Moderate-to-vigorous Physical Activity Behavior Research Articles

Physical Activity Outcomes of a Culturally Tailored, Father-Focused, and Family-Centered Health Promotion Program for Mexican-Heritage Families: ¡Haz Espacio Para Papi! (Make Room for Daddy)

Despite the health benefits of physical activity (PA), many individuals do not meet PA recommendations. Family-centered PA approaches, particularly active engagement by Mexican-heritage fathers, may support family PA. This study reports PA outcomes of a culturally tailored, father-focused, and family-centered, program for Mexican-heritage families. Promotora researchers recruited participating families (n = 59, n = 42 complete cases), consisting of children (mean age: 10.1 [SD = 0.9]), fathers, and mothers from five randomly selected geographic clusters in low-resourced colonias in south Texas, in a stepped-wedge randomized design. PA was measured using wrist-worn ActiGraph GT9X accelerometers. Statistical analyses for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and sedentary time for the child, father, and mother were conducted using linear mixed models. The findings were as follows: children had no significant changes in MVPA (p = 0.18), LPA (p = 0.52), or sedentary behavior (p = 0.74); fathers had no significant changes in MVPA (p = 0.94), LPA (p = 0.17), or sedentary behavior (p = 0.15); and mothers had a significant decrease in LPA (p < 0.01), and no significant changes in MVPA (p = 0.66) or sedentary behavior (p = 0.77). Despite null results, this study provides an example of a culturally tailored, family-focused program implemented among Mexican-heritage families with limited PA resources and opportunities. Future PA interventions may require higher PA-focused doses over longer time periods to produce a significant change in LPA, MVPA, or sedentary time.

Examining real-time physical activity in adolescents using the Multi-Process Action Control Model: An ecological momentary assessment study

The purpose of this study was to examine real-time associations between reflective (i.e., state motivation), regulatory (i.e., self-control), and reflexive (i.e., habit) constructs from the Multi-Process Action Control (M-PAC) model and real-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) behaviour among adolescents using ecological momentary assessments. One hundred and ninety adolescents (Mage = 15.76 ± .47 years; n = 101 males) wore an accelerometer for seven consecutive days and responded to digital survey prompts up to four times daily during the after-school periods. MVPA in the 60-minute time window following each survey prompt was recorded. Multilevel mixed-effects linear and logistic models were computed with disaggregated between- and within-person effects to analyze the data. Results from both linear and logistic multilevel models revealed adolescents with higher state motivation in general and experiencing higher state motivation than one’s typical levels were associated with engaging in more MVPA and higher likelihood of engaging in ≥10 minutes of MVPA. Engaging in activities less consistent with habitual behaviours were associated with more MVPA and higher likelihood of engaging in ≥10 minutes of MVPA. By contrast, self-control was not associated with MVPA. Results from this study extend previous work demonstrating the importance of conscious and non-conscious processes on MVPA behaviour by examining associations in real-time using intensive longitudinal methods. Collectively, this study provides partial support for use of the M-PAC framework to explain acute MVPA among adolescents in real-time and natural contexts.

Association between 24-hour movement behavior and depression in college students: A compositional data analysis

BackgroundEvidence strongly suggests that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can help reduce symptoms of depression. However, the relationship between 24-h movement behaviors and depressive symptoms, as well as the potential substitution effects between different behaviors, remains unclear. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate how the time spent in one behavior relative to others is associated with depressive symptoms. MethodsThe study recruited 366 participants, who had their levels of MVPA, light PA (LPA), and sedentary behavior (SB) recorded using tri-axial accelerometers over 7 consecutive days. Participants also self-reported their sleep duration (SLP). Depression scores were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD). Using compositional linear regression, the study explored the connections between different compositions of time spent in movement behaviors and depression symptom scores. ResultsSpending more time on LPA and MVPA relative to other behaviors were associated with lower depression scores, whereas a higher proportion of SB relative to other activities was linked to increased depression scores. Reallocating time spent on SB to LPA and MVPA was associated with decreased depression scores. LimitationThis study is a cross-sectional research design, and causality cannot be inferred. In addition, the sampling method of this study may have imposed some limitations on the representativeness of the sample. Further longitudinal studies could be conducted by selecting a large, representative sample. ConclusionWithin the spectrum of 24-h movement behaviors, increasing the duration of LPA and MVPA emerges as advantageous for reducing depression scores, suggesting a potential benefit in reallocating SB to PA, especially MVPA.

“We are an active family”: a randomized trial protocol to evaluate a family-system social identity intervention to promote child physical activity

BackgroundRegular engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during childhood yields a myriad of health benefits, and contributes to sustained MVPA behaviors into adulthood. Given the influence of parents on shaping their child’s MVPA behaviour, the family system represents a viable target for intervention. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of two intervention conditions designed to increase child MVPA: (1) A standard education + planning intervention providing information about benefits, action planning, and coping planning; and (2) An augmented physical activity education + planning intervention that includes the components of the standard intervention, as well as a focus on family identity promotion and developing as an active member of the family.MethodsA two-arm parallel single-blinded randomized trial will compare the two conditions over 6 months. Eligible families have at least one child aged 6–12 years who is not meeting the physical activity recommendations within the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (i.e.,<60 min/day of MVPA). Intervention materials targeting family identity promotion will be delivered online via zoom following baseline assessment, with booster sessions at 6-weeks and 3-months. Child MVPA will be measured by wGT3X-BT Actigraph accelerometry at baseline, 6-weeks, 3-months, and 6-months as the primary outcome. At these same time points, parent cognition (e.g., attitudes, perceived control, behavioral regulation, habit, identity) and support behaviours, and parent-child co-activity will be assessed via questionnaire as secondary outcomes. Child-health fitness measures will be also administered through fitness testing at baseline and 6-months as secondary outcomes. Finally, upon completion of the trial’s 6-month measures, a follow-up end-of-trial interview will be conducted with parents to examine parents’ experiences with the intervention.ResultsSo far, 30 families have been enrolled from the Southern Vancouver Island and Vancouver Lower Mainland area. Recruitment will be continuing through 2026 with a target of 148 families.DiscussionThis study will contribute to the understanding of effective strategies to increase child physical activity by comparing two intervention approaches. Both provide parents with education on physical activity benefits, action planning, and coping planning supports. However, one intervention also incorporates components focused on promoting an active family identity and involving all family members in physical activity together. The findings from this study have the potential to inform the design and implementation of public health initiatives aimed at improving physical activity participation in children and guide the development of more effective interventions that leverage the crucial role of parents and the family system in shaping children’s physical activity behaviors.Trial RegistrationThe clinical trial registration ID is NCT05794789. This trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov on March 2nd, 2023, with the last updated release on September 28th, 2023.

Attitude, Habit Strength, and the Relationship Between Intention and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Behavior Among College Students

ABSTRACT According to the dual-process theories, many scholars proposed that physical activity behavior tends to be governed by an interplay of intentional planning and habitual action. The major purpose of this study was to determine the moderation effects of habit strength on the relationship between leisure time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) intention and behavior and the impacts of cognitive and affective attitude on PA habit strength, utilizing a latent interaction modeling approach. A total of 1803 undergraduate students completed this study. All variables were measured using validated self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modeling and Hayes’ PROCESS program (model 1) were conducted to address the research questions. Habit strength significantly and positively moderated the effects of intention on leisure time MVPA behavior (β = .08, p < .01). The association between intention and PA behavior became stronger as habit strength increased. Affective attitude positively and significantly influenced habit strength (β = .71, p < .01). The effect of cognitive attitude on habit strength was significant and negative with a small effect size (β = –.08, p < .01). Findings indicated that habit strength positively moderated the relationship between PA intention and behavior, suggesting that stronger habit strength may amplify the association between PA intention and actual PA behavior. Affective attitude toward PA significantly influenced habit strength, whereas cognitive attitude exhibited minimal negative impact on habit strength. These findings contribute to our understanding of the interaction effects between deliberative and automatic processes in regulating PA behavior, as well as the nuanced relationship between attitude and habit development.

Prevalence and association of compliance with the Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines with sociodemographic aspects in Brazilian adults: a cross-sectional epidemiological study

BackgroundThe physical inactivity is a global health concern, so that recommendations on sufficient physical activity levels are elaborated worldwide, such as in Brazil. However, the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines were first in the world to consider time-specific recommendations for physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep, which is still not developed for Latin-American population. The present study aimed to verify the adherence to Canadian 24-hour guidelines in a Brazilian inner city and to analyze its association with sociodemographic aspects.MethodsA cross-sectional epidemiological study, with a sample composed by 250 adults (140 women), with a median age of 41.0 years. Objective measures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior were collected by accelerometry. Sleep duration and sociodemographic aspects (ethnicity, gender, age, educational attainment and socioeconomic level) were obtained through a face-to-face questionnaire. Canadian 24-hour guidelines considered ≥ 150 min/week of MVPA, <8 h/day of sedentary behavior and daily sleep time between 7 and 9 h, being analyzed separately and in combination. Poisson regression with robust variance estimator was used to analyze the prevalence ratio (PR) of meeting the 24-hour guidelines according to the categories of sociodemographic variables, being performed by the software IBM SPSS version 25.0.ResultsThe complete 24-hour guidelines were met only by 24.4% of sample (n = 61). Sedentary behavior was the most met guideline (88%), followed by MVPA (56.8%) and sleep (53.2%), without significant difference according to sex. When compared to elderly participants, those participants in younger groups (18–39 years and 40–59 years) were more likely to meet MVPA guideline (PR = 2.51 [95%CI = 1.47; 4.28] and PR = 2.60 [95%CI = 1.52; 4.45], respectively), as well as the combination of MVPA and sedentary behavior (PR = 1.98 [95%CI = 1.13; 3.44] and PR = 2.17 [95%CI = 1.25; 3.79], respectively) and MVPA with the sleep guideline (PR = 2.39 [95%CI = 1.09; 5.27] only for 18–39 years group). Men were more likely to meet MVPA guideline than women (PR = 1.29 [95%CI = 1.04; 1.59]).ConclusionYounger aged and male adults were more likely to meet the Canadian 24-hour guidelines in a small Brazilian city. However, further studies with larger and representative samples of sociodemographic stratum are still needed.

A Comparison of the Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior between Autologous and Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Survivors.

Objective The treatment background, as well as the frequency and type of complications, in autologous (auto-) and allogeneic (allo-) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) survivors influence the appearance of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) or sedentary behavior. We therefore assessed differences in the MVPA and sedentary behavior between auto- and allo-HSCT survivors. Methods This prospective observational study included 13 auto- and 36 allo-HSCT survivors (approximately 4 years after HSCT). The MVPA and sedentary behavior were assessed using a triaxial accelerometer. Results There were no significant between-group differences in the MVPA or sedentary behavior (p =0.768 and 0.739, respectively). In allo-HSCT survivors, the MVPA was negatively correlated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score (r =-0.358, p =0.032). A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that age was a significant predictor of sedentary behavior in allo-HSCT survivors (β =0.400, p =0.016). Conclusion We observed no significant between-group differences in the MVPA or sedentary behavior. Our results suggest that it may be unnecessary to change the rehabilitation program according to the donor type in interventions for promoting MVPA and reducing sedentary behavior in long-term HSCT survivors.

Physical activity and social interaction assessments in schoolyard settings using the System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood Schools (SOOPEN)

BackgroundThe schoolyard environment provides key opportunities to promote physical activity and socioemotional development for children. Schoolyards can also serve as a community park resource outside of school hours. We aimed to: (i) implement and evaluate reliability of the System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood Schools (SOOPEN), (ii) assess schoolyard use by children during recess and community members of all ages outside of school hours, and (iii) investigate relationships of schoolyard and children´s group characteristics with physical activity levels and prosocial interactions.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we observed student and community visitor behavior using SOOPEN at three urban elementary schoolyards in Tacoma, Washington, USA, prior to renovations intended to expand each facility’s use as a community park in neighborhoods with poor park access. We assessed interrater reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients and described current levels of schoolyard use (at the group level), physical activity, and prosocial behavior. Physical activity was assessed on a five-point scale and dichotomized to indicate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Social interactions were coded as prosocial, antisocial, or neutral. We examined associations of selected schoolyard features and group characteristics with group MVPA and prosocial behavior during recess using modified Poisson regression to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsWe observed a total of 981 activity-defined, informal groups in the schoolyards, and achieved good to excellent interrater reliability using SOOPEN. Community use of the schoolyards during evenings and weekends was limited (n = 56 groups). During 26, 25–50 min recess periods (n = 833 groups), 19% of groups were engaged in MVPA. Schoolyard areas with paved surfaces were associated with more MVPA (PR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.23) compared to field/grass areas; supervised groups were associated with less MVPA than groups not directly supervised by an adult (PR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.96). Schoolyard characteristics were not associated with prosocial behavior. Mixed-gender groups were associated with more MVPA and more prosocial behavior.ConclusionsOur study using SOOPEN, a reliable new activity observation tool, highlights the multi-dimensional dynamics of physical activity and social interactions in schoolyards, which could be leveraged to promote healthy behaviors during and outside of school hours.

Il cambiamento che possiamo ottenere produce effetti clinicamente rilevanti?

Adopting and maintaining a physically active lifestyle provides si¬gnificant health benefits to people with diabetes and prediabetes by increasing energy expenditure, insulin sensitivity, and physical fitness and decreasing chronic low-grade inflammation. Physical activity (PA)/exercise favors control of hyperglycemia and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and, therefore, it is recommended for diabetes prevention and treatment and for improving overall health. According to current guidelines, people with type 2 diabetes are re-commended to perform at least 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise plus 2-3 sessions/week of resistance exercise on non-consecutive days. Unfortunately, these individuals are usually well below the recommended level of PA and, hence, it is difficult for them to put into action guideline recommendations for a number of external and internal barriers, thus suggesting the need for effective strategies to promote a sustained behavior change. Several randomi¬zed clinical trials have shown that supervised exercise programs are effective in improving surrogate endpoints such as blood glucose and other CVD risk factors, physical fitness, and well-being. However, such programs are not suitable for long-term implementation in rou¬tine clinical practice and adherence to PA/exercise is usually strictly dependent on participation to supervised sessions and falls once the intervention ends. In this regard, counseling interventions appear to be more feasible and adequate to promote a true, long-lasting beha¬vior change. A limited number of studies have tested the efficacy of counseling interventions designed to promote walking through the provision of pedometers. These interventions resulted in modest and transient increases in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and, accor¬dingly, failed to significantly improve CVD risk factors and other sur¬rogate outcomes or to produce sustained increases in cardiorespiratory fitness. These results are in contrast with those of several epidemio¬logical surveys, showing that, in physically inactive and sedentary or unfit individuals, even modest amounts of (MV)PA, corresponding to one-third to one-half of those recommended by guidelines, exert a beneficial impact on morbidity and mortality. This discrepancy might be explained by the fact that walking-based interventions are focused only on leisure-time MPVA. Conversely, current guidelines consider also other domains, such as sedentary behavior and light-intensity PA (LPA), and other settings, such as home, work and commuting, as they recommend also to decrease the amount of sedentary (SED)-time and to interrupt prolonged sitting with bouts of LPA every 30 min. In fact, in the Italian Diabetes and Exercise Study 2 (IDES_2), a counse¬ling intervention targeting both MVPA and sedentary behavior was effective in promoting increases in MVPA, which were modest but sustained over a three-year follow-up and associated with larger de¬creases in SED-time and corresponding increases in LPA. This resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in physical fitness and, to a les¬ser extent, in CVD risk factors and scores over a three-year follow-up. Conversely, no clinically meaningful effects were observed in counse¬ling intervention targeting only SED-time. In conclusion, counseling interventions are effective in producing clinically meaningful effects, even when resulting in only modest increments in leisure-time MVPA, provided that they also target the other domains and settings of PA/sedentary behavior.

Metabolomic Signatures of Sedentary Behavior and Cardiometabolic Traits in US Hispanics/Latinos: Results from HCHS/SOL.

The aim of this study was to understand the serum metabolomic signatures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior, and further associate their metabolomic signatures with incident cardiometabolic diseases. This analysis included 2711 US Hispanics/Latinos from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) aged 18-74 yr (2008-2011). An untargeted, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to profile the serum metabolome. The associations of metabolites with accelerometer-measured MVPA and sedentary time were examined using survey linear regressions adjusting for covariates. The weighted correlation network analysis identified modules of correlated metabolites in relation to sedentary time, and the modules were associated with incident diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension over the 6-yr follow-up. Of 624 metabolites, 5 and 102 were associated with MVPA and sedentary behavior at false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05, respectively, after adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. The weighted correlation network analysis identified 8 modules from 102 metabolites associated with sedentary time. Four modules (branched-chain amino acids, erythritol, polyunsaturated fatty acid, creatine) were positively, and the other four (acyl choline, plasmalogen glycerol phosphatidyl choline, plasmalogen glycerol phosphatidyl ethanolamine, urea cycle) were negatively correlated with sedentary time. Among these modules, a higher branched-chain amino acid score and a lower plasmalogen glycerol phosphatidyl choline score were associated with increased risks of diabetes and dyslipidemia. A higher erythritol score was associated with an increased risk of diabetes, and a lower acyl choline score was linked to an increased risk of hypertension. In this study of US Hispanics/Latinos, we identified multiple serum metabolomic signatures of sedentary behavior and their associations with risk of incident diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. These findings suggest a potential role of circulating metabolites in the links between sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic diseases.

Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity Associated with Psychosocial Outcomes in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes.

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are particularly vulnerable to poor psychosocial outcomes-high rates of diabetes distress and poor quality of life are common among this cohort. Previous work in the general population demonstrated positive associations between quality of life and increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), as well as decreased sedentary behavior. While survey-based assessments of young adults with T1D observed similar trends, these studies were limited by their use of subjective assessments of MVPA and sedentary behavior. The use of direct activity monitoring is needed to establish the association between psychosocial outcomes and MVPA and sedentary behavior among adolescents with T1D. To explore the association between objectively measured MVPA and sedentary behavior on psychosocial outcomes among adolescents with T1D. The current study is a secondary analysis of baseline data collected for a pilot trial of sleep-promoting intervention for adolescents with T1D. Participants (n = 29, with a mean age of 15.9 ± 1.3 years) completed baseline surveys and wore an actigraph for a week following the baseline visit. We examined minutes per week of MVPA and proportion of awake time spent sedentary in relation to adolescents' diabetes distress, depressive symptoms, and diabetes-related quality of life. Participants engaged in a mean of 19.6 ± 22.4 minutes of MVPA per day and spent 68.6 ± 9.9% of their awake time sedentary. MVPA was associated with lower diabetes distress in unadjusted (-3.6; 95% CI: -6.4 to -0.8) and adjusted (-2.6; 95% CI: -5.0--0.3) analyses. Sedentary time was associated with higher diabetes distress in adjusted (6.3; 95% CI: 1.3-11.2) but not unadjusted (6.0; 95% CI: -5.6-12.6) analyses. In secondary analyses, we did not observe significant associations between quality of life or depressive symptoms with either MVPA or sedentary behavior. Our findings extend previous survey-based work demonstrating an association between decreased diabetes distress with greater weekly MVPA and lower sedentary time. The current study highlights the multifaceted benefits of physical activity in this population and provides preliminary evidence for developing interventions to reduce sedentary time as an alternative method to improve psychosocial outcomes in this at-risk population.

Step-Based Metrics and Translations of Physical Activity Guidelines among Adults in the HCHS/SOL.

In a cross-sectional sample of US Hispanic/Latino adults, we aimed to describe step-based metric distributions, estimate their associations with activity counts and self-report, and calibrate step-based translations of current (2018) US physical activity (PA) guidelines, that is, ≥150 min·wk -1 moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) from accelerometer counts and self-report. The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos enrolled 16,415 Hispanic/Latino adults 18-74 yr from four US cities (2008-2011). Participants completed the Global PA Questionnaire and 1 wk of Actical accelerometer wear ( n = 12,528). Weighted medians were used to describe step-based metrics, and Spearman correlations estimated their relationships with count-based and self-reported PA indicators. Receiver operator characteristic curve analyses were used to examine the ability of each step-based metric to classify participants meeting PA guidelines. Overall, US Hispanic/Latino adults accumulated medians of 6770 steps per day and 6, 18, 236, and 630 min·d -1 at ≥100, ≥70, 1-69, and 0 steps per minute, respectively. Count-based time in MVPA, light PA, and sedentary behavior were most strongly correlated ( rs = 0.79-0.85) with times ≥70, 1-69, and 0 steps per minute, respectively, whereas self-reported MVPA had similar correlations with steps per day and times ≥40 and ≥70 steps per minute ( rs = 0.28-0.29). Time ≥70 steps per minute had the greatest capacity to classify participants meeting PA guidelines with both measures of MVPA. This study provides the first normative values (based on percentiles) of step-based metrics for US Hispanic/Latino adults, which can facilitate surveillance, program planning, research, and data interpretation. Our finding that PA guidelines corresponded to 6000-7000 steps per day or ~20 min·d -1 at ≥70 steps per minute with an Actical accelerometer can be considered alongside dose-response relationships with health outcomes to develop step-based recommendations that are consistent with and better communicate PA guidelines.

Affective Response to Exercise and Affective Judgments as Predictors of Physical Activity Intention and Behavior among New Mothers in their first 6-Months Postpartum.

Understanding the predictors of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during early postpartum is important to improve promotion efforts. Affect-related constructs are key predictors of MVPA but have limited research in mothers during the postpartum period. To examine two affect-related constructs (affective response to exercise and affective judgments) as predictors of MVPA intention and behavior across three months, among a sample of new mothers. Participants were 105 mothers (M age = 30.64 years; SD = 3.93) who completed measures during postpartum at 2-months post-birth of their first child. The affective response to exercise (assessed at baseline [2-months postpartum] during a submaximal treadmill test), affective judgments and intention (baseline, 6-weeks after baseline), and MVPA (baseline, 6- and 12-weeks after baseline) were assessed via self-report. Path analysis, using ordinary least squares regression, showed that the affective response during exercise was a significant predictor of intention (baseline, 6-weeks), as well as change in intention from baseline to 6-weeks. By contrast, affective judgments predicted intention at 6-weeks, but not at baseline or in the change model. Past MVPA did not moderate these findings, although the affective response during exercise also had a significant indirect effect on MVPA through intention at 6-weeks and 12-weeks. Interventions targeting women's affective response during exercise may be important during postpartum, perhaps through self-paced physical activity guidance. Affective judgments may not be predictive of MVPA, in part due to unanticipated changes during early postpartum leading to inaccurate expectations of the physical activity experience.

Cultural and neighborhood characteristics associated with activity-specific parenting practices in Hispanic/Latino youth: a secondary analysis of the Hispanic Community Children's health study/study of Latino youth.

Hispanic/Latino youth are less physically active than non-Hispanic/Latino youth. We assessed whether activity-specific parenting practices relate to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior among Hispanic/Latino youth, and whether cultural (acculturation) and neighborhood characteristics (perceived barriers to activity) relate to the use of parenting practice patterns. Using the Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth, n = 976 8-16-year-olds), we modeled linear regression associations between parenting practices and mean daily MVPA and sedentary behavior. Parenting practice patterns were then developed using k-means cluster analysis, and regressed on parental acculturation and neighborhood characteristics. Discipline predicted higher MVPA in females (β 1.89 [95% CI 0.11-3.67]), while Monitoring/Reinforcement predicted higher MVPA in males (β 4.71 [95% CI 0.68-8.74]). Three patterns were then identified: Negative Reinforcement (high Limit Setting and Discipline use), Positive Reinforcement (high Limit Setting and Monitoring/Reinforcement use), and Permissive Parenting (low parenting practice use). Higher acculturation predicted use of Positive Reinforcement. Activity-specific parenting practices are associated with activity in sex-specific ways among Hispanic/Latino youth, and cultural factors predict the use of parenting practices.

The Association between Academic Schedule and Physical Activity Behaviors in University Students.

University students sit too much, which is detrimental to their physical and mental health. Academic schedules, including scheduled education time and self-study time, may influence their physical activity behaviors. To investigate (1) the association between scheduled education time and students' physical activity levels during weekdays; (2) the association between self-study time and students' physical activity levels during the weekdays and weekends. 126 (68 Maastricht University (UM); 58 KU Leuven (KUL)) first-year undergraduate students in biomedical sciences (mean ± SD age: 19.3 ± 1.0, BMI: 22.0 ± 3.0, 17% men, 83% women) completed a demographics questionnaire and reported their academic activities with a 7-day logbook. Furthermore, their physical activity behavior was measured with the activPAL monitor for 7 days. Linear mixed models were used to examine the associations between university (UM versus KUL), academic activities (scheduled education time and self-study time), and students' activity levels. During weekdays, each hour of scheduled education time per day was significantly associated with a 1.3 min decrease of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. Scheduled education time was not significantly associated with the sedentary time, light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and active sedentary behavior ratio. Each hour of self-study per day was significantly associated with 8 min more of sedentary time per day, 6 min less LPA per day, and 1.3 min less MVPA per day. Self-study time was not significantly associated with active sedentary behavior ratio. During the weekend, each hour of self-study time per day was associated with an additional 17.8 min of sedentary time per day and a reduction of 15.2 min of LPA per day. Self-study time was not significantly associated with the time spent doing MVPA and active sedentary behavior ratio. It could be more effective to change students' physical activity behaviors during self-study than during scheduled education time. Therefore, offering a study environment that reduces sedentary behavior and promotes light-intensity physical activity, is crucial.

Individual- and Environmental- Level Predictors of Recess Activity and Sedentary Behavior: Findings from the I-CAN! study.

Recess represents a prime opportunity for physical activity during the school day. However, evidence is mixed with regard to factors associated with activity during recess. Data were collected as a part of the Texas Initiative for Children's Activity and Nutrition (I-CAN!) program from 14 elementary schools and 1,049 4th-grade students. Percent of time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior during recess was measured using GT3X+ accelerometers. Students' demographics, aerobic fitness, and body mass index (BMI) were collected from school records and FITNESSGRAM® data. Aspects of the playground environment supporting activity (e.g. soccer goals) or sedentary behavior (e.g. benches) were calculated following the procedures of the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY), with recess spatial area calculated via the polygon measurement tool in Google™ Earth Pro software. Recess time was collected from school data. Weather during recess was determined using time-stamped archived weather data from Weather Underground. Two-level, linear mixed model regression examined associations between individual- and school-level characteristics and percent time in MVPA. At the student-level, boys were more active than girls (effect size (ES)=0.50) and percent time in MVPA was directly associated with aerobic fitness (ES=0.35). At the school-level, recess infrastructure was associated with percent time in MVPA (ES=1.45), except for factors related to sedentary behavior, which were indirectly associated with percent time in MVPA (ES=-1.98). Patterns for sedentary behavior mirrored these effects. This is one of the few studies to test the associations of fitness and sedentary upgrades to play areas with MVPA and sedentary behavior. The results suggest that recess is most likely to support MVPA in boys and those who are already most fit (i.e., those who would not be the target of intervention). This is not surprising because the focus of recess is on free choice of play, and thus recess might be supported more for social and emotional benefits than the impact on physical activity.

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, Weight Status, and Body Composition among South African Primary Schoolchildren.

Background: Over the past decades, childhood overweight has increased in many African countries. We examined the relationship between sedentary behaviour, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and body composition in South African primary schoolchildren living in peri-urban settings. Methods: MVPA was measured via 7-day accelerometry and body composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis in 1090 learners (49.2% girls, Mage = 8.3 ± 1.4 years). The relationships between MVPA and sedentary behaviour with the various body composition indicators (body fat and fat-free mass [total, truncal, arms, and legs], bone mass, muscle mass, and body water) were tested with mixed linear regressions. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 9.8% and 6.6%, respectively; 77.1% of the children engaged in ≥60 min of MVPA/day. Girls were more likely to be overweight/obese, to accumulate less than 60 min of MVPA/day, and had significantly higher relative body fat than boys (ps < 0.001). Lower MVPA was associated with a higher likelihood of being overweight/obese, higher relative body fat, and lower relative fat-free mass, bone mass, muscle mass, and body water (ps < 0.001). For lower sedentary behaviour, the associations with body composition pointed in the opposite direction. Conclusions: In this South African setting, girls are a particularly relevant target group for future physical activity interventions to prevent overweight/obesity-related non-communicable diseases in later life.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SEDENTARY, AND SLEEP BEHAVIORS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

PURPOSE: Excessive alcohol intake has been associated with negative health outcomes, but it is unclear if alcohol consumption is related to the different behaviors (moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behavior (SED), and total sleep duration) that make up a 24-hour day in university students. The purpose of the study was to examine the associations between alcohol consumption and self-reported MVPA, SED, and sleep in university students. METHODS: University students (n=660, 20.3±1.6 yr, 80% female) completed an online survey to assess demographics, total alcohol consumption per week, Greek Life membership, sleep duration (min/day) via Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, SED (min/day) via Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire, and MVPA (min/day) via Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations between different alcohol consumption categories (Moderate = Females 1-7 drinks per week, Males 1-14 drinks per week; Heavy = Females > 7 drinks per week, Males > 14 drinks per week) with MVPA, SED, and sleep behaviors adjusting for possible confounding factors (sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, and Greek Life membership). RESULTS: Moderate (β=6.9, p=0.10) and heavy alcohol drinkers (β=6.4, p=0.21) self-reported higher MVPA compared to university students that do not consume alcohol (trend p =0.02). Moderate (β=20.5, p=0.29) and heavy (β=41.5, p=0.27) alcohol drinkers self-reported higher SED compared non-drinkers, although these differences were not statistically significant (trend p=0.17). Moderate (β=0.5, p=0.94) and heavy (β=-5.8 p=0.61) alcohol drinkers had sleep times that were similar to those who reported not consuming alcohol (trend p=0.78). CONCLUSIONS: In this university student sample, alcohol drinkers reported participating in 6-7 additional minutes of MVPA per day than students that reportedly do not drink alcohol. However, only moderate drinkers had statistically significant higher values. While this analysis controlled for several potential confounders, other unmeasured differences between drinkers and non-drinkers may account for the higher MVPA observed among drinkers. Alternatively, alcohol drinking among university students may be a marker for greater engagement in social activities that incorporate MVPA.

Habitual Physical Activity Is Associated With Prescription Medication Use In Older Adults

Increased prescription medication (Rx) use has been associated with adverse drug events, drug-drug interactions, and rising health-care costs. Few studies have examined the potential relationship between physical activity (PA) level and Rx use. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine if habitual PA is associated with Rx use in older adults. METHODS: In 171 older adults (116 women, 55 men, 72 ± 8y, BMI: 27 ± 5 kg/m2) physical activity (PA) was measured via 1) self-report (PA-SR) using the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) and 2) objectively (PA-O) using 7-day accelerometry (Actical, Phillips Respironics, Bend, Oregon). PA-SR data were calculated as kcal/wk of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Accelerometry data were processed as min/day of MVPA and sedentary behavior, as well as the ratio of Sedentary/MVPA behavior (Sed/Mod). Prescription medication use (Rx) was collected during health history screening. Bivariate and partial correlations (controlling for age and BMI) were utilized to determine if measures of PA were significantly correlated with Rx. Hierarchical linear regression was utilized to determine the predictive power of age, BMI, and PA for estimating Rx use. RESULTS: Average Rx use was 2.5 ± 0.16 meds. Average physical activity was 1,632 ± 1,280 kcal/wk of moderate-to-vigorous PA for PA-SR and 55 ± 35 min/day of MVPA for PA-O. Age (r = 0.21), BMI (r = 0.47), PA-SR (r = -0.31), PA-O (r = -0.45), and Sed/Mod (r = 0.47) were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with Rx use. Partial correlations (controlling for age and BMI) showed that PA-O and Sed/Mod, but not PA-SR, remained significantly correlated with Rx use. Utilizing hierarchical linear regression, a model containing BMI, Sed/Mod, and age was the most predictive of prescription medication use—explaining 42% of the variance. Of these independent variables, BMI and Sed/Mod ratio explained 21.7% and 21.6% of the variance in Rx use when included in a regression model individually, while age explained 3.8% of the variance in Rx use. CONCLUSION: These data extend previous reports that PA is inversely associated with Rx use. They further suggest that BMI and objective measures of PA are more predictive of Rx use than age in older adults.

O9-8 Here, you step outside and you're into nature' Physical activity and health among first-generation Italian immigrants in Norway

BackgroundMoving to a different country often leads to changes in a person's health-related behaviours such as, among others, engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Italian immigrants in Norway have tripled in the past 15 years, but little is known about their lifestyle and health. The aim of this study was to examine i) the MVPA behaviour, ii) the association of MVPA with self-rated health, and iii) the perceived impact of moving among first-generation Italian immigrants in Norway.MethodsThe data was retrieved from a cross-sectional survey (n = 321) and a set of in-depth interviews (n = 14) conducted within the study Mens Sana in Corpore Sano. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥18 years, living in Norway permanently, having lived in Italy at least until age 16 years. The data included information on the participants' MVPA behaviour (amount, frequency, and mode), self-rated health, and perceived impact of moving on their MVPA behaviour. Additionally, socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, and educational level) and factors associated with the settlement process (years in Norway, contact with close friends, and national identity) were included as covariates.ResultsMost of the respondents (62%) engaged in MVPA for ≥150 min/week; the mean MVPA frequency was 3.37±2.29 times/week. The most popular modes of MVPA were active transport and physical activity in natural settings. After controlling for multiple covariates, both engaging in MVPA for ≥150 min/week (β = 0.177; p = 0.002) and higher MVPA frequency (β = 0.164; p = 0.005) significantly predicted higher levels of self-rated health. While 15% of respondents perceived that moving to Norway had a negative impact on their MVPA behaviour, 50% perceived a positive impact. From the qualitative analysis, it emerged that proximity to natural environments and Norway’s culture that value outdoor recreations were important elements supporting the participants’ MVPA habits as well as their perceived health.ConclusionsIn spite of the relatively high socio-economic profile of most first-generation Italian immigrants in Norway, yet their MVPA levels is somewhat lower than the Norwegian population's. The physical and cultural environment in Norway, however, appears to contribute buffering the health challenges among Italian immigrants in Norway.