Association of PC Use and TV Viewing Hours with Women’s Recreational Physical Activity and Its Impact on Their Obesity Indices

Background: Television (TV) viewing and computer (PC) use have been associated with poor health outcomes. Aim: To investigate the association of TV viewing and PC use with recreational physical activity energy expenditure (RPAEE), obesity indices, physical activity levels (PAL) and body fat percentage (BF%) of adult women. Methods: Bodyweight (BW), height, waist (WC) and hip (HC) circumferences of 150 adult women were measured. Body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. The BF% was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. The Athens Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess PAL, RPAE, TV viewing and PC hours. Results: The majority of women (53%) were overweight and obese, watched TV for >14 hr/wk (59%), and almost half (47%) of them used computers for >1 hr/day. Slightly more than half of them (54%) had a sedentary lifestyle and reported exercise participation for <2 hr/wk. No walking for leisure was reported by one-third of the subjects, while an alarming low percentage (0.7%) walked only 2.5 hr/wk. No participation in informal physical activity was reported by 69%. RPAEE was estimated at 982 ± 973 kcal/wk and negatively correlated to TV-watching hours (r = –0.31, p < 0.05), computer use (r = –0.3, p < 0.05), BMI (r = –0.44, p < 0.01), BW (r = –0.44, p < 0.01), WC (r = –0.41, p < 0.01), WHR (r = –0.31, p = 0.01). Moreover, RPAEE and BF% were negatively correlated (r = –0.44, p < 0.01). BF% was associated with long hours of PC use and TV watching (R2 = 0.11, F1.148 = 17.94, p = 0.00; R2 = 0.14, F1.148 = 5.4, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Screen use affecting obesity indices seemed to overrun recreational time for physical activity participation and dominate women’s lifestyle. Further research targeting behavioral change practices is recommended. Keywords: obesity, women, physical activity, recreational physical activity expenditure

Nutrition of primary school children: world and Ukrainian realities

The aim of the study is to assess the actual nutrition of primary school children in Ukraine and other countries. Material and methods. An analysis of publications in scientific journals and reports of national agencies on the state of nutrition of primary school children. Search depth 10 years. The following search strategy "primary school", "nutrition", "sentinel surveillance" was used. The 15 most relevant publications were selected for further analysis. In addition, a survey of 450 primary school students was conducted on the quality of nutrition during school. Statistical processing was performed using MedCalc software. Results. Most countries in the world have some kind of nutrition program for younger students. At the same time, the diets that these programs offer do not always meet the principles of healthy eating. According to our own data, only 96 (21.3%) of the surveyed schoolchildren aged 6-10 had a full meal at school. For the rest, there was either a qualitative or quantitative discrepancy in the composition of breakfast and lunch at school. The children noted the lack of time for meals, low taste of school lunches. Every second child consumed insufficient volume of fluids during school. Conclusion. The nutritional status of primary school children is affected by lack of time for eating and recreational physical activity, unbalanced diet when using home lunch boxes and low coverage of high school students with organized meals. Unlike other countries, the main problem for Ukraine is not an energy surplus diet, but the popularity of fast food among children of primary school age is undoubtedly unacceptable.

Cross-sectional associations of housework with cognitive, physical and sensorimotor functions in younger and older community-dwelling adults: the Yishun Study

ObjectivesRegular moderate-to-vigorous intensity recreational physical activity (PA) improves physical and cognitive functions. However, the age-associated relationships between non-recreational PA and functional ability remain less explored. We examined the associations between housework and functional health among younger and older Singaporean community-dwelling adults.DesignCross-sectional study.Setting and participantsYounger (<65 years, n=249) and older (≥65 years, n=240) community-dwelling adults were randomly recruited from a large residential town in Singapore.Outcome measuresPhysical function was assessed using Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), repeated-chair-sit-to-stand and gait speed. Cognitive and sensorimotor functions were assessed using Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA), respectively.MethodsLight housework (LH) and heavy housework (HH), recreational, and occupational and transport-related PAs were assessed using PA questionnaires. Participants were dichotomised into low-volume and high-volume LH and HH groups. Results were adjusted for level of recreational and other non-recreational PAs.ResultsAmong older but not younger adults, RBANS scores were 8% and 5% higher in high HH and LH groups compared with low HH and LH groups, respectively (p=0.012 and p=0.016). Specifically, HH was associated with 14% higher attention score (p=0.014), and LH was associated with 12% and 8% higher immediate and delayed memory scores, respectively (p<0.001 and p=0.004). In older adults, sit-to-stand time and PPA scores were 8% and 23% lower in the high HH group than the low HH group, respectively (p=0.011 and p=0.040). SPPB and gait speed did not differ with age or HH. LH was not associated with physical or sensorimotor function.ConclusionsAmong older adults, housework is associated with higher cognitive function, specifically in attention and memory. Associations of housework with physical function and sensorimotor performance were intensity dependent. Housework PA is positively associated with functional health among community-dwelling older adults, independent of recreation and other non-recreational PAs. Further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to establish causality.

Impacts of ambient temperature and seasonal changes on sports injuries in Madrid, Spain: a time-series regression analysis

ObjectivesRecreational physical activity is an integral part of our society, and the injuries caused by sports activities are a concern for public health. We studied the effect of outdoor ambient temperature on hospital emergency department visits caused by sports injuries in Madrid, Spain, and accounted for its seasonal changes.MethodsWe used a time-series design. Data was analysed with quasi-Poisson regression models. We calculated the proportion of emergency visits attributable to seasonal changes before and after adjusting for daily ambient temperature. We modelled the association between emergency visits and temperature using distributed lag non-linear models.ResultsThe proportion of emergency visits attributable to seasonal changes was 24.1% and decreased to 7.6% after adjusting for temperature. We found a high risk of emergency visits associated with cold and hot temperatures, whereas the risk was higher for heat.ConclusionSports and recreational physical activity injuries are not rare events; therefore, appropriate healthcare decisions should consider the impact of outdoor ambient temperature and seasonal changes.

Level of engagement of recreational physical activity of urban villagers in Luohu, Shenzhen, China

Physical activity is important for health. However, there is a lack of literature related to the physical activity levels of adults living in urban villagers, which is a vulnerable population in China. The aim of this study is to compare the physical activity and sedentary behavior engagements between urban villagers and non-urban villagers using the 2019 Luohu Shenzhen, China Community Diagnosis Questionnaire. A total of 1205 adults living in urban villages and non-urban villages were included in the analysis. Unadjusted and multiple multivariate logistic regression were conducted for the dependent variable of engagement in recreational physical activity, frequency of recreational physical activity per week, and hours spent in sedentary behaviors per day. Descriptive analysis was conducted to identify the reasons for not engaging in physical activity among urban villagers and non-urban villagers. Across the included sample, 29.05% were urban villagers and 70.95% were non-urban villagers. The results suggested that urban villagers are more likely to engage in physical activity than non-urban villager (OR = 1.90, 95% CI [1.40, 2.59], p < 0.001). However, it was also found that urban village status had no significant association for frequency in engaging in physical activity and average hours spent in sedentary behaviors. Both urban villagers and non-urban villages indicated that lack of time, lack of safe and appropriate environment, and working in labor intensive occupations as some of the reasons for not engaging in physical activity. There is a need for tailed interventions and policies for promoting physical activity among urban villagers and non-urban villagers. Additional studies are needed to further our understanding of the physical activity behaviors among urban villagers in China.

Health and recreational motional activity of elderly people in different countries of the world

The article considers and collects material from both international research and domestic sources that reflect the health and recreational physical activity of the elderly in Europe and the whole world as well as the motives for involvement in this age group. The results of the analysis of the questionnaire, which assessed the involvement of the elderly showed low health and recreational physical activity in different countries, ranging from 10 to 80%, and the activity of men is higher than women. About 40% of the population of the Netherlands and Germany are engaged in physical activity, and as for Belgium, France, Sweden, the indicator is less than 20%. In Spain, Finland, Canada, and the United Kingdom, government programs implemented in 13 pilot regions of the country over four years indicated a threefold increase in the number of seniors who regularly attend group exercise classes. In the United States, the population that is systematically engaged in physical activity is dominated by the population of Euros and Latinos, but African Americans are less active - up to 6%. In African countries physical activity is being decreased among the adult population. The main reasons for that include lack of knowledge of citizens about classes, poor promotion of programs among the population. The survey of the Chinese population on regular exercise during the week of the elderly in the range of 60-69 years showed 11.8%. According to research in Ukraine, only 17% of people of retirement age go in for exercise or sports