Increase Exercise Participation Research Articles

Mental health and exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Twitter sentiment analysis.

Beyond its immediate health consequences, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an exacerbation in the mental health of the global population. Regular exercise and its lack thereof are also known to affect mental health. Tweets and their content analysis can provide information about aspects of users' lives including their health habits and mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine individuals' exercise habits and mental health during the pandemic by means of sentiment and correlational analyses. These results indicate that, while exercise and mental health tweets were more COVID-focused in the first 12 months of the pandemic, exercise tweets became more exercise-focused, and mental health tweets became more mental-health-focused eventually during the pandemic. Efforts to increase exercise participation in individuals may prove beneficial. Further research needs to examine the effects of exercise on mental health in the aftermath of COVID-19.

The relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and exercise participation: based on the dualistic model of passion.

During the critical formative years of college, active participation in sports not only helps to alleviate stress, but also promotes the development of healthy habits. Although the multifaceted benefits of exercise have been widely recognized, there is a relative dearth of research on the relationship between personality traits, particularly college students' self-oriented perfectionism (SOP), and exercise participation. A questionnaire survey of 374 college students was conducted using the snowball sampling method. SPSS 26.0 and Mplus 8.3 were employed in this study to analyze the correlations between the variables, and on this basis, the effect of SOP on exercise participation was examined. The study also used 5,000 bootstrap samples and a 95% bias-corrected confidence interval to test the significance of the mediating effects. Correlation analysis showed that SOP was positively correlated with exercise participation. Harmonious passion and obsessive passion were positively correlated with SOP, and exercise participation. Further, the results of structural equation analysis revealed that SOP increased exercise participation. Harmonious passion and obsessive passion positively mediated the effect between SOP and exercise participation, respectively. This study provides new perspectives to better understand college students' exercise participation, emphasizing the importance of SOP and its influence on exercise participation through harmonious and obsessive passions. These findings have important implications for the development of effective exercise promotion strategies.

Development of the Fit&Fab Exercise Intervention for Women With Obesity: A Community Advisory Board Informed Process.

Women with higher body mass index report low rates of and face unique barriers to exercise. Increasing exercise participation can improve mental and physical health independent of weight loss; however, most exercise programs targeting this population focus predominately on losing weight. This paper aims to describe the development of Fit&Fab, a community-based exercise intervention focused on increasing exercise participation and enjoyment for women with obesity. In partnership with the YMCA, we recruited women ages 35-64years (body mass index ≥ 30) to participate in 4 focus groups to understand exercise preferences. Formative work was used to identify theory constructs and associated intervention components. Women from the focus groups were recruited for a community advisory board that finalized the intervention design, recruitment, and evaluation plan. Focus groups participants (N = 29) preferred to exercise without men and wanted a cohort-style class that included women of similar exercise levels and body types, incorporated social support, fun activities, and broke exercise into smaller bouts. They wanted a supportive instructor who was fit but understood weight-related challenges. The community advisory board and research team used focus group findings to inform design of the final intervention including group exercise classes, psychosocial support sessions, personalized training, exercise tracking, outcome monitoring, and rewards. Our findings emphasize the need to focus on exercise enjoyment and benefits other than losing weight to improve exercise participation among women with higher body mass index. In addition to having outcomes other than weight loss, exercise interventions with this population should also consider group composition, instructor, and class format.

Effects of Emotional Labor and Job Stress Perceived by Insurance and Asset Managers on Their Job Satisfaction.

Occupational stress is often high among the employees of insurance companies. We aimed to examine the effects of emotional labor and job stress on job satisfaction among insurance and asset managers and the moderating effect of regular exercise participation in these relationships. This study was conducted in October 2022. A total of 261 insurance and asset managers working at Samsung Life Insurance Company, Seoul, Republic of Korea, were selected using non-probability purposive sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation model analysis, measurement equivalence tests, multi-group structural equation model analysis, and parametric comparison analysis. Both emotional labor and job stress had a negative effect on the job satisfaction of insurance and asset managers (P< 0.05). Regular exercise participation moderated the relationship between emotional labor and job satisfaction (P< 0.05) but not the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction. The results of this study might help encourage devising of strategies that increase exercise participation among insurance and asset managers in order to reduce their emotional labor and job stress while simultaneously increasing their job satisfaction.

Piloting the effectiveness of the Workout on Wheels Internet Intervention (WOWii) program among individuals with mobility disabilities

BackgroundDoing any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity yields health benefits. Individuals with mobility disabilities are among the least physically active Americans and limited evidence indicates effective strategies to promote physical activity among this group. ObjectiveExamine whether a 16-week virtual intervention program (Workout on Wheels internet intervention, WOWii) increases exercise engagement among mobility impaired individuals. MethodsParticipants recruited through community organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities. The WOWii program is comprised of 3 core components: 16 weeks of virtual intervention delivery and access to the WOWii website; staff and peer support; an exercise package that included an activity tracker and heart rate monitor, pedal exerciser, and therabands. ResultsTen people enrolled. Participants demonstrated good program engagement, attending an average of 14.1 ± 2.1 of the 16 virtual meetings and completing an average of 10.6 ± 5.6 weekly activities. Exercise data revealed that participants increased their time spent in aerobic exercise from an average of two days a week performing 32 ± 22 min during week one to an average of five days a week doing 127 ± 143 min in the final WOWii week. Only half continued to exercise over the two months once WOWii virtual meetings ended. ConclusionWOWii program delivery successfully promoted increased exercise participation for people with mobility disabilities over the 16 intervention weeks. Future studies should investigate approaches to promote exercise maintenance beyond program delivery.

Increasing exercise participation during the COVID-19 pandemic: the buffering role of nostalgia.

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, people faced difficulties engaging in exercise activities as usual. As a result, there has been an increase in the demand for home exercises and online sales. However, there is little research on individuals' buying and exercise behaviors during the pandemic. Thus, this study investigated how the perceived threat of COVID-19 influences exercise participants' compensatory consumption and exercise intention through emotional responses, such as feelings of solastalgia and nostalgia. A total of 488 responses were collected from Generation Y, as individuals belonging to Generation Y are more prone to impulsive buying compared to other generations and, importantly, consider exercise a crucial component of their general well-being. Data were examined using a three-step method that involved the use of SPSS 26.0 and EQS 6.4 software. Results showed that perception of COVID-19 positively influenced solastalgia and negatively affected nostalgia. Also, solastalgia had positive effects on nostalgia and online browsing, and nostalgia positively affected online browsing. Finally, this study found that online browsing positively influenced impulse buying and exercise intention, while impulse buying did not significantly affect exercise intention. This study contributes to identifying the crucial influence of emotions in decision-making and increasing the understanding of the connection between nostalgia and cognitive and emotional responses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Selected Articles from This Issue

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many colorectal cancer-related procedures were suspended, with unclear implications for colorectal cancer mortality. In this study, van den Puttelaar and colleagues used observed data and simulation modeling to estimate the impact on colorectal cancer outcomes, clinical resources, and associated tradeoffs, for longer versus shorter recovery periods to catch up procedures. The authors estimate that the disruptions may cause 4,200 to 14,400 excess colorectal cancer deaths in the US in the next 20 years, depending on the assumed extent of disruption, length of recovery period, and resources used. These estimates may help inform strategies to mitigate the broader impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or future crises.Christopher and colleagues used a data-driven approach to identify exercise trajectories over the adult life course and examined how these trajectories were associated with colon cancer risk within the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Adults maintaining moderate-to-high amounts of exercise consistently throughout adulthood had a lower risk of colon cancer. Being inactive early in adulthood but increasing exercise participation by midlife was also suggestive of a lower risk. These findings are aligned with the current physical activity recommendations and add new evidence that promoting physical activity at all stages of the adult life course is needed for population-based colon cancer prevention.Few empirical data are available for older adults on the absolute risk of colorectal cancer and its associated mortality in the context of prior screening. Dalmat and colleagues address this evidence gap with estimates from a large population of screen-eligible adults ages 76 to 85 years who had a negative colonoscopy ten years ago. Estimates of cumulative incidence and mortality were 1.29% (95% CI: 1.02–1.61%) and 0.46% (95% CI: 0.30–0.70%), respectively, in eight years following screening eligibility date, after accounting for competing risk of death from another cause. Patients were approximately 90 times more likely to die from another cause than colorectal cancer, which may be an important context for older adults’ decision making.Nicotine metabolism significantly influences nicotine dependence. The goal of this study, by Perez-Paramo and colleagues, was to examine the impact of genetic variants in nicotine metabolizing enzyme genes on urinary levels of nicotine metabolites. Functional deficiency of cytochrome P450 2A6 caused multiple changes in nicotine metabolites in smokers’ urine. Genetic polymorphisms in multiple functional metabolizing enzyme genes showed a significant impact on urinary levels of many nicotine metabolites. These data suggest that multiple genes in several pathways are involved in the metabolism of nicotine, which may influence nicotine dependence and smoking behavior.

Physical demands and physiological strain of American football referees while officiating

ABSTRACT Objectives Certain occupations are associated with greater risk of triggering a sudden cardiac event because of high levels of physical exertion and extreme thermal environments in which they occur. The extent to which sports officials––particularly high school (HS) American football referees––experience these conditions is unknown. Forty-six male HS officials (72% White/Caucasian; age = 48 ± 12 years, body mass index = 31.7 ± 6.6 kg·m−2) were studied to quantify the physiological strain and physical demands of officiating. Methods Referee demographics (e.g., experience, habitual exercise), pre-game urine specific gravity (USG), thermal (peak core temperature [Tcore]) and cardiovascular (average heart rate [HR]) strain, kinematic activity (e.g., total distance, speed, mechanical intensity), and environmental conditions were measured during 10 regular season varsity HS football games (≈2.5 h each) in the Southeastern United States (average wet bulb globe temperature and relative humidity: 18.9 ± 6.0 °C and 78.2% ± 12.1%). Analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and linear regression. Results Referees covered 5.2 ± 1.2 km per game, eliciting average HR and peak Tcore of 71.5% ± 8.0% HRmax and 38.3 ± 0.5 °C, respectively; 38% began games dehydrated (USG = 1.026 ± 0.004). Multiple regression analyses revealed that obesity (β = 0.34), not participating in regular exercise (β = −0.36), and officiating at lower mechanical intensity (β = −0.33) predicted greater cardiovascular strain (all p ≤ 0.03). White/Caucasian race/ethnicity (β = 0.59), younger age (β = −0.46), and obesity (β = 0.28) predicted greater thermal strain (all p ≤ 0.01). Conclusion HS football referees experienced elevated levels of physiological strain while officiating, with individual factors modulating the magnitude of strain. Strategies aimed at reducing obesity, increasing exercise participation, and improving cardiovascular health should be emphasized to mitigate strain and prevent cardiac events.

Abstract 5868: Factors associated with exercise participation in patients with breast cancer

Abstract BACKGROUND: The American Cancer Society recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate and/or strenuous exercise and muscle-strengthening activities each week for adults. Exercise has been associated with decreased breast cancer mortality and adverse symptoms. This study’s purpose is to understand prevalence and predictors of inadequate aerobic exercise in patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer to inform interventions to increase exercise participation. METHODS: Patients seen at least once at Mayo Clinic Rochester were prospectively enrolled within one year of an initial breast cancer diagnosis in the Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry after providing informed consent. This analysis includes those who completed a baseline survey with self-reported exercise data using the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. This longitudinal cohort study was approved by the Mayo Clinic institutional review board. RESULTS: 1,738 participants reported their usual weekly quantity of moderate and strenuous exercise an average of 95 days (SD 71 days, range 0-365) after diagnosis. Table 1 displays participant characteristics overall and by whether participants reported at least 150 minutes of moderate and/or strenuous activity weekly (“met guidelines”) or not (“did not meet guidelines”). Overall, 39% of participants met guidelines, including 56% of those aged 18-39 years, 40% of those aged 40-69 years, and 27% of those aged 70+ years. CONCLUSION: Older age was associated with less likelihood of meeting exercise guidelines (all age groups vs 70+, p &amp;lt; 0.05). A more diverse cohort will be needed to evaluate differences by gender and race/ethnicity. There did not appear to be any obvious impact on exercise level by time since diagnosis (during the first year after diagnosis) or educational status, though substantial missing data limit conclusions related to the latter. Additional research is needed to assess exercise levels later in survivorship and the impact of various treatment modalities on exercise habits Table 1. Patient and tumor characteristics Citation Format: Paulina S. Marell, Janet E. Olson, Joerg Herrmann, Nicole L. Larson, Nathan K. LeBrasseur, Stacy D. D'Andre, Andrea L. Cheville, Toure Barksdale, Charles L. Loprinzi, Fergus J. Couch, Kathryn J. Ruddy. Factors associated with exercise participation in patients with breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5868.

Kinesiophobia, physical performance, and health-related quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease.

Kinesiophobia is an important risk factor for physical activity and exercise restrictions. It is important to assess kinesiophobia and identify high-risk patients to help prevent sedentary behaviour and increase exercise participation among cardiac patients. To evaluate kinesiophobia and its association with physical performance, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), patients' limitations and symptoms, and disease history in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Fifty-two patients diagnosed with CAD were enrolled in this study. Kinesiophobia was assessed with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia for Heart. The 5× Sit-to-Stand Test (5-STST), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), and the 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT) were used to assess physical performance. Patients' limitations and symptoms and HRQOL were evaluated with the Cardiovascular Limitations and Symptoms Profile. CAD duration and history of myocardial infarction (MI) were also recorded. 87.2% of the patients had high level of kinesiophobia, which was higher in patients with previous MI compared to patients without history of MI (p = 0.031). Kinesiophobia was positively correlated with 5-STST duration, TUGT duration, angina, shortness of breath, HRQOL, and CAD duration, and it was negatively correlated with 6-MWT distance (p < 0.05). According to regression analysis, only angina was a significant predictor for kinesiophobia (p = 0.014). Kinesiophobia was found to be a predictor of physical performance and HRQOL (p < 0.05). Levels of kinesiophobia are high in patients with CAD, especially in those with a history of MI. Angina is a predictor of kinesiophobia while kinesiophobia is a predictor of both physical performance and HRQOL in CAD patients.

Feasibility and implementation of a personalized, web-based exercise intervention for people with cystic fibrosis for 1\xa0year

BackgroundRegular participation in exercise is important for people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Therefore, we implemented a personalized, web-based exercise intervention over the course of one year for people with CF. The aims were to investigate the feasibility of the intervention and to evaluate changes in exercise participation, lung function, and exercise capacity.MethodsIn total, 11/17 participants [aged 12–52 years; FEV1%pred. 72.3 (SD: 17.3)] were included in the final data analysis. Every week, the participants received an individual training recommendation at the start and uploaded their training report on our website at the end of each week. The number of training minutes and sessions performed were analyzed over 13 four-week training sections. The participation in exercise (physical activity questionnaire), lung function and exercise capacity were assessed at baseline (T0), after 12 weeks (T1) and after 52 weeks (T2).ResultsA training duration of 178 min (SD: 75.5) and 3.3 (SD: 0.89) training sessions could be achieved weekly. In the first four-week training section, the participants performed 137.31 (SD: 95.7) minutes of training, with an increase of 42% in the third training section (195.01, SD: 134.99). Minutes of training reported on the questionnaire increased by 39.7% from T0 (179.38 min, SD: 120.9) to T1 (250.63 min, SD: 124.1) but decreased at T2 (166.88, SD: 155.4). There were slight decreases in lung function (FEV1 − 3.9%pred.; FVC − 1.9%pred.) and slight increases in exercise capacity (VO2peak + 1.5 ml/min/kg; six-minute-walk-test-distance + 26 m). Noticeably, five participants experienced deteriorations in their FEV1 of more than 5% but simultaneously experienced improvements in the parameters of exercise capacity of more than 5% throughout the year.ConclusionsThe web-based concept was feasible for the participants over the course of a year and supported exercise participation. The improvement in exercise capacity due to increased exercise participation over a prolonged period of time, despite a decrease in lung function, should be further investigated. Finally, if integrated into usual care, this approach could facilitate the prescription of regular personalized exercise and promote exercise participation in the daily lives of people with CF.

Global Policy Barriers and Enablers to Exercise and Physical Activity in Kidney Care

Impairment in physical function and physical performance leads to decreased independence and health-related quality of life in people living with chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease. Physical activity and exercise in kidney care are not priorities in policy development. We aimed to identify global policy-related enablers, barriers, and strategies to increase exercise participation and physical activity behavior for people living with kidney disease. Guided by the Behavior Change Wheel theoretical framework, 50 global renal exercise experts developed policy barriers and enablers to exercise program implementation and physical activity promotion in kidney care. The consensus process consisted of developing themes from renal experts from North America, South America, Continental Europe, United Kingdom, Asia, and Oceania. Strategies to address enablers and barriers were identified by the group, and consensus was achieved. We found that policies addressing funding, service provision, legislation, regulations, guidelines, the environment, communication, and marketing are required to support people with kidney disease to be physically active, participate in exercise, and improve health-related quality of life. We provide a global perspective and highlight Japanese, Canadian, and other regional examples where policies have been developed to increase renal physical activity and rehabilitation. We present recommendations targeting multiple stakeholders including nephrologists, nurses, allied health clinicians, organizations providing renal care and education, and renal program funders. We strongly recommend the nephrology community and people living with kidney disease take action to change policy now, rather than idly waiting for indisputable clinical trial evidence that increasing physical activity, strength, fitness, and function improves the lives of people living with kidney disease.

Exercise recommendations and referral patterns of oncology professionals.

Exercise physiologists and physiotherapists can provide exercise interventions for cancer survivors; however, many do not access this support. Our primary aim explored referral habits to exercise professionals and attitudes of oncology professionals. Secondary aims explored fitness levels of oncology professionals and the relationship between fitness and exercise referral habits. Oncology professionals (n=67) attending a national cancer conference in Australia participated in this cross-sectional study (23% doctors, 11% nurses, 25% allied health, and 41% other). A subgroup (n=49) completed a fitness assessment measuring aerobic fitness (3-minute step test), muscle strength (handgrip dynamometry), and body composition (waist-to-hip ratio). Oncology professionals in a position to refer patients to exercise professionals were assessed on their history of patient referrals. Sixty-seven of 750 eligible conference delegates participated (9% recruitment rate), of which 73% completed fitness assessments. Participants displayed above average physical activity and fitness levels with 60% meeting exercise guidelines. The majority (92%) agreed that exercise is important among cancer survivors to attenuate treatment-associated symptoms. Most understand the role of exercise physiologists (61%) and physiotherapists (64%) in cancer care. Seventy-three percent reported that referral to exercise professionals is optimal to increase exercise participation. Most (82%) oncology professionals who are able to refer patients to exercise professionals have self-reported doing so, while 91% recommended exercise themselves. Sixty-two percent were aware of evidence-based exercise guidelines. Fitness levels (p=0.25), strength (p=0.88), and physical activity (p=0.33) did not impact referrals made to exercise professionals. There was high awareness exercise-oncology benefits and evidence-based guidelines existed among sampled participants. Oncology professionals understand the role of exercise professionals, reflected by high self-reported referral rates. Implementing referral pathways to exercise professionals in cancer care may facilitate improved patient outcomes.

A collaborative approach to exercise provision for people with Parkinson's - a feasibility and acceptability study of the PDConnect programme [version 2; peer review: 2 approved

BackgroundExercise has been shown to be beneficial for people with Parkinson’s (PwP), slowing the rate of decline of motor and nonmotor symptoms, with emerging evidence associating exercise with a neuroprotective effect. Current exercise provision is time-limited, and delivered in the absence of strategies to support long-term adherence to exercise. With a growing Parkinson’s population, there is a need to develop long-term sustainable approaches to exercise delivery. The primary aim of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a multicomponent intervention (PDConnect) aimed at promoting physical activity, and self-management for PwP.MethodsA convergent fixed parallel mixed methods design study will be undertaken. The study aims to recruit 30 PwP, who will be randomly allocated into two groups: (i) the usual care group will receive physiotherapy once a week for six weeks delivered via Microsoft Teams. (ii) The PDConnect group will receive physiotherapy once a week for six weeks which combines exercise, education and behaviour change interventions delivered by NHS Parkinson’s specialist physiotherapists via Microsoft Teams. This will be followed by 12 weekly sessions of group exercise delivered on Microsoft Teams by fitness instructors specially trained in Parkinson’s. Participants will be then contacted by the fitness instructors once per month for three months by video conferencing to support exercise engagement. Primary feasibility data will be collected during the study, with acceptability assessed via semi-structured interviews at the end. Secondary outcomes encompassing motor, non-motor and health and well-being measures will be assessed at baseline, at six, 18, and 30 weeks.DiscussionThis pilot study will establish whether PDConnect is feasible and acceptable to PwP. This will provide a platform for a larger evaluation to assess the effectiveness of PDConnect at increasing exercise participation and self-management within the Parkinson’s Community.Trial registrationRegistered on ISRCTN (ISRCTN11672329, 4th June 2020).

Virtual trainer system: a tool to increase exercise participation and work productivity

PurposeDue to lack of motivation, individuals often fail to perform regular exercise. In view of this, we developed a virtual trainer system (VTS) to encourage users to perform simple exercise routines regularly.Design/methodology/approachA design science approach is adopted to develop a VTS to motivate users to exercise. Study findings are based on a field experiment with 91 participants recruited from a university in Hong Kong.FindingsOutcome-oriented reminders foster stronger perceived risks of health and perceived value of exercises, whereas virtual trainer attractiveness has insignificant effect. Perceived value of exercises is positively related to exercise participation, which has a positive relationship with work productivity.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings answer question of how to motivate people to continue exercising.Practical implicationsFindings provide insights for fitness companies to design online exercise training for users.Social implicationsVTS can promote regular exercise and healthy life.Originality/valueThis research shows that interactive virtual agents can motivate users to exercise regularly. It contributes to the burgeoning research on the use of IT artifacts for improving exercise participation and provides practical insights into VTS designs.

A collaborative approach to exercise provision for people with Parkinson’s – a feasibility and acceptability study of the PDConnect programme

Background: Exercise has been shown to be beneficial for people with Parkinson’s (PwP), limiting the rate of decline of motor and non-motor symptoms, with emerging evidence associating exercise with a neuroprotective effect. Current exercise provision is time-limited, and delivered in the absence of strategies to support long-term adherence to exercise. With a growing Parkinson’s population, there is a need to develop long-term sustainable approaches to exercise delivery. The primary aim of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a multicomponent intervention (PDConnect) aimed at promoting physical activity, and self-management for PwP. Methods: A convergent fixed parallel mixed methods design study will be undertaken. The study aims to recruit 30 PwP, who will be randomly allocated into two groups: (i) the usual care group will receive physiotherapy once a week for six weeks delivered via Microsoft Teams. (ii) The PDConnect group will receive physiotherapy once a week for six weeks which combines exercise, education and behaviour change interventions delivered by NHS Parkinson’s specialist physiotherapists via Microsoft Teams. This will be followed by 12 weekly sessions of group exercise delivered on Microsoft Teams by fitness instructors specially trained in Parkinson’s. Participants will be then contacted by the fitness instructors once per month for three months by video conferencing to support exercise engagement. Primary feasibility data will be collected during the study, with acceptability assessed via semi-structured interviews at the end. Secondary outcomes encompassing motor, non-motor and health and well-being measures will be assessed at baseline, at six, 18, and 30 weeks. Discussion: This pilot study will establish whether PDConnect is feasible and acceptable to PwP. This will provide a platform for a larger evaluation to assess the effectiveness of PDConnect at increasing exercise participation and self-management within the Parkinson’s Community. Trial registration: Registered on ISRCTN (ISRCTN11672329, 4th June 2020).

Psychosocial interventions to optimize recovery of physical function and facilitate engagement in physical activity during the first three months following CABG surgery: a systematic review

Background Physical activity following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is linked to improved short and long-term outcomes. However, uptake of cardiac rehabilitation programs is low following CABG surgery. Psychosocial interventions have been identified as possible ways to increase exercise participation and adherence. Objectives To undertake a systematic review to investigate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on improving engagement in physical activity and optimizing physical function during the first three months following CABG surgery. The secondary aim was to identify the self-management strategies and/or behavior change techniques that were incorporated into post-CABG rehabilitation programs described in the literature. Methods A search strategy was developed and used across nine electronic databases. Records were screened against eligibility criteria developed by the research team. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. Results Eighteen articles were included in the review. All used at least one behavioral change technique; 2/18 included self-management strategies. Sixteen studies demonstrated an improvement and there was a significantly superior effect of the intervention on physical activity engagement or physical function compared to usual care in 11/18 studies. The effect was superior in females only, in 1/11 studies. Patient education was the predominant psychosocial intervention. Conclusions Whilst psychosocial interventions demonstrated benefits for patients, the interventions used did not equip the participants with the skills required to optimize self-management. Further studies to investigate the effectiveness of self-management strategies are required to determine the most effective strategies to improve physical activity levels, and physical functioning in early rehabilitation post-CABG.

Exercise motivators, barriers, habits and environment at an Indigenous community facility

ABSTRACT Purpose/Rationale: Increasing exercise participation is key to improving Indigenous health. The cultural relevance of exercise facilities impacts participation. We examined exercise motivators, barriers, habits, and environments experienced by Indigenous community exercise facility members. Design/Methodology/Approach: An existing Indigenous exercise questionnaire was adapted by Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers and exercise facility staff. Members were invited to complete the study questionnaire online. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics. Findings: A total of 167 adults (45 Indigenous) completed the questionnaire. The main barriers were exercising with injury, finding time to exercise with family/caring commitments and exercising outside of the gym. The main reasons for membership were to improve health and fitness and for Indigenous participants, having a culturally appropriate facility. Research contribution: New knowledge on exercise barriers, habits and environment experienced by Indigenous peoples. Practical implications: Findings provide formative data to design culturally relevant exercise programs. Originality/Value: Culturally appropriate exercise facilities are important to Indigenous peoples and may increase participation.

청소년의 체중조절관련 건강신념과 운동효능감 및 운동지속의도가 신체활동에 미치는 영향

This study sought to examine whether physical activity level is associated with health belief-related weight control, exercise self-efficacy, and exercise adherence intention in Korean adolescents. As participants in the survey, a total of 652 male and female participants were recruited from junior high schools in Seoul. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics program. The perceived benefit of health belief-related weight control was higher than other variables including perceived severity, barrier, and susceptibility in both genders. Female junior high school students were more susceptible to weight control behavior than male participants. In addition, the perceived benefit and barrier of weight control behavior were positively and negatively related to exercise adherence intention, respectively, in both male and female students. However, health belief was not correlated with physical activity level. These results indicate that positive health belief and weight control behavior may contribute to augmenting intrinsic motivation to exercise, but not genuinely increasing exercise participation. In contrast to health belief, the high level of exercise self-efficacy was found to be correlated with increases in exercise adherence intention and physical activity level. Therefore, education and guidance at home and in school are certainly required to establish desirable health belief and enhance exercise self-efficacy, which lead adolescents to maintain their healthy weight through regular physical activity.

Elicitation interview study to identify salient beliefs about exercise participation in adults with cystic fibrosis

ObjectivesConduct an elicitation study, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework, to identify salient beliefs about exercise participation in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). Specifically, identify attitudes on advantages and disadvantages of exercise (behavioural beliefs); individuals and groups who apply social pressure to exercise (normative beliefs); and perceived control over facilitators and barriers to exercise (control beliefs) for adults with CF. DesignQualitative interviews using open-ended, structured questions. SettingAdult CF clinic in a large Australian hospital. ParticipantsSixteen adults with CF, three relatives/friends of adults with CF and six CF clinic staff. ResultsThe most common positive attitudes about exercise were to keep fit and healthy (68%) and feel better and happier (60%), and negative attitude was to feel breathless (36%). Social pressure to exercise mainly came from parents/family (72%) and friends (52%), and 60% of participants reported that no-one discourages exercise. Having someone to exercise with (44%) and be encouraged (36%) were the most common facilitators of perceived control to exercise, whereas being unwell (96%) and not having sufficient time (56%) were the most common barriers. ConclusionsAttitudes, social pressure and perceived control to exercise for adults with CF were similar to beliefs previously reported by the general population and some patient groups. A number of CF-specific exercise beliefs, mainly related to pulmonary function, were also reported. These findings can help develop questionnaires for larger groups of adults with CF, interpret relationships between exercise beliefs and participation, and inform clinicians to target interventions to increase exercise participation.