COVID-19 Pandemic and Remote Education Contributes to Improved Nutritional Behaviors and Increased Screen Time in a Polish Population-Based Sample of Primary School Adolescents: Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study

The Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic has influenced the nutrition of individuals, including the diet followed, food availability, and food security. However, thus far, only a few studies have been published regarding the diet and activity of children and adolescents. The aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and remote education in this period on the diet and physical activity in a Polish population-based sample of primary school adolescents. In June 2020, the Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study was conducted on a population recruited based on stratified random sampling from all regions (schools sampled from counties, and counties from voivodeships). The sample consisted of a total of 1334 adolescents aged 10–16 years. The study assessed the diet and physical activity of the participants using a validated questionnaire which included questions about the period of remote education and the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were asked about the following: consumption of fruit, vegetables, soft drinks, water, French fries, and fast food; eating meals in front of the television; and the number of days they are physically active and the number of hours they spend watching television. The obtained data were analyzed by stratifying the respondents by the gender, age, size of the city and total COVID-19 morbidity in the voivodeship. It was observed that, during the pandemic and the resultant remote education, the proportion of respondents who declared the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables had increased compared to that before the pandemic—a higher proportion consumed at least three portions of fruit per day (19.0% before pandemic vs. 27.4% during pandemic; p < 0.0001), as well as three and four or more portions of vegetables per day (11.9% vs. 14.5% and 7.5% vs. 11.1%; p = 0.0004). At the same time, the proportion of respondents consuming at least three cups of water per day had increased (41.1% vs. 47.9%; p = 0.0020), whereas the proportion of respondents who never or rarely eat their meals in front of the television had decreased (35.6% vs. 28.9%; p < 0.0001), and the proportion watching television for more than 2 h a day had increased (78.3% vs. 88.4%; p < 0.0001). Based on the results, it may be concluded that, during the period of remote education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the dietary behaviors of the studied population of Polish adolescents were more beneficial, which included a higher intake of fruit, vegetables, and water, compared to before the pandemic. In spite of the increasing screen time, including eating in front of the television, there was no reduction in the number of days the respondents were physically active.

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Self-Regulation

Mood Prep 101 ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190914301.003.0006 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 79-96

Author(s):

Carol Landau

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

High School ◽

Screen Time ◽

Fast Food ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Relative Lack ◽

High Sugar ◽

Body Positive ◽

Optimal Health

This chapter, on self-regulation, covers student sleep issues, nutrition, and physical activity. Most students in both high school and college are sleep deprived, and this can be a major disruptor of mood. Stress, school schedules, and too much screen time have disrupted sleep. The typical American diet with fast food, high sugar, fat, and additives has been a factor implicated in the development of depression. Americans get much less physical activity than is recommended for optimal health. This is unfortunate, because physical activity both helps prevent and has been shown to be a treatment for mild and moderate depression. Teaching and modeling self-regulation will help students as they go away to college. The relative lack of structure in college requires greater independence. Female body dissatisfaction, which can lead to self-criticism and distorted eating patterns, is identified as a major force of dysregulation, and suggestions are made for promoting body-positive attitude and behaviors.

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Young Children’s After-School Activities—There’s More to It Than Screen Time: A Cross-Sectional Study of Young Primary School Children

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2013-0075 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 8-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Lina Engelen ◽

Anita C Bundy ◽

Adrian Bauman ◽

Geraldine Naughton ◽

Shirley Wyver ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

Real Time ◽

School Children ◽

Screen Time ◽

Primary School Children ◽

After School ◽

Physically Active ◽

School Activities ◽

After School Activities ◽

Sedentary Activities

Background:Children can spend substantial amounts of leisure time in sedentary activities, dominated by TV/screen time. However, objective real-time measurement of activities after school among young school children is seldom described.Methods:School children (n = 246, 5−7 years old, mean 6.0) and their parents were recruited by random selection from 14 schools across Sydney, Australia. Parents used a real-time objective measure (Experience Sampling Method, ESM) to record children’s activities and whether they were indoors or outdoors at 3 random times each day after school. Data were collected across 4 weekdays in 1 week and then, 13 weeks later, another 4 weekdays in 1 week.Results:Results were based on 2940 responses from 214 childparent dyads showed that 25% of behavior involved physical activity, 51% was spent in sedentary activities, and 22% was TV/ screen time. Most instances (81%) occurred indoors.Conclusion:Despite a high proportion of TV/screen time, children were also engaged in a range of other sedentary and physically active pursuits after school. Hence TV/screen time is not a suitable proxy for all sedentary behavior, and it is important to gather information on other non–screen-based sedentary and physically active behaviors. Future research is warranted to further investigate after-school activities in young primary school children.

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Influence of Insulin Resistance on the Association Between Physical Activity and Heart Rate Variability: The Toon Health Study

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2020-0110 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (11) ◽

pp. 1075-1082

Author(s):

Isao Saito ◽

Koutatsu Maruyama ◽

Tadahiro Kato ◽

Yasunori Takata ◽

Kiyohide Tomooka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Insulin Resistance ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Frequency Standard ◽

Population Based ◽

Health Study ◽

Model Assessment ◽

Partial Regression Coefficient ◽

Validated Questionnaire

Background: Autonomic activity is possibly influenced by physical activity (PA). However, it remains unclear whether this association is modified by insulin resistance. Methods: This population-based study between 2009 and 2012 included 2016 men and women aged 30–79 years. The PA was assessed using a validated questionnaire based on sleep, occupation, transportation, household characteristics, and leisure-time PA. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) in the sitting position were determined from 5-minute recordings of pulse waves detected by a fingertip sensor. The HRV was calculated as frequency (standard deviation of normal-to-normal [NN] intervals [SDNN]), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and percentage differences between normal NN intervals >50 milliseconds [pNN50]) and time domains. Insulin resistance was evaluated using the homeostasis model assessment index (HOMA-IR). Results: HR, RMSSD, and pNN50 were related to the total and moderate/vigorous PA tertiles in models that included HOMA-IR. The partial regression coefficient of total PA per 1-SD increase was .05 (P = .019) for log-transformed RMSSD and 1.86 (P = .001) for pNN50. No interactive associations were observed between PA and HOMA-IR. Conclusions: Low total PA was associated with increased HR and low levels of RMSSD and pNN50, reflecting parasympathetic modulation that was not modified by insulin resistance.

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Daily School Physical Activity Is Associated with Higher Level of Physical Activity Independently of Other Socioecological Factors

Sports ◽

10.3390/sports8080105 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (8) ◽

pp. 105

Author(s):

Amanda Lahti ◽

Björn Rosengren ◽

Jan-Åke Nilsson ◽

Magnus Dencker ◽

Magnus Karlsson

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Screen Time ◽

Body Height ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Parental Attitude ◽

Physically Active ◽

Time Activity ◽

Relative Age ◽

Parental Educational Level ◽

Objectively Measured

Only one fifth of children aged 11–17 years are physically active for 60 min (min)/day. As physical activity (PA) levels track from childhood to adulthood, it is important to establish healthy PA behavior early in life. This study aims to evaluate whether daily school PA is associated with objectively measured PA independently of other socioecological factors. This study includes 209 children (120 boys) aged 9.8 ± 0.6 (mean ± SD) years from four government-funded schools in Sweden. One school including 113 children (70 boys) had 40 min of daily school PA (intervention) and three schools including 96 children (50 boys) had 60 min of school PA/week (control). PA was measured during four serial days with accelerometers. General PA (GPA) was defined as mean counts per minute (cpm). Socioecological factors were collected by questionnaires, and anthropometric traits by measurements. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test whether sex, age, relative age, body height, fat mass, lean mass, screen time activity, parental educational level, parental attitude towards PA, parental PA, sibling(s)’ PA, living in a house or apartment, and whether the child was allocated to 40 min daily school PA or 60 min school PA/week, was independently associated with GPA. Daily GPA was found to be 686.9 ± 211.9 cpm. Independently of the other included factors, daily school PA was associated with +81.8 (15.7, 147.8) cpm compared with 60 min PA/week. This study infers that daily school PA is an appropriate strategy to promote PA in 10-year-old children, independently of different socioecological factors.

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Diet and physical activity as determinants of weight gain, overweight and obesity: The WCRF/AICR evidence and policy implications

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665120001561 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽

Author(s):

Isobel Bandurek ◽

Emily Almond ◽

Susannah Brown ◽

Giota Mitrou ◽

Ifigeneia Bourgiezi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Health Policy ◽

Weight Gain ◽

Public Health Policy ◽

Screen Time ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Diet And Physical Activity ◽

Adults And Children

AbstractIntroductionGlobally, over 1.97 billion adults and 338 million children and adolescents are living with overweight and obesity, increasing the risk of numerous co-morbidities, including at least 12 cancers(1). WCRF/AICR conducted a literature review of diet and physical activity as determinants of weight gain, overweight and obesity in adults and children. We also introduce a novel evidence-based policy framework for promoting physical activity, and linked database, currently in development as part of the EU-funded CO-CREATE project on child and adolescent obesity prevention.Materials and MethodsEvidence on diet and physical activity as determinants and risk of weight gain, overweight and obesity was systematically extracted from existing reviews and a systematic search for recent meta-analyses, then collated and analysed. The WCRF Continuous Update Project Expert Panel drew conclusions about which exposures influence risk of weight gain, overweight and obesity, using pre-defined criteria that included evidence of biological plausibility.ResultsThe Panel identified strong evidence that several diet and physical activity related exposures influence the risk of weight gain, overweight and obesity in adults and children (see table 1). Separate conclusions were drawn for adults and children in relation to screen time, considered a marker of sedentary time.However, the Panel noted that as exposures tend to cluster, physiologically interact and share common biological mechanisms, they should not be regarded as absolutely ‘singular'but an integrated concept of interrelated exposures within a pattern of lifestyle. Table 1.Risk of weight gain, overweight and obesitySTRONG EVIDENCEDECREASES RISKINCREASES RISKCONVINCINGWalkingScreen time (children)Sugar sweetened drinksPROBABLEAerobic physical activityFoods containing dietary fibre‘Mediterranean type’ dietary patternHaving been breastfedScreen time (adults)‘Fast foods’‘Western type’ dietFor full list of footnotes, see Energy Balance and Body Fatness report(1).DiscussionHealthy dietary patterns help prevent excess weight gain. Achieving such patterns requires attention to the broader economic, environmental and social factors that influence and constrain people's behaviour. The findings of this report support the need for evidence-based public health policy to help create health-enabling environments, particularly for children and adolescents. The WCRF International MOVING framework(2) presents a package of policies to promote physical activity, which alongside wider public health policy can help address the multiple drivers of overweight and obesity.

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Diet and physical activity – interactions for health; public health nutrition in the European perspective

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980099000634 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 2 (3a) ◽

pp. 453-459 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Michael Sjöström ◽

Agneta Yngve ◽

Eric Poortvliet ◽

Daniel Warm ◽

Ulf Ekelund

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Strategy Development ◽

Public Health Nutrition ◽

Physically Active ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Diet And Physical Activity ◽

Nutrition And Physical Activity ◽

Great Possibility ◽

Health Enhancing Physical Activity

AbstractFor the majority of European adults, who neither smoke nor drink excessively, the most significant controllable risk factors affecting their long-term health are what they eat, and how physically active they are.Scientists are supposed to clarify to policy makers and health professionals the usefulness of their health messages. However, to be able to do that, a more detailed understanding is needed of the basic mechanisms behind the effects on health of diet and physical activity and, especially, the two in combination. Further, better methods for assessment of nutrition and physical activity in the population have to be developed, and more and better baseline data have to be collected. Increased and more efficient interventions are then needed. People trained and competent in the new discipline of Public Health Nutrition are required.Through the stimulating support that the European Commission, as well as other national and international partners, are presently giving to the development of Public Health Nutrition across Europe, we can hope for an increased mobility, networking and understanding between European nutrition and physical activity professionals. This will most likely result in greater and better policy making, strategy development, implementation and evaluation. We now have a great possibility to develop the integrated field of preventive nutrition and health enhancing physical activity.

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Maternal and paternal parenting practices and their influence on children's adiposity, screen-time, diet and physical activity

Appetite ◽

10.1016/j.appet.2014.04.010 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 79 ◽

pp. 149-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Adam B. Lloyd ◽

David R. Lubans ◽

Ronald C. Plotnikoff ◽

Clare E. Collins ◽

Philip J. Morgan

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Screen Time ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Diet And Physical Activity ◽

Paternal Parenting

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Prospective Association of Maternal Educational Level with Child’s Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Diet Quality

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu14010160 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 160

Author(s):

Gabriela Cárdenas-Fuentes ◽

Clara Homs ◽

Catalina Ramírez-Contreras ◽

Charlotte Juton ◽

Rafael Casas-Esteve ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Educational Level ◽

Screen Time ◽

Fast Food ◽

Maternal Education ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Unhealthy Lifestyle ◽

Baked Goods ◽

Maternal Educational Level

Evidence has identified unhealthy lifestyle behaviors as the main contributors to obesity in children, so it is essential to identify factors that could influence children’s lifestyles. The objective of the present study was to analyze the association of baseline maternal educational level with child’s physical activity, screen time, and dietary habits at follow-up. This community-based cohort study was carried out between 2012 and 2014 and included 1405 children aged 8 to 10 years old. Maternal educational level was used as an indicator of child’s socioeconomic status. Physical activity, screen time, and dietary habits were assessed by validated questionnaires. The odds of having commercially baked goods for breakfast [OR 1.47 (95% CI 1.03 to 2.10)], going more than once a week to a fast-food restaurant [OR 1.64 (95% CI 1.20 to 2.26)], and taking sweets and candys several times a day [OR 3.23 (95% CI 2.14 to 4.87) were significantly higher among children whose mothers had a lower educational level compared to their peers whose mothers had a higher level. These associations held for taking sweets and candy several times a day after additional adjustment for the corresponding dietary behavior at baseline. Maternal educational level was inversely associated (p < 0.001) with child’s screen time at follow up and being in the lowest maternal educational category was associated with an increased odds of surpassing the maximum recommended time of screen time of 120 min per day (OR (95% CI) 1.43 (1.07 to 1.90), p = 0.016). Maternal education is a predictor for unhealthy dietary habits and high screen time in children.

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THE INFLUENCE OF LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS ON THE INCIDENCE OF FRAILTY

Journal of Frailty & Aging ◽

10.14283/jfa.2019.37 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

M.G. BORDA ◽

M.U. PÉREZ-ZEPEDA ◽

R. SAMPER-TERNENT ◽

R.C. GÓMEZ ◽

J.A. AVILA-FUNES ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Population Based ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Clinical State ◽

Physically Active ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Healthy Behaviors ◽

Health Related

Background: Frailty is a clinical state defined as an increase in an individual’s vulnerability to developing adverse health-related outcomes. Objectives: We propose that healthy behaviors could lower the incidence of frailty. The aim is to describe the association between healthy behaviors (physical activity, vaccination, tobacco use, and cancer screening) and the incidence of frailty. Design: This is a secondary longitudinal analysis of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) cohort. Setting: MHAS is a population-based cohort, of community-dwelling Mexican older adults. With five assessments currently available, for purposes of this work, 2012 and 2015 waves were used. Participants: A total of 6,087 individuals 50-year or older were included. Measurements: Frailty was defined using a 39-item frailty index. Healthy behaviors were assessed with questions available in MHAS. Individuals without frailty in 2012 were followed-up three years in order to determine their frailty incidence, and its association with healthy behaviors. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the odds of frailty occurring according to the four health-related behaviors mentioned above. Results: At baseline (2012), 55.2% of the subjects were male, the mean age was 62.2 (SD ± 8.5) years old. The overall incidence (2015) of frailty was 37.8%. Older adults physically active had a lower incidence of frailty (48.9% vs. 42.2%, p< 0.0001). Of the activities assessed in the adjusted multivariate models, physical activity was the only variable that was independently associated with a lower risk of frailty (odds ratio: 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.71-0.88, p< 0.001). Conclusions: Physically active older adults had a lower 3-year incidence of frailty even after adjusting for confounding variables. Increasing physical activity could therefore represent a strategy for reducing the incidence of frailty. Other so-called healthy behaviors were not associated with incident frailty, however there is still uncertainty on the interpretation of those results.

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It is never too late to start: adherence to physical activity recommendations for 11–22 years and risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. The HUNT Study

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2020-102350 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. bjsports-2020-102350

Author(s):

Trine Moholdt ◽

Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno ◽

Børge Moe ◽

Tom Ivar Lund Nilsen

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Population Based ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Physically Active ◽

Cardiovascular Disease Mortality ◽

Disease Mortality ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Physical Activity Recommendations ◽

Activity Recommendations

ObjectivesTo examine associations between long-term (11–22 years) adherence to physical activity recommendations and mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease.DesignProspective population-based study with repeated assessments of self-reported physical activity (1984–86, 1995–97 and 2006–08) and follow-up until the end of 2013.SettingCounty of Nord-Trøndelag, Norway.ParticipantsMen and women aged ≥20 years; 32 811 who participated in 1984–86 and 1995–97; 22 058 in 1984–86 and 2006–08; 31 948 in 1995–97 and 2006–09 and 19 349 in all three examinations (1984–1986, 1995–95 and 2006–08).Main outcome measuresAll-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality from the national Cause of Death Registry.ResultsCompared with the reference category comprising individuals who adhered to the physical activity recommendations (≥150 min of moderate intensity or ≥60 min of vigorous intensity physical activity per week) over time, individuals who remained inactive (reporting no or very little physical activity) from 1984–86 to 1995–97 had HRs (95% CI) of 1.56 (1.40 to 1.73) for all-cause mortality and 1.94 (1.62 to 2.32) for cardiovascular disease mortality. Individuals who were inactive in 1984–86 and then adhered to recommendations in 2006–08 had HRs of 1.07 (0.85 to 1.35) for all-cause mortality and 1.31 (0.87 to 1.98) for cardiovascular disease mortality. In a subsample of individuals who participated at all three time points, those who were inactive or physically active below the recommended level across three decades (1984–86, 1995–97 and 2006–2008) had an HR of 1.57 (1.22 to 2.03) for all-cause mortality and 1.72 (1.08 to 2.73) for cardiovascular disease mortality.ConclusionIndividuals who remained, or became, physically inactive had substantially greater risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality compared with those who met the physical activity recommendations throughout the lifespan.

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