scholarly journals Health of Adults Through Prism of Physical Activity

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-57
Author(s):  
Elena Bendíková ◽  
Beáta Dobay

Summary The aim of the research was to find out the realization of the physical activity among the middle-aged adults by the association with their health, retrospective of the factor contributing to the transfer of the physical activity to the adulthood. The monitored group consisted of 742 respondents of the middle-aged adults from the Southern Districts of Slovakia, of which 403 were the women (age = 37.2 ± 3.04 years) and 339 were the men (age = 36.5 ± 4.54 years) as the selection was deliberate. The monitoring was conducted by the three stages in 2014, through the so-called “Egészség és mozgás” - “Health and Movement” standardized, anonymous questionnaire, which consisted of 60 questions. Our findings point to the stated facts. The findings found the relationship between the health and fitness among the men (r = 0.8300), as well as among the women (r = 0.7193). The relationship between the physical activity and the feeling of health was recorded only among the men (r = 0.8921), while the relationship between the health problems and the feeling of health was also found among the men (r = 0.739), as well as among the women (r = 0, 6714). At the same time, the men perceive the importance of the physical activity, in terms of their health condition (r = 0.8791) more intense than the women. The physical education was significantly (χ2 = 112.47, p < 0.01) among the men (67.6 %, n = 229), opposite to the women (33.7 %; n = 136) contributed to the transfer of the physical activity from the school environment to the adulthood. The stated findings show that the targeted education of the population, even from the childhood with the other effective, preventive measures is very important.

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (01) ◽  
pp. 058-064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goya Wannamethee ◽  
A Gerald Shaper

SummaryThe relationship between haematocrit and cardiovascular risk factors, particularly blood pressure and blood lipids, has been examined in detail in a large prospective study of 7735 middle-aged men drawn from general practices in 24 British towns. The analyses are restricted to the 5494 men free of any evidence of ischaemic heart disease at screening.Smoking, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol intake and lung function (FEV1) were factors strongly associated with haematocrit levels independent of each other. Age showed a significant but small independent association with haematocrit. Non-manual workers had slightly higher haematocrit levels than manual workers; this difference increased considerably and became significant after adjustment for the other risk factors. Diabetics showed significantly lower levels of haematocrit than non-diabetics. In the univariate analysis, haematocrit was significantly associated with total serum protein (r = 0*18), cholesterol (r = 0.16), triglyceride (r = 0.15), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.17) and heart rate (r = 0.14); all at p <0.0001. A weaker but significant association was seen with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.09, p <0.001). These relationships remained significant even after adjustment for age, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol intake, lung function, presence of diabetes, social class and for each of the other biological variables; the relationship with systolic blood pressure was considerably weakened. No association was seen with blood glucose and HDL-cholesterol. This study has shown significant associations between several lifestyle characteristics and the haematocrit and supports the findings of a significant relationship between the haematocrit and blood lipids and blood pressure. It emphasises the role of the haematocrit in assessing the risk of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in individuals, and the need to take haematocrit levels into account in determining the importance of other cardiovascular risk factors.


1990 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
William McTeer ◽  
James E. Curtis

This study examines the relationship between physical activity in sport and feelings of well-being, testing alternative interpretations of the relationship between these two variables. It was expected that there would be positive relationships between physical activity on the one hand and physical fitness, feelings of well-being, social interaction in the sport and exercise environment, and socioeconomic status on the other hand. It was also expected that physical fitness, social interaction, and socioeconomic status would be positively related to psychological well-being. Further, it was expected that any positive zero-order relationship of physical activity and well-being would be at least in part a result of the conjoint effects of the other variables. The analyses were conducted separately for the male and female subsamples of a large survey study of Canadian adults. The results, after controls, show a modest positive relationship of physical activity and well-being for males but no such relationship for females. The predicted independent effects of the control factors obtained for both males and females. Interpretations of the results are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Breanne Michelle Laird ◽  
Megan Puzia ◽  
Linda Larkey ◽  
Diane Ehlers ◽  
Jennifer Huberty

BACKGROUND Middle-aged adults (40 to 65 years) report higher stress than most age groups. There is a need to test the feasibility of using a meditation app to reduce stress and improve stress-related outcomes in both middle-aged men and women. OBJECTIVE Therefore, the purpose of this study was to: (1) determine the feasibility (i.e., acceptability and demand) of a consumer-based meditation app (i.e., Calm) to reduce stress in middle-aged adults reporting elevated stress; and (2) explore the preliminary effects of Calm on perceived stress, psychological outcomes (i.e., anxiety, depressive symptoms, mindfulness, general coping), health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, eating habits), and perceptions of COVID-19. METHODS The current study is a double-blind randomized controlled feasibility study testing a brief app-based meditation (i.e., Calm) intervention in middle-aged adults (N=83) with elevated stress levels (i.e., score greater than or equal to 15 on the Perceived Stress Scale) and limited or no previous experience with meditation. Participants were randomized to an app-based meditation intervention (Calm) or app-based education control group (POD). Participants completed self-report assessments at baseline and post-intervention (Week 4). Feasibility was measured as acceptability and demand using Bowen’s framework. Feasibility and COVID-19 perceptions data were examined via descriptive statistics. Preliminary effects were examined using repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS Participants were satisfied with the meditation intervention (96.4%; 27/28) and found it appropriate/useful (92.9%; 26/28). Most reported that they were likely to continue using Calm in the future (64.3%; 18/28). More participants in the Calm group reported satisfaction, appropriateness/usefulness, and intent to continue use compared to the control. Calm participants (n=33) averaged 20.0±31.1 minutes of meditation on the days they meditated and 103±109.1 minutes of meditation per week during the study. On average there was a 70.8% adherence rate to the prescribed meditation, compared to 62.2% in POD. Recruitment of men into the study was 34.9% (29/83). Of those randomized to Calm, 55.2% (15/29) were men. Retention among men was 93.3% (14/15) compared to 60% (12/20) for women. No significant within or between group differences in stress or psychological outcomes related to stress were observed nor were significant differences in health behaviors related to stress. CONCLUSIONS A four-week, app-based mindfulness meditation intervention (i.e., Calm) may be feasible in middle-aged adults. Calm participants expressed satisfaction with the intervention and felt it was appropriate and useful. However, significant improvements in perceived stress and psychological outcomes (i.e., anxiety, depressive symptoms, mindfulness and general coping) or health behaviors related to stress (i.e., physical activity, eating habits) were not observed. The majority of participants reported that COVID-19 negatively impacted their stress, mental health, and physical health. More research is needed for improving stress and stress related outcomes in middle-aged men and women using mindfulness meditation apps. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04272138; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04272138.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart Dewulf ◽  
Tijs Neutens ◽  
Delfien Van Dyck ◽  
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ◽  
Steven Broekx ◽  
...  

Physical activity is an important facilitator for health and wellbeing, especially for late middle-aged adults, who are more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases. Physical activity performed in green areas is supposed to be particularly beneficial, so we studied whether late middle- aged adults are more active in green areas than in non-green areas and how this is influenced by individual characteristics and the level of neighbourhood greenness. We tracked 180 late middle-aged (58 to 65 years) adults using global positioning system and accelerometer data to know whether and where they were sedentary or active. These data were combined with information on land use to obtain information on the greenness of sedentary and active hotspots. We found that late middle-aged adults are more physically active when spending more time in green areas than in non-green areas. Spending more time at home and in non-green areas was found to be associated with more sedentary behaviour. Time spent in non-green areas was found to be related to more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for males and to less MVPA for females. The positive association between time spent in green areas and MVPA was the strongest for highly educated people and for those living in a green neighbourhood. This study shows that the combined use of global positioning system and accelerometer data facilitates understanding of where people are sedentary or physically active, which can help policy makers encourage activity in this age cohort.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seungho Ryu ◽  
Yoosoo Chang ◽  
Jeonggyu Kang ◽  
Kyung Eun Yun ◽  
Hyun-Suk Jung ◽  
...  

Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minsuk Oh ◽  
Kelley Pettee Gabriel ◽  
David R Jacobs ◽  
James G Terry ◽  
Jingzhong Ding ◽  
...  

Introduction: Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT), an ectopic adipose depot surrounding the coronary arteries, is a pathogenic risk factor for cardiometabolic disease; however, the association of sedentary behavior with PAT is poorly understood. We examined the longitudinal association of 10-year change in TV viewing with concurrent change in PAT. Hypothesis: Increased h/day of TV viewing over 10 years are associated with larger mean increases in PAT during the same 10-year period. Methods: Middle-aged adults (N=1659, mean age=40.4, 912 females, 733 blacks) from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study at the exam years 15 (2000-2001) and 25 (2010-2011) were included. Both TV viewing (h/day) and the volume of PAT (mL) were measured at Years 15 and 25 using the CARDIA physical activity questionnaire and computed tomography, respectively. Covariates measured at year 15 included PAT, sociodemographic factors, cardiovascular disease risk factors, diet quality, TV viewing, moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), inflammatory cytokines, and waist circumference. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate 10-year change in PAT across increasing tertiles (≤ -1, > -1 to < 1, ≥ 1 h/day) of 10-year changes in TV viewing. Results: On average, TV viewing and PAT increased between the two exam years by 0.2 h/day (8.7% increase, mean: 2.3 → 2.5 h/day) and 11.8 mL (25.9% increase, mean: 45.6 → 57.4 mL), respectively (all p < 0.01). In the fully adjusted model including MVPA and other major confounders, the highest tertile of 10-year change in TV viewing was associated with greater change in PAT (β = 2.97 mL, p < 0.01) when compared with the lowest tertile (see Figure 1 ), while mean PAT change was intermediate in the middle tertile. Conclusions: A greater 10-year increase in TV viewing is associated with a greater concurrent increase in PAT, independent of MVPA and other important confounders. Reducing TV viewing time may be associated with less PAT accumulation with age.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 929-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Spiteri ◽  
David Broom ◽  
Amira Hassan Bekhet ◽  
John Xerri de Caro ◽  
Bob Laventure ◽  
...  

Identifying the difference in the barriers and motivators between middle-aged and older adults could contribute toward the development of age-specific health promotion interventions. The aim of this review was to synthesize the literature on the barriers and motivators for physical activity in middle-aged (50–64 years) and older (65–70 years) adults. This review examined qualitative and quantitative studies using the theoretical domain framework as the guiding theory. The search generated 9,400 results from seven databases, and 55 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included. The results indicate that the barriers are comparable across the two age groups, with environmental factors and resources being the most commonly identified barriers. In older adults, social influences, reinforcement, and assistance in managing change were the most identified motivators. In middle-aged adults, goal-setting, the belief that an activity will be beneficial, and social influences were identified as the most important motivators. These findings can be used by professionals to encourage engagement with and adherence to physical activity.


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