Causes Of Physical Inactivity Research Articles

Physical Activity, Long-COVID, and Inactivity: A Detrimental Endless Loop.

The risk of developing medium- and long-term sequelae after recovery from COVID-19 is validated. Long-COVID burden represents a major health care issue, thus paving the way to effective prevention and/or treatment measures. Physical activity prevents many human pathologies, including COVID-19. Being physically active before and immediately after a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection substantially lowers the risk of developing long-COVID. In addition, long-COVID is an important cause of physical inactivity. Physically inactive individuals are at increased risk of developing long-COVID, while patients with long-COVID are more likely to reduce their physical activity levels after recovering from the acute infection, with the risk of generating a continuous loop. This harmful interaction needs to be recognized by public health institutions, and the adoption of physical activity as a routine clinical practice in all individuals after a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection needs to be proactively promoted.

Technology Utilization and Physical Engagement Among Children with Disabilities in Nepal

This study aims to explore how the utilization of modern technology by children with disabilities may lead to sedentary behaviors. This study is informed by the interpretive paradigm. An explorative qualitative research design was adopted to approach the phenomenon. This study has covered three different disability groups: visual impairment, hearing impairment, and physical disability. In order to cover these groups, three integrated schools were purposively selected for the study. Altogether, 22 participants—head teachers, teachers, students, parents, and members of Disabled People Organization— were purposively selected. In-depth interview guidelines and key informant interview guidelines were used as data collection tools. The obtained data were analyzed and interpreted thematically by using multiple facts and critical views. Children with disabilities were found to be interested in participating in various kinds of physical activities. Children are increasingly attracted to the newest forms of technology. With the exponential development of smartphones and tablets, the use of technology devices has become unavoidable and is now viewed as an integral part of life. Digital technology was found to be one of the main causes of physical inactivity among children with disabilities. The entire group of stakeholders is advised to increase outdoor activities to promote physical fitness and health of children with disabilities.

FUNCTIONAL TRAINING FOR CHILDREN

With the current situation in society, in which a sedentary lifestyle is part of everyday life, it is necessary to create alternatives to develop and improve the physical qualities of healthy children and adolescents with safe and effective conditioning methods to meet their various needs, goals and capabilities. It is justified by the need to have a clear, precise and defined survey of physical activities that can be applied functionally to children. This prevents physical, mental and social health problems. It aims to identify, from a literature review, which physical activities can be taught to children in functional training. The research is a bibliographical review where 10 articles published between the years 2013 and 2023 were selected. The methodological proposals related to functional training for children must be at the discretion of the teacher in order to adopt the best practice and must encourage them in the search for a healthier lifestyle, combating a sedentary lifestyle and preventing obesity, which is a major cause of physical inactivity in children.

Automatic Classification of the Severity of Knee Osteoarthritis Using Enhanced Image Sharpening and CNN

Knee osteoarthritis is a significant cause of physical inactivity and disability. Early detection and treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) degeneration can decrease its course. Physicians’ scores may differ significantly amongst interpreters and are greatly influenced by personal experience based solely on visual assessment. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) in conjunction with the Kellgren–Lawrence (KL) grading system are used to assess the severity of OA in the knee. Recent research applied for knee osteoarthritis using machine learning and deep learning results are not encouraging. One of the major reasons for this was that the images taken are not pre-processed in the correct way. Hence, feature extraction using deep learning was not great, thus impacting the overall performance of the model. Image sharpening, a type of image filtering, was required to improve image clarity due to noise in knee X-ray images. The assessment used baseline X-ray images from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). On enhanced images acquired utilizing the image sharpening process, we achieved a mean accuracy of 91.03%, an improvement of 19.03% over the earlier accuracy of 72% by using the original knee X-ray images for the detection of OA with five gradings. The image sharpening method is used to advance knee joint recognition and knee KL grading.

Children with Disabilities in Digital Era: A Perspective for Physical Education

This study critically analyzes the prospect of physical education for children with disabilities in a digital era. A qualitative design was used to explore the in-depth information. Both primary and secondary data were applied. This study covers blind, deaf and physically disabled students. Altogether 22 key informants and participants were selected for the first-hand information. The data are analyzed and interpreted based on themes by using critical discourse analysis and narrative techniques. The study found that digital technology as the main cause of physical inactivity. Physical activities are essentially needed for children with disabilities especially those who tend to be less physically active and are at higher risk of inactivity complications for coping with the challenges posed by the technology. The study further recommended teachers and parents of children with disabilities to increase outdoor activities so that they can be physically active.

Physical Activities and Associated Factors Among HIV/AIDS Patients: A Questionnaire Survey.

PurposeRegular physical activity is essential for maintaining health and improving people’s overall quality of life living with HIV; improving metabolic side effects associated with taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This study investigated physical activity levels and associated factors among HIV/AIDS patients.Patients and MethodsA single-center, cross-sectional study was conducted from July to September 2021. A convenience sample of 377 HIV/AIDS patients was recruited from a medical center in Zhuhai, China. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires and patients’ medical records.ResultsThe average physical activity of HIV/AIDS patients was 1007.15±868.63 met-min/w; 53.8% of patients expressed medium-level activity, and 46.2% in low-level activity. Log-link gamma generalized linear model results showed that gender, T-CD4+ at the latest visit, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers were significant predictors of assessing physical activity levels.ConclusionNearly half of HIV/AIDS patients have low levels of physical activity. In particular, women and patients with lower CD4 cells, lower self-efficacy, and more perceived barriers had lower levels of physical activity. More knowledge is needed on the causes of physical inactivity among people with HIV, and physical activity programs need to be developed for people living with HIV in developing countries.

A Cross-Sectional Study Rating the Perceived Impact and Reach of the Ministry of Health and Wellness Initiatives to Curb Physical Inactivity in Jamaica

Like other countries, Jamaica in the last 2 decades has seen an increase in physical inactivity, which has significantly increased the number of people living with chronic lifestyle diseases on the island. It can be argued that increased industrialization has resulted in several ecological concerns, such as violence that may deter people from engaging in physical exercise, pollution and polluted air, lack of parks, walkways, and sports/recreational amenities. Despite the causes of physical inactivity, there is a global mobilization by the World Health Organization (WHO) and individual countries to reduce physical inactivity levels by at least 15% by 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic has surely put a dent in the physical activity (PA) targets. Many countries initiated restrictive measures (lockdowns, curfews, and social distancing) to try and contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. For countries such as Jamaica, combating physical inactivity seems to require strategies, interventions, motivation, and the promotion of physical activity (PA) culture from all stakeholders (integrated approach) to meet the WHO’s goals and standards by 2030. The purpose of this research was to assess the perceived impact and reach of Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) initiatives to promote PA, impact weight loss, and lifestyle while trying to reduce sedentary behaviors in Jamaica. A standardized questionnaire was used in a single cross-sectional design that surveyed 843 Jamaicans using Google Forms. Participants ages 12-71 years old were surveyed using a hybrid sample strategy that used convenience and snowballs sampling techniques. The results of the study indicated that there was a 35% participation rate in the MOHW initiatives, with only 14.3% of the participants believed that the initiatives were impacting their weight loss and lifestyle. Additionally, 51.6% of the participants did not believe the initiatives caused them to participate more in PA; on average, the initiatives by the MOHW were rated at 50% effective. The initiatives are not very effective in reaching most of the population, which is not achieving the goal of enhancing healthy lifestyle practices and reducing physical inactivity. These implications may potentially see an increase in Jamaica’s physical inactivity levels and chronic lifestyle diseases if these initiatives are not intensified to reach the majority of the population.

Low interest in physical activity and higher rates of obesity among rural teachers.

Few studies have evaluated the causes of physical inactivity in rural teachers from South America. Determining the causes and effects of physical inactivity in rural teachers could be the base for future intervention studies aiming to improve physical activity (PA) engagement in this population. To examine the levels of PA in rural teachers and evaluate the associations between their jobs, interest in PA, body composition and practice of PA. Body mass index (BMI) and body fat % (BF) of rural teachers from the Valparaiso Region in Chile were measured; interviews regarding PA habits, interests and PA practice were conducted. The relationship between BF% and interest in PA and the practice of sports was analysed stratifying by sex. Around 71% were overweight/obese and 80% of the teachers reported not practicing any PA. These figures are higher than the Chilean national average for adults (64.5% overweight/obese). Moreover, females presented a higher BF% than male teachers (35.98% vs. 26.44%, p < 0.05). The main causes of not performing PA were: firstly, the lack of time (51.8%), and secondly, fatigue after work and/or finishing work late. In addition, rural teachers claim that in their free time they continue to finish tasks that they were not able to complete during their working hours. Rural Chilean teachers show a high prevalence of obesity and low PA levels. Moreover, rural teachers have a work overload stemming from their jobs, and this could be an important link to an overall sedentary lifestyle. Further studies should focus on the relationship between teacher obesity, physical activity, nutrition and work overload.

Perceived Physical Activity Benefits and Barriers in Sedentary Adults

Background. Research aim was to analyse the perceptions of benefits and barriers of physical activity in physically inactive adults.Methods. Research methods were individual interviews and qualitative content analysis.Results. Insufficiently physically active adults have many different health and emotional problems, but this is not a sufficient motive for them to be physically active. Research participants positively evaluated the benefits of physical activity if their physical activity did not exceed their physical fitness; however, it was not optimal and did not comply with the proposed minimum recommendations. Physical activities of adults were mostly related to holidays, cooking, playing with children, and activities in nature. Meanwhile, respondents were more physically inactive – working at home, reading books, and spending time on smart devices. Adults mentioned more reasons to be physically passive than active. Internal causes of physical inactivity were related to lack of time, lack of motivation, antipathy to sport, health problems and internal beliefs, external causes – workload, weather conditions, financial situation, family and household.Conclusions. Physical health problems and psychological ailments of inactive adults were frequent consequences of physical inactivity. Their activities after work were passive (working at home, reading books and time on smart devices) and active (holidays, cooking, playing games with children, activities in nature). Although there were more active activities, most of them were in leisure time and they did not fully meet the minimum recommendations. The participants positively evaluated the benefits of physical activity if their physical activity did not exceed their physical fitness. Internal causes of physical inactivity of the participants were lack of time, lack of motivation, antipathy for sport, health problems, feeling of loneliness and age, external causes – workload, weather conditions, financial situation, family and household.

Political Orientation and Public Attributions for the Causes and Solutions of Physical Inactivity in Canada: Implications for Policy Support.

Objectives: To examine how public attributions for the causes and solutions of physical inactivity and individuals' self-identified political orientation are associated with support for different policy actions in addressing physical inactivity.Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted with a sample of 2,044 Canadian adults. Two sets of 2 X 3 analyses of variance and post-hoc analyses were conducted to assess (1) the mean differences by the causes of the issue of physical inactivity (individual, or both internal and external/external) and political orientation (liberal, centrist, and conservative), and (2) responsibility for solutions (private matter, or both private and public health matter, and /public health matter) and political orientation on support for least, moderate, and most intrusive policy actions.Results: No interaction effects existed between causal attribution and political orientation on policy support, but a main effect of causal attributions for physical inactivity and political orientation was significant. Those who held internal attributions for the cause of physical inactivity showed less support for policies compared to those who held external causal attributions or both internal and external causal attributions. Conservative individuals reported the least support for all policy actions in comparison to liberal or centrist orientations. There were interaction effects between responsibility for solutions and political orientation on policy support. Conservative individuals who perceived the responsibility for solving physical inactivity as a private matter had less support for all three policy actions.Conclusions: Public acceptance of policy actions addressing physical inactivity varies by the attributions the public have regarding causes and responsibility for solving the problem, and by political orientation. Advocacy and messaging for policy implementation in the physical activity arena needs to be communicated in ways that encourage reflective and informed deliberation that is representative of the Canadian population.

Quality of Life and Physical Activity among Elderly and Old People

This article presents the results of the identification of the main causes of physical inactivity among the elderly and the assessment of the effectiveness of the inclusion of regular Nordic walking into the preventive system for the elderly in order to improve the quality of life. A comparative analysis of the quality of life was used among elderly and old people, regularly engaged in Nordic walking (intervention group) and leading a physically passive lifestyle (control group). It was established that regular physical activity allows the improvement of the quality of life and positively affects health in groups under study, but it is the elderly people who represent the most physically inactive part of the population. The main reasons for the physical inactivity among older people are the presence of diseases, fear of injury and falls, lack of energy and weakness, low level of motivation, lack of partners or friends for joint activities, etc. The above studies have shown that regular practice of Nordic walking improves the quality of life for both elderly and old people. It was evidenced by the results of the SF 36 questionnaire analysis when we compared not only intervention and control groups but the age differences in the quality of life in all groups under study. After 12 months of regular Nordic walking it was registered an increase of the quality of life estimated on the scales of role-playing physical functioning, overall health, role emotional functioning, vitality, psychological health, social functioning, which correlated both with the physical and psychological components of health. The results thus obtained make it possible to recommend Nordic walking as the most simple, accessible and at the same time effective type of physical activity for the elderly population, that helps to overcome the main causes of physical inactivity, restore the functional capabilities of the aging organism. Gerontotechnologies based on the regular activities of Nordic walking are one of the most effective ways to improve and maintain the quality of life and, as a result, the activity, mobility, self-care ability among elderly and old people.

Assessing the social climate of physical (in)activity in Canada

BackgroundEcological models suggest that a strategy for increasing physical activity participation within a population is to reconstruct the “social climate”. This can be accomplished through 1) changing norms and beliefs, 2) providing direct support for modifying environments, and 3) implementing policies to encourage physical activity. Nevertheless, surveillance efforts have paid limited attention to empirical assessment of social climate. This study responds to this gap by assessing the social climate of physical activity in Canada.MethodsA representative sample of Canadian adults (n = 2519, male/female = 50.3%/49.7%, Mage = 49.1 ± 16.3 years) completed an online survey asking them to assess social climate dimensions including social norms of physical (in)activity, perceptions of who causes physical inactivity and who is responsible for solving physical inactivity, and support for physical activity-related policy. Descriptive statistics (frequencies) were calculated. Multinomial logistic regressions were constructed to identify whether demographic variables and physical activity participation associated with social climate dimensions.ResultsPhysical inactivity was considered a serious public health concern by 55% of the respondents; similar to unhealthy diets (58%) and tobacco use (57%). Thirty-nine percent of the respondents reported that they often see other people exercising. Twenty-eight percent of the sample believed that society disapproves of physical inactivity. The majority of respondents (63%) viewed the cause of physical inactivity as both an individual responsibility and other factors beyond an individuals’ control. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported physical inactivity as being both a private matter and a public health matter. Strong support existed for environmental-, individual-, and economic-level policies but much less for legislative approaches. The social climate indicators were associated with respondents’ level of physical activity participation and demographic variables in expected directions.ConclusionThis study is the first known attempt to assess social climate at a national level, addressing an important gap in knowledge related to advocating for, and implementing population-level physical activity interventions. Future tracking will be needed to identify any temporal (in)stability of these constructs over time and to explore the relationship between physical activity participation and indicators of the national social climate of physical activity.

Using gender-based analyses to understand physical inactivity among women in Yellowstone County, Montana

Physical inactivity contributes to many health problems. Gender, the socially constructed roles and activities deemed appropriate for men and women, is an important factor in women's physical inactivity. To better understand how gender influences participation in leisure-time physical activity, a gender analysis was conducted using sex-disaggregated data from a county-wide health assessment phone survey and a qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts. From this gender analysis, several gender-based constraints emerged, including women's roles as caregivers, which left little time or energy for physical activity, women's leisure time activities and hobbies, which were less active than men's hobbies, and expectations for women's appearance that made them uncomfortable sweating in front of strangers. Gender-based opportunities included women's enjoyment of activity as a social connection, less rigid gender roles for younger women, and a sense of responsibility to set a good example for their families. The gender analysis was used to gain a deeper understanding of gender-based constraints and opportunities related to physical activity. This understanding is being used in the next step of our research to develop a gender-specific intervention to promote physical activity in women that addresses the underlying causes of physical inactivity through accommodation or transformation of those gender norms.

Designed to move? Physical activity lobbying and the politics of productivity

Objectives: Physical inactivity is a major public health concern. At a population level, it is increasingly perceived to be a social problem which is global and multidimensional, and which requires attention by a diverse range of state, private and civil society organisations. Given the increasing attention to physical in/activity by a range of interest groups, this paper explores the political dynamics that are present within physical activity promotion discourse. Specifically, the paper examines the political dynamics associated with a recent physical activity lobby document entitled Designed To Move (DTM). DTM was written and produced by a variety of corporate, government, and health promotion organisations. Method and analysis: This paper uses a critical policy framework to analyse the justifications for, and suggested techniques of, physical activity promotion. It examines the explicit and more subtle reasons used to justify physical activity recommendations, how causes of physical inactivity are conveyed, and who is identified as able to fix the problem. Conclusions: While DTM appears to be a positive and inspirational call to action, several aspects of the document are problematic. Significantly, older adults receive scant attention in the document, and are therefore removed from being potentially important agents in the proposed solution. DTM also frames the workplace milieu in a way that promotes ‘productivity’ and business ‘fortune’ above concern for and consideration of employees’ material conditions of existence. The paper concludes by encouraging health researchers, physical activity students and health promoters to look behind and beyond assumptions about the causes of, and solutions to, physical inactivity.

Sitting Made in Time to be Less Sedentary at Work (SMILES@Work)

Physical (in) activity can be described in the context of work, home, transport or leisure time. However, physical activity and inactivity are different constructs and therefore require different treatments [1]. Indeed, activity and inactivity are not opposite sides of the same coin but are coins of different denominations and have to be handled with not just ‘kid’s gloves’ but with ‘different gloves’ [2]. The causes of physical inactivity are multifaceted, complex and difficult to eradicate since the many lifestyle conveniences are anchored on physical inactivity. It appears that physical inactivity will worsen as technological gadgets make physical exertion unnecessary.