Activity Time Research Articles

Time and habitat structure shape insect acoustic activity in the Amazon.

Insects are the most diverse animal taxon on Earth and play a key role in ecosystem functioning. However, they are often neglected by ecological surveys owing to the difficulties involved in monitoring this small and hyper-diverse taxon. With technological advances in biomonitoring and analytical methods, these shortcomings may finally be addressed. Here, we performed passive acoustic monitoring at 141 sites (eight habitats) to investigate insect acoustic activity in the Viruá National Park, Brazil. We first describe the frequency range occupied by three soniferous insect groups (cicadas, crickets and katydids) to calculate the acoustic evenness index (AEI). Then, we assess how AEI varies spatially and temporally among habitat types, and finally we investigate the relationship between vegetation structure variables and AEI for each insect category. Overall, crickets occupied lower and narrower frequency bands than cicadas and katydids. AEI values varied among insect categories and across space and time. The highest acoustic activity occurred before sunrise and the lowest acoustic activity was recorded in pastures. Canopy cover was positively associated with cricket acoustic activity but not with katydids. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of time, habitat and vegetation structure in shaping insect activity within diverse Amazonian ecosystems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.

Lifestyle, meal times, and sleep patterns changes in higher education professors during COVID-19: Association with non-communicable chronic diseases.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions had to swiftly adapt and transition to remote teaching in order to maintain academic activities. However, these changes presented a number of challenges for professors, which could have negative effects on their health. To analyze the association between changes in dietary and sleep habits, physical activity level, and sedentary behavior with the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among Brazilian higher education professors during the pandemic period. This is a cross-sectional and retrospective study conducted using an online form. Generalized linear models, adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, were used to verify the difference between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Logistic regression models were used to predict the odds ratio (OR) for the development of NCDs according to physical activity time, sedentary behavior time, dietary and sleep patterns. A total of 936 professors residing across Brazil participated in the survey. The duration of sedentary behavior increased, sleep duration slightly decreased, and meal times shifted to earlier during the pandemic. A total of 22.9%of the participants reported the diagnosis of some NCDs during this period. Physical activity practice was associated with a lower risk of diseases during the pandemic, regardless of the intensity performed. On the other hand, late eating habits and excessive food consumption during the pandemic were associated with a higher risk. The results provide data that can help in the development of public policies that promote health actions to minimize the consequences associated with the pandemic period.

Background TV and infant-family interactions: Insights from home observations.

Background television has been found to negatively impact children's language development and self-regulatory skills, possibly due to decreased parent-child interactions. Most of the research on the relationship between background TV and caregiver-child interactions has been conducted in laboratory settings. In the current study, we conducted home observations and investigated whether infants engage in fewer interactions with family members in homes where background TV is more prevalent. We observed 32 infants at the ages of 8, 10, and 18months in their home environments, coding for dyadic interactions (e.g., parent talking to and/or engaging with the child), triadic interactions (e.g., parent and infant play with a toy together), and infants' individual activities. Our findings revealed that background TV was negatively associated with the time infants spent in triadic interactions, positively associated with time spent engaging in individual activities, and not significantly related to the time spent in dyadic interactions. Apart from the relationship between background TV and individual activity time at 8months, these associations remained significant even after accounting for families' socioeconomic status. These findings imply a correlation between background TV exposure and caregiver-infant-object interactions, warranting a longitudinal analysis with larger sample sizes.

Replacing sedentary time for physical activity: Does intensity matter for body composition in oldest-old adults?

ABSTRACT To assess the independent and combined relationships among objectively measured sedentary time (ST), light intensity PA (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) with muscle mass and fat mass (FM) and how theoretical displacement of these inter-dependent behaviours relates to body composition in oldest-old men. A total of 1046 men participating in the year 14 visit of the prospective Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) cohort study with complete data for accelerometry, dual x-ray absorptiometry, and deuterated creatine dilution (D3Cr) muscle mass were included in the analysis (84.0 ± 3.8 yrs.). Single, partition, and isotemporal substitution models were used to assess the interrelationships between PA intensities and ST with body composition measures, while controlling for relevant confounders. Replacing 30-min of ST with 30-min of MVPA was associated with lower FM (β =-0.17, p < 0.001) and higher D3Cr muscle mass, although this was of borderline significance (β = 0.07, p = 0.05). Replacing 30-min of ST for LPA was associated with lower FM (β =-0.15, p < 0.001), but there was no effect on D3Cr muscle mass (p > 0.05). Exchanging ST with any intensity of PA is associated with benefits for FM in oldest-old adult men, although substitution with MVPA may be more beneficial than LPA for maintaining/improving skeletal muscle mass.

Size Distributions of Microplastics in the St Louis Estuary and Western Lake Superior.

Identifying the sources and fate of microplastics in natural systems has garnered a great deal of attention because of their implications for ecosystem health. This work characterizes the size fraction, morphology, color, and polymer composition of microplastics in western Lake Superior and its adjacent harbor sampled in August and September 2021. The results reveal that the overall microplastic counts are similar, with the harbor stations ranging from 0.62 to 3.32 microplastics per liter and the lake stations ranged from 0.83 to 1.4 microplastics per liter. However, meaningful differences between the sample locations can be seen in the size fraction trends and polymer composition. Namely, the harbor samples had relatively larger amounts of the largest size fraction and more diversity of polymer types, which can be attributed to the urbanized activity and shorter water residence time. Power law size distribution modeling reveals deviations that help in the understanding of potential sources and removal mechanisms, although it significantly underpredicts microplastic counts for smaller-sized particles (5-45 μm), as determined by comparison with concurrently collected microplastic samples enumerated by Nile Red staining and flow cytometry.

Association between arterial health and cognition in adolescents: The PANIC study.

We investigated the associations of the measures of arterial health with cognition in adolescents and whether physical activity (PA) or sedentary time (ST) confounds these associations. One hundred sixteen adolescents (71 boys) aged 15.9 ± 0.4 participated in the study. PA and ST were assessed using a combined accelerometer/heart rate monitor. Overall cognition was computed from the results of psychomotor function, attention, working memory, and paired-associate learning tests. Pulse wave velocity was measured by impedance cardiography, carotid intima-media thickness, and carotid artery distensibility by carotid ultrasonography. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were measured using an aneroid sphygmomanometer. SBP was inversely associated with overall cognition (standardized regression coefficient [β] = -0.216, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.406 to -0.027, p = 0.025). Pulse wave velocity (β = -0.199, 95% CI -0.382 to -0.017, p = 0.033) was inversely associated with working memory task accuracy. SBP was directly associated with reaction time in the attention (β = 0.256, 95% CI 0.069 to 0.443, p = 0.008) and errors in the paired-associate learning tasks (β = 0.308, 95% CI 0.126 to 0.489, p = 0.001). Blood pressure was inversely associated with overall cognition. PA or ST did not confound the associations. Results suggest that preventing high blood pressure is important for promoting cognition in adolescents.

School-aged children’s movement behaviours and subjective health complaints in Japan: a cross-sectional study during COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures and after school reopenings

BackgroundSocial restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have altered children’s movement behaviours and impacted their mental health. However, the influence of social restrictions on subjective health complaints remains inadequately understood. This study compared adherence to 24-hour movement behaviour guidelines and the prevalence of subjective health complaints during school closure and one year after reopening. We also examined how combinations of adherence to movement behaviour recommendations relate to subjective health complaints.MethodsA repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted at two points. The first survey in May 2020 included 1535 (766 boys and 769 girls) participants during school closures, while the second survey from May to July 2021 involved 1125 (583 boys and 542 girls) participants one year after school reopening. The questionnaire covered socio-demographics, physical activity, screen time, sleep, and subjective health complaints. Differences between periods were analysed using chi-square tests. Logistic regression models assessed the association between adherence to guidelines and subjective health complaints.ResultsDuring school closure, children were more likely to meet ‘only sleep’ recommendations and have irritability and lethargy symptoms. Irrespective of sex, those adhering to two or all three recommendations (excluding physical activity and screen time) had a lower risk of symptoms related to physical and mental pain, fatigue, irritability, and lethargy as compared to those who met none of the recommendations.ConclusionsChildren should meet at least one physical activity or screen time recommendation in addition to sleep recommendations for subjective health. Strategies considering the priority of each movement behaviour are crucial, even during abnormal situations, such as pandemic-related social restrictions. This study offers insightful findings concerning children’s mental health issues during unprecedented and massive disasters or crises.

Associations between back pain incidence, and physical activity and sedentary behaviours: A prospective cohort study with data from over 365,000 participants.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between (i) various types of physical activity and the risk of back pain incidence, and (ii) the influence of substituting sedentary behaviours with physical activities on back pain incidence. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. METHODS: We analyzed UK Biobank data collected from 365,307 participants who were free of back pain at baseline. The exposures were total, light, moderate and vigorous physical activity, and sedentary behaviours. The outcome was back pain incidence. The main statistical models were the Cox proportional hazard model and the isotemporal substitution model. RESULTS: In the follow-up time (median, 12.97 years; inter-quartile range, 12.10-13.71), 25,189 individuals developed back pain. The associations between all types of physical activity and incident back pain were significantly non-linear (p < 0.001) among the general population and other subgroups. High physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of back pain compared with no physical activity. The lowest risk occurred in the 1801-2400 MET-min/week subgroup of total physical activity (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.59-0.69), approximately consisting of 1200, 600, and 600 MET-min/week of light, moderate and vigorous physical activity, respectively. Extremely high vigorous physical activity was related to high risk, specifically in males (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.25). Replacing 1 hour/day of sedentary behaviours with an equal time of physical activity reduced the risk of incident back pain by 2%-8% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Physical activity was related to a reduced risk of back pain incidence (except over-high vigorous physical activity). Substituting sedentary behaviours with physical activities reduced the risk of future back pain.

Accelerometer techniques for capturing human movement validated against direct observation: a scoping review.

Accelerometers are devices commonly used to measure human physical activity and sedentary time. Accelerometer capabilities and analytical techniques have evolved rapidly, making it difficult for researchers to keep track of advances and best practices for data processing and analysis. The objective of this scoping review is to determine the existing methods for analyzing accelerometer data for capturing human movement which have been validated against the criterion measure of direct observation. This scoping review searched 14 academic and 5 grey databases. Two independent raters screened by title and abstract, then full text. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and checked by an independent reviewer. The search yielded 1039 papers and the final analysis included 115 papers. 71 unique accelerometer models were used across a total of 4217 participants. While all studies underwent validation from direct observation, most direct observation occurred live (55%) or using recordings (42%). Analysis techniques included machine learning approaches (22%), the use of existing cut-points (18%), ROC curves to determine cut-points (14%), and other strategies including regressions and non-machine learning algorithms (8%). Machine learning techniques are becoming more prevalent and are often used for activity identification. Cut-point methods are still frequently used. Activity intensity is the most assessed activity outcome; however, both the analyses and outcomes assessed vary by wear location. This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of accelerometer analysis and validation techniques using direct observation and is a useful tool for researchers using accelerometers.

Occurrence Characteristics of Nighttime Merged EIA Based on NASA GOLD Observations from 2018 to 2023

The ionosphere equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) is usually characterized by two plasma density maxima in the Earth’s equatorial region. Merged EIA (MEIA) is a unique phenomenon in the evolution of the EIA. Currently, the occurrence characteristics of MEIA are still not well understood. In this study, we investigate the occurrence characteristics of nighttime MEIA using NASA Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) observations between October 2018 and the end of 2023. We found that the occurrence of nighttime MEIA exhibits solar cycle, seasonal, and local time variations. The occurrence rate of the MEIA is inversely dependent on solar activity. Occurrence of the MEIA maximizes near the equinoxes, with a primary (secondary) low occurrence rate near the June (December) solstice. In addition, occurrences of the MEIA are suppressed during the pre-reversal enhancement (PRE), resulting in relatively fewer events. Furthermore, it was found that the occurrence of the MEIA is not significantly dependent on the strength of geomagnetic activity. As far as we know, this study represents the first instance of utilizing observations from GOLD observations to investigate the characteristics of MEIA occurrences and their correlations with solar activity, season, and local time.

Clinical trajectories preceding incident dementia up to 15 years before diagnosis: a large prospective cohort study.

Dementia has a long prodromal stage with various pathophysiological manifestations; however, the progression of pre-diagnostic changes remains unclear. We aimed to determine the evolutional trajectories of multiple-domain clinical assessments and health conditions up to 15 years before the diagnosis of dementia. Data was extracted from the UK-Biobank, a longitudinal cohort that recruited over 500,000 participants from March 2006 to October 2010. Each demented subject was matched with 10 healthy controls. We performed logistic regressions on 400 predictors covering a comprehensive range of clinical assessments or health conditions. Their evolutional trajectories were quantified using adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and FDR-corrected p-values under consecutive timeframes preceding the diagnosis of dementia. During a median follow-up of 13.7 [Interquartile range, IQR 12.9-14.2] years until July 2022, 7620 subjects were diagnosed with dementia. In general, upon approaching the diagnosis, demented subjects witnessed worse functional assessments and a higher prevalence of health conditions. Associations up to 15 years preceding the diagnosis comprised declined physical strength (hand grip strength, OR 0.65 [0.63-0.67]), lung dysfunction (peak expiratory flow, OR 0.78 [0.76-0.81]) and kidney dysfunction (cystatin C, OR 1.13 [1.11-1.16]), comorbidities of coronary heart disease (OR 1.78 [1.67-1.91]), stroke (OR 2.34 [2.1-1.37]), diabetes (OR 2.03 [1.89-2.18]) and a series of mental disorders. Cognitive functions in multiple tests also demonstrate decline over a decade before the diagnosis. Inadequate activity (3-5 year, overall time of activity, OR 0.82 [0.73-0.92]), drowsiness (3-5 year, sleep duration, OR 1.13 [1.04-1.24]) and weight loss (0-5 year, weight, OR 0.9 [0.83-0.98]) only exhibited associations within five years before the diagnosis. In addition, serum biomarkers of enriched endocrine, dysregulations of ketones, deficiency of brand-chain amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids were found in a similar prodromal time window and can be witnessed as the last pre-symptomatic conditions before the diagnosis. Our findings present a comprehensive temporal-diagnostic landscape preceding incident dementia, which could improve selection for preventive and early disease-modifying treatment trials.

Relationships among Sleep Time, Physical Activity Time, Screen Time, and Nutrition Literacy of Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chongqing, China

Background: Unhealthy lifestyles among adolescents are reaching alarming levels and have become a major public health problem. This study aimed to assess the relationship between sleep time, physical activity (PA) time, screen time (ST), and nutritional literacy (NL). Methods: This cross-sectional online study involving adolescents aged 10–18 years was conducted in September 2020 in 239 schools in Chongqing, China. NL was measured using the “Nutrition Literacy Scale for middle school students in Chongqing (CM-NLS)”. According to the recommended by the Chinese dietary guidelines (2022), we divided the sleep time of junior high school students into &lt;9 h and ≥9 h, high school students into &lt;8 h and ≥8 h, divided the workdays into weekend PA time &lt; 1 h and ≥1 h, and divided the workdays into weekend ST &lt; 2 h and ≥2 h. The multinomial logistic regression model was used to examine the association. Results: A total of 18,660 adolescents (50.2% males) were included. The proportion of participants that were junior high school students and attended boarding schools was 57.2% and 65.3%, respectively. Compared with senior high school students, junior high school students had a higher level of NL. Whether on workdays or weekends, participants with sleep time ≥ 8/9 h, PA time ≥ 1 h, and ST &lt; 2 h per day had higher levels of NL. On weekdays, participants who met the sleep time ≥ 8 h/9 h (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.36, 1.62) and PA time ≥ 1 h (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.59, 1.81) had higher reporting of NL levels. Conclusions: Sleep time, PA time, and ST were positively correlated with NL among adolescents, especially junior high school students.

Analysis of activity rhythm and behavior pattern for plateau pika in degraded alpine meadow

This paper proposes a behavior observation method for plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) in degraded alpine meadow in the Source Zone of the Yellow River (SZYR) on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau based on continuous monitoring videos to observe its activity rhythm. The video surveillance cameras are installed facing toward degraded alpine meadow in the SZYR and run from March 2021 to February 2022 to record time allocation of plateau pika behavior (i.e., digging, foraging, guarding, moving and other behaviors) and its daily, monthly, and seasonal activity rhythm. The results indicate that: (1) The most active ground activity time is between 10:00 and 16:00, meanwhile it is inactive at night, which proves it plateau pika is diurnal animals. (2) Digging and foraging are frequently occurring behaviors among its daily activities, which occurs from 9:00 to 12:00 and 16:00. (3) Compare to other season, winter sees relatively frequent occurrences of digging and foraging according to the seasonal analysis results. (4) From annual perspective, digging and foraging accounted for 66.13% of plateau pika activity, while guarding accounted for 13.35%, moving accounted for 11.64%, and other behaviors accounted for 8.88%. There is a significant difference in the frequency of each behavior between the two groups (P < 0.05). The behavior observation method using video surveillance camera contributes to behavioral ecology information of plateau pika.

Continuous heart monitoring in patients with pulmonary hypertension smartwatches and direct transmission to their electronic health records: A trial design.

BackgroundPulmonary hypertension is a progressive disease for which early treatment interventions are essential. Traditionally, patients undergo periodic clinical assessments. However, recent advances in wearable technology could improve the quality and efficiency of follow-up monitoring in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Trial designTo our knowledge, this is the first study describing direct data transmission from a smartwatch to patients' electronic health records. It implements a novel update and customised program to continuously and automatically transmit data from a smartwatch to the patient's electronic healthcare records. It will evaluate continuous monitoring in patients with pulmonary hypertension and monitor their physical activity time, heart rate variability, and heart rate at rest and during physical activity via a smartwatch. It will also evaluate the data transmission method, and its data will be assessed by the treating physicians supplemental to clinical practice.Smartwatch integration promises numerous advantages: comprehensive cardiovascular monitoring and improved patient experience. Our continuous smartwatch monitoring approach offers a solution for earlier detection of clinical worsening and could be included as a combined endpoint in future clinical trials. It could improve patient empowerment, enhance precision medicine, and reduce hospitalisations. The user-friendly smartwatch is designed to minimise disruption in daily life. ConclusionThe ability to transfer real-time data from wearable devices to electronic health records could help to transform the treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension and their follow-up monitoring outside a clinical setting, enhancing the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

Identifying the most representative actigraphy variables reflecting standardized hand function assessments for remote monitoring in children with unilateral cerebral palsy

BackgroundAccurate assessment of physical activity and motor function in children with cerebral palsy is crucial for determining the effectiveness of interventions. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between real-world activity monitoring outcomes and in-laboratory standardized hand function assessments in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.MethodsActigraphy data were collected over 3 days from children aged 4–12 years with unilateral cerebral palsy before in-laboratory assessments. To tackle the high dimensionality and collinearity of actigraphy variables, we first applied hierarchical clustering using the Pearson correlation coefficient as the distance metric and then performed a principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality of our data.ResultsBoth hierarchical clustering and PCAs revealed a consistent pattern in which magnitude ratio variables (ln[affected side magnitude/less-affected side magnitude]) were more strongly associated with standardized assessments of hand function than with activity time and distance domain variables. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified two distinct clusters of actigraphy variables, with the second cluster primarily consisting of magnitude ratio variables that exhibited the strongest correlation with Melbourne Assessment 2, Pediatric Motor Activity Log, Assisting Hand Assessment, and Manual Ability Classification System level. Principal component 2, primarily representing the magnitude ratio domain, was positively associated with a meaningful portion of subcategories of standardized measures, whereas principal component 1, representing the activity time and distance component, showed limited associations.ConclusionsThe magnitude ratio of actigraphy can provide additional objective information that complements in-laboratory hand function assessment outcomes in future studies of children with unilateral cerebral palsy.Trial registration in ClinicalTrials.govNCT04904796 (registered prospectively; date of registration: 23/05/2021).

Early Rise and Persistent Inhibition of Electromyography during Failed Stopping.

Reactively canceling movements is a vital feature of the motor system to ensure safety. This behavior can be studied in the laboratory using the stop-signal task. There remains ambiguity about whether a "point-of-no-return" exists, after which a response cannot be aborted. A separate question concerns whether motor system inhibition associated with attempted stopping persists when stopping is unsuccessful. We address these two questions using electromyography (EMG) in two stop-signal task experiments. Experiment 1 (n = 24) involved simple right and left index finger responses in separate task blocks. Experiment 2 (n = 28) involved a response choice between the right index and pinky fingers. To evaluate the approximate point of no return, we measured EMG in responding fingers during the 100 msec preceding the stop signal and observed significantly greater EMG amplitudes during failed than successful stopping in both experiments. Thus, EMG before the stop signal differentiated success, regardless of whether there was a response choice. To address whether motor inhibition persists after failed stopping, we assessed EMG peak-to-offset durations and slopes (i.e., rate of EMG decline) for go, failed stop, and successful stop (partial response) trials. EMG peak-to-offset was shorter and steeper for failed stopping compared to go and successful stop partial response trials, suggesting motor inhibition persists even when failing to stop. These findings indicate EMG is sensitive to a "transition zone" at which the relative likelihood of stop failure versus success inverts and also suggest peak-to-offset time of response-related EMG activity during failed stopping reflects stopping-related inhibition.

Heterocyclic polymerization modified g-C3N4 nanotube with advanced charge separation for solar light driven degradation of ciprofloxacin

A novel heterocyclic polymerized g-C3N4 nanotube was prepared by thermal polycondensation using urea and 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (TAP). The TAP-polymerized g-C3N4 composite with 0.5 wt% TAP content showed the highest photocatalytic activity for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation under solar irradiation. The optimal composite derived from urea achieved ∼ 10.8 and ∼ 7.5 time of CIP degradation activity when compared with TAP-polymerized g-C3N4 derived from melamine and thiourea. The copolymerization of TAP molecules reduces the π electron defects in the g-C3N4 conjugated system thus accelerates the migration of photogenerated carriers. The doping of TAP in g-C3N4 reduces its band gap, which enhances the light absorption capacity and improves the utilization efficiency of visible light. The fluffy porous nanotube structure of the material endows it with unique surface morphology and excellent photoelectric characteristic. Electron spin resonance (ESR) and probe technology were used for qualitative or quantitative detection of free radicals in this work. Superoxide radicals (O2·-) played the major roles in the photodegradation of CIP. Recycling experiments displayed the high stability and activity of the modified materials, which is potentially applicable in practical engineering. Moreover, the photodegradation pathways and mechanisms of CIP were proposed and its toxicity evolution was assessed in this study. This work revealed the specific application of heterocyclic polymerization in modifying g-C3N4 material and provided unique insights for its application in photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic.

Influence of parental nativity and perceived neighborhood environment on physical activity and screen time of United States youth

ObjectiveThis study assessed how parental nativity and perceived environment are associated with physical activity and screen time of U.S. children and adolescents. MethodsData originated from the 2020–21 U.S. National Survey of Children's Health. We conducted multivariable Poisson regression to assess the cross-sectional association of parental nativity and perceived neighborhood environment variables on parental reports of youth meeting national physical activity and screen time guidelines. We tested interactions of parental nativity and neighborhood environment variables on both outcomes. Analyses were conducted using STATA v17 and p < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. ResultsThe sample of 24,928 children and 30,951 adolescents was 11.6 years of age, on average, with approximately 39% under 200% of the federal poverty level. About one-third of the sample (27.5%) had foreign-born parents. In adjusted models, we found that compared to youth with U.S.-born parents, those with foreign-born parents had a lower prevalence of meeting physical activity guidelines. Youth whose parents reported living in safe neighborhoods had a higher prevalence of meeting guidelines for physical activity (children: PR = 1.20, 95%CI 1.14, 1.27; adolescents: PR = 1.23, 95%CI 1.14, 1.32) and screen time (children: PR = 1.19, 95%CI 1.13, 1.26; adolescents: PR = 1.16, 95%CI 1.06, 1.28) than youth whose parents reported unsafe neighborhoods. We found similar associations between neighborhoods considered supportive or with many amenities and meeting physical activity and screen time guidelines. ConclusionsYouth whose parents are foreign-born have a lower prevalence of sufficient activity, and perceived parental neighborhood safety and support may be significant influences on youth physical activity and screen time.

Dose–response associations between physical activity and sedentary time with functional disability in older adults with or without frailty: a prospective cohort study

PurposeEvidence regarding the dose–response curve shapes of physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) in older adults with functional disability (FD) is extremely limited. Moreover, these associations may differ depending on with/without frailty. We examined the dose–response associations between moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and ST with FD among older adults with/without frailty.MethodsWe included 7,480 initially nondisabled adults (3,795 men and 3,685 women) aged 65–84 years in Ota City, Tokyo, Japan. MVPA and ST were evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. FD was prospectively identified using a nationally unified database of the long-term care insurance system. Frailty was determined using Check-List 15, validated against Fried’s frailty criteria. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of MVPA and ST for FD were calculated, and dose–response curves were examined using restricted cubic splines.ResultsDuring 3.6 years of follow-up, 1,001 (13.4%) participants had FD. Among all participants, compared with no MVPA, the HRs for FD reduced linearly up to approximately 2000 metabolic equivalents (METs)■min/week of MVPA, and the lowest HR (HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.51–0.74) was reached at around 3,000–4,000 METs■min/week. Although the shape of this association was consistent regardless of with/without frailty, the magnitude of the association tended to be stronger in frail older adults than in non-frail older adults. Compared with those for the median (300 min/day) of ST, the HRs for FD increased linearly as ST reached approximately 600 min/day or more, independent of MVPA, with a maximum HR of 1.31 (95% CI: 1.01–1.71) for 1,080 min/day among all participants. This association was more pronounced among non-frail older adults but not statistically significant among frail older adults.ConclusionHigher MVPA levels consistently reduced the incidence of FD regardless of frailty in a significant inverse nonlinear dose–response manner. A significant positive nonlinear dose–response association between ST and FD risk was identified among non-frail older adults but not among frail older adults. Increasing MVPA and reducing prolonged ST are important for preventing FD among non-frail older adults. However, reducing ST alone may be insufficient; increasing MVPA, even if by only small increments, is highly recommended for frail older adults.

The effects of COVID-19 on the Physical Activity and Recreational Screen Time among Chinese children and adolescents

BackgroundThe lack of Physical Activity (PA) and prolonged Recreational Screen Time (RST) among children and adolescents has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing this issue to escalate into a crucial public health concern. This study aims to investigate the trends in PA and RST among Chinese children and adolescents from 2019 to 2022, thereby analyzing the short-term and long-term effects of the pandemic on PA and RST among Chinese children and adolescents. MethodsA nationally representative sample of Chinese primary, middle, and high school students was surveyed annually between September and December from 2019 to 2022 using a consistent set of questionnaires. Trends in PA and RST across different school levels, genders, areas (urban/rural), and regions (north/south) were analyzed using Segmented Linear Regression. ResultsFrom 2019 to 2022, the PA and RST of children and adolescents displayed an inverted U-shaped trend, initially increasing and subsequently declining. Specifically, from 2019 to 2021, the PA of children and adolescents significantly increased but dramatically declined from 2021 to 2022. This trend in PA is more pronounced among primary, male, urban, and northern children and adolescent. The RST of children and adolescents increased from 2019 to 2020 but significantly decreased from 2020 to 2022. This trend in RST is more pronounced among primary, urban, and southern children and adolescent. ConclusionsThis research unveils the effects of the pandemic on PA and RST in children and adolescents, suggesting short-term beneficial and long-term adverse effects on PA and short-term adverse and long-term beneficial effects on RST. These findings provide a foundation for formulating policies related to children and adolescents' PA and RST during the pandemic.