly higher physical activity volume (p=0.01) and spent on average of 6.4 (95% CI 2.1 to 10.6) more minutes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than girls (p<0.01). In girls, multivariate regression analyses showed that more sedentary time was negatively associated with changes in LMI (p<0.01) and aLMI (p<0.05), whereas more light activity had opposite effects on these measures (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). No significant associations between measures of baseline physical activity and changes in body composition parameters were observed in boys.ConclusionsIn this cohort of Norwegian adolescents, sedentary and light physical activity was associated with changes in LMI and aLMI in girls, but not boys. Minutes spent in MVPA in first year of upper secondary high school was not associated with changes in measures of body composition in neither sex after 2 years.


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