scholarly journals Physical activity and sedentary behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic: An Australian population study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Breanne Kunstler ◽  
Peter Slattery ◽  
Emily Grundy ◽  
Denise Goodwin ◽  
Alexander K Saeri
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Good Health ◽  
National Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Sedentary Behaviours ◽  
Global Pandemic

BACKGROUND:Participating in physical activity (PA) and minimising time spent sedentary is important to achieve and maintain good health. Time spent being physically active and sedentary could be negatively influenced by the 2019 global pandemic where home confinement restrictions are commonplace internationally. The aim of this study was to identify the percentage of Australian adults meeting the PA and sedentary behaviour guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS:Australian adults participated in a cross-sectional online survey examining PA and sedentary behaviours during April, 2020. Descriptive statistics were produced for demographic, PA and sedentary behaviour variables.RESULTS:1,084 Australian adults responded to the survey. The majority of respondents did not meet the aerobic (n=756,70%) or strength (n=649,60%) components of the guidelines. The majority of respondents (n=609,58%) participated in low sedentary time (<9hr/day). CONCLUSION:Compared to previous studies and national data, the percentage of Australian adults meeting the strength component of the guidelines increased while the percentage meeting the aerobic and sedentary time components decreased. The reduction in activity and increase in sedentary time could be due to the enforcement of home confinement restrictions. It is important to provide opportunities for people to maintain activity during pandemics to avoid poor health outcomes.

scholarly journals Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour in People with Myasthenia Gravis: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Tahlia Alsop ◽  
Katrina Williams ◽  
Sjaan Gomersall
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Myasthenia Gravis ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

Background: Despite improvements in the medical management of myasthenia gravis (MG) in recent years, patients continue to report poor health and wellbeing outcomes such as high levels of fatigue, reduced quality of life (QoL), walking limitation and lowered balance confidence. Physical activity has been shown to be associated with these outcomes in other populations, however, there has been limited research in adults with MG. Objective: To describe physical activity and sedentary behaviour in adults with MG and to explore associations between these behaviours and fatigue, QoL, balance confidence and walking limitation. Methods: A self-report online survey was used to assess physical activity, sedentary behaviour, fatigue, QoL, balance confidence and walking limitation in adults with MG. Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations and descriptive statistics were used to analyse participant characteristics, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour. Results: Eighty-five adults with MG were included (mean age 48±16 years). Over half of participants (n = 53, 62.4%) reported sufficient physical activity to meet public health guidelines. Participants reported an average of 9 h/day of sedentary time (mean 9.0±3.5). Physical activity and fatigue (R2 = 0.196), QoL (R2 = 0.330), walking limitation (R2 = 0.305) and balance confidence (R2 = 0.304) were significantly (p <  0.05) and positively correlated, with no associations found for sedentary behaviour. When patterns of physical activity and sedentary behaviour were combined, lower fatigue (R2 = 0.213), higher QoL (R2 = 0.364), reduced walking limitation (R2 = 0.341) and higher balance confidence (R2 = 0.279) was observed in patients who had greater physical activity levels (>  150 mins/week) and lower sedentary time (<  10 h/day). Conclusions: Higher physical activity and lower sedentary behaviour is associated with favorable health and wellbeing outcomes in adults with MG. Further research is required to ascertain whether these behaviours may be an appropriate target intervention to improve outcomes in this population.

scholarly journals Comparative physical activity as a global question to assess physical activity among university students

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Diehl ◽  
Alessia Brassat ◽  
Jennifer Hilger-Kolb
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
University Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Comparative Measurement ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Comparative Optimism ◽  
Individual Assessment ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background To assess physical activity (PA), a comparative measurement – evaluating one’s own PA compared to others – may be an appropriate method. In previous studies, the use of comparative measurements led to an effect known as unrealistic comparative optimism (UCO) – people being unrealistically optimistic about their behavior. Our aim was to use this comparative measurement in university students to quantify the prevalence of UCO at the group level and to draw conclusions on its validity. Methods We used data from the Nutrition and Physical Activity in Adolescence Study (NuPhA), a cross-sectional online survey that included only self-reports (n = 689). To assess PA among students, they were asked to rate their PA level compared to that of their same-aged fellow students. In addition, we used the Godin-Shephard leisure-time PA questionnaire and other questions on PA for comparisons. We used bivariate and cluster-based analyses to identify potential UCO. Results We found that UCO at the group level led to an uneven distribution, with a higher proportion of students who rated themselves as being more physically active than average. However, the individual assessment of PA with a single and simple comparative question seemed to be valid. Discussion A global single comparative question seems useful for studies where PA is measured as a covariate in university students.

scholarly journals Exploring the Health-Promoting Potential of the “parkrun” Phenomenon: What Factors are Associated With Higher Levels of Participation?

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verity Cleland ◽  
Meredith Nash ◽  
Melanie J. Sharman ◽  
Suzi Claflin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Health Gain ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Intentions To Participate

Purpose: “ parkrun” is a free and increasingly popular weekly 5-km walk/run international community event, representing a novel setting for physical activity (PA) promotion. However, little is known about who participates or why. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic, health, behavioral, individual, social, and environmental factors associated with higher levels of participation. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Tasmania, Australia; June 2016. Participants: Three hundred seventy two adult parkrun participants. Measures: Online survey measuring sociodemographic, health, individual, social and environmental factors, parkrun participation, and PA. Analysis: Descriptive statistics, zero-truncated Poisson regression models. Results: Respondents (n = 371) were more commonly women (58%), aged 35 to 53 years (54%), and occasional or nonwalkers/runners (53%) at registration. A total of 44% had overweight/obesity. Half had non-adult children, most spoke English at home, and 7% reported PA-limiting illness/injury/disability. Average run/walk time was 30.2 ± 7.4 minutes. Compared to regular walkers/runners at registration, nonwalkers/runners were less commonly partnered, more commonly had overweight/obesity, less physically active, and had poorer self-rated health. Multivariate analyses revealed relative parkrun participation was inversely associated with education level and positively associated with interstate parkrun participation, perceived social benefits, self-efficacy for parkrun, and intentions to participate. Conclusion: parkrun attracts nonwalkers/runners and population groups hard to engage in physical activity. Individual- and social-level factors were associated with higher relative parkrun participation. parkrun’s scalability, accessibility, and wide appeal confers a research imperative to investigate its potential for public health gain.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional and prospective relationships of passive and mentally active sedentary behaviours and physical activity with depression

2019 ◽  
Vol 217 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats Hallgren ◽  
Thi-Thuy-Dung Nguyen ◽  
Neville Owen ◽  
Brendon Stubbs ◽  
Davy Vancampfort ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Vigorous Activity ◽  
Light Physical Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sedentary Behaviours ◽  
Potential Impact

BackgroundSedentary behaviour can be associated with poor mental health, but it remains unclear whether all types of sedentary behaviour have equivalent detrimental effects.AimsTo model the potential impact on depression of replacing passive with mentally active sedentary behaviours and with light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. An additional aim was to explore these relationships by self-report data and clinician diagnoses of depression.MethodIn 1997, 43 863 Swedish adults were initially surveyed and their responses linked to patient registers until 2010. The isotemporal substitution method was used to model the potential impact on depression of replacing 30 min of passive sedentary behaviour with equivalent durations of mentally active sedentary behaviour, light physical activity or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Outcomes were self-reported depression symptoms (cross-sectional analyses) and clinician-diagnosed incident major depressive disorder (MDD) (prospective analyses).ResultsOf 24 060 participants with complete data (mean age 49.2 years, s.d. 15.8, 66% female), 1526 (6.3%) reported depression symptoms at baseline. There were 416 (1.7%) incident cases of MDD during the 13-year follow-up. Modelled cross-sectionally, replacing 30 min/day of passive sedentary behaviour with 30 min/day of mentally active sedentary behaviour, light physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous activity reduced the odds of depression symptoms by 5% (odds ratio 0.95, 95% CI 0.94–0.97), 13% (odds ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.76–1.00) and 19% (odds ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.93–0.90), respectively. Modelled prospectively, substituting 30 min/day of passive with 30 min/day of mentally active sedentary behaviour reduced MDD risk by 5% (hazard ratio 0.95, 95% CI 0.91–0.99); no other prospective associations were statistically significant.ConclusionsSubstituting passive with mentally active sedentary behaviours, light activity or moderate-to-vigorous activity may reduce depression risk in adults.

Accelerometer-measured physical activity among adolescents in a multicultural area characterized by low socioeconomic status

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Fröberg ◽  
Christel Larsson ◽  
Christina Berg ◽  
Cecilia Boldemann ◽  
Anders Raustorp
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Organized Sports ◽  
Wear Time

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe and analyze accelerometer-measured sedentary time and physical activity (PA) among adolescents in a multicultural area characterized by low socioeconomic status (SES). Method: Seventh-graders (n=114 (girls n=66), mean age: 12.8±0.5 y) were recruited from three schools in a multicultural area of the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. Sedentary time and PA were measured with ActiGraph™ accelerometers. Result: Of total wear-time, 70 (±6)% was sedentary, with girls being more sedentary than boys. Girls had less light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) than boys. Similar patterns were shown during in-school and out-of-school hours. During wear-time, 53% had a mean of ≥60 min of MVPA per day, but only 6% of the girls and 24% of the boys were sufficiently physically active every day. Girls had more sedentary bouts of ≥10 min and fewer MVPA bouts of ≥5 min per day than boys. Those who participated in organized sports spent a mean of 15 more minutes of MVPA per day compared to those who did not. No association was observed between body mass index (BMI) and sedentary time and PA. Conclusion: Only a few adolescents from a Swedish multicultural area characterized by low SES met the PA recommendations every day, and girls were more sedentary and less physically active than boys. Adolescents involved in organized sports had more of MVPA per day than their non-involved peers. Sedentary time and PA were not related to BMI.

scholarly journals High Sedentary Behaviour and Low Physical Activity are Associated with Anxiety and Depression in Myanmar and Vietnam

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Supa Pengpid ◽  
Karl Peltzer
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High Physical Activity ◽  
Chronic Disease Patients ◽  
General Physical ◽  
Activity Questionnaire

The study aimed to estimate independent and combined associations of sedentary behaviour and physical activity with anxiety and depression among chronic disease patients in Myanmar and Vietnam. The cross-sectional sample included 3201 chronic disease patients (median age 51 years, interquartile range 25) systematically recruited from primary care facilities in 2015. Sedentary time and physical activity were assessed with the General Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Overall, the prevalence of sedentary time per day was 51.3% < 4 h, 31.2% between 4 and 8 h, and 17.5% 8 or more hours a day), and 30.7% engaged in low physical activity, 50.0% moderate, and 23.6% high physical activity. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 12.7% and 19.9%, respectively. In the final logistic regression model, adjusted for relevant confounders, higher sedentary time (≥8 h) did not increase the odds for anxiety or depression, but moderate to high physical activity decreased the odds for anxiety and depression. Combined regression analysis found that participants with both less than eight hours of sedentary time and moderate or high physical activity had significantly lower odds of having anxiety and depression. Findings suggest an independent and combined association between moderate or high physical activity and low sedentary time with anxiety and/or depression among chronic disease patients in Myanmar and Vietnam.

scholarly journals Patterns of objectively assessed sedentary time and physical activity among Japanese workers: a cross-sectional observational study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e021690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Kurita ◽  
Ai Shibata ◽  
Kaori Ishii ◽  
Mohammad Javad Koohsari ◽  
Neville Owen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Occupational Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Job Type ◽  
Japanese Workers ◽  
Activity Types ◽  
Time Periods

ObjectivesTo examine patterns of sedentary behaviour and physical activity, among Japanese workers with differing occupational activity types.DesignA cross-sectional observational study in 2013–2015.SettingTwo local communities in Japan.ParticipantsFull-time workers aged 40–64 years (n=345; 55% men) and who lived in two cities.Main outcome measuresFrom accelerometer data for 7 days, mean overall sedentary time, prolonged bouts of sedentary time and light-and moderate-to vigorous-intensity of physical activity (LPA and MVPA) as a proportion of accelerometer wear time and number of breaks per sedentary hour were identified for four time periods: working hours, workdays, non-work hours and non-workdays. These sedentary behaviour and physical activity measures in the four time periods were examined among workers with four self-attributed occupational activity types (mainly sitting, standing, walking, and physical labour), adjusting for sociodemographic attributes. Diurnal patterns of sedentary behaviour, LPA, and MVPA were examined.ResultsIn working hours, those with a sitting job had significantly more total and prolonged sedentary time (total: p<0.001; prolonged: p<0.01) along with less LPA (p<0.001) and MVPA (p<0.001) and less frequent breaks (p<0.01), compared with those with the three more active job type. Similar differences by job type were found for the whole working day, but not for prolonged sedentary time and breaks. On non-working hours and days, differences in sedentary and physically active patterns by job type were not apparent.ConclusionsOccupational activity type is related to overall sedentary time and patterns on working days, but not to leisure-time sitting and activity patterns, which were similar across the sitting, standing, walking, and physical labour occupational activity types.

scholarly journals Dementia Patients Are More Sedentary and Less Physically Active than Age- and Sex-Matched Cognitively Healthy Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne A.W. Hartman ◽  
Esther G.A. Karssemeijer ◽  
Lisanne A.M. van Diepen ◽  
Marcel G.M. Olde Rikkert ◽  
Dick H.J. Thijssen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Bout Duration ◽  
Dementia Patients

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine physical activity and sedentary behaviour characteristics of ambulatory and community-dwelling patients with dementia compared to cognitively healthy age-, sex- and weight-matched controls. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included community-dwelling dementia patients (n = 45, age 79.6 ± 5.9 years, Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] 22.8 ± 3.2) and matched controls (n = 49, age 80.0 ± 7.7 years, MMSE 29.0 ± 1.2). Participants wore a wrist accelerometer for 7 days to assess sedentary time, sedentary bout duration and time spent in very light, light-to-moderate and moderate-to-vigorous physical activities. Results: Relative sedentary time and sedentary bout duration was significantly higher in dementia patients than in controls (median [interquartile range] 57% [49–68] vs. 55% [47–59] and 18.3 [16.4–21.1] min vs. 16.6 [15.3–18.4] min, p = 0.042 and p = 0.008, respectively). In addition, dementia patients spent a lower percentage of their waking time in light-to-moderate and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities (20% [15–23] vs. 22% [18–25] and 5% [2–10] vs. 10% [5–13], p = 0.017 and p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: We revealed that dementia patients are more sedentary and perform less physical activity than cognitively healthy controls. This may have clinically important consequences, given the observation that sedentary behaviour and little physical activity independently predict all-cause mortality and morbidity.

scholarly journals Is device-based total and domain-specific sedentary behaviour associated with psychological distress in Flemish workers?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrien De Cocker ◽  
Margo Ketels ◽  
Jason A Bennie ◽  
Els Clays
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Domain Specific

Abstract Background There is increasing interest in the association between psychological distress and time spent in sedentary behaviour (e.g. sitting), a highly prevalent behaviour in modern society. The limited evidence is mixed and mainly based on studies using self-reported sedentary time. Few studies have investigated device-based total sedentary time in its association with distress. None, however, have examined device-based domain-specific sedentary time in relation to psychological distress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether device-based total and domain-specific sedentary behaviour were associated with psychological distress. Methods Flemish employees (n = 401; 20–64 years; 42.6% male; 83.6% had a ‘physically active occupation’) of seven organizations in service and production sectors participated. Sedentary behaviour (exposure) was assessed by two Axivity AX3 accelerometers (one placed on the thigh and one placed between the shoulders) for two to four consecutive working days. Based on diary completion, domain-specific sedentary behaviour (leisure vs. work) was assessed. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire was used to assess psychological distress (outcome). Adjusted hierarchical multiple regression models were conducted to report on the associations between total and domain-specific sedentary behaviour and psychological distress. Results About 35% of the sample had high levels of distress and average total sedentary time was 7.2 h/day. Device-based total sedentary behaviour [B = −0.009, 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.087 to 0.068], leisure-time (B = 0.001, 95% CI, −0.017 to 0.018) and work-related (B = 0.004, 95% CI, −0.006 to 0.015) sedentary behaviour were not significantly associated with psychological distress. Conclusion This cross-sectional study examining the association between device-based total and domain-specific sedentary behaviour and psychological distress among employees showed a lack of significant findings.

scholarly journals Physical Activity Levels and Related Energy Expenditure during COVID-19 Quarantine among the Sicilian Active Population: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerio Giustino ◽  
Anna Maria Parroco ◽  
Antonio Gennaro ◽  
Giuseppe Musumeci ◽  
Antonio Palma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Short Form ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Italian government has adopted containment measures to control the virus’s spread, including limitations to the practice of physical activity (PA). The aim of this study was to estimate the levels of PA, expressed as energy expenditure (MET–minute/week), among the physically active Sicilian population before and during the last seven days of the COVID-19 quarantine. Furthermore, the relation between this parameter and specific demographic and anthropometric variables was analyzed. Methods: 802 Sicilian physically active participants (mean age: 32.27 ± 12.81 years; BMI: 23.44 ± 3.33 kg/m2) were included in the study and grouped based on gender, age and BMI. An adapted version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire—short form (IPAQ-SF) was administered to the participants through an online survey. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test were used for statistical analyses. Results: As expected, we observed a significant decrease of the total weekly energy expenditure during the COVID-19 quarantine (p < 0.001). A significant variation in the MET–min/wk in the before quarantine condition (p = 0.046) and in the difference between before and during quarantine (p = 0.009) was found for males and females. The male group decreased the PA level more than the female one. Moreover, a significant difference in the MET–min/wk was found among groups distributions of BMI (p < 0.001, during quarantine) and of age (p < 0.001, both before and during quarantine). In particular, the highest and the lowest levels of PA were reported by the young and the elderly, respectively, both before and during quarantine. Finally, the overweight group showed the lowest level of PA during quarantine. Conclusion: Based on our outcomes, we can determine that the current quarantine has negatively affected the practice of PA, with greater impacts among males and overweight subjects. In regards to different age groups, the young, young adults and adults were more affected than senior adults and the elderly.

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