Youth and Adult Visitation and Physical Activity Intensity at Rural and Urban Parks

Less physical activity among rural residents may contribute to rural-urban health disparities. Parks can be ideal community resources for promoting physical activity. This study compared park visitation and activity intensity at 15 urban and 15 rural parks matched for acreage and amenities. Parks were observed in the morning, afternoon, and evening on 4 days to determine number of visitors, activity intensity, and amenity use. A total of 5486 visitors were observed with no differences in percentages of males (55.5% vs. 53.9%) and females (44.5% vs. 46.1%) or percentages of weekday (82.4% vs. 81.9%) and weekend (17.6% vs. 18.1%) visitors. The probability of visitors sitting was greater and in moderate intensity activity lower at rural parks. A greater proportion of children (25.0% vs. 14.5%) in rural parks, and teens in urban parks (8.0% vs. 69.6%), were observed on sport fields. A greater proportion of adults in urban areas (12.5% vs. 46.0%) were observed spectating sports. Greater proportions of rural children (10.9% vs. 3.5%), teens (34.1% vs. 12.4%), and adults (38.9% vs. 10.1%) were observed using shelters. Thus, when similar amenities are available, rural and urban parks are used differently, especially by youth. The urban park study results cannot be wholly applied to rural parks.

Download Full-text

Visitation and Physical Activity Intensity at Rural and Urban Parks

The FASEB Journal ◽

10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.902.24 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 29 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

James Roemmich ◽

LuAnn Johnson

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Urban Parks ◽

Physical Activity Intensity ◽

Activity Intensity ◽

Rural And Urban

Download Full-text

Active Gaming: It Is Not Just for Young People

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.2019-0303 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 731-739

Author(s):

Eric J. Evans ◽

Keith E. Naugle ◽

Tyler Owen ◽

Kelly M. Naugle

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Video Games ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Physical Activity Intensity ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Active Video Games ◽

Activity Intensity ◽

Active Gaming ◽

Active Video

Whether active gaming is an appropriate method to facilitate moderate-intensity physical activity in older adults remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intensity of physical activity and enjoyment while playing three active video games in older adults compared with younger adults. Ten younger and 10 older adults played three active games on separate days. Participants played two 15-min periods per game: one period at a self-selected intensity and one period with structured instructions to maximize the movement. Physical activity intensity and enjoyment were measured during gameplay. The results indicated that older adults played games at significantly higher intensities (5.3 + 1.8 vs. 3.6 + 1.8 metabolic equivalents), spent less time in whole-body sedentary activity, and rated games more enjoyable compared with younger adults. With physical activity intensity being consistent with moderate-to-vigorous intensity for older adults during gameplay, the results suggest that active video games could be used as a cardiovascular tool for older adults.

Download Full-text

Perceived Exertion of Physical Activity During Pregnancy

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2013-0458 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 1039-1043 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mallory R. Marshall ◽

James M. Pivarnik

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Perceived Exertion ◽

Treadmill Exercise ◽

Physical Activity Behavior ◽

Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Physical Activity Intensity ◽

Time Points ◽

Activity Intensity ◽

Vigorous Intensity

Background:Maternal physical activity declines across gestation, possibly due to changing perception of physical activity intensity. Our purpose was to a) determine whether rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during a treadmill exercise changes at a given energy expenditure, and b) identify the influence of prepregnancy physical activity behavior on this relationship.Methods:Fifty-one subjects were classified as either exercisers (N = 26) or sedentary (N = 25). Participants visited our laboratory at 20 and 32 weeks gestation and at 12 weeks postpartum. At each visit, women performed 5 minutes of moderate and vigorous treadmill exercise; speed was self-selected. Heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), and RPE were measured during the last minute at each treadmill intensity.Results:At moderate intensity, postpartum VO2 was higher compared with 20- or 32-week VO2, but there was no difference for HR or RPE. For vigorous intensity, postpartum HR and VO2 were higher than at 32 weeks, but RPE was not different at any time points.Conclusions:RPE does not differ by pregnancy time point at either moderate or vigorous intensity. However, relative to energy cost, physical activity was perceived to be more difficult at 32 weeks compared with other time points. Pregnant women, then, may compensate for physiological changes during gestation by decreasing walking/running speeds.

Download Full-text

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

10.2196/preprints.11253 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

Physical Activity Intensity and Biopsychosocial Correlates in Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.2018-0078 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 871-878

Author(s):

Jieling Chen ◽

Emily Joy Nicklett ◽

Yaping He ◽

Vivian W.Q. Lou

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Mobility Limitations ◽

Physical Activity Intensity ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Activity Intensity ◽

Light Activity

The study aims to characterize physical activity (PA) participation by intensity and examine the biopsychosocial correlates among middle-aged and older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in China. Data were examined from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The percentages of participation in vigorous, moderate, and light activity among participants with CKD were 22.7%, 42.1%, and 76.3%, respectively. The participants were less likely to engage in vigorous and moderate PA if they were 70 years of age or older, were not married/partnered, were unemployed, lived in urban areas, had an advanced stage of disease, had heart disease, and/or experienced mobility limitations. The magnitude of the associations between biophysical factors and PA participation was small for light PA. The higher the intensity of regular PA, the less likely older adults with CKD were to participate. Practitioners could consider the psychosocial characteristics of the older adults with CKD and facilitate their participation in PA.

Download Full-text

Physical activity intensity and subjective well-being in healthy adults

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105317691589 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 24 (9) ◽

pp. 1257-1267 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Gregory A Panza ◽

Beth A Taylor ◽

Paul D Thompson ◽

C Michael White ◽

Linda S Pescatello

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Well Being ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Physical Activity Intensity ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Activity Intensity

The effect of physical activity intensity on subjective well-being has not been well established. We examined this relationship among 419 healthy adults using objective and subjective physical activity measurements (sample size varied among well-being assessments). For accelerometers, light-intensity physical activity positively associated with psychological well-being ( n = 150) and negatively associated with depression ( n = 99); moderate intensity negatively associated with pain severity ( n = 419) and positively associated with psychological well-being; sedentary behavior negatively associated with psychological well-being and positively associated with depression ( ps < .05). These findings were generally consistent with subjective measurements of physical activity (Question 8, Paffenbarger Questionnaire). Higher levels of sedentary behavior are associated with lower subjective well-being.

Download Full-text

Music Tempo: A Tool for Regulating Walking Cadence and Physical Activity Intensity in Overweight Adults?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18157855 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (15) ◽

pp. 7855

Author(s):

Maria Faulkner ◽

Andrea McNeilly ◽

Gareth Davison ◽

David Rowe ◽

Allan Hewitt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Physical Activity Intervention ◽

Behavioural Change ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Care Group ◽

Physical Activity Intensity ◽

Free Living ◽

Activity Intensity ◽

Overweight Adults

This study investigated if music tempo can prompt a desired walking cadence, and if music can provide a stimulus to regulate physical activity intensity in a longitudinal physical activity intervention with free-living adults. Overweight adults (n = 37; 94.26 ± 17.11 kg; 49.63 ± 12.37 years) were randomly assigned to an intervention (IG, n = 17) or usual care group (UC, n = 20) as part of a novel nine-month walking intervention. IG participants walked to self-selected music with a predetermined tempo and received a behavioural change support programme. At baseline, four-, six- and nine-months participants were asked to walk around an elliptical track at their habitual pace (0–2 min) and then in time to a predetermined tempo (2–8 min) designed to elicit moderate intensity. Cadence response (steps/min) was assessed and intensity (heart rate (bpm) recorded using wireless telemetry. A repeated measures general linear model (GLM) examined differences between groups over time (p < 0.05). All data is presented as means ± SD. At each assessment point both groups displayed an immediate cadence adjustment in response to music tempo (p < 0.01) i.e., habitual cadence vs. 3 METs target cadence (p < 0.05) and 3 METs target cadence vs. 5 METs target cadence (p < 0.05). Additionally, IG participants displayed an increased habitual cadence (0–2 min) at each assessment point (p < 0.05; 110 ± 9, 121.80 ± 7.5, 121.46 ± 10, 121.93 ± 7 steps/min respectively). UC participant’s habitual cadence was unchanged from 0–9 months (p > 0.05; 120 ± 10, 116 ± 13, 119 ± 12 and 119 ± 9 steps/min respectively). Music tempo may be a useful regulatory tool to prompt the free-living individual to reach an appropriate stride rate to achieve a walking pace that is at least moderate intensity. It also appears that results may be trainable as throughout the study an increased habitual walking cadence was observed, in the absence of music.

Download Full-text

Time-Use and Spatio-Temporal Variables Influence on Physical Activity Intensity, Physical and Social Health of Travelers

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132112226 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (21) ◽

pp. 12226

Author(s):

Mujahid Ali ◽

Dimas Bayu Endrayana Dharmowijoyo ◽

Afonso R. G. de Azevedo ◽

Roman Fediuk ◽

Habil Ahmad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Time Use ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Social Health ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Physical Activity Intensity ◽

Activity Intensity ◽

The Relationship

Using a multi-dimensional three-week household time-use and activity diary, this study aims to investigate the interaction between time-use and activity travel participation, built environment, leisure-time physical activity, travel parameters, and physical intensity on physical and social health. The relationship between time-use and activity travel participation is complex. Therefore, physical activity (PA) intensity is assumed to intermediate the relationship between endogenuous and exogenous variables. This study use a comprehensive set of data that was collected at a household level for twenty-one (21) consecutive days. A total of 732 individuals and 191 households were recorded, representing 0.029% total population of Bandung Metropolitan Area (BMA). The data analyzed with descriptive and linear regression analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 26.0.0 software (IBM: Armonk, NY, USA). An advanced model, such as the hierarchical Structural Equation Model (SEM), is used to validate the relationship between activity patterns and health parameters. The estimated results indicate that a minute increase in public transport mode has an 8.8% positive correlation with physical health and 9.0% with social health. Furthermore, an increase in the one-minute duration of in-home maintenance and out-of-home leisure activities are positively correlated by 2.9% and 3.2%, respectively, with moderate-intensity PA and by 4.5% and 1.8% strenuous-intensity PA. Additionally, high accessibility and availability of basic amenities at a walkable distance and using auxiliary time in social activities are significantly correlated with better physical and social health. Moreover, this study adopted multidisciplinary approaches for better transport policy and a healthier society with a better quality of life.

Download Full-text