scholarly journals The Comparison of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Mental Health between Early Menopausal Women and Age-Matched General Middle-Aged Women

Author(s):  
Ji-Su Kim ◽  
Ju-Pil Choe ◽  
Jeong-Hui Park ◽  
Eunhye Yoo ◽  
Jung-Min Lee

The current study is to examine the differences in physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and mental health (i.e., stress, depression, and suicidal behaviors) between early menopausal women and age-matched general middle-aged women. Among 1348 participants in South Korea, 674 participants who experienced menopause before the age of 45 were defined as the early menopausal group, and 674 women who experienced menopause from 45 years to 55 years were classified as the general group by matching age based on early menopausal women. PA, SB, and mental health were evaluated by using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). An independent t-test was used to compare the associations of PA, SB, and mental health between the two groups. To demonstrate the predictors of early menopause, variables in the study were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression. The main findings were that moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and light PA (LPA) had significant differences between the two groups, but SB had no significant differences. In mental health, only perceived stress had significant differences in this study. The moderate level of stress in the early menopausal group was twice as high as that of the general group, and the severe level of stress was even 2.6 times higher than the general group. PA plays an essential role in mitigating the causes of mortality and the risk of various chronic diseases and improving quality of life; thus, the main findings of this study could be important to provide insights on the corresponding impact between early menopausal women and PA to encourage their healthy lifestyle. Further longitudinal studies are needed to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of PA, SB, and mental health on early menopausal women.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Costas I. Karageorghis ◽  
Jonathan M. Bird ◽  
Jasmin C. Hutchinson ◽  
Mark Hamer ◽  
Yvonne N. Delevoye-Turrell ◽  
...  

Abstract Background COVID-19 lockdowns have reduced opportunities for physical activity (PA) and encouraged more sedentary lifestyles. A concomitant of sedentariness is compromised mental health. We investigated the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations (USA, UK, France, and Australia). Methods An online survey was administered in the second quarter of 2020 (N = 2541). We measured planned and unplanned dimensions of PA using the Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire and mental health using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Steps per day were recorded only from participants who used an electronic device for this purpose, and sedentary behavior was reported in hours per day (sitting and screen time). Results In the USA and Australia samples, there was a significant decline in planned PA from pre- to during lockdown. Among young adults, Australians exhibited the lowest planned PA scores, while in middle-aged groups, the UK recorded the highest. Young adults exhibited the largest reduction in unplanned PA. Across nations, there was a reduction of ~ 2000 steps per day. Large increases in sedentary behavior emerged during lockdown, which were most acute in young adults. Lockdown was associated with a decline in mental health that was more pronounced in women. Conclusions The findings illustrate the deleterious effects of lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations. Australian young and lower middle-aged adults appeared to fare particularly badly in terms of planned PA. The reduction in steps per day is equivalent to the non-expenditure of ~ 100 kcal. Declines in mental health show how harmful lockdowns can be for women in particular.


Author(s):  
hashem A. Kilani ◽  
Bataineh ◽  
Ali Al-Nawayseh ◽  
Khaled Atyat ◽  
Omar Obeid ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In previous times, infectious diseases affected the quality of human life during home confinement. This study investigated the influence of home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak on lifestyle, mental wellbeing, nutritional status, and sleeping pattern. Method: An online multicategory questionnaire was distributed to collect Demographical information and combined the following tools: Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), WHO-5 wellbeing score, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A snowball none-discriminate sampling procedure was followed to collect data from people attending or working at higher institution had covering the period between Mar/00/2020 and Apr/24/2020. A total of 1723 completed responses (917 Males 37.4 ± 13.4 yrs. old and (806 Females 32.2 ± 11.5 yrs. old) were collected. Results Female participants had significantly lower mental health scores as compared to males (53.9% vs 46.1%). on Mental wellbeing score was better among participants with medium and high Physical Activity Levels (p < 0.00). Additionally, mental wellbeing score was significantly improved by dietary quality and sleeping score (p < 0.001). However, physical activity was by far the major determinants of mental health score. Conclusion Factors such as PA, Diet, sleeping patterns were associated with mental wellbeing during COVID-19 confinement among Arab participants.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 3832
Author(s):  
Amy Hofman ◽  
Marlou A. M. Limpens ◽  
Tosca O. E. de Crom ◽  
Mohammad Arfan Ikram ◽  
Annemarie I. Luik ◽  
...  

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem, and there are concerns this might have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to identify distinct trajectories of physical activity over a 6-week period after the first restrictive measures and to explore determinants of these trajectories in a population-based cohort of middle-aged and elderly in the Netherlands (n = 5777). We observed that at least 59% of participants did not meet the World Health Organization recommendations for physical activity. Using latent class trajectory analyses over three time points, we identified five distinct trajectories, including four steady trajectories at different levels (very low, low, medium and high) and one increasing trajectory. Using multinomial logistic regression analyses, we observed that, compared to the ‘steadily high’ trajectory, participants in the ‘steadily very low’ trajectory were more often older, lower educated, reporting poorer physical health, more depressive symptoms, consuming a less healthy diet, smoking, and lower alcohol use, and were less often retired. A similar pattern of determinants was seen for those in the increasing trajectory, albeit with smaller effect sizes. Concluding, we observed low levels of physical activity that generally remained during the pandemic. The determinants we described can help identify groups that require additional preventive interventions.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iva Miljkovic ◽  
Allison Kuipers ◽  
Ryan Cvejkus ◽  
Victor Wheeler ◽  
Joseph Zmuda

Increased skeletal muscle fat infiltration (i.e. myosteatosis) is now recognized as a major risk factor for cardio-metabolic diseases. Therefore, a lifestyle modification that reduces myosteatosis would be of great public health importance. However, studies examining the association of relevant lifestyle factors with this ectopic fat depot are lacking, particularly in African ancestry populations who have a very high burden of cardio-metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior with computed tomography measured calf muscle attenuation among middle-aged and elderly African-Caribbeans from the population-based Tobago Health Study. Preliminary analyses were conducted among 134 women (mean age 59 yrs, mean BMI 31.6 kg/m 2 ) and 355 men (mean age 62 yrs, mean BMI 28 kg/m 2 ). Physical activity was measured using the SenseWear Pro armband worn for 4-7 days. We calculated the mean duration of waking time engaged in light physical activity (LPA), moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), and sedentary behavior (SB) per day. Skeletal muscle attenuation (mg/cm 3 ) reflects the fat content of the muscle such that greater skeletal muscle fat infiltration is reflected by lower attenuation. Women spent less time in LPA (146 vs. 270 min/day) and MVPA (15 vs. 41 min/day), but more time in SB (789 vs. 647 min/day) than men (all p<0.0001) after adjustments for gender differences in age. Muscle attenuation was lower among women compared with men (70.5 vs. 72.7 mg/cm3; age and BMI adjusted p<0.0001). In both women and men, muscle attenuation was positively correlated with the LPA and MVPA, and inversely with time spent in SB (spearman correlation coefficients (r) ranged from 0.21 to 0.39, all p<0.006 adjusted for age). Upon additional adjustment for BMI, in both women and men, the association of muscle attenuation with MVPA remained significant (r=0.21 and r=0.18, respectively, both p<0.03), but there was no association with LPA. Percent time spent in SB was associated with muscle attenuation only among women after additional adjustment for BMI (women: -0.16, p=0.052), and we also found a significant sex interaction effect of SB on muscle attenuation (p=0.035). Our preliminary findings suggest that there is significant association between MVPA and myosteatosis among middle-aged and elderly African Caribbeans. However, SB may only be relevant for myosteatosis among women. Future analyses will be conducted in a larger sample from this cohort to confirm our findings and to test for independence from other potential confounding factors, such as diet, sleep patterns, adiposity distribution, and diabetes.


Author(s):  
Jacob Meyer ◽  
Cillian McDowell ◽  
Jeni Lansing ◽  
Cassandra Brower ◽  
Lee Smith ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic altered many facets of life. We aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19-related public health guidelines on physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, mental health, and their interrelations. Cross-sectional data were collected from 3052 US adults 3–8 April 2020 (from all 50 states). Participants self-reported pre- and post-COVID-19 levels of moderate and vigorous PA, sitting, and screen time. Currently-followed public health guidelines, stress, loneliness, positive mental health (PMH), social connectedness, and depressive and anxiety symptoms were self-reported. Participants were grouped by meeting US PA guidelines, reporting ≥8 h/day of sitting, or ≥8 h/day of screen time, pre- and post-COVID-19. Overall, 62% of participants were female, with age ranging from 18–24 (16.6% of sample) to 75+ (9.3%). Self-reported PA was lower post-COVID among participants reporting being previously active (mean change: −32.3% [95% CI: −36.3%, −28.1%]) but largely unchanged among previously inactive participants (+2.3% [−3.5%, +8.1%]). No longer meeting PA guidelines and increased screen time were associated with worse depression, loneliness, stress, and PMH (p < 0.001). Self-isolation/quarantine was associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to social distancing (p < 0.001). Maintaining and enhancing physical activity participation and limiting screen time increases during abrupt societal changes may mitigate the mental health consequences.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. de la Cámara ◽  
Sara Higueras-Fresnillo ◽  
Verónica Cabanas-Sánchez ◽  
Kabir P. Sadarangani ◽  
David Martinez-Gomez ◽  
...  

Background: To assess the validity of the single question to determine sedentary behavior (SB) by using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) in older adults. Methods: The sample included 163 participants (96 women) aged 65–92 years. Self-reported SB was obtained from the GPAQ. Objectively measured SB was assessed using the Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity. Participants wore the Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity continuously during 2 consecutive days while following their daily routine. The relative validity was assessed using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (ρ), and the agreement was examined using mean bias and 95% limit of agreement with the Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity as reference. Results: The results showed small correlations (ρ = .291, P < .001) between the SB from the GPAQ and the objective measures, and ranged from ρ = .217 to ρ = .491 depending on the potential moderator. Similarly, the GPAQ underestimates the SB for approximately 2 hours per day in older adults (limit of agreement = −7.3 to 3.4 h/d). Conclusion: The GPAQ may not be the most suitable questionnaire for measuring SB in this population and should be used with caution because those studies that use this questionnaire in older adults may have an inaccurate measurement of SB levels.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (7S) ◽  
pp. 738-738
Author(s):  
Shoya Mori ◽  
Keisei Kosaki ◽  
Masahiro Matsui ◽  
Kanako Takahashi ◽  
Masaki Yoshioka ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Lisiane Goetz ◽  
Renato C. Teixeira

The choices related to lifestyle habits, during the period of graduation at the university are decisive for the development of a healthy lifestyle and for combating the risk behaviors that lead to Chronic Non-communicable Diseases. This study aims to examine the relationship between a discipline focused on health literacy and the development of attitudinal components aimed at the competence of self-care and responsibility of pedagogy students, in relation to the choices that constitute their lifestyle. The investigation of this research indicates that the literacy and health promotion program developed during the Principles of Healthy Living for education students had a positive effect on the development of competence and responsibility for self-care in their lifestyle. Quantitative data were obtained using the socio-demographic questionnaire and validated scale of the Fantastic Lifestyle and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, at the beginning and end of the course. The results point to an improvement in lifestyle with an increase in the practice of recreational physical activity of vigorous intensity (p=0.0339) and in its frequency (p=0.0130). Still, there was a significant reduction in the level of physical inactivity (p=0.0451), in addition to the evident improvement in lifestyle (p=0.0196), with all participants grouped in the categories “Good”, “Very Good” and “Excellent” referring to lifestyle. This study showed that an approach to health education for university students is a positive initiative for teaching important skills to consolidate a healthy lifestyle.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yessica Abigail Tronco Hernández ◽  
Fabio Parente ◽  
Mark A Faghy ◽  
Clare M P Roscoe ◽  
Frances A Maratos

BACKGROUND Lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the living and working habits of millions of people, with potentially important implications for their physical, mental, and social well-being. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on remote workers who were not directly affected by COVID-19. METHODS This was a correlational cross-sectional study (with an additional qualitative component) of 184 remote workers surveyed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. Standard measures of mental health (Kessler-6 Distress Scale), productivity (Brief Instrument to Assess Workers’ Productivity During a Working Day), and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) were used, and respondents were further surveyed on changes to their dietary, exercise, smoking, drinking, and socialization habits to produce a well-being change index. RESULTS The results revealed associations between sedentary behavior and poorer mental health (<i>τ</i><sub>b</sub>=0.14) and between poorer mental health and low work productivity (<i>τ</i><sub>b</sub>=–0.39). However, both positive and negative lifestyle changes were reported; a self-reported increase in well-being (with respect to diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, and socialization) since the start of the pandemic was associated with both better mental health (<i>τ</i><sub>b</sub>=–0.14) and better work productivity (<i>τ</i><sub>b</sub>=0.14). Of note, among respondents without a mental health diagnosis (137/184, 74.4%), we observed rates of moderate (76/137, 55.5%) and severe (17/137, 12.4%) psychological distress, which were markedly higher than those reported in large prepandemic studies; moreover, 70.1% (129/184) of our respondents reported more sedentary behavior, 41% (69/168) increased their alcohol consumption, and 38.6% (71/184) increased their overall food intake. However, 46% (75/163), 44.8% (39/87) and 51.8% (57/110) of respondents reported spending more time walking and engaging in more moderate and vigorous exercise, respectively. Qualitative analysis revealed many positive adaptations to lockdowns (eg, decreased commuting expenses, flexibility) but also a number of structural obstacles to remote working (eg, lack of support and high expectations from employers, childcare duties). CONCLUSIONS These findings may be of practical importance for policy makers and employers in a world in which work involves long-term remote or hybrid employment arrangements; strategies to promote more sustainable remote working are discussed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document