Medium Levels Of Physical Activity Research Articles

Fatigue, sleep and physical activity in postoperative patients with pituitary adenomas: A survey.

The condition and correlation of fatigue, sleep and physical activity in postoperative patients with pituitary adenomas remain unclear. This survey aimed to evaluate the current status and influencing factors of fatigue, sleep and physical activity in postoperative patients with pituitary adenomas. Patients undergoing pituitary adenoma resection in two tertiary hospitals from November 2019 to November 2021 were included. The general data questionnaire, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and international physical activity questionnaire were used for data analysis. In total, 184 patients with pituitary adenomas were included. The postoperative patients with pituitary adenomas had a high level of fatigue. In total, 34 (18.5%) patients had low level of physical activity, 76(41.3%) patients had medium level of physical activity and 74 (40.2%) had high level of physical activity. Postoperative time, PSQI, physical activity level and gender were the influencing factors of fatigue in patients with pituitary adenomas (all P < 0.05). Postoperative patients with pituitary adenomas have a higher level of fatigue, and it is related to reduced sleep quality and activity. Relevant nursing measures should be taken according to the influencing factors of fatigue to reduce the fatigue of postoperative patients with pituitary adenomas.

Association of Questionnaire-Based Physical Activity Analysis and Body Composition Dynamics in Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Physical activity (PA) exerts an important influence on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Alterations in body composition in patients with T2D may be involved in the overall pathophysiologic process, but PAs and alterations in body composition have been poorly studied. A total of 615 patients with T2D were selected by convenient sampling. The patients were investigated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-S). Moreover, biochemical indices were collected, and the progression of the body composition of the subjects was determined via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The variables included lumbar bone mineral density (LSBMD), femoral neck bone mineral density (FNBMD), hip bone mineral density (HBMD), whole-body bone mineral density (TBMD), limb skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), whole-body fat percentage (B-FAT) and trunk fat percentage (T-FAT). Moreover, the levels of physical activity (high level of physical activity [H-PA], medium level of physical activity [M-PA] and low level of physical activity [L-PA]) were divided into three groups to analyze the changes in patient body composition with changes in physical activity level. One-way analysis of variance showed that β-CTX, TP1NP, HbA1c, B-FAT and T-FAT increased significantly (p<0.05), while 25(OH)D, LSBMD, FNBMD, HBMD, TBMD and ASMI decreased significantly (p<0.001) with the decrease of physical activity. However, there was no significant difference in serum lipids between lnHOMA-ir and lnHOMA-β (p>0.05). Multiple linear regression model was established to gradually adjust for clinical confounding factors. It was found that physical activity level was independently positively correlated with LSBMD, FNBMD, HBMD, TBMD, and ASMI, and was independently negatively correlated with B-FAT and T-FAT in patients with type 2 diabetes. A lack of physical activity is an independent risk factor for decreased bone mineral density, decreased skeletal muscle content and increased fat content in patients with T2D.

Effects of dynamic zero COVID-19 policy on anxiety status and lifestyle changes of pregnant women in rural South China: a survey-based analysis by propensity score matching method.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered a global public health crisis and has brought an unprecedented impact on pregnant women. The problems faced by pregnant women in the rural areas of China during the epidemic are different from those in urban areas. Although the epidemic situation in China has gradually improved, studying the impact of the previous dynamic zero COVID-19 policy on the anxiety status and lifestyle of pregnant women in rural areas of China, is still necessary. A cross-sectional survey of pregnant women in rural South China was conducted from September 2021 to June 2022.Using questionnaires, sociodemographic characteristics, anxiety status, physical activity, sleep quality, and dietary status of the population were collected. Using the propensity score matching method, the effect of the dynamic zero COVID-19 strategy on the anxiety status and lifestyle of pregnant women was analyzed. Among the pregnant women in the policy group (n = 136) and the control group (n = 680), 25.7 and 22.4% had anxiety disorders, 83.1 and 84.7% had low or medium levels of physical activity, and 28.7 and 29.1% had sleep disorders, respectively. However, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed between the two groups. Compared with control group, the intake of fruit in the policy group increased significantly (p = 0.019), whereas that of aquatic products and eggs decreased significantly (p = 0.027). Both groups exhibited an unreasonable dietary structure and poor compliance with the Chinese dietary guidelines for pregnant women (p > 0.05). The proportion of pregnant women in the policy group, whose intake of stable food (p = 0.002), soybean, and nuts (p = 0.004) was less than the recommended amount, was significantly higher than that in the control group. The dynamic zero COVID-19 strategy had little impact on the anxiety status, physical activity, and sleep disorders of pregnant women in the rural areas of South China. However, it affected their intake of certain food groups. Improving corresponding food supply and organized nutritional support should be addressed as a strategic approach to improve the health of pregnant women in rural South China during the pandemic.

Association between physical activity and mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults: Depression as a mediator.

IntroductionDementia has become a public health priority and is irreversible. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an intermediate state between normal cognition and dementia, is the prime time for early diagnosis and intervention. The activities of daily living of dementia patients are usually insufficient. Therefore, continuing to explore the risk factors of MCI, especially the influence of physical activity on MCI and its mechanism can enrich the relevant research fields in China.Materials and methodsFor this cross-sectional study, 2,518 adults aged 60 years or older in Xinzhuang, Minhang District, Shanghai were recruited between July 2019 and April 2019, using a multistage, cluster-sampling method. A binary unconditional logistic regression model was used with MCI status as the dependent variable. Different types of physical activity were separately included in the multifactor model to test their correlations. Sensitivity analysis was performed using BADL as a stratification factor. The mediating effect of depression between physical activity and MCI was examined using the Bootstrap method.ResultsThis research includes 271 (10.8%) MCI. Old age (odds ratio 2.967 [95%CI 2.063∼4.269]), having diabetes (1.816 [1.302∼2.534]), and depression (3.012 [2.209∼4.108]) were possible risk factors for MCI. High education level (0.722 [0.523∼0.999]), medium level of physical activity (0.459 [0.326∼0.645]), and high level of physical activity (0.396 [0.270∼0.580]) were possible protective factors. Medium (0.548 [0.396∼0.757]) and high levels (0.557 [0.366∼0.846]) of physical exercise and medium (0.433 [0.318∼0.590]) and high levels (0.487 [0.296∼0.801]) of household chores are possible protective factors of MCI and their significance remained in the mutually adjusted model. Sensitivity analysis showed that physical activity and household chores were possible protective factors in all strata (P < 0.05). Physical exercise and work-related activities showed a protective effect in fully independent older adults, but the effect disappeared in those who cannot be fully independent. Depression played a partially mediating role with an indirect effect of 6.67%.DiscussionOverall, our results highlight that physical activity is a possible protective factor for MCI. Physical exercise and household chores have strong protective effects and future interventions could be targeted from this perspective. Depression plays a partially mediating role and more attention should be paid to the mental health of older adults.

EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON GLUCOSE AND LIPID METABOLISM IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

ABSTRACT Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is a condition in which multiple cardiovascular metabolic risk factors gather in the body. Objective: To explore the effects of exercise prescription on glucose and lipid metabolism in elderly patients with metabolic syndrome. Methods: A total of 85 elderly people were selected from a pension community. The influencing factors of physical activity were analyzed by the Pearson correlation analysis method, Mann-Whitneyu test and Kruskal-Wallish test. Finally, we quantitatively analyzed the influence and path of each factor on the physical activity of the elderly. Results: Among the 85 elderly people in nursing homes, 2 cases (1.1%) had a high level of physical activity, 70 cases (38.9%) had a medium level of physical activity, and 51 cases (60.0%) had a low level of physical activity. Conclusions: The improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism and healthy body fitness with the prescription of exercises of high oxygen + low resistance and that of exercises of high resistance + low oxygen is better than that with the prescription of exercises of full oxygen and full resistance. The improvement of sleep quality with the prescription of exercise with high oxygen and low resistance was better than that of exercise with complete oxygen, complete resistance and high resistance and low oxygen. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

The Effect of Physical Activity on Spirometry and Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Adolescents—Longitudinal Study

Highly intense and chronic physical activity may cause an inflammatory process in the airways. The inflammatory process in the respiratory system can be measured either by the spirometry test and exhaled nitric oxide. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different levels of physical activity on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and spirometry parameters. Fifty healthy students (volunteers) who were participating in physical activity classes (low level of physical activity) and attending sports training (high and medium level of physical activity) completed two indoor exercise training two to three weeks apart. FeNO was measured twice, at baseline and after 45–60 min of exercise followed by spirometry. There was no significant difference in FeNO values and spirometry parameters between the groups with different physical activity. However, students with the highest level of physical activity presented a higher and significant variance of FeNO levels in comparison to students with lower physical activity. Healthy young adults (professional sportspersons) have a higher internal variability of FeNO. That suggests the initial ongoing inflammatory process in the airways. Any level of physical activity does not affect spirometry parameters before and after training in young healthy adults.

Analysis of Factors Affecting the Depression and Quality of Life in the Family Taking Care of Dementia Patients

Background/Objectives: This study was intended to identify the factor having influence on the stress, depression and the quality of life in the family who care the patient with dementia.Method/Statistical Analysis: For this study, raw data were requested to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and among them, the data for 150,802 citizens of 45 years or older in D Metropolitan City were analyzed. For the analysis, the statistical software R program was used and the significance level was 0.05.Findings: Out of the factors having influence on the family who are cohabitating with the patient with dementia, the factors having influence on the quality of life were age, benefit of basic living security, lifelong drinking, days of medium level of physical activity, diabetes, arthritis, subjective oral health level, subjective health level, experience of depression, etc..Improvements/Applications: This study was intended to provide the basic data to develop the programs for the health improvement and the health education of the family who care the patient with dementia

Poziom aktywności fizycznej a wybrane zwyczaje żywieniowe kobiet

The diet of women in Poland is often conditioned by abnormal dietary behaviours. One of the factors determining these behaviours is physical activity. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the level of physical activity and selected dietary habits of women. The study was conducted among 247 women aged 19–64. The study was carried out using the e-Badania portal, with a use of an online survey. The level of physical activity was assessed using the international IPAQ questionnaire (short version). Dietary habits were analysed using the QEB questionnaire. The Chi² test was used for statistical analysis of the test results. The study showed that women with a high level of physical activity in relation to women with low or medium levels of physical activity statistically significantly more often consumed: 4 servings of vegetables during the day, wholemeal bread, oatmeal, a mix of butter and margarine, 5 and more glasses of water during the day and wine. At the same time, women with this kind of activity were less likely to put salt in their dishes and sugar in their drinks. The opposite relationship was demonstrated in the case of consumption: 2 servings of vegetables during the day, pasta, poultry and pork, lard and beer.

Longitudinal associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and stress-related exhaustion, depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances

BackgroundIn the last few years, so-called “common mental disorders”, including adjustment disorder and stress-related exhaustion, have outrivalled musculoskeletal disorders as being the leading cause of long-term sick leave in Sweden. Cardiorespiratory fitness level defined as “the maximal amount of physiological work that an individual can do as measured by oxygen consumption” has in many studies shown to reduce the risk of several life-style related diseases and moreover to improve mood, well-being and physical performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate, longitudinal associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and self-reported physical activity levels and the severity of symptoms connected to stress-related exhaustion, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances among women clinically diagnosed with stress-related exhaustion disorder (ED).MethodsThe study was that of a longitudinal cohort study consisting of women (n = 88) diagnosed with stress-related ED in a specialist clinic in Gothenburg, Sweden. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with the Åstrand indirect test of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and subjective measures of physical activity levels were rated on 4-graded physical activity scale. To measure and follow symptoms of ED over time the SMBQ-questionnaire (Shirom Melamed Burnout Questionnaire) was used. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure depression and anxiety. A proxy variable for capturing overall disturbed sleep used to measure sleep. Longitudinal associations for continuous outcome variables and the dichotomous variable sleep were analysed using mixed- effects regression models with random intercepts. Regression coefficients along with the 95% confidence interval (CI) are presented as measures of association. Both exposures and the outcome were measured simultaneously over six waves (T1–T6).ResultsThe results showed statistically significant associations between level of fitness and reduced symptoms of stress-related exhaustion over time. Best improvements over time were seen in patients having a medium cardiorespiratory fitness level. No associations could be found between cardiorespiratory fitness level over time and anxiety, depression or sleep disturbances.ConclusionHaving medium cardiorespiratory fitness was positivity associated with a more sustained reduction in symptoms of ED overtime compared to those having low or high cardiorespiratory fitness levels. The clinical implication following this result is that an individual recommendation based on a medium level of physical activity in line with the recommendations from ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) is preferable compared to recommendations including more vigorous physical activity in order to restore and sustainably reduce symptoms of exhaustion disorder over time.

Factors associated with change in self-reported physical activity in the very old: The Newcastle 85+ study.

BackgroundHigher physical activity (PA) has been linked to better health and functioning. Trajectories of PA and associated factors have been studied in older adults aged ≥65, but less is known about influences on PA change in the very old (aged ≥85).ObjectiveTo investigate factors associated with self-reported PA and PA change over time in very old adults.Methods845 participants in the Newcastle 85+ Study were followed for health and functioning at 1.5-, 3-, and 5-year follow-up (wave 2 to 4). PA scores (range 0–18) and PA levels (low (PA scores 0–1), medium (2–6) and high (7–18)) were determined using a purpose-designed PA questionnaire. We used linear mixed models (LMM) to investigate factors associated with 5-year change in PA scores.ResultsOverall, men had higher mean PA scores than women (up to 2.27 points). The highest proportion of participants (42–48%) had medium levels of PA across the waves. Although most experienced decline—stability in moderate and increases in high PA levels were also observed. The fully adjusted LMM revealed a curvilinear annual decline in PA scores of 0.52 (0.13) (β (SE), p<0.001), which decelerated by 0.07 (0.02) points (p<0.01) over time. The factors associated with low PA scores at baseline were female gender, higher waist-hip ratio, and no alcohol intake. Better self-rated and cognitive health and having fewer diseases were associated with higher PA scores. None were associated with the rate of change in PA over time.ConclusionWe observed a curvilinear trend and deceleration in PA scores decline in the very old. Men and those in better health and who drank alcohol were more physically active at baseline. None of the factors were associated with the rate of PA decline. Investigating those who maintain or increase levels of PA may inform interventions for at risk groups with PA decline.

The level of leisure time physical activity of students vs. the health locus of control

According to the theory of Health Locus of Control there is a correlation between the health locus of control and performing health-oriented activities. The aim of this work is to present the relationship between the level of students’ leisure time physical activity and the health locus of control. The study covered students from Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. It comprised 3851 full-time students, aged 25 or less, studying at different departments (polytechnics, humanities, medical studies, mathematics and natural science as well as physical education). Two research tools were used in the study: MHLC form B (The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale) and Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire MLTPAQ. The findings were processed by means of descriptive methods and the method of statistical inference. The average level of leisure time physical activity of women is lower than men’s by approximately one third. The students representing the medium level of physical activity (1000-1999 kcal/week) constituted the highest percentage (32.5 %). Regardless of gender, people with a higher level of physical activity are characterised by a higher level of internal locus of their health control. Together with the increase in the level of leisure time physical activity, the internal locus of health control increases as well. In the test group women constitute the highest percentage of people whose level of physical activity is below the recommended health standards (below 1000 kcal/week).

Physical activity, screen time, and school absenteeism: self-reports from NHANES 2005–2008

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine how lifestyle behaviors in the context of physical activity levels and screen time are associated with school absenteeism.Methods We analyzed 2005–2008 NHANES data of proxy interviews for 1048 children aged 6–11 years and in-person self-reports of 1117 adolescents aged 12–18 years. Missing 10% of school days during the past school year was defined as severe school absenteeism (SSA).Results Watching TV ≥2 hours a day was significantly associated with SSA among both children (OR = 3.51 [1.03–12.0]) and adolescents (OR = 3.96 [1.84–8.52]) compared with their peers watching <2 hours a day. A U-shaped association was identified between the level of physical activity and SSA among children. Both inactive children (OR = 12.4 [1.43–108]) and highly active children (14.8 [2.82–77.7]) had higher odds of SSA compared with children with medium levels of physical activity. No associations were observed for either children 0.57 ([0.16–1.99]) or adolescents (0.94 [0.44–2.03]) using a computer ≥3 hours a day.Limitations Cross-sectional study involving self-reports. Transportation to and from school not included in physical activity assessment. Absenteeism was not validated with report cards. Unable to account for the absence type or frequency of illness or injury. No psychometric properties provided for subjective measures regarding participants’ attitudes and characteristic traits towards physical activity, TV viewing, and school attendance.Conclusions Excessive TV watching among children and adolescents, and inactivity and high activity levels (≥7 times per week) among children are independently associated with severe school absenteeism.

The differences in fat accumulation and distribution in female students according to their level of activity

PurposeThe appropriate percentage of body fat is essential for women’s health and biological condition. both accumulation of fat and distribution pattern of adipose tissue are connected with health risk, which justifies the investigation and permanent monitoring of their diversity in different sub-populations. The aim of the study was to evaluate the percentage of body fat and its distribution in female students representing different physical activity levels.MethodsFat proportion was estimated with use of classic anthropometric method and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The distribution of subcutaneous fat was calculated including waist and hip circumferences, and extremities and trunk skinfolds. The participants’ level of physical activity was determined according to the IPAQ questionnaire.ResultsAnalysis showed that female students with medium level of physical activity had 26.5 ± 5.1% of total body fat estimated by BIA, whereas in the most active females almost 3% lower total body fat values were common. The bioelectrical impedance analysis indicated about 8% higher body fat content than classic anthropometry. Examined skinfolds revealed a tendency to decrease with increasing physical activity. The distribution pattern of subcutaneous fat varied according to level of activity.ConclusionsThe study showed that estimation of fat content in young women differed depending on the applied method and the level of physical activity. We emphasize the need to select adequate reference data for measurement methods and consider the level of physical activity during fat percentage assessment. Another conclusion is that the high level of physical activity is connected with masculinization of subcutaneous fat pattern, both in extremities/trunk fat proportion and waist/hip proportion.

Physical activity and risk of Parkinson's disease in the Swedish National March Cohort.

Physical exercise has been associated with neuroprotective effects in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. To examine the impact of physical activity on Parkinson's disease risk prospectively, we followed 43 368 individuals who provided extensive information on physical activity at baseline. We estimated hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals using Cox proportional hazards regression. During an average of 12.6 years of follow-up, 286 incident Parkinson's disease cases were identified. In males, there was an inverse association with Parkinson's disease for total physical activity (hazard ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.35-0.87 for medium versus low level), for sum of household, commuting and leisure time exercise (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.85 for high versus low level), and for household and commuting physical activity specifically (hazard ratio 0.50, 95% confidence interval 0.31-0.81 for >6 versus <2 h per week). No association was observed for leisure time exercise or occupational physical activity with Parkinson's disease, among either males or females. Meta-analysis of the present study and five previous prospective studies showed a pooled hazard ratio of 0.66 (95% confidence interval 0.57-0.78) for highest versus lowest physical activity level. Our results indicate that a medium level of physical activity lowers Parkinson's disease risk.

Associations between physical activity in adolescence and health behaviours, well-being, family and social relations

Across Europe and North America, few young people meet the recommended levels of physical activity (PA) of 1 hour of moderate to vigorous PA per day. However, the lives of young people cannot simply be polarised as either completely sedentary or active. Drawing on findings from the World Health Organization Health Behaviour in School-aged Children cross sectional international study, this paper examines the domains of adolescent life associated with young people's participation in overall PA, including health behaviours, social relationships and family activities. Consideration is also given to gender differences. Information in England was collected from 4404 students aged 11, 13 and 15 years, using anonymised self-completed questionnaires. Physical aspects of lifestyle were determined using internationally validated items for measuring PA that met international guidelines for activity and the frequency and duration of vigorous exercise undertaken during leisure activities. Separate analyses were conducted for boys and girls. Levels of PA and vigorous exercise were compared using the chi-squared test for trend. The findings draw attention to the value for the health and well-being of young people participating in some form of PA, even if they do not meet the recommended levels. Medium levels of PA appear to be associated with high levels of life satisfaction, self-rated health and an improved sense of body image. Significant health gains are likely to be made for adolescents in encouraging sedentary young people to undertake some form of PA.

The model for evaluation of motor activity of schoolchildren

The problems of development and implementation of methods for evaluation of children physical activity level were analyzed. The factors that have influence oт physical activity were analyzed and according data results the model for investigation of physical activity was developed. The components of this model were educational environment, demographic, social, psychological and medical factors. The complex methodic for evaluation of physical activity was constructed according to the proposed model. The 305 pupils of the sixth and eighth grades take part in investigation. 49% of eighth grade pupils and 57% of sixth grade pupils have medium level of physical activity. Boys had higher level of physical activity compared with girls. Generally among schoolgirls of eighth grade was in 8,4 times less person with high level of physical activity then in sixth grade. The developed technique can be used at research of health and healthy lifestyles of students and for evaluation of effectiveness of prevention programs.

Physical Activity and Risk of Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Previous studies investigating the association of physical activity with risk of lung cancer reported conflicting results. In order to update and improve available evidence on any link, a meta-analysis was performed. We searched the PubMed database for prospective cohort studies investigating the relation of physical activity with risk of lung cancer. The pooled relative risk (RR) with its 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) was used to assess the association. We included 14 prospective studies with a total of 1,644,305 participants, with 14,074 incident lung cancer cases documented during follow-up. Meta-analysis of all 14 studies suggested both high and medium levels of physical activity to be associated with decreased risk of lung cancer compared to the reference group with low level of physical activity (for high level, RR = 0.77, 95%CI 0.73-0.81, P < 0.001; for medium level, RR = 0.87, 95%CI 0.83-0.90, P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses by gender found obvious associations in both men and women. No publication bias was observed. Our findings suggest that high and medium levels of physical activity have a beneficial effect on lung cancer by reducing the overall risk of tumour development among both men and women.

Longitudinal Change in Diet Quality in Australian Adults Varies by Demographic, Socio-Economic, and Lifestyle Characteristics

Knowledge of determinants of change in diet quality is needed, but it is relatively limited to date and mostly available from cross-sectional studies. We investigated longitudinal change in diet quality and its associations with period of birth (birth cohort) and socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics. We used dietary intake data collected by FFQ in 1992, 1996, and 2007 from a population-based random sample of adults comprising 1511 men and women aged 25–75 y at baseline and applied generalized estimating equations to examine determinants of long-term change in diet quality, calculated using a diet quality index reflecting dietary guidelines for Australian adults. Information on socio-demographic and lifestyle factors was derived from self-reported questionnaires. Multivariable models, stratified by sex, were adjusted for confounders. We showed that there was an overall increase in diet quality in both men and women, but scores related to intake of fruit (men only), cereals, and food variety decreased during a 15-y follow-up. Younger age, higher occupational level (men only), and low to medium level of physical activity and hormone replacement therapy use in women were independently associated with greater improvement in diet quality over time (P < 0.05). In conclusion, despite an overall improvement in diet quality over time, this study suggests that efforts to further improve diet quality in Australia should focus on increasing consumption of fruit, cereals, and a greater variety of foods. More evidence from studies that assess change in dietary quality in longitudinal studies is needed to corroborate these findings.

Failure to validate the Health Survey for England physical activity module in a cardiac population

Objectives The Health Survey for England physical activity module interview, although not validated, is used as a performance indicator to see if people are achieving current physical activity targets and is the primary source of information for physical activity related policy making. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the Health Survey for England physical activity module as a measure of physical activity in older adults with coronary heart disease. Methods Seventy-two older adults who had experienced a cardiac event completed the Health Survey for England physical activity interview and wore an accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Physical activity classification levels were derived from accelerometry and from the Health Survey for England physical activity interview, together with the number of episodes in which participants were moderately active for 30 min or more. Results The Health Survey for England physical activity interview exhibited high sensitivity (1.0) and specificity (0.76) for people engaged in high levels of physical activity, moderate sensitivity (0.40) and specificity (0.56) for people engaged in medium levels of physical activity and low sensitivity (0.35) and high specificity (0.92) for people engaged in low levels of physical activity. Compared with the accelerometer, the survey misclassified 63% of participants. Conclusions The Health Survey for England physical activity interview misclassified true activity levels in older adults with heart disease by overestimating actual activity in the less active participants. Similar biases on self-report physical activity measures have been demonstrated in the general population, suggesting that the Health Survey for England physical activity module interview may be providing inaccurate information on national activity levels.