Mother Physical Activity Research Articles

A feasibility randomized controlled trial of a multi-process action control web-based intervention that targets physical activity in mothers

ABSTRACT The onset of motherhood is associated with a decline in moderate- to vigorous-physical activity (MVPA) and this deficit can remain for years to come. This study explored the feasibility of a web-based intervention, informed by the multi-process action control (M-PAC) framework, to promote PA in mothers. Forty-one inactive mothers of children <16 were randomized to a 10-week web-intervention (n = 20) or wait-list control (n = 21). Primary outcomes of recruitment and retention were measured with frequency counts; usability and satisfaction were measured via self-report questionnaires and qualitative interviews; secondary outcomes of MVPA and M-PAC constructs were assessed via self-report. Recruitment was 41%, retention was 88%, and satisfaction and usability were high. Participants logged in 7.94 (SD = 3.87) times and spent 37.71 (SD = 20.21) minutes per week on the web-intervention. Suggestions for intervention improvement included additional content targeting mothers, reminders, and optimized navigation. Intervention participants trended toward improved MVPA and M-PAC constructs, particularly action control processes of habit, self-identity, and behavioral regulation. The high feasibility ratings of recruitment, retention, satisfaction, and usability demonstrated that the study can be extended to a full-scale RCT with minor additions to the intervention such as content targeting mothers, reminders, and optimized navigation.

Socioeconomic difference in physical activity in children and their parents: The childhood and adolescence surveillance and prevention of adult noncommunicable disease study.

As a health-related behavior, physical activity (PA) differs according to individual's socioeconomic status (SES). This study aimed to assess the socioeconomic difference in leisure-time PA among Iranian students and their parents at national and regional levels. Nationwide cross-sectional study. This study was conducted as part of a national survey conducted in 2015 among 14400 Iranian students and their parents. Total PA level was measured as the average hours spent on PA per week. Nonlinear principal component analysis was used to construct the households' SES based on household's assets, type of house ownership, occupation of fathers and the educational levels of fathers and mothers. Concentration index was applied to measure the inequality in the PA level in parents and students. Complete data of 13313 students and their parents were available. At the national level, students spent more hours of PA per week (3.753 h per week [h/w]) as compared to their parents. Moreover, PA h/w was higher in fathers (3.488 h/w) as compared to mothers (2.763 h/w). The lowest means of mother's and student's PA were found in the highest SES region. At national level, the concentration indices (CI) of father's and mother's PA were -0.050 (95% CI = -0.067 ~ -0.030) and -0.028 (95% CI = -0.044 ~ -0.012), respectively, indicating pro-poor inequality, but the CI value of student PA was non-significant (CI = -0.007, 95% CI = -0.023-0.008). Given that the mother's and student's PA level was low in the high SES regions, it is suggested that focused PA planning may further increase the level of PA across higher SES regions and might be effective in reducing the PA inequality.

Mothers’ Physical Activity in the New Millennium: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background. Physical activity is essential for health, especially in an increasingly sedentary world. Being a parent involves responsibilities that could interfere with mothers’ physical activity. Research suggests that mothers are especially vulnerable to physical inactivity. Health promoters invest substantial effort in facilitating the physical activity of women with children.&#x0D; Methods. The scope of this systematic literature review is to synthesize research efforts on mothers’ physical activity and supporting interventions. Three databases were scrutinized in this review (Medline, Scopus, and PsycINFO). Articles published between 2000–2020 were selected in concordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). Fifty-four eligible articles were included after screening 3708 articles.&#x0D; Results. The results suggest that mothers exhibit lower levels of physical activity than the recommended level for adults. Lack of time, focus on childcare, limited knowledge, and insufficient spousal support emerge as the primary barriers to physical activity in mothers with children. Interventions trying to overcome these barriers vary in methods, evaluations, and effectiveness. Positive changes in mothers’ physical activity may emerge if interventions focus on increasing self-efficacy, problem-solving, goal setting, and other cognitive factors.&#x0D; Conclusion. Future interventions integrating internet-based applications and involving spouses and/or partners might help mothers to increase their physical activity.&#x0D; Keywords: exercise, health behavior, motherhood, sedentary, women.

Intergenerational Metabolomic Analysis of Mothers with a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Their Offspring.

Shared metabolomic patterns at delivery have been suggested to underlie the mother-to-child transmission of adverse metabolic health. This study aimed to investigate whether mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their offspring show similar metabolomic patterns several years postpartum. Targeted metabolomics (including 137 metabolites) was performed in plasma samples obtained during an oral glucose tolerance test from 48 mothers with GDM and their offspring at a cross-sectional study visit 8 years after delivery. Partial Pearson’s correlations between the area under the curve (AUC) of maternal and offspring metabolites were calculated, yielding so-called Gaussian graphical models. Spearman’s correlations were applied to investigate correlations of body mass index (BMI), Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISI-M), dietary intake, and physical activity between generations, and correlations of metabolite AUCs with lifestyle variables. This study revealed that BMI, ISI-M, and the AUC of six metabolites (carnitine, taurine, proline, SM(-OH) C14:1, creatinine, and PC ae C34:3) were significantly correlated between mothers and offspring several years postpartum. Intergenerational metabolite correlations were independent of shared BMI, ISI-M, age, sex, and all other metabolites. Furthermore, creatinine was correlated with physical activity in mothers. This study suggests that there is long-term metabolic programming in the offspring of mothers with GDM and informs us about targets that could be addressed by future intervention studies.

Effects of maternal and paternal exercise on offspring metabolism.

Maternal and paternal obesity and type 2 diabetes are recognized risk factors for the development of metabolic dysfunction in offspring, even when the offspring follow a healthful lifestyle. Multiple studies have demonstrated that regular physical activity in mothers and fathers has striking beneficial effects on offspring health, including preventing the development of metabolic disease in rodent offspring as they age. Here, we review the benefits of maternal and paternal exercise in combating the development of metabolic dysfunction in adult offspring, focusing on offspring glucose homeostasis and adaptations to metabolic tissues. We discuss recent findings regarding the roles of the placenta and sperm in mediating the effects of parental exercise on offspring metabolic health, as well as the mechanisms hypothesized to underlie these beneficial changes. Given the worldwide epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes, if these findings translate to humans, regular exercise during the reproductive years might limit the vicious cycles in which increased metabolic risk propagates across generations.

The association between Healthy Beverage Index and anthropometric measures among children: a cross-sectional study.

Several studies evaluated the associations between specific beverages and cardio-metabolic risks among children. However, the evidence on the association between patterns of the beverage consumption and children's anthropometric indices is rare. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the association between Healthy Beverage Index (HBI) and anthropometric measures among 6-year-old girl children. In this cross-sectional study, 788 children selected from health centers in Tehran, Iran. Data on beverage intake, socio-demographic, physical activity, and anthropometric characteristics were evaluated using reliable and validated standard protocols. The predefined HBI was calculated based on the previous research. After controlling for several confounders [mother age, mother body mass index, mother physical activity, socioeconomic status, children physical activity and energy intake, total oils (all kinds of oils like animal and plant oils), and total sweet foods (sweet foods except sweetened beverages)], being in the third compared to the first tertile of HBI among children was associated with increased odds of wasting (OR: 5.16; 95% CI 1.5-17.79) and underweight/wasting (OR: 1.81; 95% CI 1.07-3.07). Among the HBI components, just being in the third compared to the first tertile of high-fat milk was inversely associated with decreased odds of wasting (OR: 0.18; 95% CI 0.04-0.73). The HBI among children was associated with higher odds of wasting and underweight/wasting. In addition, high-fat milk consumption decreased the odds of wasting among children. Further prospective studies need to confirm these results. Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.

Perception of parents' physical activity as a positive model on physical activity of adolescents

Physical activity (PA) promotes an adequate level of health in adolescents. The PA behaviors moderation is led by the adolescents' perception of their parents. We suppose that higher adolescents' perception of their parents' physical activity influences the physical activity spent in adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine the association between adolescents' perception of their parents' PA practice with adolescent's PA in a sample of public schools in the Morelos state of Mexico. We analyzed the information of 4625 adolescents from the baseline of a cohort study of students in public schools in Mexico. We evaluated adolescents' perceptions of their parents PA and PA practice of the adolescents. A logistic regression analysis stratified by sex was carried out to evaluate the association between adolescents' perceptions of their parents PA, and adolescents' PA. We found that the PA of female adolescents was associated with their perceptions' of both parents' PA (OR = 2.48; IC95% 1.84–3.35). Adolescents' perceptions of their mother's PA was associated with their PA (daughters OR = 1.69; IC95% 1.33–2.15; sons OR = 1.87 IC95% 1.41–2.45). In conclusion, adolescents' perceptions of their parents' PA practice were associated with higher adolescents' PA. Higher adolescents' perception of their parents PA may play an important role as a positive model for the adolescent's PA practice (p < 0.001). Finally, parental PA and the perceptions that adolescents have of their parents' PA must be considered in devising general PA programs.

Parents' Lifestyle, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Activity in Their Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Brazil.

This study investigated associations between different types of sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) in parent and their child, including the moderating effects of parent and child sex. In total, 1231 adolescents, 1202 mothers, and 871 fathers were evaluated. The SB (TV viewing + computer + video game); different types of PA (leisure-time PA, occupational PA, and total PA); and the socioeconomic level were evaluated by questionnaire. The relationship between adolescents' SB and PA with parental characteristics was estimated by linear regression. The SB of male adolescents was correlated to the father's SB (β = 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.39) and mother's SB (β = 0.18; 95% CI, 0.06-0.31). A similar relationship was observed between SB of female adolescents and the father's SB (β = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.19-0.42) and mother's SB (β = 0.29; 95% CI, 0.20-0.38]). The SB of girls was inversely related to mother's occupational PA (β = -2.62; 95% CI, -3.66 to -0.53]). The PA of the boys and girls was correlated with their fathers and mothers PA. All the results were adjusted for age and parent's socioeconomic level. SB and PA of parents were associated with SB and PA of their children, regardless of gender. Strategies for health promotion should consider the family environment to increase PA and reduce SB.

The role of maternal social networks on the outcomes of a home-based childhood obesity prevention pilot intervention.

Despite evidence that obesity and related behaviors are influenced by social networks and social systems, few childhood obesity initiatives have focused on social network factors as moderators of intervention outcomes, or targets for intervention strategies. This pilot study examines associations between maternal social network characteristics hypothesized to influence health behaviors, and the target outcomes of a family-centered childhood obesity prevention initiative. The pilot intervention entailed the provision of healthy eating and activity components as part of an existing home visiting program (HVP) delivered to mothers and infants, to test the feasibility of this approach for improving mother diet, physical activity, and weight status; and infant diet and weight trajectory. Mothers and their infants (N=50 dyads) receiving services from our HVP partner were recruited and randomized to receive the HVP core curriculum with or without a nutrition and physical activity enhancement module for six months. Assessments of mothers' social network characteristics, mother/infant food intake and mother physical activity, and mothers' postpartum weight retention and children's growth velocity were conducted at baseline and post-intervention. Several features of mothers' social networks, including the receipt of health-related social support, were significantly associated with the focal intervention outcomes (p < .05) at follow-up, controlling for study condition. Integrating childhood obesity prevention into HVPs appears promising. Future family-based interventions to prevent childhood obesity may be enhanced by including social network intervention strategies. For example, by addressing family network characteristics that impede healthy behavior change, or enhancing networks by fostering social support for healthy behavior and weight change.

Child participation in sports is influenced by patterns of lifestyle-related behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to identify patterns of child and family characteristics and behaviors, and to determine the association of those patterns with child participation in sports. A questionnaire and anthropometric measures were used to collect data on 834 parents and their 6- to 10-year-old children. A principal component analysis identified child and parental patterns, which were tested for association with child participation in extracurricular sports (ES). Seven patterns were identified: (1) socio-economic, (2) child obesity, (3) parental TV viewing, (4) father's physical activity (PA), (5) mother's PA, (6) child screen time, and (7) parental reported barriers. After adjustment, patterns 1 and 7 (P < .001), pattern 2 (P = .01), and patterns 5 and 6 (P = .04) were significantly associated with the number of sports practiced by children while, patterns 1 and 7 (P < .001), pattern 2 (P = .03), and patterns 4 and 5 (P = .01) were significantly associated with frequency of participation in ES. Future interventions to promote children's participation in sports should be based on a socio-ecological model and targeted to high-risk populations showing multiple risks such as a lower socio-economic status, inactive parents, or obese children.

Increasing Physical Activity in Mothers Using Video Exercise Groups and Exercise Mobile Apps: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundWomen significantly decrease their activity levels in the transition to motherhood. Digital health technologies are low cost, scalable, and can provide an effective delivery mechanism for behavior change. This is the first study that examines the use of videoconferencing and mobile apps to create exercise groups for mothers.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to test the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of an individually adaptive and socially supportive physical activity intervention incorporating videoconferencing and mobile apps for mothers.MethodsThe Moms Online Video Exercise Study was an 8-week, 2-armed, Web-based randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of a group exercise intervention with a waitlist control. Healthy mothers with at least 1 child under the age of 12 years were recruited through Facebook and email listservs. Intervention participants joined exercise groups using videoconferencing (Google Hangouts) every morning on weekdays and exercised together in real time, guided by exercise mobile apps (eg, Nike+, Sworkit) of their choice. Waitlist control participants had access to recommended mobile apps and an invitation to join an exercise group after the 8-week study period. Main outcomes assessed included changes in self-reported moderate, vigorous, and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) minutes per week in aggregate and stratified by whether women met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for sufficient aerobic activity at baseline. Outcomes were measured through self-assessed Web-based questionnaires at baseline and 8 weeks.ResultsThe intervention was effective at increasing exercise for inactive women and proved to be feasible and acceptable to all participants. A total of 64 women were randomized, 30 to intervention and 34 to control. Women attended 2.8 sessions per week. There was a strong, but not statistically significant, trend toward increasing moderate, vigorous, and MVPA minutes for all women. As hypothesized, in the prespecified stratum of women who were inactive at baseline (n=51), intervention participants significantly increased their activity by an average of 50 (95% CI 4.0-95.9, P=.03) MVPA minutes per week more than control participants. They had a corresponding statistically significant net increase of 19 (95% CI 3.2-34.8, P=.02) minutes of vigorous activity. Inactive women in the intervention arm also experienced promising reductions in depression, reporting a statistically significant net decrease in their depression score (−3.8, 95% CI −7.0 to −0.6; P=.02).ConclusionsWe found that a group exercise intervention using videoconferencing and mobile apps was a feasible and acceptable way to deliver a physical activity intervention to mothers. The intervention increased physical activity in inactive mothers. Further studies are needed to better establish how long these changes in physical activity can be maintained and whether these findings can be reproduced in a more diverse population.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02805140; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02805140 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6yYZwRveg)

Maternal-child co-participation in physical activity-related behaviours: prevalence and cross-sectional associations with mothers and children\u2019s objectively assessed physical activity levels

BackgroundCo-participation in physical activity may be a useful strategy for increasing physical activity in mothers and their young children, yet little empirical evidence exists on this topic for young families. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of mother-child co-participation in physical activity and examine the association between co-participatory behaviours and objectively-assessed physical activity in young children and their mothers.MethodsOne-hundred twenty-three 4–6 year-old children and their mothers were recruited from preschools in Belgium between November 2010 and January 2011. Mothers completed a questionnaire assessing the frequency of co-participation in five activities. Both mothers and children wore ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers concurrently for 7 days to assess the time spent in moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and light- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (LMVPA). Descriptive statistics (means, frequencies) were used to determine the prevalence of co-participation. Separate multiple linear regression analyses examined the association between co-participation and mothers’ and children’s physical activity on weekdays and weekends.ResultsMost mothers reported infrequent co-participation in physical activities with their children. On weekdays, walking or cycling for short trips was positively associated with children’s MVPA while attending a park or similar more than once per week was negatively associated with children’s MVPA and LMVPA. Going to an indoor play centre together once or more per week was negatively associated with mother’s LMVPA. On weekends, walking or cycling with their child in their free time was positively associated with both children’s and mothers’ MVPA and childrens’ LMVPA. Going to an indoor play centre together 1–3 times/month was negatively associated with children’s weekend MVPA.ConclusionsReported rates of co-participation in mothers and their preschool children were low. The association with maternal and child physical activity may be dependent on the co-participatory behaviour assessed and may differ between weekday and weekends. Promoting walking and cycling together during leisure time may be an effective strategy to increase both preschool children’s and mothers’ MVPA.

Mothers with young children: Caring for the self through the physical activity space

Mothers with young children have been consistently identified in public health discourses as having lower levels of leisure time physical activity than the general population. They are subsequently positioned as an at risk population susceptible to, for example, weight gain and postnatal depression. Women's ethic of care and good mother discourses work together to constrain mother's physical activity levels. In addition, public health discourses attempt to mobilize mothers into engaging in regular, rigorous sessions of leisure time physical activity, which often creates a calculative relation to self as women try to meet the expectations prescribed by health professionals. In this article, however, we employ Foucault's ethics of self to explore how 18 mothers with young children problematized and resisted prescriptive notions such as the ethic of care to create a space to begin to practice self-care through participation in leisure-time physical activity.

Turning big data into personalised diabetes care

Turning big data into personalised diabetes care

Correlates of sports practice, occupational and leisure‐time physical activity in Brazilian adolescents

To analyze the relationship between different physical activity (PA) domains and sociodemographic, psychological, behavioral and biological factors in Brazilian adolescents. 1,220 adolescents (55.1% female) aged between 10 and 16 years-old participated in this study. The Baecke questionnaire was used to evaluate different PA domains, namely occupational, sports and leisure-time. Socioeconomic status, number of siblings, friendships satisfaction, mother's and father's PA level and previous experience with sports were self-reported. Cardiorespiratory fitness, waist circumference, and somatic maturity were estimated by objective indicators. Linear regression was used for the main statistical analysis. The variables consistently related to all of the PA domains were gender (boys more active), friendship satisfaction (positive with sports and leisure-time PA and negative with occupational PA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (positive). There were also domain-specific relationships for occupational (number of siblings [β = 0.02] and father's PA [β = 0.13]), sport practice (previous experience with sports [β = 0.33], waist circumference [β = 0.01] and somatic maturity [β = -0.12]) and leisure-time PA (chronological age [β = -0.15], mother's PA [β = 0.47] and previous experience with sports [β = 0.17]). The different domains of PA are related to specific variables in adolescence. This information may be helpful in formulating strategies for physical activity promotion, particularly in adolescents from low-to-middle income countries.

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of the MADE4Life Program: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

The aim was to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a community-based physical activity (PA) intervention targeting mothers and daughters. A randomized controlled trial of 48 primary school-aged girls and their 40 mothers were randomized to (i) Mothers And Daughters Exercising for Life (MADE4Life) (n = 21 mothers, n = 25 daughters) or (ii) wait-list control (n = 19 mothers, n = 23 daughters). The 8-week program involved 8 sessions; 25-minute separate mothers and daughters education sessions and 60-minutes PA together. Assessments were at baseline, postintervention and 3-month postintervention. Primary outcome measure was daughters' moderate-to- vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (accelerometer). Secondary outcomes included accelerometer-assessed light/moderate/vigorous PA, BMI, waist circumference, body composition, blood pressure, resting heart rate, sedentary behaviors and mothers' self-reported PA, parenting measures, and cognitions. Intention-to-treat analysis used linear mixed models. Recruitment and retention goals were exceeded. Attendance rates, program acceptability and satisfaction were high. There was no significant group-by-time effect for daughters' %MVPA (-0.08; 95%CI -1.49, 1.33, d = -0.03) or other secondary outcomes for girls (postintervention range d = 0.01 to -0.46). Significant intervention effects were found for mothers' %VPA (P = .04, d = 0.25) and role modeling (P = .02, d = 0.66). MADE4Life was both feasible and acceptable. Although very small effect sizes were found for the daughters, significant changes were seen for mothers (d = 0.25 to 0.66). Future fully powered trials targeting PA in mothers and daughters is warranted.

The Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG): Child-reported Physical Activity Parenting in African American and Non-Hispanic White Families

This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a child-report, multidimensional measure of physical activity (PA) parenting, the Activity Support Scale for Multiple Groups (ACTS-MG), in African American and non-Hispanic white families. The ACTS-MG was administered to children aged 5 to 12 years. A three factor model of PA parenting (Modeling of PA, Logistic Support, and Restricting Access to Screen-based Activities) was tested separately for mother's and fathers' PA parenting. The proposed three-factor structure was supported in both racial groups for mothers’ PA parenting and in the African American sample for fathers’ PA parenting. Factorial invariance between racial groups was demonstrated for mother's PA parenting. Building on a previous study examining the ACTS-MG parent-report, this study supports the use of the ACTS-MG child-report for mothers’ PA parenting. However, further research is required to investigate the measurement of fathers’ PA parenting across racial groups.

Application of BASNEF Model to Predict Postpartum Physical Activity in Mothers Visiting Health Centers in Kermanshah

Application of BASNEF Model to Predict Postpartum Physical Activity in Mothers Visiting Health Centers in Kermanshah

Physical Activity Behavior and Role Overload in Mothers

We examined physical activity stages of change, physical activity behavior, and role overload in different stages of motherhood in a predominantly Australian sample. Neither physical activity behavior, stages of physical activity change, nor role overload significantly differed across motherhood groups. Role overload was significantly higher for mothers in the contemplation, planning, and action stages of physical activity than in the maintenance stage of change. Role overload had a weak, although significant, negative correlation with leisure-time physical activity. We conclude that strategies focused upon reducing role overload or perceived role overload have only limited potential to meaningfully increase leisure-time physical activity in mothers.

Results of a randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity behaviours in mothers with young children

ObjectiveIncreasing levels of physical activity in mothers have long-term health benefits for the mother and family. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of a six-month, physical activity RCT for mothers of young children. MethodsWomen were recruited via playgroups and randomly assigned to intervention (n=394) or control group (n=322). The intervention group received a six-month multi-strategy programme delivered via playgroups in Perth, Australia. measures were mean minutes per week of moderate (M) and vigorous (V) intensity physical activity (PA), and number of days/week of muscle strength exercises. ResultsThe intervention had a significant effect on mean time for vigorous (p=0.008), moderate (p=0.023) and total physical activity (p=0.001) when compared to the control group. The intervention group increased their vigorous activity by a mean of 24min/week, moderate activity by 23min/week and total physical activity by 72min/week. ConclusionsA relatively minimum home based intervention was able to demonstrate modest but statistically significant improvements in physical activity in a hard to reach group. These changes if maintained over a longer period are likely to improve the health of mothers and have a positive impact on their partners and children. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000735257.