24-h Movement Behaviors Research Articles

Test-Retest Reliability and Internal Consistency of a Newly Developed Questionnaire to Assess Explanatory Variables of 24-h Movement Behaviors in Adults.

A questionnaire on explanatory variables for each behavior of the 24-h movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep) was developed based on three levels of the socio-ecological model, i.e., the intrapersonal level, interpersonal level and the physical environmental level. Within these levels, different constructs were questioned, i.e., autonomous motivation, attitude, facilitators, internal behavioral control, self-efficacy, barriers, subjective norm, social modeling, social support, home environment, neighborhood, and work environment. The questionnaire was tested for test-retest reliability (i.e., intraclass correlation (ICC)) for each item and internal consistency for each construct (i.e., Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient) among a group of 35 healthy adults with a mean age of 42.9 (±16.1) years. The total questionnaire contained 266 items, consisting of 14 items on general information, 70 items on physical activity, 102 items on sedentary behavior, 45 items on sleep and 35 items on the physical environment. Seventy-one percent of the explanatory items showed moderate to excellent reliability (ICC between 0.50 and 0.90) and a majority of constructs had a good homogeneity among items (Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient ≥ 0.70). This newly developed and comprehensive questionnaire might be used as a tool to understand adults' 24-h movement behaviors.

How do 24-h movement behaviours change during and after vacation? A cohort study

BackgroundFor adults, vacations represent a break from daily responsibilities of work – offering the opportunity to re-distribute time between sleep, sedentary behaviour, light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) across the 24-h day. To date, there has been minimal research into how activity behaviour patterns change on vacation, and whether any changes linger after the vacation. This study examined how daily movement behaviours change from before, to during and after vacations, and whether these varied based on the type of vacation and vacation duration.MethodsData collected during the Annual Rhythms In Adults’ lifestyle and health (ARIA) study were used. 308 adults (mean age 40.4 years, SD 5.6) wore Fitbit Charge 3 fitness trackers 24 h a day for 13 months. Minute-by-minute movement behaviour data were aggregated into daily totals. Multi-level mixed-effects linear regressions were used to compare movement behaviours during and post-vacation (4 weeks) to pre-vacation levels (14 days), and to examine the associations with vacation type and duration.ResultsParticipants took an average of 2.6 (SD = 1.7) vacations of 12 (SD = 14) days’ (N = 9778 days) duration. The most common vacation type was outdoor recreation (35%) followed by family/social events (31%), rest (17%) and non-leisure (17%).Daily sleep, LPA and MVPA all increased (+ 21 min [95% CI = 19,24] p < 0.001, + 3 min [95% CI = 0.4,5] p < 0.02, and + 5 min [95% CI = 3,6] p < 0.001 respectively) and sedentary behaviour decreased (-29 min [95% CI = -32,-25] p < 0.001) during vacation. Post-vacation, sleep remained elevated for two weeks; MVPA returned to pre-vacation levels; and LPA and sedentary behaviour over-corrected, with LPA significantly lower for 4 weeks, and sedentary behaviour significantly higher for one week. The largest changes were seen for “rest” and “outdoor” vacations. The magnitude of changes was smallest for short vacations (< 3 days).ConclusionsVacations are associated with favourable changes in daily movement behaviours. These data provide preliminary evidence of the health benefits of vacations.Trial registrationThe study was prospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (Trial ID: ACTRN12619001430123).

Compositional PLS biplot based on pivoting balances: an application to explore the association between 24-h movement behaviours and adiposity

Movement behaviour data are compositional in nature, therefore the logratio methodology has been demonstrated appropriate for their statistical analysis. Compositional data can be mapped into the ordinary real space through new sets of variables (orthonormal logratio coordinates) representing balances between the original compositional parts. Geometric rotation between orthonormal logratio coordinates systems can be used to extract relevant information from any of them. We exploit this idea to introduce the concept of pivoting balances, which facilitates the construction and use of interpretable balances according to the purpose of the data analysis. Moreover, graphical representation through ternary diagrams has been ordinarily used to explore time-use compositions consisting of, or being amalgamated into, three parts. Data dimension reduction techniques can however serve well for visualisation and facilitate understanding in the case of larger compositions. We here develop suitable pivoting balance coordinates that in combination with an adapted formulation of compositional partial least squares regression biplots enable meaningful visualisation of more complex time-use patterns and their relationships with an outcome variable. The use and features of the proposed method are illustrated in a study examining the association between movement behaviours and adiposity from a sample of Czech school-aged girls. The results suggest that an adequate strategy for obesity prevention in this group would be to focus on achieving a positive balance of vigorous physical activity in combination with sleep against the other daily behaviours.

Associations between 24-h movement behaviours and BMI in Chinese primary- and middle- school students

PurposesThis cross-sectional study aimed to examine the associations between the 24-h movement behaviours and body mass index (BMI) of students from China by using compositional data analysis. MethodsA total of 389 students aged 6–16 years participated in this study. Accelerometers were used to measure moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light-intensity physical activity (LPA), sedentary behaviour (SED), and sleep. Weight and height were objectively measured. The association between 24-h movement and BMI was analyzed by using compositional data analysis. ResultsTime reallocation using minutes and proportions created major differences to the results. Reallocating 10 min from other movement behaviours to MVPA was associated with decreased BMI z-score of 1.372 to 0.158 among primary-school students. Reallocating 10 min from sleep and SED to MVPA, and from sleep and SED to LPA were associated with decreased BMI z-score of 0.505 to 0.017 among middle-school students. Reallocating 10% of time from all other components to SED and sleep were associated with a higher BMI z-score by 0.148 (95%CI: 0.020; 0.276) and 0.125 (95%CI: 0.046; 0.204), while reallocating time to MVPA was associated with a decrease in BMI z-scores of 0.132 (95%CI: -0.193; −0.070) among primary-school students. Reallocating 10% of time from all other components to SED was associated with a higher BMI z-score of 0.254 (95%CI: 0.165; 0.345), whereas reallocating time to MVPA and LPA was associated with a decrease in BMI z-scores of 0.039 (95%CI: -0.073; −0.005) and 0.093 (95%CI: -0.153; −0.033) among middle-school students. ConclusionResearch results of 10-min one-to-one reallocation may be treated cautiously due to uneven distribution of time in 24-h movement behaviours. Based on the results of 10% one-to-remaining reallocation, replacing SED with MVPA may be an appropriate target for adiposity intervention in primary-school students, while increasing MVPA or LPA at the expense of SED may be effective in controlling adiposity of middle-school students in China.

Validity and reliability of the daily activity behaviours questionnaire (DABQ) for the assessment of 24-h movement behaviours among adolescents

Measurement of the time spent in sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity across the full 24-h day (i.e. 24-h movement behaviours) is essential for time-use research among adolescents. However, self-reported questionnaires for the assessment of 24-h movement behaviours are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of recently developed Daily Activity Behaviours Questionnaire (DABQ) for the assessment of time spent in sleep, sedentary behaviour, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among adolescents. A convenience sample of 59 high-school students (34 female, age range: 15–18 years) was recruited. Participants were asked to complete a web-based DABQ at two occasions (two-weeks apart) to examine test-retest reliability of the DABQ, and to wear activPAL accelerometer to examine convergent validity of the DABQ. The test-retest reliability correlation coefficients (ICC) for the durations of sleep, sedentary behaviour, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were 0.49, 0.64, 0.51, and 0.66, respectively. Convergent validity correlation coefficients (Spearman’s ρ) were 0.51, 0.38, 0.25, and 0.53, respectively. Our findings are comparable with the reliability and validity of most existing sleep, sedentary behaviour, or physical activity questionnaires among adolescents. However, DABQ is one of the first validated questionnaires that resonates with the emerging 24-h movement paradigm. The observed reliability and validity are indicating satisfactory measurement properties of the DABQ to be used in time-use research among adolescents.

Associations between 24-h movement behaviors and self-rated health: a representative sample of school-aged children and adolescents in Okinawa, Japan

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the associations between adherence to 24-h movement behavior guidelines and self-rated health (SRH) among Japanese adolescents according to their age group. Study designThis was a cross-sectional study. MethodsProbability proportional sampling data, which were collected from six regions of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, considering the number of schools, included 2408 fifth-grade students (aged 10–11 years) in 31 elementary schools and 4360 eighth-grade students (aged 13–14 years) in 30 junior high schools. SRH, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), screen time (ST), sleep duration, and confounding factors (sex, weight status, family affluence, parental support, school satisfaction, and school demands) were self-reported. ResultsThe logistic regression models showed that adherence to ST and sleep recommendations in elementary school students was associated with a high prevalence of good health only, whereas adherence to only MVPA, only sleep, ST and sleep, MVPA and sleep, and all three recommendations were associated with a high prevalence of good health among junior high school students. All combinations that included achievement of the recommended sleep duration were associated with SRH. ConclusionsAchieving 24-h movement behavior guidelines, particularly sleep recommendations, is associated with better perceived health in school-aged children, especially in adolescents.

The Associations between 24-Hour Movement Behaviours and Quality of Life in Preschoolers: A Compositional Analysis of Cross-Sectional Data from 2018-2021.

Studies show that the quality of life (QoL) of preschoolers is closely related to physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviour (SB), and sleep (SL). Yet many researchers looked at these 24-h movement behaviours as behaviours that are independent of one another when examining the association of QoL with these behaviours. The main purpose of the present study was to describe the temporal trends in PA, SB, and SL in preschoolers and the concomitant association with QoL of children. Annual cross-sectional data on QoL and 24-h movement behaviours of 8045 Singaporean preschoolers were collected from 2018 to 2021. Compositional analysis, linear regression, and isotemporal replacement approaches were used to examine changes in PA, SB, and SL from 2018-2021 and how these changes were associated with QoL. Temporal trends in movement behaviours showed that PA and SL decreased after 2020. During 2018-2021, the association of PA and QoL in preschoolers was characterised by a 'U' curve (βPA-2018 = 3.06, p < 0.001; βPA-2019 = 1.43, p < 0.05; βPA-2020 = -0.43, p > 0.05; βPA-2021 = 2.82, p < 0.001), while SL and QoL were characterised by an inverted 'U' curve (βSL-2018 = -2.39, p < 0.001; βSL-2019 = -0.27, p > 0.05; βSL-2020 = 2.00, p < 0.01; βSL-2021 = -0.21, p > 0.05). SB was significantly and negatively associated with QoL after 2020, with 2020 identified as the inflection point for the change in SB (βSB-2018 = 0.67, p > 0.05; βSB-2019 = -1.16, p > 0.05; βSB-2020 = -1.56, p < 0.01; βSB-2021 = -2.61, p < 0.01). Using a time re-allocation technique to treat the 2021 data, reallocating time from SB to PA or to SL predicted improvements in QoL of preschoolers (Pall < 0.05). The study provided useful information on the temporal trends in PA, SB, SL, and QoL of preschoolers over four years. Additionally, these data provided insights into how changes in QoL are predicted by changes in duration in the 24-h movement behaviours.

The convergent effects of primary school physical activity, sleep, and recreational screen time on cognition and academic performance in grade 9

Lab-based experiments and randomized controlled trials consistently demonstrate improvements in youth cognition following physical activity (PA), while cross-sectional studies suggest that sedentary behavior (especially recreational screen time [RST]) and poor sleep are inversely related to cognition. However, little is known about how these 24-h movement behaviors-sleep, PA, and sedentary behavior-converge to affect youth cognition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to test the associations between childhood 24-h movement behaviors and adolescent cognition using a longitudinal design and examine moderating effects of each behavior. This study utilized structural equation modeling with data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,364, 52% female, 80% White). Independent variables-sleep, RST, and PA-were collected in grade 5. Dependent variables of cognitive and academic performance were collected at grade 9, including the Stroop task, Woodcock-Johnson, and Tower of London. Grade 5 PA was inversely associated with grade 9 cognition, but this relationship was no longer significant once grade 5 cognition was controlled for in analyses. Grade 5 sleep was positively related to grade 9 cognition, whether baseline cognition was controlled for or not. Finally, grade 5 RST was inversely related to cognition and academic performance, regardless of whether baseline values were controlled. Moderation analyses showed the relationship between grade 5 RST and grade 9 cognition was moderated by grade 5 PA, while the relationship between grade 5 PA and grade 9 cognition was moderated by grade 5 sleep. In each case, more PA and sleep blunted the negative relationships. These findings extend evidence that greater sleep promotes cognition and greater RST impairs cognition, by affirming these relationships over a longer period. They extend the evidence by demonstrating that the longitudinal relationship between individual 24-h movement behavior and cognition is moderated by other behaviors.

24-h movement behaviours in Spanish youth before and after 1-year into the covid-19 pandemic and its relationship to academic performance

Most studies have shown a decline in the adherence to 24-Hour Movement Guidelines because of Covid-19 lockdown. However, there is little evidence regarding changes 1-year after the pandemic in these guidelines and their possible impact on academic performance. The study aims were: (1) to examine the possible changes in 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for youth (i.e., at least 60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, ≤ 2 h per day of recreational screen time, and 9 to 11 h of sleep per day for children and 8 to 10 h for adolescents) before and after 1-year into the Covid-19 pandemic, and (2) to examine the possible changes in the relationship between 24-Hour Movement Behaviours (physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration) and academic performance before and after 1-year into the Covid-19. This is a repeated cross-sectional study in two different samples of young Spanish at different times. Firstly, a total of 844 students (13.12 ± 0.86; 42.7% girls) completed a series of valid and reliable questionnaires about physical activity levels, recreational screen time, sleep duration and academic performance before Covid-19 pandemic (March to June 2018). Secondly, a different sample of 501 students (14.39 ± 1.16; 55.3% girls) completed the same questionnaires 1-year after Covid-19 pandemic (February to March 2021). Adherence to the three 24-Hour Movement Guidelines was significantly lower 1-year after into the Covid-19 pandemic (0.2%) than before the pandemic (3.3%), while adherence to none of these three recommendations was significantly higher 1-year after the Covid-19 pandemic (66.3%) than before the pandemic (28.9%). The positive relationship between physical activity levels and academic performance was no longer significant after 1-year into Covid-19 pandemic (β = − 0.26; p < 0.001). 1-year after Covid-19 pandemic, the relationship between recreational screen time (β = − 0.05; p > 0.05) and sleep duration (β = 0.05; p < 0.001) with academic performance did not change compared to pre-pandemic. The results suggest that 24-Hour Movement Behaviours have worsened among young people 1-year after Covid-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic period. Moreover, the physical activity benefits associated in terms of academic performance seem to have disappeared because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, there is a public health problem that requires priority and coordinated action by schools, policy makers, and researchers to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on 24-Hour Movement Behaviours.

Healthier movement behavior profiles are associated with higher psychological wellbeing among emerging adults attending post-secondary education

BackgroundEmerging adulthood is a stressful time fraught with new challenges while attending higher education. Identifying protective factors to help reduce the psychological burden that many will experience during this period is therefore important. This study aimed to identify whether emerging adults attending post-secondary education can be classified into distinct profiles based on their 24-h movement behaviors, evaluate correlates of profile membership, and examine relationships between profile membership and indicators of mental health. MethodsThis cross-sectional study used data from Cycle 1 of the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey. Emerging adults (N = 15,080; 67.6 % female; mean age = 20.78 ± 2.00) from 20 post-secondary institutions in Canada self-reported their movement behaviors – moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), recreational screen time (ST) and sleep – and completed measures of psychological distress and mental wellbeing. Latent profile analysis was employed. ResultsFive profiles were identified: low ST with very high (12.6 %), high (24.4 %) and low MVPA (51.2 %) as well as high ST with high (2.3 %) and low MVPA (9.4 %). Profiles had similar sleep patterns and were thus characterized by differences in MVPA and ST. Several socio-demographic variables were associated with profile membership. Profiles characterized by healthier combinations of MVPA, ST and sleep generally reported more favorable scores for indicators of mental health. LimitationsCross-sectional data limits causal inference, whereas self-reports may be biased. ConclusionsCampus-based interventions should focus on getting students to engage in a healthy balance of physical activity and recreational screen use as it has the potential to reduce the mental health burden on emerging adults attending post-secondary education.

Changes in the 24-h movement behaviors during the transition to retirement: compositional data analysis

BackgroundTransition to retirement is shown to affect sleep, sedentary time and physical activity, but no previous studies have examined how retirement changes the distribution of time spent daily in these movement behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine longitudinally how the composition of 24-h movement behaviors changes during the transition to retirement using compositional data analysis (CoDA).MethodsWe included 551 retiring public sector workers (mean age 63.2 years, standard deviation 1.1) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study. The study participants wore a wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometer for one week 24 h per day before and after retirement, with one year between the measurements. The daily proportions to time spent sleeping, in sedentary behavior (SED), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were estimated using the GGIR package. Changes in the daily proportions of movement behaviors were examined using Compositional Data Analysis version of linear mixed models.ResultsIn general, the proportion of time spent in active behaviors decreased relative to time spent in passive behaviors after retirement (p < .001). This change depended on occupation (occupation*time interaction p < .001). After retirement manual workers increased the proportions of both sleep and SED in relation to active behaviors, whereas non-manual workers increased the proportion of sleep in relation to active behaviors and SED. The proportion of MVPA decreased relatively more than the proportion of LPA (p = 0.01), independently of gender and occupation.ConclusionsRetirement induced a decrease in the proportion of time spent in active behaviors, especially time spent in MVPA. Future studies are needed to find ways to maintain or increase daily physical activity levels at the cost of sedentary behaviors among retirees.

Impact of Virtual vs. In-Person School on Children Meeting the 24-h Movement Guidelines during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The pandemic mitigation strategy of closing schools, while necessary, may have unintentionally impacted children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sleep, and time spent watching screens. In some locations, schools used hybrid attendance models, with some days during the week requiring in-person and others virtual attendance. This scenario offers an opportunity to evaluate the impact of attending in-person school on meeting the 24-h movement guidelines. Children (N = 690, 50% girls, K–5th) wore wrist-placed accelerometers for 14 days during October/November 2020. Parents completed daily reports on child time spent on screens and time spent on screens for school. The schools’ schedule was learning for 2 days/week in-person and 3 days/week virtually. Using only weekdays (M–F), the 24-h movement behaviors were classified, and the probability of meeting all three was compared between in-person vs. virtual learning and across grades. Data for 4956 weekdays (avg. 7 d/child) were collected. In-person school was associated with a greater proportion (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.33–2.18) of days that children were meeting the 24-h movement guidelines compared to virtual school across all grades. Students were more likely to meet the screen time (OR = 9.14, 95% CI: 7.05–11.83) and MVPA (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.25–1.80) guidelines and less likely to meet the sleep (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.62–0.86) guidelines on the in-person compared to the virtual school days. Structured environments, such as school, have a protective effect on children’s movement behaviors, especially physical activity and screen time.

Identifying the most proximal multi-level factors associated with meeting each of the 24-h movement behavior recommendations in a sample of autistic adults

BackgroundAutistic adults have poorer 24-h movement behaviors, including lower levels of physical activity, more time spent being sedentary, and shorter sleep duration than neurotypical adults. Social ecological frameworks posit that 24-h movement behaviors are determined by multi-level domains; however, not known is which multi-level factors are most important to meeting each of the 24-h movement behavior guidelines among autistic adults. ObjectiveThis study examined the relative importance of a range of multi-level determinants on meeting guidelines for the 24-h movement behaviors of aerobic physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep. MethodsWe administered at cross-sectional electronic survey to a national self-selecting, convenience sample of autistic adults and caregivers of autistic adults residing in the USA. We used machine learning to examine the relative variable importance (VIMP) of 55 multi-level variables with meeting recommendations for physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep duration. VIMPs >0 indicate predictive variables/domains. ResultsA greater number of group activities attended in the last 3-months, and greater independence in completing activities of daily living were most important to meeting aerobic physical activity guidelines. Group activity participation and marital status were important to meeting sedentary behavior guidelines while having a fewer number of comorbidities was most important to achieving adequate sleep. ConclusionsThese data support hypotheses about the role of family and social level interventions targeting movement behaviors in autistic adults.

Association between air pollution and 24-h movement behaviours in a representative sample of Spanish youth

PurposeThe aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between air pollution and 24-h movement guidelines in Spanish children/adolescents. MethodsThis cross-sectional study analysed secondary data from the Encuesta Nacional de Salud Española (2017), a representative survey for the Spanish population. The original dataset included 6016 Spanish young people (aged 0–14 years). Since the data on 24-h movement recommendations were limited to Spanish young people aged 2–14 years, the final sample included 4398 (49.2% girls) Spanish young people. Air pollution was evaluated by particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) from different Spanish regions and divided into tertiles representing areas with low, medium, and high pollution. Sleep duration and recreational screen time and were reported by the parents/caregivers. Physical activity was evaluated by an adapted version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Time spent in screen time, sleep, and physical activity were classified as meeting or not the 24-h movement guidelines. ResultsAfter adjusting for several covariates (sex, age, immigrant status, region, socioeconomic status, and body mass index), lower odds of meeting with the 24-h movement recommendations were found in those living in areas with medium (odds ratio [OR] = 0.55; confident interval [CI] 95%, 0.46–0.67) or high air pollution (OR = 0.45; CI 95%, 0.36–0.55), compared with those living in areas with low air pollution. ConclusionsThe movement behaviour of young people seems to be associated with the presence of air pollution among Spanish youth. Spanish public health agencies could consider the development of strategies to mitigate the health risks for children/adolescents in high air polluted areas.

Effects of Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Exercise on 24 h Movement Behaviors in Inactive Female University Students.

The purpose of this study was to examine if low-volume, high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) was associated with changes in 24-h movement behaviors. A quasi-experimental study design was used. We collected accelerometry data from 21 eligible participants who consistently wore an ActiGraph for a period of two-weeks. Differences in behaviors were analyzed using a paired t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance. Regression analysis was used to explore relationships with factors that impacted changes. The results indicated a compensatory increase in sedentary time (ST) (4.4 ± 6.0%, p < 0.01) and a decrease in light-intensity physical activity (LPA) (−7.3 ± 16.7%, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA), vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA), and total physical activity (TPA) increased following exercise (p < 0.001). Sleep duration and prolonged sedentary time were reduced (p < 0.05). Exercise intensity and aerobic capacity were associated with changes in ST. The results from the study indicate that participating in a low-volume HIIE encouraged participants who were previously inactive to become more active. The observations of increases in ST may have displaced a prolonged sitting time. The decrease in sleeping time observed may be reflecting an increased sleep quality in connection with increased higher-intensity PA.

Effects of physical activity intervention on 24-h movement behaviors: a compositional data analysis

We utilized compositional data analysis (CoDA) to study changes in the composition of the 24-h movement behaviors during an activity tracker based physical activity intervention. A total of 231 recently retired Finnish retirees were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention participants were requested to use a commercial activity tracker bracelet with daily activity goal and inactivity alerts for 12 months. The controls received no intervention. The 24-h movement behaviors, i.e., sleep, sedentary time (SED), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were estimated from wrist-worn ActiGraph data using the GGIR R-package. Three balance coordinates describing the composition of movement behaviors were applied: ratio of active vs. passive behaviors, LPA vs. MVPA, and sleep vs. SED. A linear mixed model was used to study changes between the baseline and 6-month time point. Overall, the changes in the 24-h movement behaviors were small and did not differ between the groups. Only the ratio of LPA to MVPA tended to change differently between the groups (group*time interaction p = 0.08) as the intervention group increased LPA similarly to controls but decreased their MVPA. In conclusion, the use of a commercial activity tracker may not be enough to induce changes in the 24-h movement behaviors among retirees.

24-Hour movement behaviours and COVID-19 among children in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A repeat cross-sectional study

This study investigated how children's 24-hour (24-h) movement behaviours were affected by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Previous research examined 24-h movement behaviours in Saudi Arabia seven months after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. This repeat cross-sectional study examined changes in 24-h movement behaviours 12 months after the WHO declaration. The Time 2 survey repeated five months (1 March – 15 May 2021) after Time 1 survey (1 October – 11 November 2020). The survey was distributed to parents of children aged 6–12 years across Saudi Arabia via an online survey. Children were classified as meeting 24-h movement guidelines if they reported uninterrupted sleep for 9–11 ​h per night, ≤ 2 ​h of recreational sedentary screen time (RST) per day and ≥ 60 ​min of moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) per day. A total of 1 045 parents from all regions of Saudi Arabia responded (42.4%). Only 1.8% of children met all components of the guidelines, compared to 3.4% in Time 1. In the present study, girls spent more days per week in MVPA ≥ 60 ​min duration than boys (3.0 vs 2.6; p ​= ​0.025), while boys had spent more days per week engaged in activities that strengthened muscle and bone than girls (3.0 vs 2.8; p ​= ​0.019). Healthy levels of physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviour (SB) and sleep further declined in Saudi children five months after the Time 1 survey. These challenges require urgent intervention to ensure children's movement behaviours improve as Saudi Arabia moves out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Validity and Reliability of the Daily Activity Behaviours Questionnaire (DABQ) for Assessment of Time Spent in Sleep, Sedentary Behaviour, and Physical Activity.

Sleep, sedentary behaviour (SB), and physical activity are among key behavioural determinants of health. There is a need to evaluate questionnaires that capture movement behaviours across the full 24-h day. The aim of this study was to examine the measurement properties of the Daily Activity Behaviours Questionnaire (DABQ), a novel questionnaire (with a past seven-day recall period) for estimating the time spent in sleep, SB, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adults. A sample of 126 adults was recruited. DABQ was administered to the participants on two occasions seven days apart to examine its test-retest reliability. The convergent validity of DABQ estimates was explored against activPAL4 accelerometer/inclinometer estimates. Intraclass correlation coefficients for absolute agreement and consistency between the times spent in sleep, SB, LPA, and MVPA estimated by DABQ in the test and re-test ranged from 0.59 to 0.69. Spearman’s correlations between the times spent in sleep, SB, LPA, and MVPA estimated by DABQ and activPAL4 ranged from 0.38 to 0.66. In terms of reliability and validity, DABQ is comparable with existing questionnaires; however, it has an important advantage of enabling a comprehensive assessment of all four 24-h movement behaviours. The measurement properties of DABQ make it suitable for large-scale epidemiological studies on 24-h movement behaviours.

Impact of the COVID-19 virus outbreak on 24-h movement behaviours among children in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional survey.

BackgroundIn March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus (COVID‐19) outbreak as a pandemic. This led many governments to place restrictions on population movement to aid in pandemic control. These restrictions were expected to produce some type of impact on the daily lives of children and their families. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID‐19 on 24‐h movement behaviours among Saudi children aged 6–12 years, during the pandemic.MethodsAn online survey of Saudi parents (n = 1021) was conducted between 1 October to 11 November 2020 to gather information about the impact of the COVID‐19 outbreak on children's 24‐h movement behaviours, parent and child factors that may be associated with movement behaviours, and perceived changes in children's movement behaviours.ResultsOnly 3.4% of Saudi children met all components of 24‐h movement guidelines. Compared with before COVID‐19, children's PA levels declined, they slept more, and their use of electronic screen devices significantly increased. The perceived changes in PA and SB were more unfavourable among girls than boys. Children of older parents, mothers, and those with lower education levels and lower monthly incomes were more likely to meet 24‐h movement guidelines.ConclusionThe COVID‐19 virus outbreak unfavourably affected Saudi children's movement behaviours, more specifically, girls, which should be taken into account in future research. The results provide an insight into what has changed because of the COVID‐19 restrictions and could be considered as part of the response strategies in Saudi Arabia.

US adults with visual impairments meeting 24-h movement guidelines: Updated national prevalence estimates

BackgroundDespite known benefits of engaging in recommended amounts of physical activity (PA), sleep, and sedentary behavior (SB), little is known about how adults with visual impairments (VIs) meet these guidelines in isolation or simultaneously. ObjectiveThis study estimated (a) the prevalence of US adults with VIs who are partially or fully meeting the 24-h movement guidelines, and (b) the differential contribution of work-related, leisure, and transportation to total time accrued for PA. MethodsA cross-sectional sample of adults with VIs (n = 466) was drawn from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–2018 combined datasets. Guideline adherence was measured using self-report items for average time spent physically active, sitting and sleeping. Weighted prevalence estimates were produced for meeting guidelines separately and in combination. The average percent of PA minutes accrued across work-related, leisure and transportation were compared among those meeting PA guidelines. ResultsAn estimated 29.6% (SE = 3.6) of US adults with VIs met all three guidelines. An estimated 59.3% (SE = 3.5) adults with VIs met PA guidelines alone or in combination with SB and sleep. Within this group, the majority of weekly PA minutes (average 63.9%) was accrued at work. ConclusionsAn estimated two thirds of adults with VIs are not engaged in healthful 24-h movement behaviors. Targeted interventions for adults with VIs are warranted that may require a comprehensive approach to PA, SB, and sleep. Work emerged as an important location for adults with VIs to accrue PA, inviting future research to explore associations between employment and 24-h movements within this population.