Exercise Research Articles

Using Free-Living Heart Rate Data as an Objective Method to Assess Physical Activity: A Scoping Review and Recommendations by the INTERLIVE-Network Targeting Consumer Wearables.

Wearable technologies open up new avenues for the assessment of individual physical activity behaviour. Particularly, free-living heart rate (HR) data assessed by optical sensors are becoming widely available. However, while an abundancy of scientific information and guidance exists for the processing of raw acceleration data, no universal recommendations for the utilization of continuous HR recordings during free-living conditions are available. Towards Intelligent Health and Well-Being: Network of Physical Activity Assessment (INTERLIVE®) is a joint European initiative of six universities and one industrial partner. The consortium was founded in 2019 and strives towards developing best-practice recommendations in the context of consumer wearables and smartphones. The aim of this scoping review (following PRISMA-ScR procedures) and recommendations was to provide best-practice protocols for deriving individual physical activity profiles from continuous HR recordings by wearables. The recommendations were developed through an initial scoping review, grey literature searches of promotional material and user manuals of leading wearable manufacturers as well as evidence-informed discussions among the members of the INTERLIVE®-network. The scoping review was performed on the generic domains required for physical activity assessment, namely: (1) 'assessment of maximal heart rate', (2) 'determination of basal and/or resting heart rate' and (3) 'heart rate-derived intensity zones', for which we finally included a total of 72, 2 and 11 eligible papers, respectively. Gathering recent knowledge, we provide a decision tree and detailed recommendations for the analysis of free-living HR data to derive individual physical activity profiles. Moreover, we also provide examples of HR-metric calculations that help to illustrate data processing and reporting.

Do biopsychosocial factors predict the level of physical activity in individuals with persistent shoulder pain?

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare the physical activity level between individuals with and without rotator cuff related shoulder pain (RCRSP), and, in individuals with RCRSP, investigate whether biopsychosocial factors are associated with the physical activity level. Seventy-four participants with and 84 participants without RCRSP wore a fitness tracking watch for seven consecutive days to assess physical activity (step count, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)-minutes). Additionally, participants with RCRSP completed questionnaires on their level of pain, disability, and physical activity (short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire [IPAQ]), as well as on biopsychosocial factors, including resilience, stress, catastrophizing, anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and social support. Statistical analysis included Mann-Whitney U tests and General Linear Models for group comparisons, as well as multiple regression analyses to explore predictors of physical activity. No significant between-group difference was found concerning step count and MVPA-minutes. Age and depressive symptoms explained 14% of the variance in step count, while age and resilience explained 15% of MVPA-minutes variance. Additionally, resilience was associated with IPAQ (P<0.05), indicating that higher resilience correlates with greater reported physical activity (odds ratio: 2.32 [1.27, 4.22]). While individuals with RCRSP did not show lower physical activity levels compared to their healthy counterparts, greater physical activity was associated with younger age, lower depressive symptoms, and higher resilience in individuals with RCRSP. Future research should explore whether resilience and physical activity interventions can prevent the transition to persistent RCRSP.

Re-Engagement in Physical Activity Slows the Decline in Older Adults' Well-Being - A Longitudinal Study.

Physical activity is recommended for older adults; however, the benefits of previous active engagement in physical activity that can be sustained after one becomes inactive remain to be determined. This study investigated the longitudinal associations between physical activity engagement patterns and older adults' well-being. This population-based cohort study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study between 2015 and 2020. People aged 60 years and above were included, and they were categorized as active engagers if they reported engaging in at least 10 min of moderate and/or vigorous exercise consecutively per week in each survey year. Older adults' well-being was evaluated using the healthy aging score, and geographical variations were visualized. The generalized estimating equations model was adopted to examine the differences between various physical activity engagement patterns and older adults' well-being. Among the 3300 older adults (50.5% men; age 66.9 ± 5.7 years) during the five years of follow-up, engagement in physical activity increased from 31.7% to 59.6%. However, their well-being decreased gradually, especially among those who were inactive engagers (beta = -0.20 to -0.21). Physical activity engagement patterns appeared to slow decline in well-being. Geographical variations were noted, with more favorable healthy aging scores observed in northern China than in southern China. As older adults age, well-being deteriorates, and disengagement of physical activity accelerates the rate of decline. Re-engagement in physical activity can slow the rate of decline in well-being. Early identification of and intervention in inactive engagement in physical activity reduce the detrimental effects on older adult's well-being. A national health initiative is an effective strategy to create a supportive environment for older adults to continue and engage in physical activity. The participation of healthcare professionals and community parties is important to encourage and engage older adults in physical activity.

The Association of Physical Activity With Overweight/Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in Nepalese Adults: Evidence From a Nationwide Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Survey.

The rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a significant public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to explore the association between physical activity levels, overweight/obesity, and T2DM in a nationwide survey of Nepalese adults. This was a secondary analysis of the 2019 non-communicable diseases (NCD) risk factors STEPS survey conducted in Nepal. Demographic and anthropometric data, body mass index (BMI) and T2DM status were collected along with assessment of physical activity using Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). A two-stage data analysis was conducted, first using descriptive statistics to summarize participant characteristics and differences across BMI and T2DM status, and then applying multivariate analyses to assess associations between physical activity levels, BMI and T2DM. Of the 5284 participants included, 28.0% had overweight/obesity, 5.8% had obesity, and 6.5% had T2DM. The mean age of the participants was 40.1years (95% CI: 39.8-40.6), and 63.9% were female. The overall physical activity energy expenditure was higher in the lean group (BMI<25kg/m2) compared to the those with overweight/obesity, and among participants without T2DM compared to those with T2DM. Sedentary behavior was more common among individuals with overweight/obesity and T2DM. A higher proportion of participants with low physical activity was observed in the overweight/obesity group compared to the lean group (8.9% vs. 6.3%) and the T2DM group compared to the non-T2DM group (11.7% vs. 6.7%). Low physical activity was associated with overweight/obesity (OR:1.4; 95% CI:1.1-1.8), obesity (OR:2.1; 95% CI:1.5-2.3), T2DM (OR:1.6; 95% CI:1.1-2.3) and T2DM in the presence of obesity (OR:3.6; 95% CI:1.7-7.8). This study highlights the low rates of physical activity and higher rates of sedentary behavior among adults with overweight/obesity and T2DM in Nepal. Public health interventions promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior may help reduce the burden of these NCDs.

Physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns after early-onset colorectal cancer diagnosis.

74 Background: Sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity are established risk factors for colorectal cancer diagnosed among adults younger than age 50 years (early-onset CRC). However, patterns of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in patients after an early-onset CRC diagnosis are less understood. Methods: The Reproductive Health After Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment (REACT) Study is a patient-partnered, cross-sectional study in cooperation with 23 community partners and patient advocates that recruited adults with a first primary cancer (diagnosis age: 18-49 years) over an 8-week period (October to December 2021). Patient-reported sociodemographic, cancer and cancer impact, PA and SB questions were prospectively collected via questionnaire. Frequency, duration and intensity of leisure-time, work-related and transportation-related PA were summed as minutes per week (min/wk). Time spent on SB was calculated by hours spent sitting on a typical day. Diagnosis age- and year-adjusted Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated between PA and SB by cancer treatment status. Results: A total of 131 patients were diagnosed with a first primary early-onset CRC between 2016 and 2021 (median [IQR] age, 40.0 [35-45] years; 82.4% female) in REACT. One hundred thirteen patients (86.3%) were concerned about their physical fitness or getting enough exercise after cancer diagnosis—of whom 62.8% (n=71 of 113) were somewhat or very concerned about their physical fitness/exercise. Among 80 patients with early-onset CRC and complete PA/SB data (86.3% female), 28.8% were not adherent to PA guidelines for aerobic activity (≥150 min/wk) and 56.3% reported long sedentary time (&gt;6 hr/day). The proportion of patients across PA/SB groups also statistically significantly differed by treatment status among those diagnosed between 2019 and 2021 (p=0.049), but not between 2016 and 2018 (p=0.25). While PA was not significantly correlated with SB for early-onset CRC patients who were not actively undergoing treatment (r=-0.16, p =0.32), there was a statistically significant moderate inverse correlation between PA with SB among early-onset CRC patients under active cancer treatment (r=-0.58, p =0.004). Conclusions: One in every 2 early-onset CRC patients reported long sedentary time and one in every 4 early-onset CRC patients in this study did not meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. With over 80% of patients expressing concern about their physical activity and exercise after an early-onset CRC diagnosis, and differences in PA/SB patterns observed by treatment status, these findings warrant prospective, longitudinal studies of objectively-measured PA and SB among young patients in order to support tailored strategies (e.g., exercise prescriptions) that improve patient health and outcomes across the CRC continuum.

Association between physical activity, smartphone usage, and obesity risk among Korean adolescents: A cross-sectional study based on 2021 Korean adolescent health behavior survey.

With adolescent obesity rates steadily rising, it has become crucial to identify modifiable risk factors to develop effective interventions. This study explores the associations between physical activity (PA) levels, smartphone usage, and obesity risk among Korean adolescents, aiming to inform the design of targeted health promotion programs to mitigate obesity rates in this demographic. This cross-sectional analysis used data from 50,407 Korean adolescents who participated in the 2021 Adolescent Health Behavior Online Survey. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests compared PA patterns, sedentary behavior, and smartphone usage between adolescents with obesity and those without obesity. To examine the impact of key exposure factors-including PA, muscle strengthening exercises (MSE), sedentary behavior, and smartphone usage-on obesity risk, binary logistic regression models were used, adjusting for grade level, economic status, and other potential confounders. Male adolescents exercising "3-4 times/week" had a significantly higher obesity risk compared to those with no PA (OR=1.144, 95% CI: 1.032-1.267, p<0.01). Similarly, females exercising "3-4 times/week" (OR=1.208, 95% CI: 1.048-1.393, p<0.01) or "≥ 5 times/week" (OR=1.333, 95% CI: 1.087-1.636, p<0.01) also showed increased risk. Both males and females participating in high-intensity PA (HIPA) "1-2 times/week" were at higher risk (males: OR=1.110, 95% CI: 1.011-1.219, p<0.01; females: OR=1.427, 95% CI: 1.283-1.587, p<0.001). Conversely, MSE was linked to a significant reduction in obesity risk across most frequency groups, especially in males (OR=0.450, 95% CI: 0.399-0.508, p<0.001). For sedentary behavior, females with ≥6h of weekday non-learning sedentary time (SWD-N) had increased obesity risk (OR=1.210, 95% CI: 1.002-1.462, p<0.01), as did males with ≥6h of weekend sedentary time (SWK-N) (OR=1.334, 95% CI: 1.154-1.542, p<0.001) and females with ≥6h of weekend smartphone usage (SPWK_TM) (OR=1.567, 95% CI: 1.066-2.303, p<0.01). The findings reveal complex relationships between PA, MSE, sedentary behavior, and smartphone usage in the context of adolescent obesity. Certain PA levels, particularly 3-4 times/week and≥5 times/week for females, and HIPA frequency were associated with increased obesity risk. In contrast, MSE significantly reduced obesity risk across genders, with the most substantial effects observed in males engaging in MSE≥5 times/week. Only associations meeting the p<0.01 threshold were interpreted in this study to ensure robust conclusions. These results emphasize the importance of promoting MSE and balanced sedentary behavior patterns to reduce adolescent obesity risk, suggesting health policies should address these factors with a focus on gender-specific and age-specific strategies. However, limitations such as the lack of nutrition data, unassessed PA intensity, and HIPA duration should be addressed in future research.

Associations Between Intrinsic Motivation, Exercise Attitudes, Physical Activity, and Mental Health in Young Adolescents: An Integrated Motivational Perspective

ABSTRACT Purpose: Physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH) are priorities for health promotion during early adolescence. This study explored associations between intrinsic motivation for PA, exercise attitudes, PA and MH in young adolescents. Methods: Participants were 315 students (Mage = 11.41; SD = 2.09; 45.1% girls) conveniently sampled from two private British schools in Dubai. Data were collected via a survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: As hypothesized, higher intrinsic motivation was directly associated with more favorable exercise attitudes, and attitudes was directly associated with increased PA. Unexpectedly, however, PA was not associated with better MH outcomes. A better fitting model was specified in which attitudes was directly associated with both PA and MH. Conclusions: Further research examining associations between exercise attitudes, PA, and MH in young adolescents is warranted.

The neural correlates of physical exercise-induced general cognitive gains: A systematic review and meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies.

The general-domain effect of physical exercise-induced cognitive gains in behavioral outcomes is well-documented, but a consensus on the neural correlates remains elusive. This meta-analysis aims to identify the neural correlates of physical exercise-induced general cognitive gains by examining task-related brain activation consistently modulated by physical exercise and its relationship to those gains. Our analysis of 52 studies with 1503 participants shows that physical exercise enhances cognitive task performance (Hedges' g = 0.271) and consistently increases task-related brain activation primarily in the bilateral precuneus. These increases in task-related brain activation correlate positively with cognitive task performance improvements improvements. Notably, physical exercise intensity, adherence, and social environment significantly modulate task-related brain activation changes induced by physical exercise. This meta-analysis offers an unprecedented comprehensive assessment of how physical exercise modulates task-related brain activation changes, providing neural evidence to support the general-domain effects on cognitive function induced by physical exercise.

Neighborhood disorder and social cohesion: A longitudinal investigation of links with maternal cardiometabolic risk one year postpartum.

Neighborhood characteristics can influence cardiometabolic health, including during the perinatal period. However, maternal health research has largely examined the influence of objective neighborhood measures, limiting insights into psychological and social processes. We examined associations of perceived neighborhood disorder and social cohesion with maternal cardiometabolic risk 1year postpartum and explored potential pathways of psychological distress and physical activity. A predominantly low-income sample of Black, Latina, and White postpartum women (n=987) were participants in the Community Child Health Network study. Women reported on neighborhood characteristics at 1month postpartum and on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder and physical activity at 6months postpartum. Biometrics and biological samples were collected at 1year postpartum, including blood pressure, height, weight, and dried blood spots for cardiometabolic biomarkers (e.g., C-reactive protein, glycosylated hemoglobin). In this pre-registered study, we used structural equation modeling to estimate latent variables for disorder, social cohesion, distress, physical activity, and cardiometabolic risk. We fit a parallel mediation model to test associations between latent neighborhood factors at 1month postpartum, distress and physical activity at 6months postpartum, and cardiometabolic risk at 1year postpartum. Greater social cohesion, but not disorder, was significantly associated with lower distress and greater physical activity. However, there were no significant associations between disorder or social cohesion with subsequent cardiometabolic risk nor evidence for indirect effects of distress or physical activity. Results suggest that social cohesion may be more pertinent than disorder for health-relevant behavioral mechanisms in postpartum women.

The mediating effect of psychosomatic symptoms between physical activity and cognitive function among breast cancer patients: A path analysis.

Psychosomatic symptoms are frequently observed side effects in breast cancer (BC) patients and significantly influence cognitive function. However, limited research has addressed the role of psychosomatic symptoms in the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function. This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of psychosomatic symptoms on the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in BC patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted across 10 hospitals in China from April 2022 to February 2023. Cognitive function was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function scale. Exercise frequency, sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, and depression were measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire, Cancer Fatigue Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively, among 741 BC patients. Correlation analysis and path analysis were performed to explore associations between variables. The prevalence of cognitive impairment in BC patients was found to be 9.58%. The path model demonstrated the best fit when age was included as a moderating variable, and the association between age and sleep disorders was controlled. Physical activity showed a negative correlation with both psychosomatic symptoms and cognitive impairment (p<0.05). It exerted a direct impact on cognitive impairment (20.3%, p<0.001) and an indirect impact mediated through anxiety and depression (6.3%, p<0.001). The total effect in the model was 38.6% (p<0.001). Physical activity has a pivotal role in improving cognitive function in BC patients, both through direct mechanisms and indirectly by reducing anxiety and depression. While enhancements in sleep quality and fatigue levels were observed, their influence on cognitive function did not reach statistical significance, indicating the need for further research. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating psychological symptom management into supportive care plans to aid cognitive recovery. A combination of physical activity and psychological interventions could provide synergistic benefits, potentially boosting cognitive improvement and enhancing the overall quality of life in BC patients.

Can intelligent virtual assistants improve cognitive function in older adults? A two-wave mediation study.

This study aims to investigate whether social networks and physical exercise mediate the relationship between new and constant use of intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) and cognitive function in older adults in China and explore the potential differences across living arrangements and education levels. This study utilized nationally representative longitudinal data from 2018 to 2020, including a sample of 8343 older adults aged 60-80. A path-analytic model was employed to examine the relationship between IVAs use and cognitive function, as well as the mediating roles of social networks and physical exercise. Constant and new IVAs use significantly affected cognitive function, mediated by social networks and physical exercise. For older adults living alone, both types of IVAs use had positive direct and indirect effects. Those living with children benefited mainly from new IVAs use, with indirect effects through physical exercise. Among less educated older adults, only new IVAs use showed significant effects through social networks. For those with higher education, both constant and new IVAs use positively impacted cognitive function directly and indirectly. The use of IVAs can significantly improve cognitive function in older adults, with social networks and physical exercise being important mediating pathways. Policy suggestions were provided based on these results.

Associations of physical activity, screen time, sleep duration with optimal eating habits among adolescents

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the associations of physical activity, screen time and sleep duration with various eating habits among children. MethodsThe data were collected from six surveys of the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey conducted in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021, with a total of 78, 697 participants with complete information. Information on demographic characteristics (e.g., sex, age), physical activity, screen time, sleep duration, and eating habits was collected via a self-reported questionnaire. A series of logistic regressions were used to assess the association between independents and outcomes. Results were presented as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). ResultsA dose-response relationship was observed between the number of guidelines (i.e., physical activity, screen time, sleep) achieved by adolescents and improved eating habits compared to those not meeting any guidelines. For example, meeting any one (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.17-1.41), any two (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.33-1.62), and all three (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.73-2.61) guidelines were associated with more fruit consumption. Moreover, meeting all three guidelines was associated with a higher likelihood of meeting guidelines for fruit juice (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.23-1.60), fruit (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.74-2.62), other vegetables (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.33-1.84), milk (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.28-1.66), breakfast (OR = 2.80, 95% CI = 2.41-3.25), and soda or pop (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.04-1.30) compared to not meeting any guidelines. ConclusionsFindings from this population-based study indicate that meeting the combination of physical activity, screen time, sleep guidelines is associated with better eating habits. Notably, meeting the physical activity guidelines or its combination shows the strongest associations with favourable dietary habits among adolescents. Future research should further explore effective strategies to promote entire 24-hour movement behaviours, especially physical activity, which can be useful to optimise eating habits in adolescents.

Patterns of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep across pregnancy before and during two COVID pandemic years.

Physical activity is recommended during pregnancy, and high sedentary behavior and poor sleep may increase the risk of pregnancy complications. Activity patterns and sleep were negatively impacted by the COVID pandemic in many segments of the population, but the impact of the pandemic on pregnant people is understudied. We aimed to compare patterns of physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep during pregnancy between a pre-COVID and a COVID-era cohort. Physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep in each trimester of pregnancy were compared between two parallel prospective observational cohorts using identical collection methods. Pre-COVID participants (n=111) were recruited in 2017-2019 and COVID-era participants (n=117) from 2021-2023. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured using the activPAL3 micro accelerometer, and sleep duration was self-reported. Between-cohort comparisons were conducted using linear regression for each behavior in each trimester. Within-COVID-era cohort linear regression analyses assessed whether activity patterns differed as pandemic-era restrictions were eased. Participant demographics were similar between cohorts except for self-reported income. Adjusted mean moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was 57-77 min/week higher in each trimester in pre-COVID compared to COVID-era participants (p<0.001); adjusted mean sedentary time was 0.77-1.13 hours/day lower in each trimester (p<0.01) and sleep duration was 0.8 hours/day lower in the third trimester in the pre-COVID compared to COVID-era cohort (p<0.05). Within the COVID-era cohort, no significant within-trimester differences were detected across the pandemic years. Pregnant participants during the COVID pandemic were less active and more sedentary than their pre-pandemic counterparts, and this trend was still detected years after the pandemic began. A more sedentary lifestyle during pregnancy may have health implications, and prenatal care providers should help pregnant people identify strategies to adopt an active lifestyle in the context of pandemic-era barriers.

Does habit strength moderate affective responses to movement-related behaviors among older adults?

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are associated with affective feeling states in older adults, though the strength and direction of associations vary. This study used the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to determine how habit strength affects affective responses to movement behaviors. Older adults completed a 4-day EMA protocol with 10 randomly delivered, smartphone assessments per day while simultaneously wearing two activity monitors recording PA and SB. Multilevel models assessed whether habit strength moderated positive and negative activated and deactivated affective responses following movement behaviors. Older adults with stronger PA habits had a more positive within-person association between steps in the 30 minutes before the prompt and positive deactivated affect at the prompt compared to older adults with weaker PA habits (B = 0.001, p < 0.05). Older adults with stronger SB habits had a more positive within-person association between time spent sitting in the 30 and 60 minutes before the prompt and negative activated affect at the prompt compared to older adults with weaker SB habits (30 min: B = 0.001, p < 0.05; 60 min: B = 0.001, p < 0.05). PA habits may enhance positive affective responses to PA further encouraging engagement in PA, while SB habits exacerbate negative affective responses to SB in older adults.

Isolating the role of researcher observation on reactivity to the measurement of physical activity.

Reactivity to physical activity (PA) measurement may result from the introduction of a measurement device, researcher observation, or both. Accessing data from prior to study enrollment afforded the rare opportunity to compare behavior during versus prior to participation. This study introduced researcher observation among adults who owned their own PA monitoring device, to test whether measurement reactivity can also be observed in experienced PA trackers, by comparing their data from before versus after the introduction of observation. In addition, the salience of researcher observation was manipulated to test for potential effects. Participants were 252 adults in the U.S. They completed two electronic surveys 14 days apart, in which they recorded steps per day as collected by their PA monitors over the previous 14 days. At the end of the first survey, they were randomized to view messages, which differed in emphasis on repeating entry of step data (i.e., "low" vs. "high" salience of researcher observation). Daily step counts did not change between 14-day reporting periods, though patterns differed by gender and starting level of PA. Patterns did not differ between experimental conditions. Overall, introducing researcher observation without introducing an unfamiliar measurement device results in no meaningful reactivity with respect to PA.

Sleep and physical activity patterns in relation to daily-life symptoms in psychosis: An actigraphy and experience sampling study.

Sleep disturbances and reduced physical activity (PA) are important risk factors for poor physical and mental health outcomes in people with psychosis. However, the precise interrelations between sleep, PA and psychopathology remain unclear. This study combined experience sampling (ESM) and actigraphy in thirty-two patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder to investigate interrelations of day-to-day variations in actigraphic estimates of PA and sleep and psychotic and affective symptoms. Multilevel mixed-models show that subjects reported more positive affect on more physically active days. Unexpectedly, participants reported worse next-day negative affect and/or psychotic symptoms after nights with higher sleep continuity, as consistently indicated by sleep efficiency and the mean duration of bouts of wake and sleep. Lastly, PA was higher after nights with higher sleep continuity and shorter total sleep duration. These results highlight that modifiable lifestyle factors such as PA and sleep have an intricate, but clinically relevant relationship with psychotic and affective symptoms. Future studies are needed to further examine the complex effects of these behaviors in order to develop effective, targeted treatment strategies to improve clinical outcome in psychosis.

Associations between lifestyle and well-being in early and late pregnancy in women with overweight or obesity: Secondary analyses of the PEARS RCT.

The associations between individual lifestyle behaviours and well-being are still poorly understood, particularly in the antenatal period when women are exposed to physiological changes and increased psychological distress. A healthy lifestyle score (HLS) comprising protective lifestyle behaviours may be useful for studying links between overall lifestyle and psychosocial outcomes. This study aimed to examine bidirectional associations between a HLS and its components and psychological well-being in pregnant women with overweight/obesity. Secondary analyses of data from the PEARS trial. Healthy lifestyle scores (scored 0-5) based on maternal diet (AHEI-P), physical activity (MET-minutes), alcohol consumption, smoking, and sleep habits were created for 330 and 287 mothers with overweight/obesity in early (14-16 weeks gestation) and late pregnancy (28 weeks gestation), respectively. Psychological well-being was measured with the WHO-5 well-being index. Cross-lagged path models (crude/adjusted) tested the directionality of relationships between lifestyle (composite score/individual components) and well-being cross-sectionally and over time in pregnancy. The mean early pregnancy BMI was 29.2 kg/m2. The mean well-being score was 56.3% in early and 60.7% in late pregnancy. Significant autoregressive effects were observed for the HLS, all individual components, and well-being from early to late pregnancy. Well-being was positively correlated with the HLS, physical activity, and sleep variables within time points (in early and/or late pregnancy). Sleep and no smoking in early pregnancy predicted higher well-being in late pregnancy. Overall healthy lifestyle, physical activity, and especially sleep duration and quality are associated with psychological well-being in pregnancy, and should be promoted antenatally.

The effect of the work-family conflict, subjective socio-economic status, and physical activity on the perceived quality of life of working women in Iran: the mediating role of quality of work life

IntroductionThe conflict between work and family responsibilities has created many challenges for working women in Iran. This study aimed to examine the effect of work-family conflict (WFC), subjective socio-economic status (SSS), and physical activity (PA) and quality of working life (QWL) on the quality of life (QOL) of working women in Kermanshah, Iran.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted with 392 working women in Kermanshah, the most populous city in western Iran. The data gathering tool was a six-part questionnaire, including demographic checklist, PA scale, a question on SSS, WFC scale, QWL questionnaire, and QOL questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS and AMOS software.ResultsThe majority of participants (69.4%) were inactive or had low levels of PA during their leisure times. The highest positive correlation was observed between QWL and QOL (r = 0.309, p-value < 0.001). The highest direct effect among the variables belonged to the SSS on QWL (β = 0.41, p-value = 0.001) and QOL (β = 0.20, p-value < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis of indirect effects indicated that QWL played a mediating role between SSS and QOL (β = 0.092, p-value < 0.001).ConclusionThe findings of this study revealed that variables such as SSS, PA, and QWL had significant direct effects on QOL. However, WFC had no significant effect on QOL. Moreover, QWL had a significant positive mediating role between SSS and QOL.

The benefits of physical literacy for human flourishing: A machine learning-based exploration of adolescents.

Physical literacy is a multidimensional concept considered fundamental for lifelong participation in physical activity. Although theories on the relationship between physical literacy and human flourishing have been proposed, no comprehensive study of this relationship in adolescents has been found. This study aimed to predict human flourishing variables (physical activity, physical health, mental health, and academic performance) that correlate highly with adolescents' physical literacy. A sample of 1004 primary and middle school students was recruited and six machine learning algorithms (decision tree, random forest, AdaBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, and k-nearest neighbours) were used. Random forest predicted physical activity, physical health, and mental health in the overall sample, with an accuracy of 53 percent, 86 per cent, and 91.7 percent, respectively; AdaBoost predicted academic performance with an accuracy of 98 per cent. Overall sample and sex subgroup predictions were generally consistent, with "sense of self and self-control" and "self-expression and communication with others" as the most significant variables. Family-type subgroup analysis results varied greatly, suggesting that one-child families should focus on "knowledge and understanding," whereas multi-child families should focus on "self-expression and communication with others." Awareness of adolescents' underlying characteristics may yield greater benefits when intervening through physical literacy.

Prediction of Different Risk Factors in Relation to Hyperlipidemia Using Framingham Risk Score and Cholesterol Risk Score in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

A condition that affects the circulatory system of the human body is referred to as a cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible for a significant number of fatalities globally. Annually, CVDs result in the demise of 17.9 million people, which accounts for 31% of all fatalities on a global scale. The objective of the study was to assess the demographic profile of diabetic and nondiabetic patients suffering from cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study is to predict risk factors in relation to hyperlipidaemia using two different scales, the Framingham Risk Scale (FRS) and the Cholesterol Risk Calculator (CRC), and to determine the frequency of hypercholesterolemia in relation to CVD. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Punjab, India. The mean age of patients was found to be M= (51.23), SD= (9.348) years, and among 331 patients (52.6%) were female patients. The mean of Framingham Risk Score was found to be (29.07%). The Framingham Risk Score was found significant with gender and calorie intake below the recommended dietary allowances of the patient (p=0.001). The Framingham Risk Score was found significant with physical activity and employment status of the patients (p= 0.001). In linear regression, the Framingham Risk Score was found significant with the lipid profile of the patients (p=0.001) i.e., the higher the value of cholesterol level, the higher the Framingham Risk Score. The chi-square test showed a significant relation between Cholesterol Risk Score and employment status, physical activity, calorie intake, gender, and occupation of the patients (p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.004) respectively. The present study demonstrated that patients with high Framingham risk score and cholesterol risk score are at increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The present study concludes that the FRS is higher in patients below RDA, patients doing low physical activity, and sedentary workers. In order to provide proper assistance and counselling, healthcare professionals must continuously analyze each patient's risk factor for CVD and barriers to healthy and preventive behaviors. There is a lack of comprehensive studies comparing the effectiveness of the Framingham Risk Score and Cholesterol Risk Score in predicting hyperlipidemia and associated cardiovascular risks within the context of a tertiary care hospital setting.