Physical Activity In Past Week Research Articles

The Association between Gender and Physical Activity Was Partially Mediated by Social Network Size during COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted physical activity, particularly among women. Limited research has explored how social network support may explain gender-based variations in physical activity during COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of social networks in the association between gender and physical activity during a pandemic. This cross-sectional survey assessed whether social network characteristics (i.e., in-person social network size, frequency of in-person social network interactions, and online friend network size) mediate the relationship between gender and either past-week or past-year physical activity. Multiple mediation analyses were conducted to determine the indirect effect of gender on physical activity through social networks. Among 205 participants, women (n = 129) were significantly less physically active (β = −73.82; p = 0.02) than men (n = 76) and reported significantly more Facebook friends (β = 0.30; p < 0.001) than men, which was inversely associated with past-week physical activity (β = −64.49; p = 0.03). Additionally, the indirect effect of gender on past-week physical activity through Facebook friends was significant (β = −19.13; 95% CI [−40.45, −2.09]). Findings suggest that social media sites such as Facebook could be used to encourage physical activity among women during a pandemic.

Relations Between Past‐Week Physical Activity and Recent Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury in Treatment‐Seeking Psychiatric Adults

This research study examines the relationship between past-week physical activity and recent (i.e., within the past 30 days) nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a sample of treatment-seeking adults. METHOD: Participants included 353 (49.29% female; mean age = 35.16 years) adults attending a partial hospitalization program for acute psychiatric issues. Data were extracted from the program's admission battery of computer-based self-report measures completed by each participant on the first treatment day. Participants with a recent history of NSSI (i.e., within the past 30 days) engaged in significantly less past-week physical activity than those without a history of NSSI. Group differences remained significant while controlling for anxiety, but not depression. Results suggest that, on average, individuals who have never engaged in NSSI exercise more in the week prior to entering the partial hospital program than those who have a recent history of NSSI. Regular physical activity may be an interesting area of study to explore as a promising adjunctive intervention for NSSI (e.g., vigorous exercise as a way to tolerate distress and manage urges to self-injure).

Characteristics of Smokers From a National Sample Who Engaged in Any Physical Activity: Implications for Cardiovascular Health Intervention

Background: Tobacco is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, and current treatments lack long-term efficacy. Promoting physical activity may be a viable population-level approach to improving cardiovascular health among smokers. Purpose: To characterize smokers engaging in any physical activity based on demographics, quitting behaviors, health perceptions, preventive health behaviors, and disease status to identify targets for subsequent intervention. Methods: A national sample of smokers participating in the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4 Cycle 2 data collection (N = 491) was analyzed using bivariate and multivariate regression models to characterize smokers engaging in any physical activity. Results: Some past-week physical activity was reported by 62% of smokers. “Active” status was associated with being younger (Exp(B) = 0.971; P < .001), lower body mass index (Exp(B) = 0.955; P = .011), fewer hours of daily screen time (Exp(B) = 0.903; P = .001), consuming at least one cup of fruit and vegetables daily (Exp(B) = 1.971; P = .005), and non-consideration of a quit attempt (Exp(B) = 0.606; P = .021). Discussion: Smokers participating in any physical activity also demonstrated a more healthful cardiovascular risk profile, suggesting that promoting physical activity in completely inactive smokers could improve overall cardiovascular health. Translation to Health Education Practice: Use of a multiple health behavior change approach to promote physical activity and related behaviors in smokers holds promise for improving cardiovascular health.

PS01 Associations of Health, Physical Activity and Weight Status with Motorised Travel and Transport Carbon Dioxide Emissions

BackgroundMotorised travel and associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generate substantial health costs, many of which disproportionately affect socio-economically disadvantaged groups. These health costs may include contributing to rising obesity levels....

Associations of health, physical activity and weight status with motorised travel and transport carbon dioxide emissions: a cross-sectional, observational study

BackgroundMotorised travel and associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generate substantial health costs; in the case of motorised travel, this may include contributing to rising obesity levels. Obesity has in turn been hypothesised to increase motorised travel and/or CO2 emissions, both because heavier people may use motorised travel more and because heavier people may choose larger and less fuel-efficient cars. These hypothesised associations have not been examined empirically, however, nor has previous research examined associations with other health characteristics. Our aim was therefore to examine how and why weight status, health, and physical activity are associated with transport CO2 emissions.Methods3463 adults completed questionnaires in the baseline iConnect survey at three study sites in the UK, reporting their health, weight, height and past-week physical activity. Seven-day recall instruments were used to assess travel behaviour and, together with data on car characteristics, were used to estimate CO2 emissions. We used path analysis to examine the extent to which active travel, motorised travel and car engine size explained associations between health characteristics and CO2 emissions.ResultsCO2 emissions were higher in overweight or obese participants (multivariable standardized probit coefficients 0.16, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.25 for overweight vs. normal weight; 0.16, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.28 for obese vs. normal weight). Lower active travel and, particularly for obesity, larger car engine size explained 19-31% of this effect, but most of the effect was directly explained by greater distance travelled by motor vehicles. Walking for recreation and leisure-time physical activity were associated with higher motorised travel distance and therefore higher CO2 emissions, while active travel was associated with lower CO2 emissions. Poor health and illness were not independently associated with CO2 emissions.ConclusionsEstablishing the direction of causality between weight status and travel behaviour requires longitudinal data, but the association with engine size suggests that there may be at least some causal effect of obesity on CO2 emissions. More generally, transport CO2 emissions are associated in different ways with different health-related characteristics. These include associations between health goods and environmental harms (recreational physical activity and high emissions), indicating that environment-health ‘co-benefits’ cannot be assumed. Instead, attention should also be paid to identifying and mitigating potential areas of tension, for example by promoting low-carbon recreational physical activity.