The association between walkable neighbourhoods and physical activity across the lifespan.

The aim was to explore everyday physical activity (PA) and leisure-time PA in youth and adults with cerebral palsy (CP) including perceived cardiorespiratory exertion. A questionnaire covering everyday and leisure-time PA was answered by 159 persons, mean age 36 years. During morning hygiene, 18% perceived moderate and 4% vigorous exertion, during breakfast 9% perceived moderate and 3% vigorous exertion and during transportation 9% perceived moderate and 5% vigorous exertion. Fifty-seven percent of the participants had some leisure-time PA, of which 14% reached the general recommended level of “at least moderate” and 9% the level of “vigorous” exertion. Total assistance during leisure-time PA was reported by 48%. The number of individuals who reached the levels of leisure-time PA recommended for the general population to receive health benefits and increased aerobic capacity, was low. Everyday and leisure-time PA were not added together because the participation in everyday routines may have been a treatment goal. Limitations of the study were the difficulties to estimate received assistance and the high number of proxy answers. With respect to the participants’ capabilities, we suggest suitable tools exploring both PA habits and intensity of activity in various severities of CP.

BackgroundWorkers in Japan are not sufficiently active; however, it remains unclear how their leisure-time physical activity habits may be developed. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship of age- and intensity-specific leisure-time physical activity in youth to adulthood leisure-time physical activity habits among Japanese workers.MethodsIn 2012, 968 workers (333 males and 635 females) from three companies and six hospitals in the Tokai region of Japan agreed to complete and submit a self-administered questionnaire. Intensity-specific leisure-time physical activity at ages 12 and 20 years was assessed retrospectively, and workers’ current participation in regular leisure-time physical activity was assessed as an outcome measure. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression analysis.ResultsMean ages for males and females were 40 and 37 years, respectively. Strenuous leisure-time physical activity at age 12 years was significantly positively associated with adulthood participation in leisure-time physical activity among male workers [adjusted OR (95% CI) = 2.29 (1.02, 5.14)]. Additionally, both strenuous and moderate physical activity at age 20 years was significantly positively associated with participation in regular leisure-time physical activity in adulthood among males and females.ConclusionsOur results suggest that some leisure-time physical activity in youth may predict adult workers’ participation in regular leisure-time physical activity in Japan. Encouragement of leisure-time physical activity in youth could therefore be an effective measure to develop adult leisure-time physical activity habits among workers.

The purpose of this systematic review was to explore whether birth weight, early growth and motor development act as determinants of physical activity in children and youth. We performed a systematic literature search on the possible early life determinants. A meta-analysis was performed on the association between birthweight and objectively measured physical activity. We identified 9 studies examining birth weight, in which none of the studies with objectively measured physical activity observed an association between birth weight and physical activity. The meta-analysis confirmed this result (b=-3.08, 95% CI -10.20, 4.04). The 3 studies examining early growth and physical activity in youth differ in methodology and the results are inconsistent. Two studies suggest an association between earlier motor development and physical activity and sport participation in youth. This was not confirmed in a third study. Our meta-analysis suggests that birth weight is not an important determinant of physical activity in youth. Available data does not allow firm conclusions whether early growth and motor development act as determinants of physical activity in youth.

Physical Activity Measures in the Healthy Communities Study.

BackgroundPhysically active lifestyle prevents and contributes to managing non-communicable diseases. Childhood physical activities have shown to associate with physically active lifestyle in adulthood. More research on which childhood physical activity modes associate with physical activity in later life is still needed. Within the present study, we examined how physically active commuting to school in childhood contributed to overall physical activity in adulhood.MethodsThe participants (N = 3596) were from the population-based, longitudinal Cardiovascular Risks in Young Finns Study. Questionnaires were used in assessing subjects' childhood (1980) and adulthood (2001-2018) physical activity. ActiGraph accelerometers were also applied in the adulthood measurements (2018-2020). The results were analyzed using logistic and linear regression models. Participants' age, sex, parents' educational background, parents' income level, childhood living area, participants' educational background, adulthood income level, and adulthood living area were adjusted for in the models.ResultsBased on the preliminary examinations, childhood commuting was not associated with self-reported commuting to work (2001-2018) or accelerometer-measured overall physical activity (2018-2020) in adulthood (p>.05). Active commuting in childhood associated with increased self-reported leisure-time physical activity in the year 2001 (b=.38, p>.001), 2007 (b=.35, p>.001), and 2018 (b=.28, p=.012), but the association between childhood commuting and self-reported physical activity in the years 2001 and 2018 attenuated after adjusting for all covariates (p>.05).ConclusionsPhysically active commuting in childhood (1980) was associated with higher levels of self-reported leisure-time physical activity in adulthood (2001-2018). The associations attenuated after adjusting for covariates excluding the one between active commuting and leisure-time physical activity assessed in 2007. Physically active commuting can be regarded as recommendable with respect to the development of physically active lifestyle, if supportive evidence for the causality between childhood commuting and leisure-time physical activity in adult age can be found. Future research should also focus on assessing whether active commuting in childhood contributes to adulthood activities parallel to active commuting in childhood.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2016v18n3p297 There are some studies that showed the relationship between built environment with practice of physical activity during leisure-time and active transportation in the adult population. However, this relationship may be influence by type and intensity of physical activity. The aim of this study was to verify association between public and private places for engaging in different types of physical activity in adults of Rio Claro City, Brazil. Cross sectional study with representative sample of 1588 adults with a mean age of 45.7±17.0 years completed the IPAQ-long form. Geographic Information System data were employed to assess the built environment. The time to different physical activity types were divided in actives (≥10 min/week) and inactive (<10 min/week). Poisson Multilevel Regression Analysis was performed in the Stata version 12.0. After adjusting for confounders, walking during leisure-time was positively associated with São Paulo’s Social Vulnerability Index (SSVI) categories of 1 (PR=2.77) through 5 (PR=1.94) and negatively associated with population density higher than 68 km/m2 (PR=0.70). Vigorous intensity physical activity was negatively associated with distance greater than 596 metes of private places to practice physical activity (PR=0.50). Total leisure time physical activity was positively associated with SSVI 1 (PR=2.48) and 5 (RP=1.89). Moderate intensity physical activity was not associated with built environment factors. There were differents associations between the built environment factors with leisure time PA except to moderate intensity physical activity.

Recent research in urban planning and public health has drawn attention to the associations between urban form and physical activity in adults. Because little is known on the urban-rural differences in physical activity, the main aims of the present study were to examine differences in physical activity between urban and rural adults and to investigate the moderating effects of the physical environment on the relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity. In Flanders, Belgium, five rural and five urban neighborhoods were selected. A sample of 350 adults (20-65 years of age; 35 adults per neighborhood) participated in the study. Participants wore a pedometer for 7 days, and self-reported physical activity and psychosocial data were also collected. Results showed that urban adults took more steps/day and reported more walking and cycling for transport in the neighborhood, more recreational walking in the neighborhood, and more walking for transportation outside the neighborhood than rural adults. Rural adults reported more recreational cycling in the neighborhoods. The physical environment was a significant moderator of the associations between several psychosocial factors (modeling from family, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers) and physical activity. In rural participants, adults with psychosocial scores above average were more physically active, whereas there were no differences in physical activity according to psychosocial factors in urban participants. These results are promising and plead for the development of multidimensional interventions, targeting specific population subgroups. In rural environments, where changing the environment would be a very challenging task, interventions focusing on modifiable psychosocial constructs could possibly be effective.

which unique insights can be gained from the investigations of the physiology of the growing child? Are there pragmatic outcomes to research in children's exercise science that bear specific utility to this age group or to their future life? What importance do exercise responses in youth bear to our

The map shows by health region in 2005 the overall physical activity of youth and adults ranked from 1 to 73.

Physical Activity in Childhood and Adolescence as Predictor of Physical Activity in Young Adulthood

Targeting physical inactivity in children is pertinent to aiding in the decrease of childhood obesity rates. Only 33% of adolescents are obtaining the recommended goal of at least 60 min of physical activity per day. The objectives of this review are to summarize professional recommendations for physical activity and exercise in children and adolescents, and identify family-centred strategies that can be implemented by weight management clinicians. Clinically oriented recommendations and policy statements from professional organizations were identified through literature and internet searches, summarized using rubrics of aerobic, muscle strengthening and bone strengthening exercise, then examined for details on family-based focus, inclusion of child developmental stage and age, and application to the prevention and treatment of obesity. Current recommendations give guidelines for the amount of physical activity that children should acquire and how many days a week activities should occur. However, available guidelines need an improved approach to addressing the role of the parents and caregivers in targeting physical activity and weight management in youth. Efforts must be taken in order to make sure that the types of physical activity offered are both suitable and enjoyable. Sports, games, free play and other age appropriate activities are adequate ways to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity in children. Differentiating physical activities types in accordance with developmental stage, level of enjoyment, and family characteristics is needed to establish sustainable habits. One paediatric obesity program has developed approaches to teaching families fun and engaging ways to be active together.

Measuring Physical Activity in Younger and Older Adults with Sickle Cell Disease Using Accelerometers

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to systematically review the literature to verify the association between participation in sports (PS) in childhood and adolescence and physical activity (PA) in adulthood. A systematic search was conducted in the following databases: Medline (PUBMED), Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus, LILACS and SciELO. All steps of the process followed the recommendations of the PRISMA FlowDiagram. After all the steps of the process, 29 articles were included for analysis. In general, only three of the studies analyzed found no relation between PS in childhood and adolescence and PA in adulthood. However, a positive relationship was found to be weak in only 7% of the studies, a moderate relation in 62% of the studies, and a strong relation in 21%. It was found that higher weekly frequencies of PS; persistence of at least three years of PS and, finally, the highest level of practice and/or competition reached were related to higher levels of PA in adulthood. Thus, it can be concluded that there is a positive association considered moderate to strong between PS in childhood and adolescence and PA in adulthood.

Obesogenic environments are thought to underlie the increased obesity prevalence observed in youth during the past decades. Understanding the environmental factors that are associated with physical activity (PA) in youth is needed to better inform the development of effective intervention strategies attempting to halt the obesity epidemic. We conducted a systematic semi-quantitative review of 150 studies on environmental correlates of youth PA published in the past 25 years. The ANalysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (ANGELO) framework was used to classify the environmental correlates studied. Most studies retrieved used cross-sectional designs and subjective measures of environmental factors and PA. Variables of the home and school environments were especially associated with children's PA. Most consistent positive correlates of PA were father's PA, time spent outdoors and school PA-related policies (in children), and support from significant others, mother's education level, family income, and non-vocational school attendance (in adolescents). Low crime incidence (in adolescents) was characteristic of the neighbourhood environment associated with higher PA. Convincing evidence of an important role for many other environmental factors was, however, not found. Further research should aim at longitudinal and intervention studies, and use more objective measures of PA and its potential (environmental) determinants.

Regular physical activity (PA) in youth has mental and social health outcomes (Ekelund, 2016; Biddle, 2019). Available data also suggest that the level of PA in youth predicts PA in adulthood (Telama, 2014; Varma, 2017). However, international studies (Aubert et al, 2018) have shown that the majority of young people do not achieve the PA levels recommended for health benefits (Guthold, 2020). However, despite policy intentions to develop sports infrastructure (Deguilhem, 2016; Esteban, 2016), a decrease in the overall level of physical inactivity will not be achieved by 2025 (Guthold, 2020). It seems to be a gap between the willingness of public services and the concrete actions of citizens. One of the commonly recognized obstacles to PA is the lack of time (Embersin, 2007). Thus, based on Elias' temporal model (1997) we propose to move beyond the linear view of time (chronos) to a perspective of timely time (kairos). Adopting an ecological perspective on human development, postulating that multiple determinants impact on our choices of physical activity (Bauman, 2012), we qualify and quantify the social times conducive to physical activity and inactivity. Using objective measurements of PA by accelerometry (ActiGraph GT3X) and a measure of social time by digital daily diary, we identify three profiles of adolescents whose perceptions of time vary according to their level of PA. Adolescents with an active profile (>3000 METs per week) practice PA within the framework of school and out-of-school by optimizing active transports, whereas those with a low activity profile (600>PA>3000 METs per week) are mainly involved in school PA. Finally, adolescents with an inactive profile (PA > 600 METs per week) only practice during compulsory physical education lessons and no social time records intense PA. As the only social time conducive to PA captured by all adolescents, the physical education lesson does not seem to be able, in its current form, to reduce inequalities in access to daily PA opportunities. There is scope for research into the organization of a school ecology (Waters, 2013; Turcotte, 2018) conducive to health education through PA.