Global Physical Activity Questionnaire Research Articles

IJCM_375A: Levels of physical activity and its barriers among students in a medical college in Dakshina Kannada district

Background: Physical activity is associated with many health benefits like maintaining weight and decreased risk factors for Non-communicable Diseases. Physical inactivity is seen as prevalent among students who have a higher workload especially students in the medical field. Lack of physical activity in students could be one of the reasons for low performance in academics as well as other day-to-day activities Objective: Among the students of a medical college in Dakshina Kannada district in April 2023: to assess levels of physical activity and to determine the barriers to physical activity. Methodology: A cross sectional study recruiting 256 medical students chosen equally from each admission year (4 years) by Stratified Random Sampling with gender. Study duration was 6 months. Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to obtain data. Data collected were entered in Microsoft Excel and reported as frequency and proportions. METs (Metabolic Equivalents) were calculated that are used to express the intensity of physical activities. Results: Most participants were in the age group of 18-24. Less than 4 out of 5 students exhibited lower recommended WHO physical activity. Conclusion: Despite a majority falling within the 18-24 age range and diverse parental education backgrounds, a significant proportion fails to meet WHO recommendations. Identified barriers emphasize need for targeted interventions. The study highlights how critical it is to address these problems in order to encourage medical students to lead more active lives.

Association Between Physical Activity and the Prevalence of Kidney Stones in American Adults: Results From a Multiyear National Survey

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between physical activity and the prevalence of kidney stones. MethodsA cross-section study was conducted using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018. Physical activity was evaluated based on the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to elucidate the association between physical activity (patterns, intensity, duration and frequency of moderate and vigorous physical activity) and the prevalence of kidney stones after adjusting for potential confounders. Stratified and interaction analyses were conducted to detect potential effect modifiers. In addition, physical activity was assessed using metabolic equivalent and physical volume, and followed the regression above. Water intake was obtained from the day 2 dietary recall and was included in the sensitivity analysis. ResultsA total of 34,390 participants were included in the analysis. The multivariable logistic regression revealed that individuals who engaged in moderate physical activity for 30-60 minutes per day had a significant inverse association with the prevalence of kidney stones in the fully-adjusted model (OR=0.804, 95%CI 0.700 to 0.923), while no more significant finding was observed for other physical activity parameters. Interaction and stratified analyses indicated no covariate modifying the association. The results above were robust in the sensitivity analysis. ConclusionThe duration of moderate physical activity (30-60 mins/day) is inversely associated with the prevalence of kidney stones, while no more significant association was observed between other physical activity parameters (including patterns, intensity, duration and frequency of vigorous physical activity, frequency of moderate physical activity) and kidney stones. Data availabilityData available in a publicly accessible repository that does not issue DOIs. Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. These data can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm.

The relationship between quality of sleep and physical activity with level of symptom severity post-COVID-19 among HIV/AIDS patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to many implications for patients after recovering from the disease, including HIV patients. The long symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue, and sleep deprivation are common complaints for patients post-COVID-19. In this study, we investigate the correlation between sleep quality and physical activity and severity post-COVID-19 among patients at the hospital in Jakarta. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 post-COVID patients recruited from a public hospital in Jakarta. All participants were aged over 20 years old, diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, and infected by COVID-19 within the last month. Eligibility included primary insomnia for at least 3 months and acute pain and high fever. Outcomes included sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), physical activity (the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), and severity post-COVID-19 (severe post-COVID). Univariate analysis measured demographics, such as age, gender, etc. RESULTS: Among all study participants, 75.8% of patients had poor sleep quality and 60% of respondents 60% moderate physical activity. We found that sleep quality was not significantly associated with severe COVID-19 symptoms (p = 0.409). Physical activity was significantly associated with severe COVID-19 symptoms (p = 0.007). In the multivariate analysis, only physical activity (p = 0.011) and oxygen saturation (p = 0.000) were found to be independently related to the severity of the post-COVID-19 symptoms. Physical activity was associated with the severity of the COVID-19 symptoms (p = 0.007). However, sleep quality was not associated with the severity of COVID-19 (p = 0.409). Physical activity may be one of the factors that prevent further severe COVID-19 symptoms. Therefore, physical activity should be considered as an effective factor to reduce the impact of COVID-19 and should be included in health care and prevention strategies.

IJCM_392A: Assessment of the level of Physical activity among school and college going adolescents in the urban field practice area of Guntur Medical College

Background: Inadequate Physical Activity is a common feature running through most public health problems across the world. Physical activity declines during the lifespan, especially during adolescence. Identifying patterns of physical activity behaviour in adolescent population will help to improve interventions for youth to become and stay active into adulthood. Objective: 1. To assess the level of physical activity among school and college going adolescents in the urban field practice area of Guntur Medical College. 2. To identify the factors influencing the level of physical activity. Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 300 adolescents (aged 10 to 19 years) attending government schools or junior colleges. One school and one college from the field practice area were selected by simple random sampling whereas students from each class were selected by stratified random sampling. A pre-tested, pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire adapted from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and the Physical Activity Questionnaire- Adolescent (PAQ-A) was used for collecting data on physical activity. Results: 30.3% of the adolescents were practicing low physical activity. Level of physical activity was significantly associated with gender, academic grade, father’s schooling, availability of facilities in the neighbourhood, and availability of facilities at home. Among adolescents who are practicing low physical activity, 76.1% reported lack of time as the barrier. Conclusion: A substantial proportion of the adolescents are practicing low physical activity varying across different factors viz., gender, academic grade, availability of facilities in neighborhood or at home.

Association of Physical Activity Patterns with the Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

Recent research has focused on a new group called the "weekend warriors". These individuals accumulate their recommended moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) over just 1-2 days, often during weekends, while remaining relatively inactive during the rest of the week. However, the effects of engaging in low-frequency MVPA on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) are not well understood. This study investigated the association between physical activity patterns and the risk of MetS among Korean adults. This study included 26,197 participants (11,804 male and 14,393 female) aged 20 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. MVPA was measured using a global physical activity questionnaire. MetS was defined as the presence of more than three risk factors. The odds ratio (OR) for MetS was 0.60 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52, 0.70) in the "regularly active" group and 0.82 (95% CI = 0.69, 0.98) in the "weekend warrior" group compared to that in the inactive group (reference), which controlled for all covariates. For sensitivity analyses, the results across all subgroups exhibited similar patterns, with more pronounced effects observed in women, middle-aged individuals, and non-drinkers/light drinkers. Our findings suggest that concentrated bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity, even if undertaken infrequently, confer health benefits that align with the recommended guidelines. This study contributes to the growing evidence on the relationship between physical activity patterns and MetS risk in Korean adults. The study also emphasizes the potential of different activity patterns in mitigating metabolic risk.

A study on the relationship between recreational physical activity and audiovisual difficulty for older adults

Audiovisual difficulty are especially common in older adults. Audiovisual difficulty seriously affect the quality of life of older adults in their later years. It is a top priority to find out the related factors, and to intervene and prevent them. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between recreational physical activities and audiovisual difficulty in older adults. We hope that older adults can reduce the risk of hearing and visual difficulty through scientific physical activity. A total of 4,886 people were sampled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 to 2018. Recreational physical activity was assessed through the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ); Hearing and visual difficulty were assessed using the Disability Questionnaire (DLQ). Chi-square test was used for categorical variables and rank sum test was used for measurement variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant (bilateral test). After univariate analysis, binary Logistic regression analysis was performed with recreational physical activity as the independent variable, statistically significant demographic variable as the covariate, and hearing and visual difficulty as the dependent variable, respectively. (1) After excluding all confounding variables, recreational physical activity was significantly associated with hearing difficulty (P < 0.001), odds ratio (OR) 0.657 (95% CI 0.5899–0.733); (2) Recreational physical activity was significantly associated with visual difficulty (P < 0.001), OR 0.731 (95% CI 0.630–0.849). (1) Recreational physical activity is the protective factor of hearing difficulty in older adults; (2) Recreational physical activity is a protective factor for visual difficulty in older adults.

Muscle Oxygen Extraction during Vascular Occlusion Test in Physically Very Active versus Inactive Healthy Men: A Comparative Study.

An increase in the delivery and use of oxygen to the musculature in physically active subjects are determinants of improving health-related aerobic capacity. Additional health benefits, such as an increase in the muscle mass and a decrease in fat mass, principally in the legs, could be achieved with weekly global physical activity levels of more than 300 min. The objective was to compare the muscle vascular and metabolic profiles of physically very active and inactive subjects. Twenty healthy men participated in the study; ten were assigned to the physically very active group (25.5 ± 4.2 years; 72.7 ± 8.1 kg; 173.7 ± 7.6 cm) and ten to the physically inactive group (30.0 ± 7.4 years; 74.9 ± 11.8 kg; 173.0 ± 6.4 cm). The level of physical activity was determined by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). A resting vascular occlusion test (5 min of an ischemic phase and 3 min of a reperfusion phase) was used, whereas a near-field infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device was used to evaluate the muscle oxygenation in the right vastus lateralis of the quadriceps muscle. The area under the curve of the deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) during the ischemic phase and above the curve of the tissue saturation index (TSI) during the reperfusion phase were obtained to determine muscle metabolic and vascular responses, respectively. Physically very active group showed a higher absolute HHb (3331.9 ± 995.7 vs. 6182.7 ± 1632.5 mmol/s) and lower TSI (7615.0 ± 1111.9 vs. 5420.0 ± 781.4 %/s) and relative to body weight (46.3 ± 14.6 vs. 84.4 ± 27.1 mmol/s/kg and 106.0 ± 20.6 vs. 73.6 ± 13.8 %/s/kg, respectively), muscle mass (369.9 ± 122.2 vs. 707.5 ± 225.8 mmol/kg and 829.7 ± 163.4 vs. 611.9 ± 154.2 %/s/kg) and fat mass (1760.8 ± 522.9 vs. 2981.0 ± 1239.9 mmol/s/kg and 4160.0 ± 1257.3 vs. ±2638.4 ± 994.3 %/s/kg, respectively) than physically inactive subjects. A negative correlation was observed between HHb levels and TSI (r = -0.6; p < 0.05). Physically very active men (>300 min/week) present better muscle oxidative metabolism and perfusion and perform significantly more physical activity than physically inactive subjects. Extra benefits for vascular health and muscle oxidative metabolism are achieved when a subject becomes physically very active, as recommended by the World Health Organization. In addition, a higher level of physical activity determined by GPAQ is related to better vascular function and oxidative metabolism of the main locomotor musculature, i.e., the quadriceps.

Factors associated with sedentary behavior among community-dwelling breast cancer survivors aged 50 years or older

Although increased sedentary behavior is associated with poor health outcomes among breast cancer survivors, the factors associated with high sedentary time in community-dwelling breast cancer survivors are unknown. This study aimed to identify factors associated with sedentary behavior in Korean community-dwelling breast cancer survivors aged ≥ 50 years. We included 205 breast cancer survivors from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Total daily sedentary time was evaluated using questions from the Korean version of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. We used complex-sample multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses to analyze the associations between sociodemographic factors, medical factors, and health-related quality of life and high sedentary time (≥ 420 min/day). Among the Korean community-dwelling breast cancer survivors, 48.2% had a high daily sedentary time. Insufficient aerobic exercise (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.12–4.69), diabetes (OR 3.37; 95% CI 1.22–9.33), and unemployed status (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.05–5.02) were independently associated with high sedentary time after the adjustment for multiple sociodemographic and medical confounders. Participants with a low sedentary time (< 420 min/day) showed a significantly higher mean European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D) index than those with a high sedentary time after adjusting for multiple confounders (0.89 ± 0.03 vs. 0.82 ± 0.04; P = 0.001). Among the EQ-5D dimensions, problems in mobility (OR 3.37; 95% CI 1.42–7.98) and pain/discomfort (OR 2.64; 95% CI 1.24–5.63) dimensions showed positive associations with high sedentary time. Middle- or older-aged breast cancer survivors with insufficient aerobic exercise, diabetes, unemployed status, and impaired quality of life are more likely to have a high sedentary time. Reducing sedentary behavior in this population requires a tailored approach that considers diverse sociodemographic, medical, and quality-of-life factors.

Abstract P223: Long Term Impact of COVID19 Pandemic on Estimated Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Physical Activity Level in South American Adults: Results From the Lown Scholars PAFIT Network Online Survey

Background: While restriction measures helped to control the further transmission of the SARS-cov2 virus, they also produced undesirable repercussions on physical activity level (PAL) and, potentially, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). However, the extent to which CRF has returned to pre-pandemic levels in the current time has yet to be consistently evaluated, especially in South America. Objective: We aimed to assess changes in PAL and estimated CRF (eCRF) from before the COVID-19 pandemic until the current time using an online survey with validated questionnaires and identifying the determinants of the observed changes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey using Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) to assess physical activity and sedentary time on a convenience sample of 1934 adults (68.7% women) from Argentina (n = 484), Brazil (n = 405), Chile (n = 279), Colombia (n = 343) and Uruguay (n = 423). We asked participants questions regarding their physical activity, body weight, socioeconomic status, education and cardiovascular risk factors before the start of the pandemic (Feb/Mar 2020) and at the time of the survey (Jul-Sep 2022). We calculated the eCRF before the pandemic and at the current time using a Brazilian equation including age, sex, body mass index, arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia, current smoking, physical inactivity, and diabetes. To adjust for age, we also calculated eCRF using only the current time age. Results: The participants reported a significant increase in the prevalence of self reported hypertension (12.9% to 16.5%), diabetes (6.8% to 9.8%), dyslipidemia (18.9% to 24%), and obesity (15.4% to 18.2%) comparing pre-COVID-19 period to the time of the survey. In contrast, they reported a significant decrease in PAL at work (median 936.5 to 864.6 METs/min/week; p &lt; 0.032) and within active transportation domains (median 502.6 to 460.3 METs/min/week; p &lt; 0.008). No significant changes were reported in leisure time physical activity. The median sedentary time on weekdays increased by 60 minutes (360 to 420; p &lt; 0.001) post pandemic and eCRF was reduced (mean difference, -1.17 mL/min/kg; p &lt; 0.001). When adjusted for age, the differences remained statistically significant. (-0.50; mL/min/kgmL/min/kg; p 0.001). Conclusion: Social restriction policies aimed at controlling pandemics may lead to reduction in physical activity level and cardiorespiratory fitness in the long term.

Abstract MP62: Adherence to Guideline-Recommended Physical Activity Nullifies Mortality Risks of Extended Sitting in Adults With Diabetes

Introduction: Sedentary lifestyles have been associated with increased mortality for people with diabetes. While most governments and health organizations advocate for adults with diabetes to engage in at least 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), it is unclear whether meeting these guidelines can mitigate the heightened mortality risks associated with prolonged sedentary time in this population. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that adhering to the guideline-recommended 150 min/week of MVPA could mitigate the mortality risk from prolonged sedentary time in U.S. adults with diabetes. Methods: This study included 3,533 nonpregnant adults aged 20 years diagnosed with diabetes from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2018). Sitting time and MVPA were assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. We analyzed sitting time as both a continuous variable (h/d) and as a categorical variable (&lt;4, 4-&lt;6, 6-8, &gt;8 h/d). The mortality status of the participants were ascertained via linkage to the National Death Index by December 31, 2019. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for associations between sitting time and mortality were estimated using Cox models, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and Carlson comorbidity index, stratified by MVPA (inactive [&lt;10 min/week], insufficiently active [10-&lt;150 min/week], active [150 min/week]). The presence of multiplicative effect measure modification was evaluated by contrasting the model incorporating continuous sitting time, categorical MVPA, and their interaction term, and the model excluding the interaction. We accounted for the NHANES complex survey design (sampling weights, clustering, and stratification) in all analyses. Results: Among 3,533 adults diagnosed with diabetes (mean [SE] age: 60.3 [0.3] years; 48.7% females; 60.6% non-Hispanic White), 695 deaths were documented over a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 5.6 (3.1-8.7) years. In the fully adjusted models, sitting time was positively associated with mortality risk among adults with diabetes who were physically inactive or insufficiently active but not among active adults ( P for interaction=0.04). Specifically, the HRs (95% CIs) of mortality for 1h/d increment in sitting time across MVPA levels were 1.08 (1.04, 1.12) in inactive adults, 1.09 (1.01, 1.18) in insufficiently active adults, and 1.01 (0.96, 1.06) in active adults. Results remained unaltered when comparing the most sedentary (&gt;8 h/d) to the least sedentary (&lt;4 h/d) categories: across MVPA levels (from low to high), the HRs (95% CIs) of mortality were 1.83 (1.23, 2.72), 1.84 (0.81, 4.17), and 1.11 (0.73, 1.69), respectively. Conclusions: Our findings show that achieving 150 min/week of MVPA can substantially mitigate the elevated mortality risks associated with extended sitting time among U.S. adults with diabetes.

Abstract P528: Associations Between Sleep Duration and Sedentary Behavior Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities: Analysis of NHANES 2011-2018

Underlying mechanisms linking sleep to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are unclear, though they may be partially explained by movement behavior (e.g., sedentary time, moderate-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]). However, large-scale studies among racial/ethnic minorities are scant, which is important to address, given existing racial/ethnic disparities in CVD risk. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data was used to address these gaps. Adults 20-80 years from NHANES 2011-2018 were included in this cross-sectional study. After excluding those &lt; 20 years, those with depression, and those with missing data on sleep duration, sedentary time or MVPA, or putative confounders, 13,024 participants were included in the analysis. Sleep duration (hr./night), sedentary time (hr./day), and MVPA (hr./day) were self-reported, with sedentary time and MVPA obtained from the validated Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate the association between sleep duration and sedentary time, adjusted for MVPA, age, gender, race/ethnicity, body mass index, smoking history, education, and poverty income ratio. Additionally, we examined if associations between sleep duration and sedentary time varied by MVPA. Finally, we used stratification to assess whether the association between sleep duration and sedentary time varied by race/ethnicity. Median (Q1, Q3) age was 45.2 (31.1, 58.9) years and 52.3% of the sample were male. Median (Q1, Q3) sleep duration, sedentary time, and MVPA were 7.0 (6.1, 7.8) hr./night, 5.6 (3.8, 7.8) hr./day, and 2.9 (1.0, 6.1) hr./day), respectively. In the full sample, sleep duration was inversely associated with sedentary time (β = -5.5 min [95% CI: -9.3, -1.8] p = .0047), with each additional hr. of sleep duration associated with a 5.5-min decrease in sedentary time. MVPA did not change the association between sleep duration and sedentary time. After stratifying by race/ethnicity, differences in the sleep duration-sedentary time association were observed. Among multi-racial participants, every 1-hr. increase in sleep duration was associated with a 21.0-min. decrease in sedentary time (β = -21.0 min. [95% CI: -35.6, -6.5] p = .0053), a similar pattern was observed among Non-Hispanic (NH)-Asian participants (β = -12.6 min. [95% CI: -21.1, -4.0] p = .0047) and participants that identified as Mexican American or other Hispanic (β = -6.8 min. [95% CI: -11.2, -2.4] p = .0029). Associations between sleep and sedentary behavior may differ according to race/ethnicity. Findings indicate that researchers designing physical activity and sedentary behavior reduction interventions for racial/ethnic minorities should consider how sleep health may be affected. However, prospective studies with repeated measures are needed to confirm the temporality of these associations.

Health Patterns across Adulthood: An Age-Based Investigation of the Nutritional Status, Homocysteine, and CoQ10 of Bank Staff.

This study aimed to evaluate age-specific variations in the blood levels of micronutrients, homocysteine, and CoQ10, along with physical activity (PA) patterns, among 123 Austrian adult bankers in operational and frontline roles (mean age: 43 years; 50% female). Blood analysis was conducted to assess micronutrients and the serum concentrations of homocysteine and CoQ10. The micronutrient values in whole blood were compared to sex-specific reference ranges and categorized as below, within, or above them. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire was utilized to assess PA patterns. Participants were classified as young adults (18-34 years), middle-aged adults (35-49 years), and older adults (50-64 years). Significant age-based differences were found in participants' mean homocysteine levels (p = 0.039) and homocysteine categories (p = 0.034), indicating an increasing prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia with age. No significant difference between age categories was observed for sex, BMI, diet types, PA levels, sedentary behavior, and CoQ10 (p > 0.05). There was no significant age-based difference in the blood concentrations of most minerals and vitamins (p > 0.05), except for magnesium among females (p = 0.008) and copper among males (p = 0.042). The findings offer initial evidence of the age-related differences in the health status of adult bankers, providing insights for customized approaches to occupational health that support the importance of metabolic health and overall well-being across adulthood.

Dietary patterns, physical activity, and nutritional status of medical students at Udayana University

Background: Indonesia faces a significant nutritional challenge among adolescents, termed the double burden, involving both undernutrition and overnutrition, notably central obesity. Lifestyle factors such as irregular dietary patterns and inadequate physical activity contribute to these issues, impacting physical and mental growth and development, particularly the cardiovascular system. This study aimed to examine the dietary patterns, physical activity, and nutritional status of medical students at Udayana University. Methods: This descriptive observational cross-sectional study involved 165 students, selected using simple random sampling. Dietary patterns were assessed using the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ), physical activity was evaluated using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), and nutritional status was determined through anthropometric measurements. Results: Most respondents exhibited dietary pattern close to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) (53.9%), followed by low (40%) and over (6.1%). In terms of physical activity, 51.5% had insufficient activity, while 48.5% had sufficient activity. Regarding nutritional status, 55.2% were classified as normal, 10.3% underweight, 15.8% overweight, and 18.8% obese, comprising obesity I (12.7%), obesity II (6.1%), and central obesity (12.7%). Conclusion: The study highlights prevalent abnormal dietary patterns and nutritional status among respondents, alongside inadequate physical activity. Recommendations include implementing interventions to improve dietary habits and increase physical activity among medical students at Udayana University. Further research utilizing more precise measurement methods is warranted to explore the relationship between dietary patterns, physical activity, and nutritional status.

Association between long-term sedentary behavior and depressive symptoms in U.S. adults

The study aimed to investigate the association between long-term sedentary behavior (LTSB) and depressive symptoms within a representative sample of the U.S. adult population. Data from NHANES 2017–2018 were used, encompassing information on demographics, depressive symptoms, physical activity (PA), and LTSB. Depressive symptoms were identified using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), with “depressive symptoms” defined as a PHQ-9 score of ≥ 5, and “moderate to severe depressive symptoms (MSDS)” defined as a PHQ-9 score of ≥ 10. PA and LTSB were assessed through the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, where LTSB was interpreted as sedentary time ≥ 600 min. Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) curves were utilized to observe potential nonlinear relationships. Binary Logistic regressions were conducted to analyze the associations. A total of 4728 participants (mean age 51.00 ± 17.49 years, 2310 males and 2418 females) were included in the study. Among these individuals, 1194 (25.25%) displayed depressive symptoms, with 417 (8.82%) exhibiting MSDS. RCS curves displayed increased risk of depressive symptoms with prolonged sedentary duration. Logistic regression models indicated significant associations between LTSB and depressive symptoms (OR 1.398, 95% CI 1.098–1.780), and LTSB and MSDS (OR 1.567, 95% CI 1.125–2.183), after adjusting for covariates. These findings suggest that LTSB may act as a potential risk factor for both depressive symptoms and MSDS in the studied population.

Acceptability, Feasibility, and Effectiveness of a Worksite Intervention to Lower Cardiometabolic Risk in South Africa: Protocol.

As an important way to translate cardiovascular disease prevention efforts, worksite intervention programs can be used to effectively facilitate healthy food choices, health education, and social support among employees, in a targeted approach to improve health outcomes and physical activity levels of employees. In this study, the effectiveness of a canteen and a behavioral intervention on cardiometabolic risk among prediabetic and prehypertensive employees at two multinational worksites in South Africa will be measured. This two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be structured to provide a six-week intervention at two multinational companies spread across eight worksites and will include a canteen and behavioral arm (CB) and a canteen only (CO) arm. Participants who are either prediabetic or prehypertensive will complete the baseline assessments, which will include anthropometry, a demographic and lifestyle survey, the global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ) and the 24 h food recall. Participants will be randomized into the CO and the canteen and CB intervention groups. The CO group will receive six weeks of canteen intervention [changes to enable a healthy food environment], while the CB group will receive six weeks of canteen intervention along with a behavioral intervention. The behavioral intervention will include an intense six-week lifestyle program aligned to the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). This study will assess the added benefit of environmental-level changes aimed at lowering cardiometabolic risk in a low-middle-income country (LMIC) and has the potential for scale-up to other worksites in South Africa and globally.

Gender Disparities in Health Biomarkers, Lifestyle Patterns, and Nutritional Status among Bank Staff: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: Despite the importance of nutritional status and a healthy lifestyle in shaping overall well-being, little is known about examining gender-specific differences and trends in health, lifestyle, and nutritional status. The present study aimed to evaluate blood levels of micronutrients, homocysteine, and CoQ10, as well as physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behavior, among a cohort of Austrian bank staff, with a particular focus on identifying gender differences as well as gender-specific nutritional deficiencies compared to the reference ranges. Materials and Methods: Following a cross-sectional study design, 123 Austrian bank staff (mean age: 43 years; 51% females) participated in this study. Blood samples were collected to evaluate participants' micronutrient status and serum levels of homocysteine and CoQ10. Whole-blood values of macronutrients were compared to gender-specific reference ranges and categorized into three groups: below, within, or over the range. The WHO's Global Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess PA levels and sedentary behaviors. Results: No significant difference between males and females was found for diet types, PA levels, sedentary time, homocysteine levels, or CoQ10 values (p > 0.05). A high PA level was reported by 64% of males and 58% of females. 71% of females and 56% of males were found to have a vitamin D deficiency. 63-98% of females and 72-97% of males showed normal blood levels for the remaining micronutrients, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, selenium, manganese, molybdenum, B6, B9, and B12. Conclusions: The findings highlight the necessity of implementing tailored strategies to foster healthy lifestyle behaviors, thereby enhancing the overall state of health, particularly in the context of occupational health.

Dietary Patterns and Lifestyle Factors Associated with the Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study among Malaysians.

This study aimed to examine the association between dietary patterns, lifestyle factors, and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk among the Malaysian population. We recruited 100 patients and 100 controls from two selected government hospitals. Principal component analysis was used to identify dietary patterns using a 123-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption questionnaires were modified from the WHO STEPS Survey questionnaire. Physical activity levels were assessed using the revised Global Physical Activity questionnaire. Associations between dietary patterns, lifestyle factors and CRC risk were assessed using logistic regression with SPSS version 24.0. Three dietary patterns were derived from factor analysis: i) vegetables; ii) meat, seafood and processed food; and iii) grains and legumes. High vegetable diet intake was independently and significantly associated with an 81% decreased risk of CRC (odds ratio [OR]: 0.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08, 0.46). Both recreational-related physical activity (OR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.14, 3.64) and vigorous physical activity (OR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.13, 3.74) are significantly associated with decreased risk of CRC. Increasing the number of cigarettes smoked (≥ 16 cigarettes) per day significantly increased the odds of developing CRC (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.95, 6.75). The duration of alcohol consumption cessation was inversely associated with CRC risk (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 2.30, 10.57). The protective effects of a fruit and vegetable diet, and a healthy lifestyle can be used to develop interventions that help reduce the risk of CRC in the Malaysian population.

Physical Activity Is Associated with the Incidence of Depression in United States Adults from the NHANES 2013-18: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The number of depression sufferers is rising globally. In the United States, 8% of adults over 20 years of age suffer from it, making it the most prevalent mental disorder in the country. Some lifestyle habits have been shown to favor or prevent the onset of depression; for instance, physical inactivity is associated with an increased likelihood of suffering depression, whilst multiple benefits have been attributed to performing physical activity (PA). This study aims to test whether there is a dependence between the prevalence of depression and PA, age, gender and educational level. The secondary objective was to identify the differentiating variables for depression and non-depression. This cross-sectional study is based on data from the NHANES 2013-2014, 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 editions. Some of the items in this survey were taken from preexisting questionnaires: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression screening and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) for the PA groups. The final sample was formed of 15,574 United States residents over 18 years old. After testing the data normality (p < 0.001), a descriptive analysis and the non-parametric chi-square test was conducted, as well as discriminant analysis. The results showed that there was an association between depression prevalence and PA (p < 0.001) in the general population and for both genders. Inactive participants had the highest prevalence of major depression and other depressive disorders. The discriminant analysis identified PA group (0.527), education level (0.761) and gender (-0.505) as significant variables that differentiate between participants with and without depression. The results of this research confirmed that a dependency relationship between PA group according to the GPAQ and depression prevalence according to the PHQ-9 existed in the United States adult population, and that PA group is a relevant variable to differentiate between depression sufferers and non-sufferers.

Public awareness of war on diabetes campaign and its association with behavioural outcomes.

The War on Diabetes campaign was launched in 2016, encouraging Singapore residents to engage in regular exercise, adopt healthy dietary habits and screen for early detection of diabetes. This study aims to examine campaign awareness and its associations with sedentary behaviour, dietary habits and identifying diabetes. Data were obtained from the nationwide Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices study on diabetes in Singapore. A total of 2895 participants responded to a single question assessing campaign awareness. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet screener assessed dietary habits, and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) measured sedentary behaviour. Recognition of diabetes was established using a vignette depicting a person with diabetes mellitus. Logistic and linear regression models were used to measure the associations. Most participants were 18- to 34-years old (29.9%) and females (51.6%). About 57.4% identified the campaign. Campaign awareness exhibited positive associations with identifying diabetes based on the vignette [odds ratio (OR): 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-2.2; P = 0.022], lower odds of sedentary behaviour ≥7 h/day (OR: 0.7; CI: 0.5-0.9; P = 0.018) and higher DASH scores (β = 1.3; P < 0.001). The study recognized early significant associations between the behavioural outcomes and the campaign, emphasizing the need for ongoing campaign sustainability and evaluation of its long-term impact on population health.

Effect of an Active Break Intervention on Attention, Concentration, Academic Performance, and Self-Concept in Compulsory Secondary Education.

(1) Background: Society's shift to a tech-focused era and has created a hyper-connected, sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this study is to address two objectives: firstly, to describe and analyze the effects of an active breaks program associated with the learning of curricular content (CF-AB) on levels of attention, concentration, and academic performance (AP); secondly, to examine the relationship between intense physical activity (PA), attention, concentration, academic self-concept, basic psychological needs, and academic performance in schoolchildren who practice CF-ABs. (2) Method: A randomized controlled trial quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study with a non-probabilistic sample included 313 secondary school students divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention, a curricular-focused academic break (CF-AB) (8 weeks, 5-10 min/session), is taken in the middle of the class and linked with the subject content. Measuring instruments: Attention Test D2, ad hoc test for the AP, self-concept AF5, Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale in General (BNSG-S), and the Global PA Questionnaire (GPAC.V2). (3) Results: Attention and concentration improved in both groups, with no significant differences. There were no significant differences in academic self-concept, but the intervention group showed higher scores in basic psychological needs. AP correlated positively with concentration, academic self-concept, and physical activity. A proportion of 20% of the variance of AP in spelling is explained by the regression model. Students who improved the most in AP practiced intense PA outside school, with good self-concept and satisfactory social relationships. Although concentration was related to AP, it did not explain the improvement. (4) Conclusion: CF-ABs may have a positive impact on attention and AP, with socioemotional factors and PA playing an important role in this effect. (5) Limitations and Future Research: The relationship between PA performed in class and AP should be considered with caution due to the multifactorial nature of AP. Future research should consider the number of sessions per week, the prolongation of the same during the school year, the intensity and duration of the activity, and the intervention type of active breaks. In addition, attention should be paid to possible incident factors in AP related to personal and social variables.