Lower Physical Activity Participation Research Articles

Remotely-delivered exercise training program for improving physical and cognitive functions among older adults with multiple sclerosis: Protocol for an NIH stage-I randomized controlled trial

BackgroundOlder adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) present with low physical activity participation, cognitive and ambulatory dysfunctions, and compromised quality of life (QOL). ObjectiveWe propose a NIH Stage-I, randomized controlled trial (RCT) that examines the feasibility and efficacy of a 16-week theory-based, remotely-delivered, exercise training program for improving cognitive and physical functions in older adults with MS who have moderate mobility disability without severe cognitive impairment. MethodsThis Stage-I study utilizes a parallel-group RCT design. Participants (N = 50; age ≥ 50 years) will be randomly assigned into exercise training (combined aerobic and resistance exercise) or active control (flexibility and stretching) conditions. The conditions will be undertaken within a participant's home/community over a 16-week period, and monitored remotely and supported by Zoom-based chats guided by social cognitive theory (SCT) via a behavioral coach. Participants will receive training manuals and equipment, one-on-one behavioral coaching, action-planning calendars, self-monitoring logs, and SCT-based newsletters. The primary outcomes include feasibility (e.g., recruitment and retention rates), exercise behavior and physical activity; other outcomes include physical function (lower-extremity function, mobility, walking), cognition (processing speed, learning and memory, executive function), MS symptoms, QOL, and vascular function. We will collect outcome data at baseline (Week 0), post-intervention (Week 16), and follow-up (Week-32). Data analysis will follow intent-to-treat principles using linear mixed-effects models. DiscussionThis Stage-I trial adopts an innovative approach for exercise training via telerehabilitation and is convenient and accessible for older adults with MS. If successful, the study will provide foundations for future research using remotely-delivered exercise intervention for managing the consequences of aging with MS.Trial Registration Number:NCT05930821

EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS ON THE ACUTE MEDICAL WARD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION & AIMS An acute hospital stay is associated with high proportions of sedentary time, and bed rest, with low physical activity participation for the stay duration. Exercise prescription on the acute inpatient medical ward can prevent decline, or at least maintain, physical outcomes in the adult population. The purpose of this systematic review with meta-analyses was to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise intervention on the acute inpatient medical ward on physical outcomes of muscle strength, aerobic capacity and balance in adults, compared with usual care. METHODS Medline, CINAHL and EMBASE were searched from inception to 20th April 2023. Randomised controlled trials in English, which reported muscle strength, aerobic capacity or balance outcomes for adults who received an exercise intervention on an acute medical ward were included. Studies were excluded if they did not have a control group receiving usual care. Study quality was assessed using the PEDro and TESTEX scales. The GRADE rating assessed quality of evidence to evaluate certainty of effect. Where studies with continuous data used different measures of assessment, and reported post-test outcomes, standardised mean differences with a random effects model was used. For studies with continuous data that used different measures of assessment, and reported change from baseline scores, a weighted mean difference with a random effects model was used. Significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS Twelve studies were included, with 1,273 unique participants, which compared exercise intervention with usual care. Low quality evidence demonstrated a significant difference between groups for aerobic capacity (p=0.02) and maximum isometric strength (p=0.001). A meta-analysis of balance outcomes could not be performed. CONCLUSION Exercise prescribed during an acute medical ward stay may improve participants’ aerobic capacity and maximum isometric strength.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS: A KEY MEDICINE TO HEALTH PROMOTION IN ETHIOPIA

Engaging in physical activity within school settings improves early adolescents overall health status as well as their academic achievements. Therefore, the current study, aimed at primary schools, has been considered an essential medicine for promoting physical activity among older children. Eight hundred thirty-five older children aged 11 to 14 with a mean age of 12.95 ±0.937 SD were selected. A cross-sectional study was utilized to achieve the objective of this survey. Self-reported PAQ-C measure was conducted. The PAQ-C survey was analyzed using IBM SPSS (Ver. 26) to achieve this studys intended physical activity goal. The internal coherence of the data was assessed by Cronbachs alpha (0.819). The finding indicated a low level of participation with an average mean score of 2.49 (SD 0.63). A significant mean difference was observed between grades five and eight with 0.18461 (CI = 0.0066, 0.3626), P-value = 0.039<0.05), and Kola Shara primary school had the most significant mean difference (mean value = 0.78975, P = 0.000<0.05). As a result, grade five was more active than grade level, and Shara Primary School had better participation. However, the overall composite mean score was below the average. Therefore, the study demonstrated low participation in physical activity among the selected schools in the Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia. Finally, the study suggests that further research is needed to understand the factors that hinder the promotion of physical activity in school settings.

Neighborhood Assessment of the Environment for Physical Activity: Engaging Adolescents Within an Under-resourced Community

Abstract: Background: Physical activity (PA) participation has many benefits; however, rates of participation remain low, particularly among underserved populations which may face low PA participation due to having poorer quality of built environment factors which is a known influence on activity levels. Objectives: To train adolescents to conduct environmental neighborhood assessments and neighborhood resident surveys of with the end goal of encouraging advocacy for neighborhood improvements. Methods: This mixed methods, prospective design study was focused in a low-income, under-resourced, predominately African American neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Adolescents ( n = 14; 13–17 years) in a community partner's youth program were trained to conduct neighborhood environmental assessments and distributed neighborhood resident surveys. Results of these assessments were shared with community partners to create strategies for improvement. These adolescents participated in a focus group following the environmental assessments to reflect on their findings and the process. The neighborhood resident survey ( n = 123) assessed demographics, perceptions of the neighborhood, PA participation and health outcomes. Results: Neighborhood assessments noted and resident surveys noted many barriers to activity (i.e., poor sidewalks, unsafe areas). Results were informative for our community partner to advocate for neighborhood improvements. Focus group results indicated that the adolescents understood how their neighborhood environment could influence PA and how the findings could be utilized to make improvements in their neighborhood. Conclusions: Adolescents can be successfully trained/educated to follow a research protocol for assessing the built environment for PA using a variety of measurement tools, while additionally gaining insight towards neighborhood environment advocacy.

The mediating role of social support in promoting physical activity among children in South Africa

Background: Low physical activity (PA) participation levels and increasing non-communicable diseases in children are concerning in South Africa and globally.Objectives: We sought to assess the mediating role of perceived social support factors on the relationship between PA enjoyment and PA levels among rural, peri-urban and urban school children.Method: A cross-sectional study was adopted to assess peer, family and teacher encouragement as mediators on the relationship between perceived PA enjoyment and perceived physical activity participation among children, using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). The sample comprised a random sample of primary school learners aged 9–14 years.Results: The sample consisted of 870 primary school learners with a mean age of 11.0 ± 1.49 years. Most participants were girls (n = 519; 59.7%). The findings suggest low levels of perceived PA participation (mean = 2.33, standard deviation [s.d.]: 0.43). Peer (β = 0.0187, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0088, 0.0307), family (β = 0.0280, 95% CI: 0.0155, 0.0425) and teacher (β = 0.0242, 95% CI: 0.0127, 0.0378) encouragement partially mediates the relationship between perceived PA enjoyment and perceived PA participation. Family encouragement (β = 0.0158, 95% CI: 0.0017, 0.0311) has the most considerable mediating effect, followed by teacher encouragement (β = 0.0125, 95% CI: 0.0010, 0.0269).Conclusion: The findings demonstrated low levels of perceived PA participation in school learners. Therefore, we recommends including social factors as mediators in PA intervention programmes in primary schools.Clinical implications: Social support factors as mediators on the relationship between PA enjoyment and PA participation among children may improve children’s PA participation levels and help prevent non-communicable diseases in future.

Relationship between low back pain and physical activity and sitting time among community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study

Objectives Japan has a high prevalence of low back pain among older adults requiring long-term care, which results in increasing expenses; therefore, prevention measures are necessary. This study aimed to examine the relationship between low back pain and physical activity and sitting time according to sex and age (65-74 years [young-old adults]; ≥75 years [old-old adults]) who had not received long-term care certification.Methods A self-administered survey was mailed to 7,080 adults >65 years of age residing in Tsuru City (Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan) from January to February 2018, and had not received long-term care certification. Demographic information, health status (body mass index and medical history), lifestyle (dietary habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking), presence of low back pain, physical activity, sitting time, and social participation were measured. Low back pain was evaluated by asking, "Did you experience pain in parts of the body other than the knees for the past month?" Those who answered, "experienced low back pain" were categorized as "with low back pain". The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity, which was categorized into three groups: <150, 150-299, and ≥300 min/week. Sitting time was divided into two groups: <480 and ≥480 min/day. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between low back pain and physical activity and sitting time, according to sex and age.Results Of the 7,080 individuals surveyed, 4,877 responded (2,217 male, 2,660 female), corresponding to a response rate of 68.9%. The number of older adults with low back pain was 1,542 (31.6%) including 673 (30.4%) males and 869 (32.7%) females. The rate of low back pain in young-old adults was 29.8% and 33.6% in old-old adults. There was no significant relationship between lower back pain and physical activity among the young-old adults. In the old-old adults, there was a significant relationship in the male ≥300 min group (odds ratio [OR] 0.66 [95%CI 0.48-0.89]), and in both female 150-299 (OR 0.69 [95%CI 0.48-0.99]) and ≥300 (OR 0.59 [95%CI 0.44-0.80]) min/week groups.Conclusion The complaint rate for low back pain was approximately 30%, regardless of sex or age. These results suggest that interventions to prevent low back pain are necessary. Moreover, physical activity, but not sitting time, was associated with low back pain in both males and females among the old-old adults.

Experiences of Introduction to and Participation in Quad Rugby: A Grounded Theory Approach.

Individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) report low physical activity participation levels. A lack of physical activity can lead to increased secondary health concerns, such as cardiovascular, psychological, genitourinary, and musculoskeletal complications. Adaptive sports, such as quad rugby, allow individuals with SCI to maintain appropriate physical activity levels. This grounded theory study aimed to explore the experiences of individuals learning about and participating in quad rugby after SCI in the United States. Twelve participants from seven states across the United States completed semistructured interviews. Four themes emerged: benefits of quad rugby participation, enabling quad rugby participation, barriers to quad rugby participation, and motivation for continued participation in quad rugby. This study highlights the importance of an early introduction to quad rugby after SCI and the biopsychosocial benefits of participation. Occupational therapy practitioners can address barriers identified in this study through innovative approaches and advocacy efforts.

Mediation Impact of Physical Literacy and Activity Between Psychological Distress and Life Satisfaction Among College Students During COVID-19 Pandemic.

The study aims to examine the mediation effects of physical literacy and physical activity behavior in a relationship between psychological distress and life satisfaction among Chinese college students during the real-life Coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) circumstance. This study implemented a cross-sectional design, and 1,516 participants from 12 universities participated in this study. Structural equation modeling was used to examine a hypothesized model. The findings indicated an acceptable model fit (X 2[61] = 508.2, Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = 0.958, Tucker Lewis Index [TLI] = 0.946, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA] = 0.076, 90% CI [0.070, 0.082], Standardized Root Mean Square Residual [SRMR] = 0.047). The results indicated that college students with low participation in physical activity could experience less than healthy living conditions. The findings offered empirical support to the theory that physical literacy could advance individuals' healthy living by promoting physical activity participation. The study suggested that educational institutions and physical activity programs should cultivate individuals' physical literacy in order to promote lifelong healthy living.

EFFECT OF ONLINE MESSAGING INTERVENTION TO ENGAGE ADULTS FROM THE QATAR COMMUNITY IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

In Qatar, physical inactivity amongst 18-64 years old adults is at risk of NCD diseases (obesity (41.4%), high cholesterol level (21.9%), diabetes (6.7%), low participation in physical activity (63.3%), with annual mortality due to physical inactivity of 9. 3% and 36.8%. not meeting current national physical activity recommendations. This study evaluates the effect of online messaging intervention and walking program to engage adults from Qatar community in PA. The concept of online messaging intervention as motivation and awareness of PA in Qatar is explored. Randomized pretest-posttest experimental study method with a follow-up period of 16 weeks was applied to a total of 299 healthy adults (18 to 64 years) in SIH community settings (143 adults control group, 156 adults experiment group, 68 (22.7%) adults IPAQ participants). Evaluation of PA levels and daily steps from pedometers and mob app classified into categories. Evaluation of IPAQ results calculated as MET minutes per week. The walking program combined with online messaging motivated a percentage of 22.7% of adults to continue an active lifestyle, at 16 weeks of follow-up. Self-rated PA level similar to data reported by pedometers demonstrates that adults in the IPAQ group (68 (22.7%)) have a good PA awareness. The statistical findings demonstrate that walking in combination with online messaging programs implemented among adults in the Qatari community can increase awareness of the health benefits of physical activity by forming the basis of an active lifestyle.

Activity, socket fit, comfort and community participation in lower limb prosthesis users: a Cambodian cohort study

BackgroundAfter amputation, many people become less active, feel lonely and lose independence. Understanding the factors associated with low physical activity levels and participation could contribute to defining key interventions which can support prosthesis users so they can live a more active and socially included lifestyle. This longitudinal observational study aims to assess relationships between physical activity, community participation, prosthetic fit, comfort and user satisfaction using actimetry, 3D scans and questionnaires in a Cambodian cohort of established lower limb prosthesis users.MethodsTwenty participants (5F:15M, nine transfemoral, eleven transtibial, 24–60 years old and 3–43 years since amputation) were recruited. They completed a questionnaire which included their demographics, community participation, prosthesis satisfaction and comfort at the start of the study, and between three and six months later. Their prosthetic sockets and residual limbs were 3D scanned at the start and end of the study. Accelerometers were embedded under the cosmesis on the shank of the prosthesis, to collect ten weeks of activity data.ResultsParticipants averaged 4470 steps/day (743–7315 steps/day), and wore their prosthesis for most waking hours, averaging 13.4 h/day (4.5–17.6 h/day). Self-reported measures of activity and hours of wear correlated with these accelerometer data (Spearman’s rho rs = 0.59, and rs = 0.71, respectively). Participants who were more active wore their prosthesis for more hours/day (Pearson r = 0.73) and were more satisfied with socket fit (rs = 0.49). A longer residual limb correlated with better community participation (rs = 0.56) and comfort (rs = 0.56). Self-reported community participation did not correlate with a person’s activity level (rs = 0.13), or their prosthesis comfort (rs = 0.19), and there was only weak correlation between how important the activity was to an individual, and how often they participated in it (rs = 0.37). A simple 0–10 scale of overall comfort did not provide enough detail to understand the types and severity of discomfort experienced.ConclusionAssociations between perceived and measured activity levels correlated with socket satisfaction in this cohort of people with established lower limb amputations. The small sample size means these correlations should be interpreted with caution, but they indicate variables worthy of further study to understand barriers to community engagement and physical activity for prosthesis users in Cambodia, and potentially in other settings.

A Pilot Dance Intervention to Encourage Physical Activity Engagement for Adolescent Girls with Intellectual Disabilities.

Adolescent girls with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at risk for low physical activity (PA) participation due to their limited opportunities. Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week dance intervention to promote engagement in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and increase cardiorespiratory fitness. Methods: The 12-week intervention included two 75-min weekly dance sessions. Continuous heart-rate (HR) monitoring assessed time spent below/at/above each girl’s target HR zone. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by the 6-min walk test (6MWT). Survey items assessed participant enjoyment and participant and parent satisfaction. Results: The mean (SD) age of 18 adolescent girls was 17.3 (2.7) years. Overall, girls attended 88% of sessions and spent 52.3% of each session in MVPA. Mean MVPA was unchanged across the 12 weeks, but the pattern differed across the three sites. We observed a non-significant pre-post increase of 74.6 feet on the 6MWT. Post-intervention surveys indicated that most girls liked the program, perceived improved fitness, and wished to continue dancing. The majority also reported a preference for a girls-only dance program exclusively for those with ID. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that dance is viable for promoting PA for girls with ID. More frequent exercise training is likely needed to improve cardiorespiratory fitness.

The Barriers and Facilitators of Sport and Physical Activity Participation for Aboriginal Children in Rural New South Wales, Australia: A Photovoice Project.

Participating in physical activity is beneficial for health. Whilst Aboriginal children possess high levels of physical activity, this declines rapidly by early adolescence. Low physical activity participation is a behavioral risk factor for chronic disease, which is present at much higher rates in Australian Aboriginal communities compared to non-Aboriginal communities. Through photos and ‘yarning’, the Australian Aboriginal cultural form of conversation, this photovoice study explored the barriers and facilitators of sport and physical activity participation perceived by Aboriginal children (n = 17) in New South Wales rural communities in Australia for the first time and extended the limited research undertaken nationally. Seven key themes emerged from thematic analysis. Four themes described physical activity barriers, which largely exist at the community and interpersonal level of children’s social and cultural context: the physical environment, high costs related to sport and transport, and reliance on parents, along with individual risk factors such as unhealthy eating. Three themes identified physical activity facilitators that exist at the personal, interpersonal, and institutional level: enjoyment from being active, supportive social and family connections, and schools. Findings highlight the need for ongoing maintenance of community facilities to enable physical activity opportunities and ensure safety. Children held strong aspirations for improved and accessible facilities. The strength of friendships and the family unit should be utilized in co-designed and Aboriginal community-led campaigns.

Do anxiety sensitivity and impulsivity interact in predicting exercise involvement in emerging adult drinkers and cannabis users?

ABSTRACT Anxiety sensitivity (AS; i.e. fear of arousal-related sensations) and impulsivity (i.e. tendency to act quickly without regard for longer-term consequences) represent risks for low physical activity participation. Theoretically, higher impulsivity may exacerbate the negative exercise behaviours of high AS individuals given the tendency of impulsive individuals to favour immediate (e.g. watching TV) over delayed rewards (e.g. the benefits of exercise). Our goal was to investigate the main and interactive effects of AS and impulsivity on physical activity levels at varying exercise intensities. Participants were 178 emerging adults (Mean age = 21.9; 68.8% women). Higher AS was associated with less engagement in vigorous intensity exercise. Moderator analyses revealed an AS x impulsivity interaction: high AS predicted significantly less engagement in moderate intensity exercise at low impulsivity levels and marginally more engagement in moderate intensity exercise at high impulsivity levels. Finally, higher impulsivity was associated with more time spent walking. Cognitive behavioural therapy for high AS, or teaching individuals with high AS to focus on immediate, external rewards of exercise, may help them engage in more physical activity. Given the wide-ranging physical and mental health benefits of exercise involvement, developing effective strategies to increase such involvement in high AS individuals is vital.

Can Assessing Physical Activity Liking Identify Opportunities to Promote Physical Activity Engagement and Healthy Dietary Behaviors?

Improving our understanding of what physical activities are enjoyed and the factors that are associated with physical activity liking can promote participation in regular physical activity. We aimed to study physical activity (PA) liking in college women by modelling interactions between body size perception and dietary behaviors on PA liking, and by examining discrepancies between PA liking versus engagement on body size perception and dietary behaviors. Women (n = 251; 74% white) utilized an online survey to report their level of liking for PA types (scored into a PA liking index) and frequency of PA participation. They also reported their perceived body size, level of dietary restraint, and frequency of consuming foods (scored into a diet quality index). In multivariate analyses, a greater perceived body size was directly associated with lower PA liking and indirectly through greater dietary restraint but lower diet quality. Healthiest dietary behaviors were reported by women who both liked and engaged in PA. Women who reported high PA liking but low PA participation reported a higher dietary restraint and lower diet quality. These findings support the empowerment of women across all body sizes to identify physical activities that they enjoy. Health promotion efforts should encourage women to couple physical activity liking and engagement with a healthy level of dietary restraint and consumption of a healthy diet.

Physical education curriculum model: Can FEM and SEM create participation in physical activity and enjoyment?

The low participation in physical activity and enjoyment among students is the main problem factor in this study. The purpose of this study is to try to increase participation in physical activity and student enjoyment through FEM and SEM which are integrated into physical education learning. This study is using quantitative research with experimental methods. 30 students of Physical Education, Health, and Reacreation Departement from Suryakancana University are willing to be the subjects in this research. The research instrument uses IPAQ and EPESC. Data analysis uses IBM SPSS version 25 with a significance level of 0.05. The results of this study find that both of FEM and SEM have a significant impact on increasing students’ participation in physical activity and enjoyment. This study confirms that FEM and SEM are pedagogical tools that lecturers can use to change participation in students’ physical activity and enjoyment from low to high.

The role of motivation on physical activity and screen time behaviors among parent-adolescent dyads: The FLASHE study

Behavioral theories inform the development of lifestyle interventions to address low participation in physical activity (PA); however, relatively little is known about the value of self-determination theory (SDT) for explaining screen time (ST) behaviors or in extending SDT into a dyadic context. Actor-partner (i.e., parent-adolescent) interdependence models (APIMs) allow for examination of these interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine PA and ST among parent-adolescent dyads using the cross-sectional Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) Study. Parent-adolescent dyads provided responses to online surveys addressing PA (n = 1177 dyads) and ST (n = 1489 dyads) behaviors. We examined the influence of SDT-based constructs (perceived competence and motivation) on PA and ST behaviors. Structural equations were used to estimate APIMs in STATA 15.1. Full models provided a good fit to the data. For both PA and ST, perceived competence was more strongly associated with motivation among adolescents compared with parents (PA: β = 0.72 vs. 0.58, ST: β = 0.34 vs. 0.22, p's < 0.001). Parental motivation was associated with parental PA and both adolescent motivation for PA and ST (p's < 0.001). Parental motivation was not associated with adolescent ST-behavior. Adolescent motivation was only associated with parent motivation for PA. In the FLASHE study, SDT constructs extend acceptably to the dyadic setting, with PA models providing a slightly better fit to the data than ST models. Longitudinal studies that target perceived competence and the self-regulation of motivation in parents and their adolescents are a next logical step to understanding both PA and ST behaviors.

Can peer-tutored psychological flexibility training facilitate physical activity among adults with overweight?

ObjectiveAn increase in psychological flexibility has been found to be associated with health behavior changes. Peer-led interventions have been advantageous in improving physical activity among individuals at health risk. This study aimed to discover whether an ACT-based peer-tutored online intervention can increase self-reported physical activity participation and psychological flexibility among adults with overweight. DesignThe study was a non-randomized longitudinal intervention study. The intervention participants (N = 177) were primary health care clients with overweight. They participated in a 24-month program provided by health services, including three online modules of ACT of six week each, and tutoring by trained peers via five group meetings and four phone calls. Main outcome measures and resultsPhysical activity participation was measured with Kasari's FIT index concerning the frequency, intensity and time of the physical activity. Psychological flexibility was measured with AAQ-II, and thought suppression, as a dimension of psychological flexibility, with WBSI. Measures were taken at baseline, and at 6, 12, and 24 months. The statistical analysis was conducted with Mplus to identify latent groups with similar change patterns of physical activity, and to examine differences between the profiles. Two change profiles for physical activity participation were found: Low and High. At baseline in High profile group, physical activity and psychological flexibility were higher and thought suppression was lower than they were in Low profile group, as was expressing other psychological symptoms measured by DASS. During the intervention, physical activity increased significantly only within Low profile (within Cohen's d = .48). Psychological flexibility (AAQ-II) increased within High profile (within Cohen's d = .34), and thought suppression (WBSI) decreased in both profiles (within Cohen's d = .33). ConclusionThe ACT-based peer-tutored online intervention was promising especially for participants with low physical activity participation.

Sport, Physical Exercise and Public Health in Georgia

The present study is focused on the sport, physical exercise, and their role in the public health of Georgia. In this paper, the situation created by the COVID-19 global pandemic and its negative consequences on the physical or mental health of individuals was not considered, as at this stage, as the pandemic is not yet about to recede, it is too early to draw any far-reaching conclusions. Life after the pandemic will be quite different, but the significance of sports and physical activity for human health will probably become more in the spotlight. The paper discusses the low participation in physical activity of the population in Georgia as the risk factor for non-contagious diseases, as well as explains and analysis many reasons for such low engagement. Finally, the paper provides some recommendations, which in the author's opinion, will be beneficial for achieving growth of participation of the Georgian population in mass sport and physical activities.

Physical Activity among Older Persons in Elderly Institutions

Engagement in physical activity is an essential part of an older person. However, there is inconclusive evidence about the level of participation in physical activity among older persons in institutions in Malaysia. In this cross-sectional study, 331 older persons who live in elderly institutions participated in this study. The results indicated that the majority of older persons in institutions have low participation in physical activity. The normal cognitive function group has a higher level of participation in physical activity compared to older persons with mild neurocognitive disorder and Dementia. Physical functioning and mental health predict participation in physical activity. Keywords: Physical activity, older person, institutions, cognitive functions eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bsby e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning &amp; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI3.2550

Short-term recovery of physical activity and knee function after an acute knee injury

ObjectivesTo describe self-reported knee function, participation in physical activity and the number of knee surgeries at 3 and 6 months following acute knee injury.MethodsProspective cohort study. Participants, aged 15–40 years...