Activity Behavior Research Articles

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Co-Designed and Co-Created Healthy Lifestyle Social Media Intervention Programme the Daily Health Coach for Young Women: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

Background: Young women spend 50 min daily on social media (SM); thus, SM platforms are promising for health interventions. This study tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the co-designed SM intervention the Daily Health Coach (DHC). The DHC is a 3-month healthy lifestyles intervention programme, targeting eating, physical activity, and social wellbeing behaviours in women aged 18–24, via the dissemination of health and nutrition content on social media platform Instagram. Methods: The programme was tested using an assessor-blinded, two-arm pilot randomised controlled trial with 46 participants over 12 weeks. Engagement was assessed via SM metrics; acceptability via post-programme questionnaires; and feasibility included retention, randomisation, recruitment, and data collection. Secondary outcomes—dietary quality, physical activity, social influence, disordered eating behaviours, body image, and digital health literacy—were assessed using validated surveys. Analyses included t-tests, chi-squared tests, and linear mixed models. The treatment effects were estimated by testing mean score differences from baseline to 3 months for intention-to-treat populations. Results: The DHC scored 83.6% for programme satisfaction. Over time, a significant decrease in body image disturbance was observed (p = 0.013). A significant group-by-time interaction for digital health literacy (p = 0.002) indicated increased ability to discern evidence-based nutrition information (p = 0.006). The waitlist control group showed increased social influence compared to the intervention group (p = 0.034). No other significant changes were observed. Conclusion: The DHC is a feasible and acceptable method for disseminating nutrition information. Larger studies are needed to determine efficacy.

Conscious Initiation to Promote Physical Activity: A Behavioral Experiment and A Randomized Controlled Trial Intervention.

Previous studies have investigated the encouragement of healthy behaviors through both conscious manipulation and unconscious priming. However, direct comparisons between these two approaches are limited, resulting in interventions that may lack precision. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of conscious and unconscious priming on the intention to engage in physical activity, with the goal of identifying and applying the most effective method as a targeted intervention to bridge the gap between intention and actual physical activity. In study 1, 116 participants were screened in a 2 × 2 (conscious vs. unconscious) × (prime vs. control) online experiment to examine the influence of implementation intention manipulation and goal priming on physical activity. Building on these results, study 2 employed a randomized controlled trial with 127 participants to assess the effects of conscious mental simulation interventions on physical activity behavior. Study 1 showed that both conscious manipulation (p = .046) and unconscious priming (p = .004) significantly increased the choice of sports activities, with conscious manipulation being more effective. Study 2 found significant impacts of mixed simulation on activity levels immediately and one-week post-intervention (p = .001), with day-after intervention effects notable in the simulation group. This study explored the causal relationship between priming process physical activity, and found out the promotion effect of conscious mental simulation intervention on physical activity.

'I can't relate to it': Exploring autistic and non-autistic adults' perceptions of the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.

Despite sufficient physical activity (PA) being strongly associated with better health outcomes, half of the Australian population does not meet the Australian PA and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines. This shortfall is more pronounced among autistic adults, who exhibit poorer health outcomes and lower PA levels than non-autistic adults. Despite these disparities, there is a limited understanding of how autistic and non-autistic individuals perceive and interpret the PA guidelines. This study investigated how autistic and non-autistic adults perceive and comprehend the Australian PA guidelines. This study used interpretative phenomenological analysis. A total of 15 autistic and 20 non-autistic adults were interviewed, and 4 themes that were largely similar between both groups were identified: (1) Lack of Awareness and Engagement with the PA Guidelines, (2) Misinterpretation of Key Terms and Concepts, (3) Perceived lack of Relevance and Relatability of the PA Guidelines and (4) Lack of Inclusivity. The findings underscore the importance of crafting health communication and promotion materials that are more visible, clear, inclusive and engaging for non-autistic and autistic individuals in Australia. SO WHAT?: This study highlights the potential for improving the number of people correctly understanding the PA guidelines by addressing dissemination methods, knowledge and interpretation of the guidelines as some components of the multifaceted process required to achieve behaviour change.

Recruitment of Adolescents to Virtual Clinical Trials: Recruitment Results From the Health4Me Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Background Preventive interventions are needed to provide targeted health support to adolescents to improve health behaviors. Engaging adolescents in preventive interventions remains a challenge, highlighting the need for innovative recruitment strategies. Given adolescents’ lives are intertwined with digital technologies, attention should be focused on these avenues for recruitment. The evolving nature of clinical trials, including the emergence of virtual clinical trials, requires new recruitment approaches, which must be evaluated. Objective This study aimed to examine the effectiveness and cost of various digital recruitment strategies for recruiting adolescents to a virtual clinical trial, evaluate the progression of participants from screening to enrollment, and explore factors associated with nonparticipation. This was conducted using data from the Health4Me Study, a preventive digital health intervention to improve physical activity and nutrition behaviors among adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Methods Participants were recruited into the Health4Me Study via social media advertisements on various contemporary platforms, emails to schools, emails to contacts within known networks, and emails to relevant youth organizations. Data were collected from social media advertisements, screening, and recruitment logs. Data analysis included summary and descriptive statistics, as well as chi-square tests to explore factors associated with nonparticipation. Results From 2369 expressions of interest, 390 (16.4%) participants were enrolled. A total of 19 advertisements were placed on social media, and 385 promotional emails were sent to schools, contacts within known networks, and relevant youth organizations. Social media advertisements reached 408,077 unique accounts. Advertisements mostly reached those living in populous states in Australia (306,489/408,077, 75.11% of unique accounts) and those identifying as female (177,698/408,077, 43.55% of unique accounts). A total of 24.97% (101,907/408,077) of advertisements were delivered to accounts with uncategorized genders. The total cost per participant enrolled was Aus $3.89 (approximately US $2.58). Most participants (1980/2305, 85.90%) found out about this study through Instagram. Differences in screening characteristics between eligible participants who did and did not enroll were found to be statistically significant for gender (P=.02), with fewer males and more individuals reporting their gender as “other” enrolling than expected by chance alone. The recruitment method also differed (P<.001), with fewer participants enrolling through Instagram and more enrolling through other methods (eg, known networks or word of mouth) than expected by chance alone. Conclusions This study found that virtual clinical trial recruitment was found to be low-cost, with the potential to increase trial participation. Social media was the most effective recruitment method, reaching all states and territories, including hard-to-reach populations. Future action is needed to explore recruitment methods that are more effective for males and to build trust among adolescents regarding clinical trial recruitment via social media.

Assessment of UK Heavy Goods Vehicle drivers' lifestyle behaviours: a cross-sectional study.

Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers face difficult working conditions, promoting unhealthy lifestyle behaviours which are associated with an elevated prevalence of long-term health conditions. 109 drivers across the UK completed an online survey investigating differences in lifestyle behaviours between drivers with (N = 54) and without obesity (N = 55), including differences on work and non-workdays using an exploratory data analysis approach. Drivers with obesity (49.6%) perceived more barriers to healthy eating and being active than drivers without obesity. Drivers with obesity reported choosing more unhealthy options as snacks, ate more often at fast-food chains, and fewer fulfilled the physical activity guidelines. Additionally, the two groups differed regarding food and beverage choices on work and non-workdays. HGV drivers with obesity exhibit various dietary and physical activity behaviours associated with overnutrition and poor cardiometabolic health.

Machine learning derived physical activity in preschool children with developmental coordination disorder.

To compare the device-measured physical activity behaviours of preschool children with typical motor development to those with probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD) and at risk for developmental coordination disorder (DCDr). A total of 497 preschool children (4-5 years) in the Coordination and Activity Tracking in CHildren (CATCH) study completed repeated motor assessments and wore an ActiGraph GT3X on the right hip at baseline for 1 week. We calculated physical activity metrics from raw accelerometer data using a validated random forest classification machine learning model for preschool-age children. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression models compared physical activity between typically developing children, children at risk for DCDr, and those with pDCD identified based on motor scores at baseline and averaged over time, accounting for age, sex, and accelerometer wear time. We found no differences in daily time spent sedentary, in light physical activity, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity between typically developing children, children at risk for DCDr, and those with pDCD. However, children in the DCD groups spent less time doing ambulatory activities (walking/running) than typically developing children. Analysis of variance: baseline classification, DCDr to typically developing, run: F = 5.34, p = 0.005, classification averaged over time, DCDr to typically developing, walk: F = 5.82, p = 0.003. Regressions: DCDr compared to typically developing for walk: B = -3.47 (standard error 1.05), p < 0.001, pDCD compared to typically developing for run: B = -1.82 (standard error 0.62), p = 0.004. Designing interventions for preschool children with motor difficulties targeting specific physical activity types (walk/run) may help mitigate physical activity intensity differences observed later in childhood.

DE-PASS Best Evidence Statement (BESt): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Effectiveness of Trials on Device-Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour and Their Determinants in Children Aged 5-12 Years.

To combat the high prevalence of physical inactivity among children, there is an urgent need to develop and implement real-world interventions and policies that promote physical activity (PA) and reduce sedentary behaviour (SB). To inform policy makers, the current body of evidence for children's PA/SB interventions needs to be translated. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify modifiable determinants of device-measured PA and SB targeted in available intervention studies with randomized controlled trial (RCT) and controlled trial (CT) designs in children and early adolescents (5-12 years) and to quantify the effects of the interventions within their respective settings on the determinants of PA/SB and the outcomes PA and SB. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and CENTRAL. Studies were considered if they were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or controlled trials (CTs), included children and/or early adolescents (5-12years; henceforth termed children), measured PA and/or SB using device-based methods and measured PA and/or SB and determinants of PA/SB at least at two timepoints. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomised Trials (RoB2) for RCTs and Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) for CTs. The quality of the generated evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Robust Bayesian meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the effects of the interventions on the determinants of PA/SB, and the outcomes PA and SB, stratifying by study design, duration of PA/SB measurement, intervention setting and duration of follow-up measurement. Study characteristics and interventions were summarized. Thirty-eight studies were included with a total sample size of n = 14,258 (67% girls). Settings identified were school, family/home, community and combinations of these. The review identified 38 modifiable determinants, spanning seven categories on individual, interpersonal and physical environmental levels, with 66% of determinants on the individual level. Overall, the results indicated trivial-to-moderate effects of the interventions on the determinants of PA and SB, with mostly trivial level of evidence for the presence of an effect (as indicated by a small Bayes factor; BF10 < 3.00). The exceptions were moderate effects on parental PA modelling in the family/home setting and SB measured during specific parts of the school day. Higher quality of evidence was found in the family/home setting compared with other settings. Overall, the results indicated that interventions have neither been effective in modifying the determinants of PA/SB, nor changing the PA/SB outcomes in children. In general, the approach in the current review revealed the breadth of methodological variability in children's PA interventions. Research is needed to address novel approaches to children's PA research and to identify potential determinants to inform policy and future interventions. International prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO): CRD42021282874.

Longitudinal Associations Between TikTok Use, Self-Concept Clarity, and Anxiety Among Chinese Emerging Adults: Exploring Differential Impacts of Active and Passive TikTok Use

Short-form video applications, such as TikTok, have gained significant popularity among emerging adults. We conducted a longitudinal study to gather data at three time points from two universities in South China. A total of 590 university students ( M age = 19.83; SD age = 1.24) completed the questionnaires measuring active and passive TikTok use behaviors at time 1 (T1, April 2022), self-concept clarity at time 2 (T2, October 2022), and anxiety both at Time 1 (T1, April 2022) and at Time 3 (T3, April 2023). The results showed that T1 active TikTok use had a negative correlation with T3 anxiety ( r = −0.23, p &lt; .001), while T1 passive TikTok use had a positive correlation with T3 anxiety ( r = 0.30, p &lt; .001). Both T1 active TikTok use (95% CI [0.03, 0.09]) and T1 passive TikTok use (95% CI [0.07, 0.16]) can predict T3 anxiety indirectly by reducing T2 self-concept clarity. Moreover, even after considering T2 self-concept clarity, the direct impact of T1 active TikTok use on T3 anxiety remained significant (95% CI [−0.24, −0.09]), but the direct effect of T1 passive TikTok use on T3 anxiety was not significant (95% CI [−0.04, 0.12]).

Does the intervention of the school-based health promotion programme “Join the Healthy Boat” have equal or differential effects on weight status and health-related behaviours in children from a high or low socio-economic background? – A randomised controlled trial

BackgroundWorldwide, the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity increases. Children with low socioeconomic status (SES) are more often affected by overweight and obesity. SES is also associated with health behaviours. In order to avoid health disparities, school-based health promotion programmes such as “Join the Healthy Boat” can help. Intervention outcomes can differ by SES; therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether the intervention had equal or differential effects both on weight status and health-related behaviours in children from high and low SES.MethodsOne thousand six hundred twenty children’s data (7.1 ± 0.6 years; 50.6% male) was analysed; anthropometric data was taken on-site, other health-related parameters, such as physical activity, nutrition, and screen media use, as well as SES were assessed subjectively. Logistic regression models and GEEs were calculated.ResultsComparisons by SES show that there were significant differences in children’s characteristics and health behaviours such as migration background, height, weight, BMI percentiles, weight status, family education level, household income, physical activity behaviour, screen media use, soft drink intake and breakfast skipping. After one year, there were no intervention effects for overweight status, physical activity, or screen media use, but children with high SES in the intervention group skipped breakfast significantly less often than in the control group (5.34 [1.44;19.85], p = 0.01). Parental education level and household income were also assessed separately, with similar results. Interaction analysis revealed no significant effects apart from an interaction effect for breakfast behaviour (p = 0.02).ConclusionsThe health-promotion programme “Join the Healthy Boat” has the potential to promote children’s health via a school-based intervention and therefore, reach all children independent from their background. This study shows vast gaps between several health behaviours of primary school children depending on their SES, favouring those children coming from more privileged families. A longer implementation may possibly show more effects.Trial registrationDRKS00000949.

The relationship of parents’ attributes and practices with the promotion of recommended movement behaviours in young children during school suspensions

ABSTRACT This study investigated the influence of parental attributes and practices on the promotion of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) guidelines in young children during a period of school suspension. We surveyed parents (N = 357) who had at least one preschool-aged child in Hong Kong. Parents’ perceived difficulties in ensuring sufficient PA and limited SB were heightened during school suspension relative to regular school time. The time spent by children performing daily PA decreased to 72.5% relative to regular school time. Contrasting with theorized relationships, parents with more positive PA-related attributes reported greater difficulty in promoting PA and SB guidelines during school suspension. The findings highlight the importance of parental support when family routines are disrupted. Recommendations include the dissemination of health information and the development of resources for indoor PA. Multifaceted approaches should acknowledge individual and contextual factors, supported by further research on PA-related parenting within relevant sociocultural contexts.

Inpatient stroke rehabilitation activity: Barriers, enablers, and changes in activity behaviour with diary use

The Australian Stroke Foundation guidelines recommend participation in at least 3 hours of physical and occupational therapy daily during stroke rehabilitation. The majority of services in Australia do not currently meet this guideline. This study explored the usefulness of activity diary implementation in increasing activity during inpatient stroke rehabilitation and identified barriers and enablers to activity level guideline adherence, as perceived by clinicians. Using a mixed-methods, longitudinal embedded-design study, two participant cohorts were recruited: people undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation and stroke rehabilitation clinicians. Behaviour mapping pre- and post-implementation of activity diaries measured inpatient activity levels. Clinician surveys assessed enablers and barriers to inpatient activity level guideline adherence, both pre- and post-implementation. Twelve adults undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation were included. Trends toward reduced time spent sedentary (d = –0.797, 95% confidence interval (CI) [–1.811, 0.217]), increased independent ADL practice (d = 0.861, 95% CI [–0.159, 1.88]), and lower limb active practice were noted after diary implementation (d = 0.778, 95% CI [–0.234, 1.791]). Sixteen clinicians completed 14 pre-diary implementation and nine post-implementation surveys. The main themes identified as clinician-perceived barriers to activity level guideline adherence included de-prioritisation of activity, staff shortages, caseload demands, lack of family and patient-friendly resources, and stroke-related factors. The facilitators included activity diaries, behaviour change, and multidisciplinary communication. Active time among people undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation increased after implementation of the diaries. Despite the identified institutional barriers to inpatient activity engagement, activity diaries may assist in promoting an increase in activity among people undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

Nonlinear associations between street-level greenery quantity and quality, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: A socioeconomic equity perspective

Despite studies investigating the relationships among greenery, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour, it remains unclear whether such associations are nonlinear. Scant attention has also been paid to the role of greenery from a socioeconomic equity perspective. Thus, we assessed possible nonlinear associations between street-level greenery, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour in middle-aged and older adults. We also examined whether and how street-level greenery may increase socioeconomic equity in physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Data on physical activity and sedentary behaviour were obtained from the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health in Shanghai, China. The quantity and quality of street-level greenery were assessed using segmented street-view images based on deep learning methods. The results of fitting gradient-boosting decision trees showed that street-level greenery quantity was positively related to physical activity. We observed a steep increase in physical activity at low greenery quantity and flattening out at higher quantity. Street-level greenery quality was negatively related to sedentary behaviour. While sedentary behaviour did not change significantly at low greenery quality, the decrease became steep at higher quality. The greenery association was stronger for low incomers and those in deprived neighbourhoods.

Agmatine Attenuates Behavioral and Biochemical Alterations in Rats Exposed to Ethanol during Adolescence

Background: Ethanol is a psychoactive substance and its use throughout adolescence may have a role in the development of alcoholism in adulthood which causes behavioral changes and structural alterations in particular brain regions that may be the source of these cognitive and motor impairments. As an endogenous amine, agmatine has drawn a lot of interest in relation to drug addiction and its aftereffects. It is an endogenous neuromodulator that has been shown to be a potential agent to manage diverse central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The current investigation aims to elucidate the role of agmatine in mediating behavioral alterations resulting from prolonged exposure to ethanol in rats during their early adolescent years. Methods: Rats received saline (1 ml/kg, p.o.) or ethanol (5 g/kg/day, 35% v/v) once a day from PND 28 to PND 49. Chronic ethanol intoxication during the CNS developing may induce sustainable neurobehavioral alterations in rats. After PND 70, the rats were subjected to behavioural and biochemical tests. Results: Chronic ethanol exposure significantly reduced locomotor activity, increased anxiety-like and depressive behaviors, and impaired cognitive function in adolescent rats. These behavioral alterations were accompanied by elevated oxidative stress, decreased hippocampal BDNF levels, increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and disrupted neurotransmitter balance. Agmatine administration at both 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg doses notably improved locomotor activity, reduced anxiety and depressive behaviors, and enhanced cognitive performance. Additionally, agmatine treatment reduced oxidative stress, restored BDNF levels, normalized TNF-α and IL6 levels, and corrected the neurotransmitter imbalance in ethanol-exposed rats. Conclusion: Prolonged exposure to ethanol during adolescence elicits persistent behavioural changes, characterized by diminished spontaneous locomotion and impaired balance. Administration of Agmatine effectively restores locomotor activity, alleviates anxiety and depression, and enhances both spatial learning and recognition memory in rats exposed to ethanol. Additionally, agmatine treatment attenuates oxidative stress indicators, including nitrite and lipid peroxidation levels, specifically in the cerebral cortex. These findings suggest that Agmatine holds potential as a viable therapeutic intervention for mitigating both the behavioural and biochemical repercussions induced by ethanol exposure in the rat model.

Men and women choose moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviors with a “hot” mind rather than a “cold” one

BackgroundThe primary aim of our study is to explore how moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA), vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sedentary behavior (SB) in men and women (ages 18–74; 4545 females and 1824 males) are associated with age, education, psychological factors (cognitive reflection/”cold” mind, emotional intelligence (E), impulsivity, perceived stress), health behaviors (overeating, breakfast consumption, smoking, alcohol use), body mass index (BMI), and sleep duration.MethodsThe information was collected by means of an online survey (https://docs.google.com/forms/) to ensure the anonymity of participation and confidentiality of data.ResultsMVPA and SB in men and women are significantly influenced by education, age, BMI, lifestyle, and psychological factors, with some gender differences. Higher education reduces MVPA and increases SB, while age lowers SB and raises MVPA in women. BMI inversely affects MVPA and VPA, and breakfast supports higher activity levels, while overeating and alcohol (in men) are linked to lower MVPA and higher SB. Sleep duration weakly affects activity structure but inversely relates to SB. While Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) scores—an indicator of logical reasoning—do not show a significant positive impact on physical activity levels (MPA, VPA, or MVPA) in either gender, they are associated with increased sedentary behavior in women. Emotional Intelligence (EI), however, plays a clear and positive role: higher EI is strongly associated with increased VPA and MVPA in both men and women, especially in women, and inversely related to SB in both genders.ConclusionsThe results of our study suggest that enhancing EI (“hot” mind) may be more effective than reasoning skills (“cold” mind) in promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior, particularly in women. These findings highlight EI’s potential as a key driver of active lifestyles, while logical reasoning appears to have a lesser impact.

Supervisor Authority and its Impacts on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Athletic Training.

The demographic landscape of the United States is changing daily and the demand for representation in todays workforce is both a moral and practical imperative for creating workplaces diverse in thought, expression, and people. The purpose of this study was to investigate workplace culture and the direct and indirect influence of supervisors on inclusion of minoritized communities, including those who have experienced marginalization for race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, marital status, ability, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, spirituality, political affiliation, literacy, or the intersectionality of multiple identities. Consensual qualitative research study. Semi-structured interview. Eighteen participants were recruited through direct contact via their public domain email addresses that are located on college/university websites. Demographic data was collected through a web-based recruitment survey which was also used to schedule a semi-structured interview. We used the multi-phased CQR tradition to identify domains and categories representative of the data. Three domains emerged. The environment domain spoke to the culture each supervisor created through relationship building and intention; intention was further characterized as active or passive behaviors whereby almost all pa rticipants described both. Only one-third of participants referenced DEIA policies and procedures within their organization. The resources domain represented the existence and awareness of organizational DEIA resources, or lack thereof. The perceptions domain characterized the beliefs of the supervisors relative to DEIA. Structural efforts must include the creation and implementation of policies and procedures for employee inclusion, not just patient inclusion. The awareness and use of organizational resources is an important component to support supervisor efforts and should be leveraged from within the unit.

Active Learning Through Video Conferencing to Maintain Physical Activity Among Older Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

This randomized pilot trial investigated the feasibility of an active learning physical activity intervention through video conferencing and its preliminary effects. Participants comprised community-dwelling older adults who could use e-mail. The intervention group underwent a 12-week active learning intervention via video conferencing to promote a healthy lifestyle, particularly physical activity. The control group received information via e-mail once per week. The amount of physical activity and sedentary behavior was measured using an accelerometer at baseline, postintervention, and 24-week postintervention (36weeks). Of the 31 participants, 29 were eligible and randomized into two groups (15 for the intervention and 14 for the control). Adherence to the intervention was 83%-100% (mean, 97%). Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed moderate maintenance effects on total physical activity and sedentary behavior at 36weeks. Active learning physical activity intervention through video conferencing was found to be feasible and contributed to the prevention of physical activity decline in older adults.

Skinks on a Plane: Does Human‐Mediated Transportation Impact the Behaviour of an Invasive Lizard?

ABSTRACTThe human‐mediated transportation of stowaway individuals to non‐native regions is a major driver of new biological invasions, and the post‐establishment spread of the invader in its introduced range. In order for the stowaway individuals to successfully establish in the non‐native region, they must survive the harsh conditions during the journey (e.g., extreme temperatures, cramped spaces, and lack of food) and arrive in good condition. However, few studies have investigated the impact of human‐assisted transportation on the behaviour of stowaway individuals. Here, we examined whether human‐mediated transportation, via both air and road, impacted the activity and exploratory behaviour of the invasive delicate skink (Lampropholis delicata). We exposed delicate skinks to either flights on a commercial airliner (total ~2.5 h flight time, and car transport to/from the airport), or a 3 h drive in a car. We found that although the temperatures experienced by skinks during transportation were more variable than those experienced by control group lizards, the temperature during transit remained well within the thermal tolerances for the species. Human‐assisted transportation only had a relatively minor impact on the behaviour of the invasive delicate skink: transportation by plane did not influence activity or exploratory behaviour, and car transportation increased activity, but did not impact exploratory behaviour. The capacity of stowaways to cope with the stress associated with human‐mediated transportation is a key factor in the success of species introductions, and subsequent invasion. As such, there should be a greater focus on the behaviours that facilitate the success of potential invaders in the early stages of the introduction process.

The new normal for children’s physical activity and screen viewing: a multi-perspective qualitative analysis of behaviours a year after the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted children’s physical activity. Recent evidence indicated children’s accelerometer-measured physical activity levels have, on average, returned to near pre-pandemic levels in 2022, though sedentary behaviour remains higher. However, insufficient physical activity levels among children continues to be a critical public health issue in the UK, with only 41% meeting physical activity guidelines. This study aimed to provide in-depth analysis of how the pandemic has shaped children’s physical activity patterns beyond the short-term periods following lockdowns and identify the new challenges to engaging children in physical activity. Methods One-to-one interviews with parents (n = 22), school staff (n = 9), and six focus groups with children aged 10–11 years (n = 45) were conducted between February and July 2022. Topics explored changes to children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns, including screen-viewing, and factors influencing any changes. The framework method was used for analysis. Results Five themes were generated. Theme 1 described residual lockdown habits, including increased screen-viewing within the home, while activities outside the home continued to feel less spontaneous. Theme 2 highlighted an interrupted development of social, emotional, and physical skills among children compared to what would be expected pre-pandemic. This coincided with Theme 3 which reflected increased mental health challenges among families, creating complex barriers to children’s physical activity. A new normal for child physical activity was evoked and explored in Theme 4, with greater dependence on structured and organised activities. However, Theme 5 highlighted that girls and children with lower socio-economic position may be especially at risk of decreased physical activity. Conclusions There is a new normal for children’s physical activity that is characterised by increased dependence on structured and organised physical activities, such as active clubs, and less on unstructured and spontaneous physical activities, such as physical play. While this may suit many children, girls and children from lower socio-economic households face barriers to participating in the new normal. It is important that affordable and equitable opportunities are provided to all children to prevent physical activity and health inequalities.

Improving Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Secondary Coronary Prevention: Importance of Sex

Improving Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Secondary Coronary Prevention: Importance of Sex

Impact of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour on functional constipation in children and adolescents: a systematic review

ObjectiveLack of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) have emerged as critical global health concerns in children and are believed to be associated with functional constipation (FC). The present...