scholarly journals Feasibility Study of a Newly Developed Technology-Mediated Lifestyle Intervention for Overweight and Obese Young Adults

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2547
Author(s):  
Habiba I. Ali ◽  
Amita Attlee ◽  
Salma Alhebshi ◽  
Fadima Elmi ◽  
Ayesha S. Al Dhaheri ◽  
...  

Background: Poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle are common among young adults and increase the risk for chronic diseases later in life. Due to the widespread use of information technology among young adults, the Rashakaty (Fitness for Me) study aimed to develop and test the feasibility of a technology-based nutrition education intervention. This would support overweight and obese university students to achieve weight loss, enhance nutrition knowledge, and increase physical activity levels. Methods: We enrolled 246 participants in a 16-week non-randomized feasibility study with two arms: Rashakaty-Basic and Rashakaty-Enhanced. The intervention was guided by social cognitive theory and was delivered via a website and mobile apps. Results: Among the 161 participants who completed the endline assessments, there was no significant difference in weight loss between the two arms. However, waist circumference decreased more (p = 0.003) in the Rashakaty -Enhanced group. Additionally, changes in knowledge related to sources of nutrients (p < 0.001) and diet–disease relationships (p = 0.006) were significantly higher among the Rashakaty-Enhanced group. Rashakaty-Enhanced participants reported increased number of days spent on moderate physical activity (p = 0.013) and minutes walked (p < 0.001). Moreover, they also reported higher scores in social support from friends to reduce fat intake (p = 0.006) and from family and friends to increase physical activity (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this feasibility study can assist in the development and implementation of future technology–mediated health promotion programs in the UAE, especially for young adults.

Food Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (S3) ◽  
pp. 14-23
Author(s):  
M.S. Amalia ◽  
F.F. Dieny ◽  
A. Candra ◽  
Nuryanto ◽  
A.F.A. Tsani

Nutrition education and motivational interviewing are methods to increase motivation, as essential factors in increasing physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nutrition education via Instagram and motivational interviewing, on weight loss motivation and physical activity of obese female students. This study was quasi-experimental with a pre-post-controlled group design that involved thirty-seven obese female students aged 18-23 years at Universitas Diponegoro, selected by proportional stratified sampling. Subjects were divided into three groups, P1 was given nutrition education via Instagram for 30 days (ED) and motivational interviewing four times (MI), P2 was given ED only, and the control (K) was given a leaflet. Weight loss motivation was measured using a healthy diet motivation questionnaire, and physical activity (PA) was measured using IPAQ-SF. Data were analyzed using one way ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis, paired t-test, Wilcoxon, and Mann Whitney. There was an increase in the mean of weight loss motivation that highest in group P1 (109.86 into 126.43), followed by group P2 (114.85 into 121.69) and group K (105.30 into 112.90). The highest increase in the mean of total physical activity was in the P1 group (1341 to 2572), the P2 group (1761 to 2378), and the K group decreased (3404 to 1987) in METs units. There was a significant difference in the mean change in total physical activity and moderate physical activity between P1 and P2 groups when compared to the K group.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 293-297
Author(s):  
Oladotun Sunday Adeyemo ◽  
Nurudeen Afolabi Sofoluwe ◽  
Yinusa Olumuyiwa Ganiyu ◽  
Odusanya Abidemi Ibrahim ◽  
Oyelami, Lukman Oyeyinka

Background: In the context of flattening the curve of the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria, some factors were considered. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between some of the considered factors and physical activity and investigate sex differences on physical activity during the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.  Methods: The study was cross-sectional using an online survey and recruited participants from Nigeria's southwest geopolitical zone through the snowball sampling technique. Descriptive statistics (such as percentages), correlation analyses, and t-test of independent measures were used to analyze the data collected. The data collection was conducted from April to June 2020. Results: The participants' age ranges from 18 to 73years, with a mean age of 42.9 years, a median of 43years, and a standard deviation of 5.41. The result showed a significant difference between males and females (x ̅= 1001.21; SD=1371.83) on moderate physical activity during the pandemic in Nigeria. However, there was no significant relationship between contextual factors; perception of the spread [r (467) =0.028; P>0.05], fear of contracting COVID-19 [r (467) =0.041; P>0.05], stay at home measures [r (467) =-0.030; P>0.05], sensitizing others about COVID-19 [r (467) =-0.044; P>0.05], compliance with safety rules and regulations [r (467) =0.052; P>0.05] and overall physical activity. Conclusion: The study concluded that the relationship between contextual variables and physical activity among Nigerian people during the COVID-19 pandemic is not significant. Secondly, males and females are not different on vigorous and walking physical activity levels.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taotao Wang ◽  
Mengyuan Ren ◽  
Ying Shen ◽  
Xiaorou Zhu ◽  
Xing Zhang ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Physical inactivity is a risk factor for chronic noncommunicable diseases. Insufficient physical activity has become an important public health problem worldwide. As mobile apps have rapidly developed, physical activity apps have the potential to improve the level of physical activity among populations. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effect of physical activity apps on levels of physical activity among college students. METHODS A Web-based questionnaire was used to survey college students in Beijing from December 27, 2017, to January 5, 2018. According to a previous survey, 43% of college students using physical activity apps and 36% of those who never used such apps achieved the physical activity recommendations. In this study, the sample size was calculated to be 500. The questionnaire consisted of 5 parts: the use of physical activity apps, sports habits, social support, self-efficacy, and social demographic information. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships between the use of physical activity apps, self-efficacy, social support, and level of physical activity. RESULTS Of the 1245 participants, 384 college students (30.8%) used physical activity apps (in the past month). Of these 384 students, 191 (49.7%) gained new friends via the app. College students who were using physical activity apps had a higher level of physical activity and higher scores for social support and self-efficacy (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) than those who did not use such apps. The use of physical activity apps significantly affected the mediating effect of physical activity level through social support (beta=.126; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) and self-efficacy (beta=.294; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). Gender played an important role in app use, self-efficacy, and physical activity in the mediation model: male users spent more time on physical activity and had higher self-efficacy scores (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). CONCLUSIONS This study focused on college students in Beijing and found that the use of physical activity apps is associated with higher physical activity levels among these students. This effect is mainly through the mediation effect of social support and self-efficacy, rather than the direct effect of physical activity apps. The use of physical activity apps is associated with a higher social support level and higher self-efficacy score. Furthermore, a high social support level and high self-efficacy score are associated with higher physical activity levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 446
Author(s):  
Anna Rutkowska ◽  
Katarzyna Kacperak ◽  
Sebastian Rutkowski ◽  
Luisa Cacciante ◽  
Pawel Kiper ◽  
...  

The lockdown with a prohibition of free mobility introduced in many countries has affected restrictions in physical activity (PA). The purpose of the study was to compare PA during restrictions and the “unfreezing” stage. The study group consisted of 89 healthy adult students. To assess the level of PA, a long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used. The first evaluation was carried out in the period from 16 to 20 April 2020 at the time of the lockdown and the second in the period from 11 to 14 May 2020 during the so-called “unfreezing”. The average total PA rate during the first measurement was 8640 metabolic equivalent (MET)-min/week and in the second, 10,560 MET-min/week. The analysis of total energy expenditure showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.029). The establishment of “unfreezing” laws for sport and recreation and the reduction of restrictions have significantly contributed to an increase in the overall level of PA. Based on our outcomes, we recommend students follow the scientific guidelines for undertaking PA (i.e., WHO) during the pandemic in order to maintain an appropriate pro-healthy dose of exercise.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gema Insa-Sánchez ◽  
Lorena Fuentes-Broto ◽  
Alberto Cobos ◽  
Elvira Orduna Hospital ◽  
Francisco Segura ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Our aim was to evaluate the changes in choroidal thickness (CT) and volume (CV) following aerobic physical exercise in healthy young adults. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This study included 72 eyes from healthy volunteers between 22 and 37 years old. Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, total physical activity was computed. Measurements using an autorefractometer, ocular biometry, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography using the Enhanced Depth Imaging protocol were taken. OCT was performed as a baseline measurement and after performing 10 min of dynamic physical exercise (3 and 10 min post-exercise). The choroidal layer was manually segmented, and the CT and CV in different areas from the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid were obtained. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In healthy adults, at 3 min post-exercise, CT was higher in the subfoveal, the 3-mm nasal, and the 6-mm superior areas. Between 3 and 10 min post-exercise, the CT was reduced in all areas, and in some areas, the values were even smaller than the baseline measurements. The CV values showed changes after exercise similar to those of thickness. The total CV recovery after exercise was related to sex and physical activity level. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Individuals with higher physical activity habits had greater CV at rest than those with lower physical activity levels. During exercise, healthy young people adjust CT and CV. At 3 min post-exercise, CT and CV increase. Women and individuals with greater physical activity levels reduce their total CV more than others during recovery.


2015 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 925
Author(s):  
Leanna M. Ross ◽  
Robin P. Shook ◽  
Junxiu Liu ◽  
Daniel P. O’Connor ◽  
Gregory A. Hand ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 247-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando Cocca ◽  
Jarmo Liukkonen ◽  
Daniel Mayorga-Vega ◽  
Jesús Viciana-Ramírez

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. ID20
Author(s):  
Shahid Alam ◽  
Sardar Bakht Khan ◽  
Qamar Wahid Khattak ◽  
Syed Zain Ul Abidin ◽  
Salman Farooqi ◽  
...  

Background: Physical activity is one of the leading health indicators, considered an essential factor in the population's health and quality of life promotion. Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Physical inactivity has been linked with chronic disease and obesity in most populations. This study aims to compare the prevalence of physical activity and overweight/obesity among students of the university. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to September 2019 on undergraduate students from different departments of Peshawar University. A sample of 377 (male n = 243, female n = 134) was taken through convenience sampling. Those individuals who were physically disabled and not willing to participate were excluded from the study. Those meeting the inclusion criteria were given the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ short form). Demographic data included age, weight, and height was self-stated by the participants. The levels of physical activity in each of three domains (leisure, transport, and domestic) were calculated and presented as metabolic equivalent (M.E.T.) hour per week in the form of means, percentage, and frequency in different physical activity domains. Results: The overall sample showed that 13.70% of participants were inactive, 27.76% showed a low level of physical activity, 41.29% showed moderate physical activity level, and 17.24% showed a high level of physical activity. A total of 90.98% of participants were involved in leisure physical activities, 93.10% presented transport-related physical activity, and 74.80% were involved in domestic-related physical activity. Average time spent during sitting was found to be 53.32 hrs/week and 7.61 hrs/ day, with females being more involved in sitting activities as compared to males. A significant difference was found between B.M.I. and sitting domain (p-value 0.002) with a Pearson value of -0.12 showing a negative correlation. Conclusion: The B.M.I. and Physical Activity are found negatively associated with each other. Male students were more physically active than females as females spend their majority of time sitting. It is concluded that students are moderately active, while a minimal percent of students are highly active. There were a few numbers of respondents too who were physically inactive, which shows that there is still unawareness of physical activity on the university level.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Reimers ◽  
Verena Heidenreich ◽  
Hans-Joachim Bittermann ◽  
Guido Knapp ◽  
Carl-Detlev Reimers

Abstract Background: Main symptoms of the restless legs syndrome (RLS) are sleep onset insomnia and difficulty to maintain sleep. Previous studies showed that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing RLS. However, the relationships of physical activity on sleep quality parameters in subjects suffering from RLS have not been investigated by applying accelerometry. Thus, the present study investigates the impact of physical activity during the day (7-12 h, 12-18 h, 18-23 h) on sleep quality in subject suffering from idiopathic RLS as well as their intensity and extent of physical activity by applying a real-time approach.Methods: In a sample of 47 participants suffering from idiopathic RLS, physical activity and sleep quality were captured over one week by using accelerometers. For data analysis physical activity levels and step counts during three periods of a day (morning, afternoon, evening) were correlated with sleep quality parameters of the following night.Results: In this observational study, significant correlations of physical activity with the sleep parameters were rarely confirmed (exception: negative correlation of steps in the morning with periodic leg movements in sleep and negative correlation of physical activity in the evening and total sleep period). However, the physical activity levels of the participants were unexpectedly high compared to population-level data and variance in physical activity was low. The average activity was 13,817 (SD=4,086) steps and 347 (SD=117) minutes of moderate physical activity per day in females and 10,636 (SD=3,748) steps and 269 (SD=69) minutes of moderate physical activity in males, respectively. However, the participants conducted no vigorous physical activity.Conclusions: To investigate the effects of daily physical activity and RLS symptoms interventional studies with different intensities of physical activities at different points of time during the day are needed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Welan Mauli Angguna

ABSTRACT: THE EFFECTS OF PERSONALITY TRAITS ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Indonesia was considered as a country who has low physical activity. Hence, it was necessary to promote physical activity in order preventing degenerative disease and death in young adults. Personality traits were good predictors of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of personality traits on physical activity. This is a survey analytical study cross-sectional design on 33 samples aged 18-26 years old. The study found that personalities traits influenced physical activity with contribution 32% (p≤0,05), especially of extraversion, agreeableness, and openness. There was significant difference of physical activity based on gender and exercise routine, this should be a consideration for further research.  Keywords: Personality Traits, Physical Activity, Gender.  Indonesia dianggap sebagai negara dengan aktivitas fisik yang cukup rendah, sehingga diperlukan promosi aktivitas fisik untuk pencegahan terhadap penyakit degeneratif dan kematian di usia muda. Trait kepribadian dianggap sebagai faktor psikologis kuat dalam identifikasi aktivitas fisik. Penelitian ini adalah survei analitik dengan rancangan cross-sectional pada 33 sampel usia 18-26 tahun yang rutin dan tidak rutin berolahraga. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa trait kepribadian berkontribusi sebesar 32% (p≤0,05) terhadap aktivitas fisik, khususnya trait ekstraversi, agreeableness, dan openness. Adanya perbedaan signifikan aktivitas fisik dan trait kepribadian antar gender dan rutinitas berolahraga, hal ini disarankan menjadi pertimbangan untuk penelitian lanjutan. Kata Kunci: Trait Kepribadian, Aktivitas Fisik, Gender.


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