Average Minutes Research Articles

Randomised trial of Mentored ‘Planning to be Active+Family’ [MPBA+F] for Appalachian youth at risk for diabetes: virtual delivery protocol

IntroductionObesity (OB) in children remains a national epidemic. This trial targets children suffering from overweight (OW) and OB living in rural Appalachia. Rural Appalachia is fraught with unhealthy behaviours, high rates of OB, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes among children. Diabetes prevalence in Appalachia is nearly double that of other regions. The prevalence of Appalachian children suffering from OB and extreme obesity (EO) increases the severity of diabetes.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a stratified randomised-controlled trial to evaluateMentored Planning to be Active+Family (MPBA+F) among seventh grade children with OW/OB/EO from rural Appalachian counties. Based on the Social Cognitive Theory,MPBA+Fcurriculum is a self-regulation approach to physical activity (PA) developed at The Ohio State University and successfully tested for feasibility in rural Appalachian middle schools.MPBA+F(a) incorporates active skill-building activities; (b) reinforces self-regulating activities; (c) engages in individual and group PA; (d) builds the link between PA, hydration and physical health and (e) actively supports weekly PA goals. Weekly skills are incorporated into reinforcement assignments verified at the beginning the following week. The primary outcome is the average daily minutes of moderate-vigorous PA. We will stratify by sex assigned at birth and conduct intent-to-treat analysis. We use descriptive statistics to summarise cohort and group (MPBA+F or comparison) baseline characteristics and examine variable distributions. Bivariate tests examine the balance of baseline characteristics by intervention groups. Mixed-effects linear modelling will be our more primary regression strategy. A potential problem is loss of curricular integrity. Our process assessment, structured mentor training and Instructor’s Guide reduce this concern. Another concern may be the lack of reliable broadband access. Participating counties exceed 75% broadband access. Those who lose internet access may have materials mailed to their home or accessed on the study website.Ethics and disseminationThis study was reviewed and approved by the American Diabetes Association Grants Review Committee (Grant number 11-22-ICTSN-30), the host institution’s Social and Behavioral Human Subjects Review Committee (Protocol 2022B0149) and is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (ProtocolNCT05758441). All data that can be shared without compromising human subject protections will be shared to an approved open data repository within six months of publication or 18 months of the conclusion of the funding period (November 2025) if the study remains unpublished. Dissemination to families and stakeholders is by project newsletters. Public presentation of findings will be shared at the Annual Appalachian Translational Research Network and local health department meetings.Trial registration numberNCT05758441.

Evaluating the Impact of a Game (Inner Dragon) on User Engagement Within a Leading Smartphone App for Smoking Cessation: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Smartphone apps are a convenient, low-cost approach to delivering smoking cessation support to large numbers of individuals. Yet, the apps are susceptible to low rates of user engagement and retention. This study aims to test the effects of a new game module (called Inner Dragon) integrated into Smoke Free (23 Limited), a leading smoking cessation app with established efficacy. The primary outcomes measured user engagement with the app. A 2-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial was conducted in the United States with an 8-week follow-up. Adult individuals who smoked ≥1 cigarettes daily and planned to quit smoking within 7 days were recruited and randomized (N=500), with equal allocation. Both groups received free access to the original Smoke Free app with "core" features of its smoking cessation program (eg, a diary and craving log). The treated group received additional access to the integrated Inner Dragon game that incorporated several game mechanics designed to increase user engagement. User engagement outcomes were the number of unique app sessions, average minutes per session, days with a session, and program adherence. Self-reported and verified smoking abstinence and app satisfaction were also assessed. The main analysis estimated the intention-to-treat effect of access to Inner Dragon on each outcome. Further analyses assessed effect modification by participant characteristics and the association of intensity of game use with program adherence and abstinence. Overall, user engagement was greater for treated versus control participants: they had 5.3 more sessions of Smoke Free (mean 29.6, SD 36.5 sessions vs mean 24.3, SD 37.9 sessions; P=.06), 0.8 more minutes per session (mean 6.9, SD 5.4 min vs mean 6.1, SD 5.2 min; P=.047), and 3.4 more days with a session (mean 14.3, SD 15.3 days vs mean 11.9, SD 14.3 days; P=.03). Program adherence, based on the number of times core features of the original Smoke Free app were used, was higher for treated versus control participants (mean 29.4, SD 41.3 times vs mean 22.6, SD 35.6 times; P=.03). Self-reported 7-day and 30-day point-prevalence abstinence and verified 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 8 weeks did not significantly differ by study group. The mean repeated 1-day prevalence of quitting was higher among the treated group versus the control group (mean 17.3%, SD 25.6 vs mean 12.4%, SD 21.3; P=.01). App satisfaction and the motivation to (stay) quit did not differ by study group. Higher intensity of game use was associated with increased program adherence and self-reported abstinence. Findings suggest that the Inner Dragon game increased user engagement and program adherence. Additional refinements to the game design may clarify whether the game increases abstinence rates. Overall, it is feasible to deploy games and gamification to enhance user engagement in existing smoking cessation interventions. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05227027; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05227027.

Pilot Study: Behavioral and Medical Clinical Partnership for Optimization of Positive Airway Pressure Therapy in Pediatric Patients

BackgroundTo assess the effectiveness of a structured algorithm for pediatric positive airway pressure (PAP) initiation for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). MethodsAn algorithm was created to support pediatric PAP use and identify patients who could benefit from early behavioral consultation and education. Sleep providers implemented a unified introduction to PAP therapy with the PAP therapy toolkit. Through a collaborative approach with the medical equipment companies, pediatric patients were provided with PAP equipment before PAP titration studies and were allowed a gradual initiation of PAP therapy. PAP downloads were reviewed to determine improvements in compliance measured by percent of average days used and average minutes per night used. ResultsThirty-eight pediatric patients completed the PAP therapy algorithm. There was significant improvement in PAP compliance in percentage of days used (paired t test P value = 0.04), as well as an improvement (although not statistically significant) in average nightly use. Patients benefitted from close follow-up visits with the sleep advanced practice providers. Patients seen for the consultation with the pediatric behavioral psychologist showed statistically significant improvement in both percentage of days and average nightly use. ConclusionsOur pilot study shows that a behavioral and medical partnership using a structured algorithm was feasible and resulted in improved PAP compliance for our pediatric patients.

211 From Motion by Emotion to Well-Being: How Regular Physical Activity Enhances Life Satisfaction through Self–Control and Emotion Regulation

Abstract Purpose Physical activity is crucial for maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases. Regular participation in sports-related activities contributes to psychophysiological and social well-being. Researchers are investigating the psychological factors that may be responsible for this mechanism. Current research is one of the first to explore the mediating effects of self-control and emotion regulation on the relationship between exercise and life satisfaction. The main objective of this study was to examine the possible intermediate impact of self–control and two common forms of emotion regulation: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression on the relationship between involvement in regular physical activity and satisfaction with life. Methods A total of 186 adults participated in the online survey, providing information about their regular participation in physical activity or training and completing questionnaires assessing life satisfaction, self-control, and two aspects of emotion regulation. Based on self-reported average minutes spent exercising per week over the past year, participants were classified into four levels of physical activity according to the World Health Organization guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior. Results The results of the mediation analysis showed that dispositional self-control and cognitive reappraisal fully mediated the relationship between the levels of physical activity and life satisfaction. Expressive suppression, a second strategy of emotion regulation, did not mediate this relationship. This suggests that regular physical activity may increase levels of self-control and cognitive reappraisal, which in turn leads to greater life satisfaction. Conclusions Regular physical activity and time spent on training support such forms of regulating one’s own emotions and actions which consequently may lead to greater life satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of regular exercise in promoting psychological well-being through its beneficial effects on self-control and emotional regulation.

Characterizing electronic messaging use among hospitalists and its association with patient volumes.

Secure electronic messaging is increasingly being utilized for communications in healthcare settings. While it likely increases efficiency, it has also been associated with interruptions, high message volumes, and risk of errors due to multitasking. We aimed to characterize patterns of secure messaging among hospitalists to understand the volume of messages, message patterns, and impact on hospitalist workload. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of Epic Secure Chat secure electronic messages received and sent by hospitalists from April 1 to April 30, 2023 at a large academic medical center. Number of conversations per day, number of chats sent and accessed per hour, and average minutes between when a chat was sent and accessed (lag time) were analyzed using a Pearson correlation coefficient test. Measures were plotted against patient volume and time of day. Hospitalists sent or received an average of 130 messages per day with an average of 13 messages sent or received per hour. The median lag time was 39 s. There was a statistically significant correlation between hospital medicine morning census and number of conversations per day, number of chats sent per hour, and number of chats accessed per hour, but census did not impact lag time. Secure messaging volumes may be higher than previously reported, which may affect hospitalist workload and workflow and have unintended effects on interruptions, multitasking, and medical errors. Additional work should be done to better understand local messaging patterns and opportunities to optimize volume of work and distractions.

Pengaplikasian Data Analisis pada Data Penundaan Penerbangan dan Kinerja Maskapai di Suatu Bandara

The aviation industry is growing very significantly due to increased mobility, economic expansion and current technological advances. However, as mobility increases and the number of airline passengers increases, airlines experience problems in overcoming flight schedule delays or in other words delays. Data analysis plays an important role in processing large amounts of data to find hidden insights in data. The aim of writing this service journal is to identify days with the highest average minutes of delay, months that experience the highest average delays, and at what times flight delays often occur. . This service object uses secondary data obtained from the Kaggle site. It is hoped that this journal can be used as material for consideration in decision making and improving the operational performance of each airline involved.

Objectively Measured Hot Flashes and Moderate-Vigorous Activity Predict Arterial Stiffness in Healthy Perimenopausal Women

Perimenopause is the period of transition when midlife women experience increases in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Arterial stiffness (AS) is a preclinical CVD risk factor that precedes the manifestation of clinical CVD. Hot flashes (HF) are bothersome symptoms of menopause which are correlated with some subclinical CVD risk factors, but the exact relationship between HF and CVD risk factors remain equivocal. Habitual physical activity (PA) is effective in the prevention and treatment of CVD in many populations. However, the relationship between PA and CVD risk remains unclear for perimenopausal women. Therefore, the objective of our study was to determine the effects of HF and PA on AS in healthy perimenopausal women. We hypothesized that HFs would be associated with AS and PA would influence the association between HFs and AS. There were 61 participants (age 43-54) free from CVD risk factors included in this analysis. Arterial stiffness was measured via augmentation index (AIx), backwards wave (PB, mmHg), and reflection magnitude (RM, %). Hot flashes were measured objectively for 24 hours using ambulatory sternal skin conductance monitoring. Objective HF rate was calculated by normalizing HF count to wear time. Habitual PA activity was quantified objectively as average daily minutes of waking moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) over 7-day using actigraphy and the R package GGIR. All statistical analyses were performed using R (version 4.2.3) and RStudio (2023.06.2+561). Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression were used to evaluate the associations between dependent and outcome variables. Age and body mass index (BMI) were controlled, and assumption testing was completed for all models. Objective HF rate was significantly positively correlated with PB, r(53) = 0.38, p < 0.01, and RM, r(53) = 0.35, p <0.01. Objective MVPA was significantly negatively associated with AIx, r(61) = -0.45, p <0.001, PB, r(61) = -0.29, p <0.05, and RM, r(61) = -0.34, p < 0.01. Objective HF rate significantly predicted arterial stiffness variables, AIx (β = 14.58, p =0.05; adjR2 = 0.38), PB (β = 6.48, p<0.01; adjR2 = 0.24), and RM (β = 17.79, p <0.01; adjR2 = 0.39). Objective MVPA significantly predicted AIX (β = -0.12, p <0.01; adjR2 = 0.41), and RM (β = -0.06, p = 0.05; adjR2 = 0.29). When HF and MVPA were added in the same model, HF and MVPA were both significant predictors of RM (βHF = 16.25, p <0.01, βMVPA = -0.06, p <0.05; adjR2 = 0.42), MVPA only was significant with AIx (βHF = 11.38, p = 0.10, βMVPA = -0.13, p <0.01; adjR2 = 0.49), and HF only was significant with PB (βHF = 6.11, p <0.01, βMVPA = -0.02, p = 0.212; adjR2 = 0.25). Adding the interaction between HF and MVPA did not help explain variation in any AS variable. In conclusion, our data showed that more objectively-measured HF were associated with negative AS outcomes and that greater MVPA may be worth considering in decreasing arterial stiffness in perimenopausal women. Contrary to our hypothesis, MVPA did not help to explain the effects of HF on AS. Future studies should focus on understanding the mechanisms behind the negative relationship between hot flashes and arterial stiffness in midlife women. NIH NHLBI R15 Grant 1R15HL145650-01A1 (Witkowski); Smith College McKinley Honors Fellowship (Tha Ra Wun). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Physical Activity Influences the Relationship between Objectively Measured Hot Flashes and Endothelial Function in Perimenopausal Women

Hot flashes (HF) are disruptive symptoms experienced by approximately 80% of women undergoing menopause. The transition to menopause is associated with increases in CVD risk factors. The frequency and severity of HF have been associated with poorer cardiovascular health but most of these studies have quantified HF by self-report and have not considered physical activity (PA), known for its cardiovascular benefits. The association between HFs and CVD risk may be through their effect on endothelial health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between objectively measured HF and endothelial function and determine the effect of physical activity on the relationship in healthy perimenopausal women. We hypothesized that more HF would be associated with lower endothelial function and PA would influence this relationship. Healthy perimenopausal women (n=52, age 43-54) were included in this analysis. Perimenopause was defined as ≥7d difference in the length of consecutive cycles to <12 months of amenorrhea. Hot flashes were measured objectively using sternal skin conductance for 24 hours. The number of HF experienced and HF rate (normalized to actual wear time) were quantified. Endothelial function was assessed with measures of brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD, %) on the non-dominant arm. Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed with 7-days of actigraphy monitoring on the non-dominant wrist. The R package GGIR and Hildebrand (2016) cut points were used to quantify PA intensity and reported as sum of the average minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity per day. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate relationships between variables. Data met all assumptions for statistical tests. Modeling was performed to evaluate whether HFs were predictors of the main outcome of FMD (R version 4.2.3 and RStudio version 2023.06.2+561). Age and BMI were included in all models. Lower FMD was significantly correlated with a higher objective HF rate ( r (52) =-0.27, p=0.05). Objective HF rate predicted FMD (β=-3.91, p=0.04) when controlling for age and BMI (adj R2=0.100, F(3,48) =2.892, p=.05). When MVPA was added to the model, MVPA alone was not a significant predictor but the interaction between MVPA and HF was (β=0.12, p=0.04; adj R2=0.147, F(5,46) =2.761, p<0.03). This interaction was such that higher levels of MVPA were related to a less strongly negative relationship between objective HF rate and FMD. A simple slopes analysis found that the HF rate effect at one SD below the mean MVPA was significantly negative, (β=-8.64, p=0.004), whereas the HF rate effect at one SD above the mean MVPA was not significant, (β=0.18, p=0.95). These data provide strong evidence that support the hypothesis that a greater number of objectively-assessed hot flashes is associated with lower endothelial function in perimenopausal women and that higher amount of physical activity serves as a buffer against the negative relation between hot flashes and FMD. NIH NHLBI R15 Grant 1R15HL145650-01A1 (Witkowski); Smith College McKinley s Honors Fellowship (Tha Ra Wun); Smith College STRIDE (Buszkiewicz). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

The impact of railway incidents on train delays: A case of the Swedish Railway Network

A foreseeable challenge with a substantial increase in railway mode share will be how to uphold punctuality. Higher volumes of train traffic will result in timetables that are more sensitive to disruptions; whose severity and frequency is also expected to increase in light of greater asset utilization and climate change. This calls for a definitive understanding of the relationship between incidents and train delays as a prerequisite to developing robust timetables and disruption management strategies. In this paper we propose a novel framework for quantifying the impact of railway incidents on train delays. Using a case of the Swedish Railway Network, we compare the impact of different incidents on train delays. The impact of delay is defined as a factor of the incident rate, exposure rate, delay rate and historical average delay minutes per incident. A logistic model that estimates the probability of delay for any train, in the event of a failure, is also developed. Snow on track was established as most critical, resulting in the highest normalized delay minutes per train and the largest increase in the odds of delay for individual trains. The proposed framework & approach can be applied to other networks.

Abstract 14: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Physical Activity Behavior After Hospitalization for Suspected Acute Coronary Syndromes

Background: An acute coronary syndrome (ACS) related event can induce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and post-ACS PTSD is associated with a greater risk for secondary clinical outcomes among ACS survivors. While moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has been shown to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes after ACS, its impact on PTSD symptoms remains largely unknown. There is a notable absence of empirical evidence, especially from large-scale observational cohort studies with device-based measures of physical activity, on this topic. Aim: To investigate the relationship between physical activity behaviors over the first month post-discharge with PTSD symptoms at one month among patients with suspected ACS. Methods: Patients (n = 434, 48.6% female, 62.6±12.4yrs) evaluated for ACS in the emergency department were fitted with a GENEActiv wrist accelerometer in-hospital and wore the device on their non-dominant wrist for 30 days post-discharge to measure MVPA. Presence and severity of PTSD symptoms were assessed at 1-month follow-up using the PCL-5. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to simultaneously 1) fit a linear growth curve (GC) model to patients’ 30-day trajectories of MVPA and 2) predict total PTSD symptoms from a) mean daily MVPA, b) average daily change in MVPA (GC slope), and c) covariates (age, biological sex, education, and Charlson Comorbidity Index). Results: Patients engaged in an average of 20.8 (95% CI: 18.4, 23.3, p < 0.001) minutes of MVPA per day. MVPA levels increased at an average rate of 0.11 mins/day (95% CI: 0.05, 0.16, p < 0.001) over the 30 days post-discharge. There was substantial between-patient variability in both average MVPA minutes (SD = 26.0) and daily rate of change in MVPA minutes (SD = 0.38). The daily rate of change in MVPA was significantly associated with 1-month PTSD symptoms (β per 0.5 mins/day difference in daily rate of change in MVPA minutes = -4.5 points on the PCL-5; 95% CI: -6.5, -2.5, p < 0.001), controlling for the above-mentioned covariates. The association between average MVPA minutes and PCL-5 score was small and not statistically significant (β = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.04, 0.07, p = 0.60). Conclusion: PTSD symptoms appear to be mitigated in patients whose MVPA minutes increased over the 30 days post-discharge, whereas no evident association was observed between PTSD symptoms and average daily MVPA minutes. These findings suggest that progressively increasing MVPA by as little as .5 mins/day (i.e., ~1 SD above the mean rate of increase) within the immediate first month post-discharge, as opposed to maintaining a consistent daily average of MVPA, may impede the development of PTSD symptoms in ACS survivors.

Walkability and socio-economic status in relation to walking, playing and sports practice in a representative Spanish sample of youth: The PASOS study.

Physical activity (PA) provides multiple health-related benefits in children and adolescents, however, at present, the majority of young people are insufficiently physically active. The aim of this study was to evaluate if neighborhood walkability and/or socio-economic status (SES) could affect the practice of walking, play outdoors and sports practice in a representative sample of Spanish children and adolescents. A sample of 4092 youth (aged 8-16 years old) from 245 primary and secondary schools in 121 localities from each of the 17 Spanish autonomous communities participated in the study. Walk Score was used to evaluate walkability of the neighborhood and household income was used as an indicator of SES. A 7-item self-reported validated questionnaire, was used to assess PA levels, and in a subsample of 10% of the participants, randomly selected from the entire sample, PA was objectively measured by accelerometers. Youth from more walkable areas reported more minutes walking per day compared with those from less walkable neighborhoods (51.4 vs 48.8 minutes, respectively). The lowest average minutes spent in playing outdoors was found among participants from low-SES and low-walkable neighborhoods. Neighborhood SES influenced on the participation in team sports during the weekend, being this participation higher in high SES neighborhoods. Providing high walkable environments seems a good strategy to promote PA regardless SES levels. It seems that improving the walkability is a key component to partially overcome the SES inequalities, especially in urban areas with low SES. High-SES environments can offer better sports facilities and more organized physical activities than low-SES ones.

Influence of motor capacity of the lower extremity and mobility performance on foot plantar pressures in community-dwelling older women

ObjectivesTo investigate the associations of motor capacity of the lower extremity and mobility performance in daily physical activities with peak foot plantar pressures during walking among older women. MethodsUsing the data collected among 58 community-dwelling older women (68.66 ± 3.85 years), Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to analyze the associations of motor capacity of the lower extremity (the 30-s chair stand test, the timed one-leg stance with eyes closed, and the Fugl-Meyer assessment of lower extremity), mobility performance in daily physical activities (the average minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day and the metabolic equivalents), and foot plantar pressures (peak force and peak pressure) with the age and body fat percentage as covariates. Results(1) The motor capacity of the lower extremity has higher explanatory power for peak foot plantar pressures compared with the mobility performance in daily physical activities. (2) Higher body fat percentage was positively associated with peak force and pressure, while a lower score on the Fugl-Meyer assessment of lower extremity was negatively associated with both of them. (3) The metabolic equivalents were positively associated with the peak force, while the 30-s chair stand test was negatively associated with it. ConclusionsMobility performance in daily physical activities can be significant predictors for peak foot plantar pressures among older women. The significant predictor variables include the Fugl-Meyer assessment of lower extremity, the 30-s chair stand test, and metabolic equivalents.

Physical activity, organized sport participation and active transportation to school among Canadian youth by gender identity and sexual attraction.

Regular physical activity is associated with a wide range of health benefits in youth. While previous studies have identified disparities in physical activity among youth by gender identity and sexual attraction, these have seldom been explored in Canadian youth. Data from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth were used to assess prevalence of and time spent in organized sports participation, total physical activity and active transportation by gender identity (non-cisgender vs. cisgender) among youth aged 12 to 17, and by sexual attraction (nonheterosexual attraction vs. heterosexual attraction) among youth aged 15 to 17. There was no difference in average minutes of total physical activity per week between non-cisgender and cisgender Canadian youth. Non-cisgender youth (which represent 0.5% of the population) averaged significantly fewer minutes of organized sports per week than their cisgender counterparts. There was some evidence of increased active transportation to school among non-cisgender youth, but insufficient power to detect significant differences. Canadian youth reporting any nonheterosexual attraction (which represent 21.2% of the population, including mostly heterosexual youth) were less likely to be regularly physically active and participate in organized sports than youth reporting exclusive heterosexual attraction. Differences were larger among males than females. Males reporting nonheterosexual attraction were more likely to use active transportation to get to school than their heterosexual counterparts. Non-cisgender youth and youth reporting nonheterosexual attraction tended to participate less in organized sports than their counterparts, but may have engaged in more active transportation. Mitigating the barriers associated with sport participation could increase physical activity among these groups.

The availability between recreational facilities and physical activity of US adolescents

Determining the locations where adolescents tend to accumulate greater amounts of physical activity may assist policymakers to address the built environment design and promote PA. This study evaluated the association between the availability of recreational facilities and average minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day of US adolescents in 2017 (n = 1,437). Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from the 2017 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating study, an internet-based study collecting information on diet and PA of parent and adolescent dyads. Adolescents aged 12–17 from the US were included. Predicted daily minutes of MVPA were calculated. The exposure variables of interest were the availability of school recreational facilities, indoor recreational facilities, playing fields, bike/hiking/walking trails or paths or public parks. Participants were excluded if no information was provided for MVPA or availability of recreational facilities. Unadjusted and adjusted linearregression analysis was used to calculate mean daily minutes of MVPA and their corresponding 95 % confidence intervals. In fully adjusted models, we found statistically significant associations between the type of recreational facility and differences in daily minutes of MVPA for school (p-value < 0.001) and public parks p-value < 0.001), but not for the other recreational facilities. The average daily minutes of MVPA differed by 4.4 min (95 % CI 2.6, 6.2) if participants had school recreational facilities, respectively. School recreational facilities are important for engaging adolescents in PA objectives. Features within school recreational facilities should be studied to further investigate contributions to increased PA levels.

A Comparison of Neuropathic Pain Experiences Among Paralympic Versus Recreational Athletes with Spinal Cord Injury

BackgroundIndividuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) report high levels of neuropathic pain. Current treatment options are primarily pharmaceutical, despite their limited effectiveness. Exercise may reduce neuropathic pain among persons with SCI; however, the optimal dose of exercise required to elicit analgesic effects remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare neuropathic pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, use of coping strategies, and positive affect and well-being among Paralympic versus recreational athletes with SCI who experience chronic neuropathic pain. Forty-seven athletes with SCI (25 Paralympic, 27 recreational) completed the International SCI Pain Basic Data Set, Douleur Neuropathique-4, coping strategies questionnaire, pain catastrophizing scale, and SCI-quality of life assessment.ResultsParalympic athletes reported significantly greater neuropathic pain (p = 0.032) and positive affect and well-being (p = 0.047) than recreational athletes. No other comparisons were significant (ps > 0.09). Significant, medium-sized positive correlations were observed between neuropathic pain and total minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (r = 0.335, p = 0.023) and average minutes per day of moderate-intensity exercise (r = 0.375, p = 0.010) over the past week.ConclusionsThe results suggest that frequent moderate- to high-intensity exercise may exacerbate neuropathic pain sensations for persons with SCI. Research should investigate psychosocial and physiological mechanisms by which exercise may influence neuropathic pain to explain how Paralympic athletes with SCI are able to continue exercising while maintaining positive affect despite neuropathic pain.

Physical activity intensity and markers of inflammation in those with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

AimsTo investigate associations between objectively measured light (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) physical activity on plasma homocysteine and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in individuals with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis using data from 2003 to 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey including a total of 983 individuals with NAFLD. Physical activity was assessed over 7 days with accelerometers. Participants were split into tertiles based on average daily minutes of LPA or MVPA and CRP and homocysteine were assessed across tertiles. RESULTS: Adjusted plasma homocysteine and CRP were not different between groups regarding levels of LPA (Homocysteine: 1st tertile – 10.4 ± 0.7 µmol/L; 2nd tertile – 9.6 ± 0.4 µmol/L; 3rd tertile – 9.6 ± 0.4 µmol/L; p = 0.28; CRP: 1st tertile – 0.79 ± 0.12 mg/dL; 2nd tertile – 0.73 ± 0.09 mg/dL; 3rd tertile – 0.73 ± 0.09 mg/dL; p = 0.72). Adjusted CRP was significantly (p = 0.02) different across MVPA tertiles (1st: 0.87 ± 0.13 mg/dL; 2nd: 0.75 ± 0.10 mg/dL; 3rd:0.65 ± 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: LPA does not appear to be effective at improving homocysteine or CRP levels in individuals with NAFLD. However, MVPA may be an effective therapy for decreasing CRP in NAFLD patients.

Exercising More Than 150 min/wk After Concussion Is Associated With Sleep Quality Improvements.

To examine whether a high volume of aerobic exercise after concussion (>150 min/wk) is associated with improved sleep quality over a 1-month period. We hypothesized that more than 150 min/wk of exercise would be associated with improved sleep quality across concussion recovery. Prospective cohort observational study. Sports medicine clinic. Adolescents initially tested 8.4 ± 3.5 (range, 2-18) days postconcussion who returned for a follow-up assessment 34.3 ± 7.7 (range: 20-49) days postconcussion. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory. No specific exercise or sleep recommendations were given beyond what their treating physician provided. Between study visits, participants recorded exercise performed via wrist-worn actigraphy. We calculated average exercise minutes per week and grouped participants as those who exercised more than 150 min/wk versus those who exercised 150 min/wk or less. Thirty-six adolescents participated. Fifteen (42%) recorded more than 150 min/wk of aerobic exercise (age = 14.0 ± 1.7 years; 47% female; mean = 5.6 ± 1.2 d/wk of exercise; mean = 49.2 ± 17.5 min/session), and 21 recorded 150 min/wk or less of aerobic exercise (age = 15.0 ± 1.9 years; 76% female; mean = 2.7 ± 1.6 d/wk of exercise; mean = 30.2 ± 7.8 min/session). There were no significant group differences in the proportion of those who self-reported beginning physical activity prior to enrollment (47% vs 33%; P = .42) or for initial sleep quality rating (8.0 ± 3.7 vs 8.6 ± 4.1; P = .67) or initial concussion symptom severity rating (34.9 ± 28.0 vs 42.6 ± 25.9; P = .40). The group that exercised more than 150 min/wk between visits demonstrated significantly greater median PSQI rating improvements than those who exercised 150 min/wk or less, with a large effect size noted (median change [interquartile range] = 5 [3, 7] vs 1 [0, 4]; P = .008; Cohen d = 0.96). Current recommendations suggest that subsymptom aerobic exercise can be beneficial after concussion. Our findings indicate that an exercise volume of more than 150 min/wk led to greater sleep quality improvements than those who exercised below this level.

Assessment of Sleeping Disorders, Characteristics, and Sleeping Medication Use Among Pharmacy Students in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study.

BACKGROUND Insomnia is a growing problem, especially among university students, and is associated with sleep disorders, poor academic performance, and quality of sleep. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of insomnia sleeping characteristics, managing techniques, and attitudes toward sleeping pill usage among pharmacy students. MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross-sectional web-based study was conducted among pharmacy students of King Saud University, College of Pharmacy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between February and March 2023. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. A P value of <0.05 and was considered statistically significant. RESULTS In this study, 61.7% (n=108) of the students' slept an average of 6-10 h and 35.4% (n=62) slept an average of 6 h. Regarding sleeping patterns, nearly two-thirds (n=112, 64%) of the students had day and night sleeping patterns while more than one-third (n=63, 36%) had only night sleeping patterns. In this study, 2.9% (n=5) of the students had severe clinical insomnia, while 21.7% (n=38) reported moderately severe clinical insomnia, 44% (n=77) of them had subthreshold insomnia, and 31.4% (n= 55) had no clinically significant insomnia. The mean scores of the insomnia severity index were significantly related to the usage of stimulants (P=0.048), average hours of sleep (P=0.0001), and average minutes needed to fall asleep (P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The current findings demonstrated varying levels of insomnia among students, yet few students used sleeping pills.

Learning Analytics for Data-Driven Decision Making

This study examines the use of learning analytics to enhance instructional personalization and student engagement in online higher education. The research focuses on the engagement levels of students based on different access methods (mobile and non-mobile), the relationships among engagement indicators, and the strategies for instructional personalization. Quantitative research methodology is employed to analyse and measure students' engagement levels. The findings indicate that students using non-mobile devices exhibit higher engagement in terms of average minutes, item accesses, and content accesses, while mobile access shows higher engagement in terms of course accesses, course interactions, and average interactions. Significant correlations are observed among engagement indicators, highlighting the importance of course interactions, content accesses, and assessment accesses in promoting student engagement. Accordingly, a critical model for effective student engagement in online learning courses is proposed.

Chemotherapy-related symptoms and exercise adherence in older patients with myeloid neoplasms.

Exercise may ameliorate treatment-related symptoms, but older adults have lower exercise adherence compared to their younger counterparts due to treatment-related symptoms. We recruited older patients with myeloid neoplasms receiving chemotherapy to a pilot study of a mobile health exercise intervention. Participants entered their steps and resistance data into the app daily, and symptom data twice a week, over an 8-12week period. In this proof-of-concept analysis, we used a linear mixed-effects model to assess the association of symptoms from the previous week with exercise adherence in the current week among older adults with myeloid neoplasms. Mean age was 74.3 (SD = 5.0) years (N = 7). At baseline, patients on average walked 2564 daily steps (SD = 1816), which increased to 2967 (SD = 3448) post-intervention. Patients on average performed 3.5 (SD = 2.6) days of resistance training weekly, with mean duration of 21.5min (SD = 11.6) and rated perceived exertion of 3.68 (SD = 1.78) on a 0-10 scale. Lower average steps in the current week was associated with greater interference with daily activities from pain (β = - 203.13, p = 0.05), memory (β = - 492.29, p = 0.09), numbness (β = - 353.57, p = 0.07), and sadness (β = - 403.03, p = 0.09) in the previous week. Similarly, lower average resistance minutes in the current week were associated with greater pain, sadness, and anxiety in the previous week. We found that greater pain, sadness, and anxiety were associated with lower exercise adherence. Symptom monitoring and management in older adults with myeloid neoplasms receiving chemotherapy can promote exercise adherence and in turn improve symptoms. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04035499. Registered 7/29/2019.