Important Source Of Physical Activity Research Articles

Development and validation of the Global Adolescent and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire (GAC-PAQ) in 14 countries: study protocol

IntroductionGlobal surveillance of physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents with questionnaires is limited by the use of instruments developed in high-income countries (HICs) lacking sociocultural adaptation, especially in low-...

Correlates of Active School Transportation During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Canadian 7- to 12-Year-Olds: A National Study.

Active school transportation (AST) is an important source of physical activity for children and a potentially important climate change mitigation strategy. However, few studies have examined factors associated with AST in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used baseline data from a longitudinal survey to investigate correlates of AST during the second wave of COVID-19 (December 2020). We collected survey data from 2291 parents of 7- to 12-year-olds across Canada and linked this information with data on neighborhood walkability and weather from national databases. We assessed potential correlates representing multiple levels of influence of the social-ecological model. We used gender-stratified binary logistic regression models to determine the correlates of children's travel mode to/from school (dichotomized as active vs motorized), while controlling for household income. We examined the correlates of travel mode for both the morning and afternoon trips. Consistent correlates of AST among Canadian children during the COVID-19 pandemic included greater independent mobility, warmer outdoor temperature, having a parent who actively commuted to work or school, living in a household owning fewer vehicles, and living in a more walkable neighborhood. These findings were largely consistent between boys and girls and between morning and afternoon school trips. Policymakers, urban planners, and public health workers aiming to promote AST should focus on these correlates while ensuring that neighborhoods are safe for children. Future research should monitor the prevalence and correlates of AST as COVID-19 restrictions are removed.

Association of Walking and Biking to School Policies and Active Commuting to School in Children.

Active commuting to school (ACS) can be an important source of physical activity for children. Schools are an important setting for policy-related ACS promotion. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between school policies and ACS, and to assess whether this relation varied by grade. This cross-sectional study used data from schools recruited to the Safe Travel Environment Evaluation in Texas School study (n = 94). The percent of trips made by active travel modes was measured through tallies among third to fifth grade classrooms from 5 school districts in Central Texas in 2018-2019. School ACS policies and practices were measured through 8 survey items aggregated into a score. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess the association between policies and ACS. School health policy surveys and ACS data were collected from 69 elementary schools. An average of 14.6% of trips to/from school was made using active travel modes. Schools with higher numbers of policies had significantly higher percentages of students using active travel modes (P = .03), and for each additional policy, the predicted percentage of trips made by active travel modes was 1.46% higher. There was a significant interaction effect between school policy and grade, with stronger correlations among higher grades (P = .002). Results from this study demonstrate a correlation between the school policies designed to support walking and biking and ACS. Results from this study can be used to justify the use of school-based policy interventions to promote ACS.

Patterns of Physical Activity and the Role of Obesity and Comorbidities Among Long-term African American Breast Cancer Survivors.

Physical activity (PA) has many health benefits for cancer survivors, but little research has examined patterns and correlates in African American women, who have a higher burden of comorbidities and obesity. We examined PA types and patterns overall and by obesity and comorbidities among long-term (> 5years) breast cancer survivors. This cross-sectional study included 323 women who were previous participants of a case-only study in three southeastern states. Women completed a survivorship-focused questionnaire using validated measures to collect data on cancer treatment, PA (recreational, household, transportation) and other lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Logistic regression models estimated adjusted ORs and 95% CIs for total PA (all three types, categorized as tertiles) and meeting PA guidelines (> 150min/week of exercise). The mean age of women was 59.1years (range 27.9-79.5). The most frequent PA types (≥ 1/month) included routine household cleaning (92.9%), shopping (94.7%), walking slowly (42.1%), and walking briskly (40.6%). Less than 40% met PA guidelines. Women with more total comorbidities, arthritis, and obesity had lower levels of total PA (minutes/week) and/or recreational PA. In adjusted models, BMI ≥ 35kg/m2 was associated with reduced odds of total PA (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12-0.88, highest tertile). Arthritis was associated with reduced odds of meeting PA guidelines (OR = 0.61, 95% CI 36-1.05). Close to 60% of African American breast cancer survivors did not meet PA guidelines based on recreational PA participation. Household PA was an important source of PA. Comorbidities and obesity were associated with both reduced total PA and not meeting PA guidelines.

Association between preschooler movement behaviours, family dog ownership, dog play and dog walking: Findings from the PLAYCE study

Physical inactivity in childhood is a major public health issue. Dog ownership has been widely reported to lead to greater physical activity in adults and school-aged children. We examined if dog ownership and dog-facilitated physical activity were associated with higher physical activity in preschoolers. Secondary analysis of the ‘Play Spaces & Environments for Children’s Physical Activity’ (PLAYCE, 2015–2018) study involving 1366, 2–5-year-olds from 122 long day-care centres in Perth, Australia was conducted. Socio-demographics and movement behaviours (physical activity, screen time, sleep) were examined by dog ownership, dog play and dog walking. Dog-owning preschoolers did physical activity 8 times/week more but 6 min/day less park play than non-dog owners (all p < 0.05). Dog-owning preschoolers who played with their dog ≥ 3 times/week did more physical activity, outdoor play and had 16 min/day more sleep (all p < 0.05). For dog-owners, family dog walking ≥ 3 times/week was positively associated with preschooler physical activity, outdoor play and negatively associated with screen time (all p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the physical activity-related benefits from having a family dog may be realised when preschoolers spend time playing and walking their dog. Dog walking and play, not dog ownership alone, may be an important source of physical activity for preschoolers.

Active travel behaviour in the family environment: protocol for the mixed-methods cross-sectional ARRIVE study

IntroductionActive travel is an important source of physical activity and a primary contributor to overall health among adolescents. To understand and promote active travel behaviour in adolescents, developing a more...

Associations between commute mode and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality, and cancer incidence, using linked Census data over 25 years in England and Wales: a cohort study

SummaryBackgroundActive travel is increasingly recognised as an important source of physical activity. We aimed to describe associations between commute mode and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality.MethodsWe analysed data from the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study of England and Wales (ONS-LS), which linked data from the Census of England and Wales (henceforth referred to as the Census) for 1991, 2001, and 2011 to mortality and cancer registrations. The cohort included individuals traced in the ONS-LS who were economically active (ie, aged ≥16 years, not retired from work, and not a full-time carer). Commuting by private motorised transport, public transport, walking, and cycling were compared in terms of all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and cancer incidence, using Cox proportional-hazards models with time-varying covariates. Models were adjusted for age, sex, housing tenure, marital status, ethnicity, university education, car access, population density, socioeconomic classification, Carstairs index quintile, long-term illness, and year entered the study, and were additionally stratified by socioeconomic group.FindingsBetween the 1991 Census and the 2011 Census, 784 677 individuals contributed data for at least one Census, of whom 394 746 were included in the ONS-LS and were considered to be economically active working-age individuals. 13 983 people died, 3172 from cardiovascular disease and 6509 from cancer, and there were 20 980 incident cancer cases. In adjusted models, compared with commuting by private motorised vehicle, bicycle commuting was associated with a 20% reduced rate of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0·80, 95% CI 0·73–0·89), a 24% decreased rate of cardiovascular disease mortality (0·76, 0·61–0·93), a 16% lower rate of cancer mortality (0·84, 0·73–0·98), and an 11% reduced rate of incident cancer (0·89, 0·82–0·97). Compared with commuting by private motorised vehicle, rail commuters had a 10% lower rate of all-cause mortality (HR 0·90, 95% CI 0·83–0·97) and a 21% decreased rate of cardiovascular disease mortality (0·79, 0·67–0·94), in addition to a 12% reduced rate of incident cancer (0·88, 0·83–0·94). Walk commuting was associated with 7% lower cancer incidence (HR 0·93, 95% CI 0·89–0·97) Stratified analyses did not indicate differences in associations between socioeconomic groups.InterpretationOur findings augment existing evidence for the beneficial health effects of physically active commute modes, particularly cycling and train use, and suggest that all socioeconomic groups could benefit.FundingNational Institute for Health Research.

Active Commute in Relation to Cognition and Academic Achievement in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Future Recommendations.

Active commuting to school (ACS) is an important source of physical activity among children. Recent research has focused on ACS and its benefits on cognition and academic achievement (AA), factors important for success in school. This review aims to synthesize literature on the relationship between ACS and cognition or AA among children and adolescents. Peer-reviewed articles in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library assessing ACS with cognition and/or AA among children, until February 2019, were selected. Twelve studies across nine countries (age range 4–18.5 years) were included. One study used accelerometers, whereas all others used self-report measures of ACS. A wide range of objective assessments of cognitive functioning and AA domains were used. Five among eight studies, and four among six found a positive relationship between ACS and cognitive or AA measure, respectively. Four studies found dose–response relationships, and some studies found sex differences. The quantitative analysis found that ACS was not significantly associated with mathematics score (odds ratio = 1.18; CI = 0.40, 3.48). Findings are discussed in terms of methodological issues, potential confounders, and the strength of the evidence. Future studies should conduct longitudinal studies and use objective measures of ACS to understand this relationship further.

Why Do Older Adults Play Golf? An Evaluation of Factors Related to Golf Participation by Older Adults.

Golf is a popular sport for older adults, and is therefore an important source of physical activity. This study investigated the reasons for golf participation in an older population using the Golf Participation Questionnaire for Older Adults. The participants (N = 3,262, 82.5% male) completed the questionnaire online. The most important reasons for participation were fun, a pleasant playing environment, and competition, with reasons related to health being relatively less important. The female participants rated fun, a pleasant playing environment, and a feeling that participation made them part of a community as more important reasons for participating than males. Although health-related factors were identified as important reasons for golf participation in older adults, non-health-related factors were also more important. Strategies to promote golf participation by older adults, as a means of increasing physical activity, should emphasize aspects related to fun, a pleasant playing environment, and engagement in competition.

Physical activity benefits from taking your dog to the park

Dog walking is an important source of physical activity and local parks are an important setting for dog walking. Park visitation characteristics of dog walkers is largely unknown. Using data from self- and proxy-report surveys completed by adults living near two parks in Melbourne, Australia in April-May 2013, this study examined the frequency and duration of park visits and intensity and duration of park-based physical activity among adults and children who visited parks with a dog compared with those who visited parks without a dog. The sample included 1187 adults (49 years, SD:13.3) and 755 children (9 years, SD:3.6). Adults (OR = 2.71, 95% CI:1.99, 3.70) and children (OR = 1.63, 95% CI:1.09, 2.44) were more likely to visit parks more frequently; adults were less likely to visit for a longer duration on weekends (OR = 0.58, 95% CI:0.43, 0.77); and children were less likely to spend more time being active (−9.22, 95% CI:−16.74, −1.70) when visiting the park with a dog versus without a dog. Adults who visited with a dog were also less likely to spend 1+ hours in the park on weekdays than <30 min (RRR = 0.53, 95% CI:0.33, 0.85) and more likely to engage in moderate than sitting/light-intensity activity (RRR = 2.30, 95% CI:1.69, 3.15). Children who visited with a dog were less likely to engage in vigorous than sitting/light-intensity activity (RRR = 0.39, 95% CI:0.16, 0.94). Adults and children who visit parks with a dog are more frequent park users therefore park access, design and amenity should support dog walkers and their engagement in physical activity.

Make Room for Play: An Evaluation of a Campaign Promoting Active Play

In the context of rising screen time, only a third of Canadian children are achieving adequate amounts of active play, an important source of physical activity. ParticipACTION, a national not-for-profit organization, created the “Make Room for Play” campaign targeting parents with television advertisements depicting how screen time takes away from active play. The advertisements featured children engaging in active play (e.g., jump rope) while a black screen progressively sequesters the room for them to play. This study’s purpose was to evaluate the campaign using the hierarchy of effects model, a framework for conceptualizing the impact of mass media campaigns. It was hypothesized that recall would relate to intermediate (e.g., cognitions, self-efficacy) and distal (e.g., parental support) factors. Twenty-six percent of the general population and caregiver samples surveyed (N = 1576) recalled (unaided) the advertisement and 45.9% recalled when prompted. Parental support was significantly higher in those recalling the campaign, p = .009. Twenty-four percent of parents reporting unaided recall (versus 14.0% of those not) tried to engage in active play with their children and 21.2% (versus 12.0%) tried to create opportunities for children to engage in play. Strengths and limitations of mass media approaches targeting active play and screen time are discussed.

Seasonal variations and changes in school travel mode from childhood to late adolescence: A prospective study in New Brunswick, Canada

PurposeActive school transportation (AST) is an important source of physical activity, but it remains unclear how it varies across seasons and over time from childhood to adolescence. In this longitudinal study, we investigated seasonal variations and changes over time in AST and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA). MethodsChildren (N = 932; 55.4% female; 10.6 ± 0.7 year olds at study inception) indicated their usual school travel mode and self-reported their MVPA in the fall, winter and spring for six years (18 survey-cycles). We categorized school travel mode as “active”, “mixed” (i.e., combination of active and motorized modes) or “motorized”. We examined seasonal variations and changes in AST (polynomial logistic regression) and in number of days per week accumulating ≥ 60 min of MVPA (linear regression) using generalized linear mixed models accounting for sex, age at baseline, type of urbanization, school, and the repeated measures design. ResultsOdds of engaging in AST were lower in the winter (OR = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.38, 0.61) compared to the fall, increased over time (OR = 1.08; 1.05, 1.12), and were greater among boys versus girls (OR = 3.41; 2.18, 5.35) and participants living in urban versus rural areas (OR = 2.90; 1.37, 6.14). Boys reported more MVPA than girls (β = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.37). Children reported less MVPA in the winter than in the fall (β = −0.27; −0.44, −0.10). MVPA was higher among children using mixed modes than among motorized travelers (β = 0.27; 0.16, 0.39) and among participants living in urban versus rural areas (β = 0.27; 0.14, 0.39). A significant quadratic term (p < 0.001) indicated that MVPA increased in the first few cycles and declined afterwards. ConclusionsThe substantial seasonal differences in AST and MVPA suggest that interventions may need to include a particular focus on winter activities. Our findings also highlight the need for effective interventions to prevent the decline in MVPA.

Environmental and Socio-demographic Factors Associated with 6–10-Year-Old Children’s School Travel in Urban and Non-urban Settings

Walking or bicycling to school is an important source of physical activity and may help prevent childhood obesity. However, active commuting has been declining in recent decades. The purposes of this study were to explore travel characteristics in children and examine factors associated with active commuting in children living in urban and non-urban setting. Participants were 834 parents and corresponding children aged 6-10years, living in the district of Coimbra, Portugal. Data were collected during April-June of 2013 and 2014. Anthropometric measures (height, weight, waist circumference) were taken in children. Mode shift and child/family demographics were assessed by a parental questionnaire. School and home addresses were geocoded and the shortest route (meters) was taken in consideration. Although car is the most common way of travel to school, active transportation is significantly more prevalent in children living in the non-urban setting. Different determinants were found associated with active travel according to the level of urbanization. The adjusted logistic regression revealed that, independently of the urbanization, children whose mothers actively commute to work, whose parents reported their neighbor as safe to walk, and children living less than 2000m from school were significantly more likely to walk to school. Present findings highlight the need to consider models with different levels, including individual, social, and environmental characteristics, when developing interventions and policies to promote active transport to school.

Physical activity accrued as part of public transport use in England.

Walking and cycling for transport (active travel) is an important source of physical activity with established health benefits. However, levels of physical activity accrued during public transport journeys in England are unknown. Using the English National Travel Survey 2010-14 we quantified active travel as part of public transport journeys. Linear regression models compared levels of physical activity across public transport modes, and logistic regression models compared the odds of undertaking 30 min a day of physical activity. Public transport users accumulated 20.5 min (95% confidence interval=19.8, 21.2) a day of physical activity as part of public transport journeys. Train users accumulated 28.1 min (26.3, 30.0) with bus users 16.0 min (15.3, 16.8). Overall, 34% (32%, 36%) of public transport users achieved 30 min a day of physical activity in the course of their journeys; 21% (19%, 24%) of bus users and 52% (47%, 56%) of train users. Public transport use is an effective way to incorporate physical activity into daily life. One in three public transport users meet physical activity guidelines suggesting that shifts from sedentary travel modes to public transport could dramatically raise the proportion of populations achieving recommended levels of physical activity.

Predictors of Swimming Ability among Children and Adolescents in the United States.

Swimming is an important source of physical activity and a life skill to prevent drowning. However, little research has been conducted to understand predictors of swimming ability. The purpose of this study was to understand factors that predict swimming ability among children and adolescents in the United States (US). This was a cross-sectional survey conducted between February and April of 2017 across five geographically diverse cities. Participants were accessed through the Young Christian Men’s Association (YMCA) and included parents of children aged 4–11 years old and adolescents aged 12–17 years old. Independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Several factors were significant (p ≤ 0.05) predictors of swimming ability and explained 53% of the variance in swimming ability. Variables that were positively associated with swimming ability included: ability of parent(s) to swim, child/adolescent age, a best friend who enjoys swimming, water-safety knowledge, pool open all year, and encouragement to swim from parent(s). Variables that were negatively associated with swimming ability included: fear of drowning, being African American, and being female. Interventions and programs to improve the swimming ability of children and adolescents could be developed with these predictors in mind.

Is the Grass Always Greener in Suburban Neighborhoods? Outdoors Play in Suburban and Inner-City Neighborhoods.

Children’s outdoors play (OP) is an important source of physical activity that has been decreasing in recent years due to changes in neighborhood design, parent safety concerns and child sedentary leisure. However, few studies examined such determinants from children’s perspectives. This study explores environmental and socio-cultural aspects of children’s OP using a qualitative and quantitative approach. Data was collected in two phases: (1) a survey on OP and related variables among 5th and 6th graders (10–12 years old) (n = 573); and (2) a mapping activity and semi-structured interview among a subsample of the survey (n = 80). The most common locations for routine OP were parks (40%) followed by public facilities (26%) and streets (17%). OP was significantly associated with perceived environment, independent mobility and gender, but not with neighborhood type. Inner-city participants reported a higher number and greater variety of OP areas (23 vs. 14). Three main barriers of OP were identified—low quality and poorly maintained play areas, other people in public spaces, and social norms that undermine OP. Thus, in order to encourage routine OP, environmental change to create safe and attractive OP settings should be accompanied by community interventions to enhance social norms that are supportive of OP.

Is a Change to Active Travel to School an Important Source of Physical Activity for Chinese Children?

This study investigated the association between a change in travel mode to school and one-year changes in physical activity (PA) among children in Hong Kong. Data from 677 children aged 7-10 years (56% boys) who participated in the Understanding Children's Activity and Nutrition (UCAN) study were analyzed. During the 2010/11 and 2011/12 school years, the children wore an accelerometer for a week and their parents completed a questionnaire about the children's modes of travel to school and nonschool destinations. Associations between a change in the mode of travel to school and changes in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were determined using linear mixed models, adjusting for covariates. Compared with children who consistently used passive travel modes, a change from passive to active travel to school was positively associated with changes in the percentage of time spent in MVPA (b = 1.32, 95% CI = 0.63, 2.02) and MVPA min/day (b = 10.97, 95% CI = 5.26, 16.68) on weekdays. Similar results were found for weekly MVPA. Promoting active travel to school may help to combat age-related decline in PA for some Chinese children. However, maintaining active travel to school may not be sufficient to halt the decreasing trend in MVPA with age.

Step Counts on Weekdays, Weekends, and During Physical Education of Navajo High School Students.

Understanding the physical activity patterns of youth is important for the implementation and evaluation of programming and interventions designed to change behavior. To date, little is known about the objectively measured physical activity patterns of Native American youth. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the step counts of Navajo youth during weekdays, weekend days, and physical education classes. Participants included 63 high school students (mean age=15.14±1.37years). Youth wore a pedometer (Walk-4-Life 2505) for seven consecutive days. Means and standard deviations were calculated for weekdays, weekend days, and physical education. Boys averaged 11,078±4400 steps/weekday compared to 6493±5651 on weekend days. Girls averaged 7567±5614 on weekdays compared to 7589±7712 on weekend days. Both boys (20%) and girls (26%) accumulated a large percentage of their weekday step counts from physical education classes. Findings highlight the importance of additional physical activity opportunities in the community. Youth are falling well short of recommended levels of physical activity with physical education being an important source of physical activity.

Associations between parents׳ perception of traffic danger, the built environment and walking to school

Abstract Background Walking to school is an important source of physical activity for children. Parents are the key decision makers regarding school travel mode, with parents׳ perceptions of traffic safety being an important factor in the decision making process. The study examines the relationships between perceptions of traffic danger, walking to school and built environment features. Methods A cross-sectional parent survey was conducted in 2011, in 20 elementary schools in Toronto, Canada. Built environment data from municipal sources were mapped onto school attendance boundaries developed by the school board which identified household eligibility for attendance at each school. Repeated-measures logistic regression was used to examine the associations between frequent walking to school (4–5 times/weekly) and parents׳ perceptions of traffic danger along the school route and at the school site, and between perceptions of high levels of school route traffic danger and social and built environment variables. Results The response rate was 38% with 733 surveys returned. The odds of frequent walking to school were 47% lower with high perceived school route traffic danger, but walking was unrelated to perceived school site traffic danger. Higher perceived route danger was associated with observation of dangerous midblock crossings near schools (OR 1.97), higher flashing beacon density (OR 1.31) and lower dead-end road (OR 0.70), collector road (OR 0.80) traffic light (OR 0.80) and school crossing guard densities (OR 0.89). Conclusions High perceived school route but not school site danger, was related to frequent walking to school and to specific built environment features. Parents׳ perception of danger is not always in accordance with objective measures of traffic danger. Safe road design along school routes is important to influence traffic safety and walking to school; however, safe road design must also be directed to the immediate school environment where collision densities are high.

A36 Active transportation: are Canadian children and youth reaching the target?

Abstract Background Active transportation is an important source of physical activity for children and youth. Since 2005, the annual Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth has been a major knowledge translation tool that outlines how Canada is doing in terms of providing physical activity opportunities for children and youth. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the grades for the active transportation indicator over the last 10 years and highlight the best available evidence that informed these grades. Methods Based on an annual review of the Canadian active transportation literature, a panel of experts assigned a grade by consensus to represent the proportion of children and youth engaging in active transportation. Key considerations included the quality of evidence and the presence of disparities (e.g., time-trends, geographic, gender, and socioeconomic differences). A letter-based grading scheme was used to rate the proportion of children and youth that engage in regular active transportation: A, 81%–100%; B, 61%–80%; C, 41%–60%; D, 21%–40%;F, 0%–20%; INC, incomplete data. The grading scheme also incorporated a plus-minus system depending on trends over time and the presence of disparities (i.e., race/ethnicity, disabilities, immigration status, socioeconomic status, geography, gender, and age). Results Over the last 10 years, the active transportation grade has steadily remained at “D”. This is primarily attributable to consistent evidence showing that about 25-35% of Canadian children and youth engage in active transportation to/from school. Conversely, the 2013 Report Card highlighted that the percentage of young Canadians using only motorized modes rose from 51 to 62% between 2000 and 2010. Furthermore, children living in higher socioeconomic status families, in Eastern provinces, in rural areas or in smaller cities were consistently less likely to engage in active transportation to/from school. Conclusions Canada has consistently received D grades for the active transportation indicator due to the low prevalence of active transportation to/from school. Moreover, motorized school travel has increased over the last decade, thereby depriving children of an important source of physical activity. Very few data are available regarding trips to/from other destinations, underscoring a need for future research. The Report Card has been a successful knowledge translation tool that has recently been replicated in several countries around the world.