Effectiveness Of Physical Activity Interventions Research Articles

Dance Interventions to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth: A Systematic Review

Given the potential for dance to serve as a way to engage in physical activity, this review was undertaken to examine the use and effectiveness of physical activity interventions using dance among children and adolescents.Five databases were examined for dance-related physical activity interventions published between 2009–2016 fitting the inclusion criteria. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were then evaluated for studyquality against the Effective Public Health Practice Project assessment tool (Thomas, Ciliska, Dobbins, & Micucci. 2004) and key study information was extracted. Thirteen papers detailing 11 interventions wereobtained. Intervention study quality was rated as weak (based on scoring) for all studies. Multiple forms of dance were used, including exergaming approaches. Four interventions yielded increases in physical activity(reported in six articles), four interventions were inconclusive, and three interventions produced nonstatistically significant findings. Further research is required in this area to determine the effects of dance interventionson physical activity among youth.

Physical Activity Programs with Post-Intervention Follow-Up in Children: A Comprehensive Review According to Categories of Intervention.

Only 9% of Canadian children meet the National Guidelines of 60 min of daily moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. The aim of this review is to assess the mid- and long-term effectiveness of physical activity interventions and their impact on cardiovascular risk factors in children. We assessed the success of interventions within three different categories: those using a behavioural and social approach, an informational approach or an environmental approach. The average number of children included in these studies was 860 (range of 30–5106); the age range was from 2 to 18 years; and the mean intervention duration was 1607 min (range of 12–8160 min). The length of follow-up post-intervention averaged 13 months (ranging from 0.25 to 96 months). A positive impact on physical activity was found in 74% and on any measured outcomes in 90% of the studies reviewed. However, the benefits of physical activity interventions decreased with longer follow-up. Regardless of the approaches, physical activity interventions improved cardiovascular risk factors. However, the challenge of any program is to maintain beneficial effects once the intervention is completed. These findings will inform the development of future intervention programs in order to optimize sustained cardiovascular benefits.

Physical activity buffers fatigue only under low chronic stress

Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported complaints in the general population. As physical activity (PA) has been shown to have beneficial effects, we hypothesized that everyday life PA improves fatigue. Thirty-three healthy students (21 women, 22.8 ± 3.3 years, 21.7 ± 2.3 kg/m2) completed two ambulatory assessment periods. During five days at the beginning of the semester (control condition) and five days during final examination preparation (examination condition), participants repeatedly reported on general fatigue (awakening, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm and 9 pm) by means of an electronic diary, collected saliva samples for the assessment of cortisol and α-amylase immediately after providing information on fatigue and wore a triaxial accelerometer to continuously record PA. Self-perceived chronic stress was assessed as a moderator. Using hierarchical linear modeling, including PA, condition (control vs. examination), sex and chronic stress as predictors, PA level during the 15 min prior to data entry did not predict momentary fatigue level. Furthermore, there was no effect of condition. However, a significant cross-level interaction of perceived chronic stress with PA was observed. In fact, the (negative) relationship between PA and fatigue was stronger in those participants with less chronic stress. Neither cortisol nor α-amylase was significantly related to physical activity or fatigue. Our study showed an immediate short-term buffering effect of everyday life PA on general fatigue, but only when experiencing lower chronic stress. There seems to be no short-term benefit of PA in the face of higher chronic stress. These findings highlight the importance of considering chronic stress when evaluating the effectiveness of PA interventions in different target populations, in particular among chronically stressed and fatigued subjects.

Impact of a physical activity intervention on adolescents' subjective sleep quality: a pilot study.

The aim of this pilot study was to examine the impact of a brief physical activity intervention on adolescents' subjective sleep quality. Cross-sectional studies indicate that physically active adolescents have better subjective sleep quality than those with more sedentary habits. However, less is known about the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in improving adolescents' subjective sleep quality. In a three-week physical activity intervention, four Icelandic upper secondary schools were randomized to either an intervention group with pedometers and step diaries or a control group without pedometers and diaries. Out of 84, a total of 53 students, aged 15-16 years, provided complete data or a minimum of two days step data (out of three possible) as well as sleep quality measures at baseline and follow-up. Subjective sleep quality, the primary outcome in this study, was assessed with four individual items: sleep onset latency, nightly awakenings, general sleep quality, and sleep sufficiency. Daily steps were assessed with Yamax CW-701 pedometers. The intervention group ( n = 26) had significantly higher average step-count ( p = 0.03, partial η2 = 0.093) compared to the control group ( n = 27) at follow-up. Subjective sleep quality improved ( p = 0.02, partial η2 = 0.203) over time in the intervention group but not in the control group. Brief physical activity interventions based on pedometers and step diaries may be effective in improving adolescents' subjective sleep quality. This has important public health relevance as the intervention can easily be disseminated and incorporated into school curricula.

Effects of Physical Activity Interventions in a Rural School District

Effects of Physical Activity Interventions in a Rural School District

Effect of Physical Activity Interventions for Girls on Objectively Measured Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

IntroductionMost girls are not meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines, and 30% are overweight or obese. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence for PA intervention effects on accelerometer-measured PA, body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat (% BF) among girls. MethodsThe Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, PsychInfo, and SportDISCUS databases were searched for randomized controlled trials published from 1985-2014. Studies with a PA intervention and outcomes of accelerometer-measured PA, BMI, or % BF were included. ResultsFifteen studies were reviewed. PA, BMI, and % BF were measured in 5, 15, and 10 studies, respectively. Effect sizes (ES) were highly variable. In one intervention, PA increased (ES = −0.17 to 0.08); in two interventions, BMI was reduced (ES = −0.11 to 0.62); and in five interventions, % BF was lowered (ES = 0.12 to 0.93). DiscussionFuture research should involve preadolescent girls, improve methods for handling missing data, include objective measures of PA, and increase intervention attendance rates.

The influence of vicarious experience provided through mobile technology on self-efficacy when learning new tasks

BackgroundA high level of self-efficacy is a major contributor to the effectiveness of physical activity interventions. However, it is insufficiently known whether techniques that are used to influence self-efficacy in face-to-face or printed text interventions can also be successfully incorporated in modern-day, mobile technology-supported interventions. We performed an experiment to investigate whether self-efficacy regarding a specific task can be influenced through vicarious experience provided through mobile technology. Method36 subjects were asked to walk from A to B in exactly 14, 16, or 18 s, wearing scuba fins and a blindfold. The task guaranteed equal level of task experience at the start of the experiment. Before every trial, subjects in group 1 viewed a video on a smartphone of a subject successfully performing the task, subjects in group 2 did not view a video. Results and conclusionAlthough subjects found the video helpful for successful performance of the task and reported high perceived similarity, subjects’ level of self-efficacy regarding the task, as well as task performance did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, a secondary outcome parameter did indicate a possible difference between how subjects walked forward while wearing the scuba fins (either shuffling forward, or raising their knees high up). Future studies should investigate whether such instructional videos can contribute to higher levels of self-efficacy in mobile, technology-supported interventions in more ecologically valid settings.

Efectos de la actividad física en la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en adultos con hipertensión arterial sistémica: revisión sistemática y metaanálisis

ObjectiveTo determine the effects of physical activity interventions on health-related quality of life in adults with hypertension. Materials and methodsPubmed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, CENTRAL and additional resources such as Scielo and ScienceDirect were searched to identify randomized controlled trials addressing the effects of physical activity on health-related quality of life in adults with hypertension. Five trials were included (n=519) and shown low risk of bias and high methodological quality. ResultsConducting physical activity has positive effects on biological indicators such as BMI and cholesterol, in relation to the effects on the roles of HRQOL in the primary outcomes greater effect of interventions in the control group evidenced. ConclusionsThe practice of physical activity has positive effects on biological indicators in adults diagnosed with hypertension.

Effectiveness of centre-based childcare interventions in increasing child physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis for policymakers and practitioners.

The review describes the effectiveness of physical activity interventions implemented in centre-based childcare services and (i) examines characteristics of interventions that may influence intervention effects; (ii) describes the effects of pragmatic interventions and non-pragmatic interventions; (iii) assesses adverse effects; and (iv) describes cost-effectiveness of interventions Data sources were Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, SCOPUS and SPORTDISCUS. Studies selected included randomized controlled trials conducted in centre-based childcare including an intervention to increase objectively measured physical activity in children aged less than 6 years. Data were converted into standardized mean difference (SMD) and analysed using a random effects model. Overall interventions significantly improved child physical activity (SMD 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12-0.76). Significant effects were found for interventions that included structured activity (SMD 0.53; 95% CI: 0.12-0.94), delivery by experts (SMD 1.26; 95% CI: 0.20-2.32) and used theory (SMD 0.76; 95% CI: 0.08-1.44). Non-pragmatic (SMD 0.80; 95% CI: 0.12-1.48) but not pragmatic interventions (SMD 0.10; 95% CI:-0.13-0.33) improved child physical activity. One trial reported adverse events, and no trials reported cost data. Intervention effectiveness varied according to intervention and trial design characteristics. Pragmatic trials were not effective, and information on cost and adverse effects was lacking. Evidence gaps remain for policymakers and practitioners regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of childcare-based physical activity interventions.

Physical activity in advanced cancer patients: a systematic review protocol.

BackgroundProgressive, incurable cancer is associated with increased fatigue, increased muscle weakness, and reduced physical functioning, all of which negatively impact quality of life. Physical activity has demonstrated benefits on cancer-related fatigue and physical functioning in early-stage cancer patients; however, its impact on these outcomes in end-stage cancer has not been established. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the potential benefits, harms, and effects of physical activity interventions on quality of life outcomes in advanced cancer patients.Methods/designA systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on physical activity in advanced cancer patients will be undertaken. Empirical quantitative studies will be considered for inclusion if they present interventional or observational data on physical activity in advanced cancer patients. Searches will be conducted in the following electronic databases: CINAHL; CIRRIE Database of International Rehabilitation Research; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR); Database of s of Reviews of Effects (DARE); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); EMBASE; MEDLINE; PEDro: the Physiotherapy Evidence Database; PQDT; PsycInfo; PubMed; REHABDATA; Scopus; SPORTDiscus; and Web of Science, to identify relevant studies of interest. Additional strategies to identify relevant studies will include citation searches and evaluation of reference lists of included articles. Titles, abstracts, and keywords of identified studies from the search strategies will be screened for inclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers will conduct quality appraisal using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (EPHPP) and the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A descriptive summary of included studies will describe the study designs, participant and activity characteristics, and objective and patient-reported outcomes.DiscussionThis systematic review will summarize the current evidence base on physical activity interventions in advanced cancer patients. The findings from this systematic review will identify gaps to be explored by future research studies and inform future practice guideline development of physical activity interventions in advanced cancer patients.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42015026281Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0220-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Physical Activity Among Minority Populations: An Umbrella Review

PurposeNumerous interventions have been tested to increase physical activity (PA) among minority adults, and several review papers have examined the results from these studies. The primary purpose of this umbrella review is to summarize evidence from existing reviews regarding effectiveness of PA interventions in minority populations. ProceduresSearches were conducted in five electronic databases to identify English-language articles reviewing the effects of interventions to increase PA in minority adults living in the United States. Reviews that met the inclusion criteria were critically assessed using umbrella review procedures. Review quality was assessed using the PRISMA statement and checklist. FindingsTwenty-two reviews fulfilled inclusion criteria. The sample included one meta-analysis, 11 integrated reviews, and 10 narrative reviews published between 1998 and 2012. The reviews documented modest improvements in PA with considerable variation in intervention effectiveness across primary studies. Integrative reviews generally were of higher overall quality than narrative reviews with regard to fulfilling PRISMA criteria. ConclusionsIntegrated and narrative reviews were unable to validly determine the characteristics of effective interventions. Future reviews should employ meta-analytic methods in order to quantitatively identify those intervention characteristics that are most likely to increase PA behavior in minority adults.

Development and Testing of the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children: Elementary School

Purpose: This study describes the development and pilot testing of the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity–Elementary School (OSRAC–E) Version. Method: This system was developed to observe and document the levels and types of physical activity and physical and social contexts of physical activity in elementary school students during the school day. Interobserver agreement scores and summary data were calculated. Results: All categories had Kappa statistics greater than .80, with the exception of the activity initiator category. Interobserver agreement scores were 96% or greater. The OSRAC–E was shown to be a reliable observation system that allows researchers to assess physical activity behaviors, the contexts of those behaviors, and the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in the school environment. Conclusion: The OSRAC–E can yield data with high interobserver reliability and provide relatively extensive contextual information about the physical activity of students in elementary schools.

Physical Activity for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the perinatal complications. This disorder affects women not only during pregnancy but also after delivery. It is necessary for pregnant women to be cognizant of both their diet and physical activity. Although recommendation for dietetic treatment for GDM was represented, a consensus on diet treatment for GDM has not been obtained yet. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions on preventing GDM was demonstrated, however, scientific evidences related to non-exercise activity thermogenesis are still lacking. More researches concerning nutrition and physical activity during pregnancy should be performed to establish the better management protocol for prevention and treatment of GDM.

The Impact of Long-Term Physical Activity Interventions for Overweight/Obese Postmenopausal Women on Adiposity Indicators, Physical Capacity, and Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Physical activity interventions have recently become a popular strategy to help postmenopausal women prevent and manage obesity. The current systematic review evaluates the efficacy of physical activity interventions among overweight and obese postmenopausal women and sheds light on the behavioral change techniques that were employed in order to direct future research. Method. Five electronic databases were searched to identify all prospective RCT studies that examine the impact of physical activity on adiposity indicators, physical capacity, and/or mental health outcomes among healthy, sedentary overweight, and obese postmenopausal women in North America. The behavior change technique taxonomy was used to identify the various strategies applied in the programs. Results. Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The findings showed that adiposity indicators and physical capacity outcomes significantly improved following long-term interventions; however, mental health outcomes showed nonsignificant changes. Furthermore, 17 behavior change techniques were identified with the taxonomy across all trials. The intrapersonal-level techniques were the most common. Conclusion. Physical activity interventions had a positive effect on adiposity measures and physical capacity. Future research should focus on testing the effectiveness of physical activity interventions on mental health and incorporate strategies at the individual and environmental level to maximize the health impact on the population.

Effect of physical activity on sex hormones in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

IntroductionExposure to high levels of endogenous estrogens is a main risk factor for breast cancer in women, and in observational studies was found to be inversely associated with physical activity. The objective of the present study is to determine the effect of physical activity interventions on sex hormone levels in healthy women.MethodsElectronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL), from inception to December 2014, and reference lists of relevant reviews and clinical trials were searched, with no language restrictions applied. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they compared any type of exercise intervention to no intervention or other interventions, and assessed the effects on estrogens, androgens or the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in cancer-free women. Following the method described in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, data on populations, interventions, and outcomes were extracted, and combined using the inverse-variance method and a random-effects model. A pre-established protocol was drawn up, in which the primary outcome was the difference in circulating estradiol concentrations between the physical activity (experimental) and the control groups after intervention. Pre-specified subgroup analyses and sensitivity analysis according to the risk of bias were conducted.ResultsData suitable for quantitative synthesis were available from 18 RCTs (1994 participants) for total estradiol and from 5 RCTs (1245 participants) for free estradiol. The overall effect of physical activity was a statistically significant decrease of both total estradiol (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.12; 95 % confidence interval [CI] -0.20 to −0.03; P = 0.01; I2 = 0 %) and free estradiol (SMD −0.20; 95 % CI −0.31 to −0.09; P = 0.0005; I2 = 0 %). Subgroup analyses suggest that this effect is independent of menopausal status and is more noticeable for non-obese women and for high intensity exercise. Meta-analysis for secondary outcomes found that physical activity induces a statistically significant decline of free testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone–sulfate and adiposity markers, while a significant increase of SHBG was observed.ConclusionsAlthough the effect is relatively modest, physical activity induces a decrease in circulating sex hormones and this effect is not entirely explained by weight loss. The findings emphasize the benefits of physical activity for women.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-015-0647-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Physical activity intervention (Movi-Kids) on improving academic achievement and adiposity in preschoolers with or without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundThe prevention of obesity and improvement of academic achievement in children are concerns of industrialized societies. Obesity has been associated with psychological disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, whose prevalence has been estimated at 6.8 % in Spanish children and adolescents. It is known that physical activity is positively related to academic achievement and negatively related to the risk of obesity in children. However, studies to test the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in improving academic achievement in preschool children are scarce and have some weaknesses that threaten their validity. Moreover, very few studies have examined their effectiveness in improving symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This paper outlines a two-year multidimensional preschool intervention (Movi-Kids) aimed at preventing obesity and improving academic achievement in children with or without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Methods/DesignTwenty-one schools from Ciudad Real and Cuenca, Spain, were randomized to intervention and control groups. In the first academic year, children in the third grade of preschool and the first grade of primary school in the intervention group received the Movi-Kids intervention. In the second academic year, schools were crossed over to the other group. The intervention included children, parents and teachers, and the school environment, and consisted of: (i) three hour-long sessions of recreational non-competitive physical activity after school, weekly, (ii) educational materials for parents and teachers addressing sedentary lifestyle risks and (iii) playground modifications to promote physical activity during breaks. Primary outcome measures of this study were academic achievement (intelligence, cognition, memory, attention and perception), assessed by the Battery of General and Differential Aptitudes, and adiposity measures (body mass index, waist circumference, triceps skinfold thickness and body fat percentage). Secondary outcome measures were: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder risk, motor skills, health-related quality of life and sleep quality. These variables will all be measured in both groups at baseline and at the end of the first and second academic years.DiscussionIt seems reasonable that an intervention to promote physical activity based on playground games will be useful for simultaneously improving academic achievement and controlling obesity.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01971827.

Effects of physical activity intervention combining a new sport and mindfulness yoga on psychological characteristics in adolescents

This study investigated the effects of physical activity intervention combining a new sport and mindfulness yoga on psychological characteristics in adolescents. The study employed a pre- and post-test with the two-group longitudinal design. A total of 46 primary school students voluntarily participated in the 8-week intervention (male: 25, female: 21; Mage = 10.98, SD = 0.39). Self-esteem, resilience, and happiness were measured at the pre- and post-intervention. The intervention included new sport and mindful yoga associated with psychological attributes. Specifically, new sports consisted of various sport activities including kinball and the mindful yoga programme included proper breathing and Hatha yoga 1 and 2. Results indicated that in the experimental group, the study participants’ self-esteem (F = 3.47, p = .049), resilience (F = 9.72, p = .003), and happiness (F = 31.61, p = .001) were significantly changed over the 8-week intervention. This study suggests that both physical activity and mindfulness yoga influence psychological attributes when planning and implementing physical activity promotion.

Long-term effect of physical activity on health-related quality of life among menopausal women: a 4-year follow-up study to a randomised controlled trial

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to explore the long-term effects of physical activity intervention on quality of life (QoL) 4 years after an original randomised controlled trial (RCT).DesignCohort study...

How Does Physical Activity Intervention Improve Self-Esteem and Self-Concept in Children and Adolescents? Evidence from a Meta-Analysis.

ObjectiveTo perform a systematic review and meta-analysis for the effects of physical activity intervention on self-esteem and self-concept in children and adolescents, and to identify moderator variables by meta-regression.DesignA meta-analysis and meta-regression.MethodRelevant studies were identified through a comprehensive search of electronic databases. Study inclusion criteria were: (1) intervention should be supervised physical activity, (2) reported sufficient data to estimate pooled effect sizes of physical activity intervention on self-esteem or self-concept, (3) participants’ ages ranged from 3 to 20 years, and (4) a control or comparison group was included. For each study, study design, intervention design and participant characteristics were extracted. R software (version 3.1.3) and Stata (version 12.0) were used to synthesize effect sizes and perform moderation analyses for determining moderators.ResultsTwenty-five randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies and 13 non-randomized controlled trial (non-RCT) studies including a total of 2991 cases were identified. Significant positive effects were found in RCTs for intervention of physical activity alone on general self outcomes (Hedges’ g = 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14 to 0.45; p = 0.001), self-concept (Hedges’ g = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.10 to 0.88, p = 0.014) and self-worth (Hedges’ g = 0.31, 95%CI: 0.13 to 0.49, p = 0.005). There was no significant effect of intervention of physical activity alone on any outcomes in non-RCTs, as well as in studies with intervention of physical activity combined with other strategies. Meta-regression analysis revealed that higher treatment effects were associated with setting of intervention in RCTs (β = 0.31, 95%CI: 0.07 to 0.55, p = 0.013).ConclusionIntervention of physical activity alone is associated with increased self-concept and self-worth in children and adolescents. And there is a stronger association with school-based and gymnasium-based intervention compared with other settings.

The effects of physical activity interventions on preventing weight gain and the effects on body composition in young adults with intellectual disabilities: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The aim of this study was to examine the literature on randomized controlled trials examining the efficacy of physical activity interventions to prevent weight gain and the effects on body composition in young adults with intellectual disabilities.A systematic search of Medline, Emabse, CINHAL, PsychINFO, Cochrane library and ERIC was conducted from 1946 to September 2014. Eligibility criteria included; randomized controlled trials of a physical activity intervention: objective measure of body weight and body composition; young adults (age range 16-24 years) with intellectual disabilities. Six studies met the eligibility criteria. The interventions varied in their prescription of physical activity including aerobic and strength-based activities. The mean duration of the interventions was 15.3 (range 10-21 weeks). There was no significant effect of physical activity interventions on body weight (weighted mean difference: -0.17 kg, 95% confidence interval, -1.04 kg to 0.72 kg) and body composition outcomes. The meta-analysis showed that physical activity interventions did not prevent weight gain in young adults with intellectual disabilities. Published studies are inadequate to form firm conclusions. Future longer term studies of interventions specifically designed for this population group are required to elucidate the effects of physical activity interventions on body composition and the prevention of weight gain in young adults with intellectual disabilities.