Physical Activity Choices Research Articles

An Intersectional Mixed Methods Approach to Understand American Indian Men's Health.

This study used a parallel convergent mixed methods design with TribalCrit theory and intersectionality as analytical frameworks to identify how American Indian men's identities intersect with broader structures and systems to shape their eating and physical activity choices and behaviors, and to elicit recommendations for a men's lifestyle intervention. AI men were recruited in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Portland, Oregon between March and December 2017 and in Phoenix, Arizona in December 2019 to participate in a survey and focus groups. The survey included demographic questions and questions about physical and cultural activities men engage in, perceived social support for lifestyle behaviors, masculine characteristics, and values important to American Indian men. The 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was used to assess psychological distress. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed for a phenomenological analysis. Descriptive statistics and correlations were computed for survey data. We conducted 15 focus groups with 151 adult American Indian men in three urban sites. The mean age of participants ranged from 36-51 across the sites; 7%-32% were college graduates; 13%-22% were currently married and 28%-41% were working full time. The most important values reported by participants were being: strong mentally and emotionally, a good parent, responsible, spiritual, and a good spouse or partner. On the K6 psychological distress scale, 63%-70% scored ≥5 but <13 (moderate mental distress), and 8%-15% scored ≥13 indicating severe mental distress. Younger age was significantly correlated with higher mean K6 score (p < .0001). Colonizers and missionaries that settled in the U.S. imposed cultural and gender hegemony which enforced a patriarchal capitalist system that have had long-lasting and deleterious effects on American Indians, particularly American Indian men.

Evaluation of policy measures to promote a healthy diet and physical activity: The PEN Project

Abstract Issue There is a knowledge gap regarding the effectiveness of policies to change the upstream drivers of health-related behaviours like physical activity (PA) and food choice in a favourable direction. Description of the problem No systematic evaluation of policy interventions across Europe is currently being conducted, thus little information on the merit or utility of policy interventions is available and no guidance on how to address this gap exists. Expected Results PEN will provide tools to evaluate and benchmark policies addressing PA, unhealthy diets and sedentary behaviour (SB) while accounting for existing health inequalities. From February 2019 to January 2022, a multi-disciplinary research network from Europe and New Zealand will interact with policy makers and experts in policy development, implementation and evaluation to (1) assess public policies with potential influence on food and PA environments, (2) foster a harmonised pan-European surveillance system, (3) model the population level impact of policies, (4) evaluate facilitators and barriers of policy implementation processes, (5) give recommendations for an equity and diversity perspective in these policies. It will refine appropriate research designs and methods for the quantification of policy impact. Lessons PEN has adopted the INFORMAS approach to monitor, benchmark and support public and private sector actions in selected European countries to increase healthy food environments and reduce obesity and NCDs and their related inequalities. PEN has expanded this approach to develop a PA policy environment index. It has advanced the roadmap for a harmonized European surveillance system and derived a set of indicators for dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours including their upstream drivers. Key messages PEN strives to achieve implementation of evidence-based policies in different cultural or socio-economic settings with focus on vulnerable groups. PEN will give recommendations on how research designs and methods for the quantification of policy impact can be improved.

Parenting and social-ecological correlates with children's health behaviours: A latent profile analysis.

Paediatric obesity poses dangers to children's short and long-term health. Multi-level ecological models posit how children's health behaviours are influenced by interpersonal relationships. To identify profiles of individual and interpersonal health behaviours and parenting skills among caregivers and their children with elevated BMI. Participants were 240 children (63.7% Latino) ages 5 to 12 years with body mass index ≥85th percentile and their caregivers in a paediatric weight management intervention trial. A latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles among caregiver report of parenting skills; child physical activity, eating behaviours, and food and beverage choices; family mealtime, media and sleep routines; and parent health behaviours, and associations with food and housing insecurity. A three-class model was chosen based on conceptual interpretation and model fit. Profiles were differentiated by parenting skills, child food choices, child physical activity habits, family mealtime, media, and sleep routines, and parent health behaviours. Food and housing insecurity were associated with class membership while child and caregiver anthropometrics were not. Distinct profiles existed among this low-income, racially/ethnically diverse sample of children with elevated BMI. Such findings emphasize the importance of assessing individual and interpersonal influences and contextual factors on childhood obesity.

Diabetes, Weight Change, and Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in the United States; however, few high-risk groups have been identified to facilitate early diagnosis strategies. To evaluate the association of diabetes duration and recent weight change with subsequent risk of pancreatic cancer in the general population. This cohort study obtained data from female participants in the Nurses' Health Study and male participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, with repeated exposure assessments over 30 years. Incident cases of pancreatic cancer were identified from self-report or during follow-up of participant deaths. Deaths were ascertained through reports from the next of kin, the US Postal Service, or the National Death Index. Data collection was conducted from October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018. Data analysis was performed from January 1, 2019, to June 30, 2019. Duration of physician-diagnosed diabetes and recent weight change. Hazard ratios (HRs) for subsequent development of pancreatic cancer. Of the 112 818 women (with a mean [SD] age of 59.4 [11.7] years) and 46 207 men (with a mean [SD] age of 64.7 [10.8] years) included in the analysis, 1116 incident cases of pancreatic cancers were identified. Compared with participants with no diabetes, those with recent-onset diabetes had an age-adjusted HR for pancreatic cancer of 2.97 (95% CI, 2.31-3.82) and those with long-standing diabetes had an age-adjusted HR of 2.16 (95% CI, 1.78-2.60). Compared with those with no weight loss, participants who reported a 1- to 4-lb weight loss had an age-adjusted HR for pancreatic cancer of 1.25 (95% CI, 1.03-1.52), those with a 5- to 8-lb weight loss had an age-adjusted HR of 1.33 (95% CI, 1.06-1.66), and those with more than an 8-lb weight loss had an age-adjusted HR of 1.92 (95% CI, 1.58-2.32). Participants with recent-onset diabetes accompanied by weight loss of 1 to 8 lb (91 incident cases per 100 000 person-years [95% CI, 55-151]; HR, 3.61 [95% CI, 2.14-6.10]) or more than 8 lb (164 incident cases per 100 000 person-years [95% CI, 114-238]; HR, 6.75 [95% CI, 4.55-10.00]) had a substantially increased risk for pancreatic cancer compared with those with neither exposure (16 incident cases per 100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 14-17). Incidence rates were even higher among participants with recent-onset diabetes and weight loss with a body mass index of less than 25 before weight loss (400 incident cases per 100 000 person-years) or whose weight loss was not intentional judging from increased physical activity or healthier dietary choices (334 incident cases per 100 000 person-years). This study demonstrates that recent-onset diabetes accompanied by weight loss is associated with a substantially increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer. Older age, previous healthy weight, and no intentional weight loss further elevate this risk.

Physical activity and dietary habits of first year nursing students: An Australian dual-method study

ABSTRACT Background Student transition to university may contribute to weight gain, decreased physical activity and unhealthy dietary habits. The ‘freshman 15’ phenomenon reported a 15 pound weight gain (6.8 kg) in US college students during their first year of study. It is unknown whether these findings apply to nursing students in Australia. Aim To explore health behaviours and potential weight change of nursing students during first year university. Methods A dual-method longitudinal study recruited participants from one university. Anthropometric and health questionnaire data were collected at semester commencement and seven months later, and analysed descriptively. Semi-structured interview data were collected from a sub-sample of participants, and examined by thematic analysis. Findings Baseline data was completed by 145 respondents, with 35 (24%) returning for follow up. Median weight gain was 1.9 kg at seven months, with a higher proportion of participants ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ and reporting ‘very poor to fair’ health. Self-reported physical and dietary behaviours fluctuated, with insufficient time a barrier to achieving a healthy lifestyle while maintaining academic requirements. Emergent themes related to time, perspectives on health and wellbeing, transitioning to university, prior behaviours and adaptability, future supports, and recommendations for improving health behaviours. Discussion Modest weight gains were evident, but not to the extent of the ‘freshman 15’. Transition to university is a critical period of change with reduced engagement in regular physical activity and healthy dietary choices. Conclusion Risk factors associated with transition to university were identified, highlighting opportunities for future interventions in healthy lifestyle support for nursing students.

P153 A Homeless Health and Wellness Study

<h3>Background</h3> Utah State University Extension, Brigham Young University, the Utah Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), and a local homeless resource center, the Food and Care Coalition (FCC), have partnered to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a nutrition and physical activity program aimed to improve behaviors of adults experiencing or transitioning out of homelessness. <h3>Objective</h3> Formative research was conducted to identify factors influencing healthy food and physical activity choices among people experiencing or transitioning out of homelessness in Utah. The information obtained was used to modify an adult nutrition education curriculum, Create Better Health, for this specific population. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Trained research assistants conducted semi-structured, in-person interviews with key stakeholders at the FCC. Nine interviews were conducted with FCC's administration/staff (n = 4) and transitional housing residents (n = 5). Interviews lasted about 60 minutes and were audio-recorded and transcribed. Questions included topics of interest for nutrition classes, the structure of transitional housing units, challenges to healthy eating and physical activity, influences on food choices, and local healthy food access. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Transcriptions were independently coded by 4 reviewers with expertise in nutrition, exercise science, and health education. Codes were then compared to identify patterns and overarching themes. Data was used to tailor the Create Better Health curriculum. <h3>Results</h3> Preliminary analysis identified emergent themes including: how residents obtain food; barriers to healthy eating, exercise, and obtaining food; food preparation resources and living environment; and ideas for effective program implementation. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Formative evaluation is essential to developing effective programming to improve behaviors of specific populations, including those transitioning out of homelessness. Improving dietary and physical activity behaviors may help individuals build a foundation of wellness.

P128 Measuring the Long-Term Effectiveness of a SNAP-Ed Curriculum

<h3>Background</h3> The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) aims to improve the dietary, physical activity and food resource management behaviors of limited resource individuals to decrease their risk of chronic diseases. Several SNAP-Ed nutrition curricula are known to be effective at changing participants' short-term behaviors. However, less research has been done to determine the long-term effectiveness of such curricula on behavior change. <h3>Objective</h3> The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the Utah's Create Better Health adult nutrition curriculum 6 months after participants completed the program. Impact on nutrition, physical activity, food safety, and food resource management behaviors were evaluated. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Adult participants (n = 150) in SNAP-Ed classes were contacted via email or phone 6 months after completing a series of 4-8 Create Better Health classes. Participants completed a 24-question retrospective pre-post survey. Survey respondents were asked 24 nutrition, physical activity, and food resource management questions. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Respondents were asked to identify the frequency of behaviors prior to and after participating in the Create Better Health series. Questions included the frequency of making healthy food and physical activity choices consistent with the Dietary and Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Food resource management practices were also assessed. Responses were compared using paired t-tests and effect size was calculated using Cohen's d. <h3>Results</h3> Respondents reported statistically significant improvements in several behaviors 6 months after participating in Create Better Health classes including consuming recommended amounts of fruits (<i>P</i> < .001, r = 1.01), vegetables (<i>P</i> < .001, r = .85), stretching food dollars to last the month (<i>P</i> < .001, r = .56), and being active for at least 30 minutes 5 times a week (<i>P</i> < .001, r = .85). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Utah SNAP-Ed's curriculum, Create Better Health, helps adult participants make and sustain healthy behavior changes for at least six months after participating in classes. This long-term behavior changes may help reduce some of the health disparities often experienced by limited resource individuals.

The control of metabolic traits by octopamine and tyramine in invertebrates.

Octopamine (OA) and tyramine (TA) are closely related biogenic monoamines that act as signalling compounds in invertebrates, where they fulfil the roles played by adrenaline and noradrenaline in vertebrates. Just like adrenaline and noradrenaline, OA and TA are extremely pleiotropic substances that regulate a wide variety of processes, including metabolic pathways. However, the role of OA and TA in metabolism has been largely neglected. The principal aim of this Review is to discuss the roles of OA and TA in the control of metabolic processes in invertebrate species. OA and TA regulate essential aspects of invertebrate energy homeostasis by having substantial effects on both energy uptake and energy expenditure. These two monoamines regulate several different factors, such as metabolic rate, physical activity, feeding rate or food choice that have a considerable influence on effective energy intake and all the principal contributors to energy consumption. Thereby, OA and TA regulate both metabolic rate and physical activity. These effects should not be seen as isolated actions of these neuroactive compounds but as part of a comprehensive regulatory system that allows the organism to switch from one physiological state to another.

Modern methods of determining the individual norm of volumes and premising intensity of the exercisable motor activity

The problem of individual approach in the organization of physical activities always assumes need of accounting of the current functional state, the level of preparedness and according to it the choice of available physical activity on intensity and duration and also admissible complexity of its performance for the purpose of improving orientation of their use. All these criteria can be defined with success on condition of accounting of dynamics and individual norm of course by adaptation reaction to the offered physical activity. The tasks still remain insufficiently resolved in many ways that defined orientation of the stated results of the conducted researches. Purpose: determination of optimum volumes of load, its intensity, duration and admissibility of structure of the offered motive actions with the subsequent determination of nutrition state and rest sufficient for holding another training; determination of static stress providing a working pose necessary for the implementation of kinematic movements of parts of a body and dynamic efforts defining these movements. Material & Methods: high-speed video filming; assessment of static stress on bending angle of biokinematic links; method of pliometric loads; method of creation of semantic spaces for ordered submission of empirical data; method of assessment of qualitative structure of a somatotype according to M. Ya. Breitman and Ch. Hirata; geometrical methods of ordered structuring of the empirical data revealing regularities of responses of organism to alteration influences. Results: t he consistent pattern of increment of size of lifting force on bending angle of knee joint is determined at control of change of static stress on bending angle of biokinematic couple hip-shin. This pattern is expressed by a logarithmic spiral that is determined by the phylogenetic nature of morphofunctional dependence of dynamics of change of lifting force. Static stress is the most effective indicator of measure of exhaustion. The used standard pliometric exercises allow estimating an exhaustion measure for change of a way of damping of movement of body in a reaction phase with support at jumping off from the standard height. It is estimated on the basis of video filming of nature of movement of a supporting leg in a support phase in run or walking. The established exponential dependence allows determining the greatest possible volume of work and intensity of its performance in the current state of the individual by mathematical calculation. Such processing is carried out in real time. The technique is developed in KhSAPC. Conclusions: the presented methods of assessment of individual norm of optimum volume of physical activity and its intensity in actual scale become possible as a result of use of modern technical means of video filming and computer programs providing creation of animation structure of movement of an object. This technique has no analogs in the world in practice of researches in sport now.

Regulações motivacionais das diferentes escolhas de atividade física no lazer de adolescentes

O objetivo desse estudo foi comparar as regulações motivacionais entre diferentes escolhas por AF no lazer em adolescentes e verificar se o volume anual de AF é diferente conforme essas escolhas. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, de base populacional, com 2.757 adolescentes de 10 a 19 anos de idade. Questionários de AF habitual e motivação foram utilizados. Houve maior prevalência de adolescentes que escolheram a prática de esportes coletivos (≈ 60%) como AF de lazer. A regulação intrínseca foi maior nos praticantes de esportes de aventura (3,0 ± 0,99; p &lt; 0,001; g de hedges = 0,55), lutas (2,90 ± 1,13; p &lt; 0,001; g de hedges = 0,46) e esportes coletivos (2,66 ± 1,14; p &lt; 0,001; g de hedges = 0,25) comparados aos adolescentes que escolheram exercícios no lazer (2,37 ± 1,15). O volume anual de AF foi maior para praticantes de esportes de aventura (z = 1,51, p &lt; 0,001), quando comparado aos demais; e maior para os praticantes de lutas (z = 0,76), quando comparado aos de esportes coletivos (z = 0,02; p = 0,02) e exercícios (z = -0,10; p &lt; 0,001). Em conclusão, as características motivacionais dos esportes de aventura e lutas podem ser observadas nas políticas e ações que visam estimular a prática de AF para jovens.

Impact of a Real-World Lifestyle Intervention in an Entire LatinAmerican City with More Than 50,000 People.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a real-world citywide intervention on physical activity and eating habits in a LatinAmerican city with more than 50,000 inhabitants. This was a plausibility assessment of a real-life intervention. A probabilistic sample (n = 1,424) from Jaguariuna (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was assessed before and after a 7-month intervention aimed at increasing physical activity levels and improving eating habits at a city level. Primary outcomes were physical activity, sedentary behavior, and eating habits assessed by a valid telephone inquiry. The secondary outcome was body weight. The proportion of individuals achieving therecommended intake of fruits and vegetables increased (18%; 95% CI: 2% to 36%; P = 0.031), whereas the number of individuals consuming soft drinks and exchanging main meals for snacks or junk food decreased (-35%; 95% CI: -45% to -22%; P < 0.001 and -16%; 95% CI: -29% to -1%; P = 0.037). The number of active individuals increased during leisure time (37%; 95% CI: 19% to 58%; P < 0.001), at work (17%; 95% CI: 4% to 32%; P = 0.009), and in the household (14%; 95% CI: 0% to 31%; P = 0.047). Body weight decreased among individuals with overweight or obesity. This intervention promoted pronounced lifestyle changes (i.e., increased physical activity and healthier food choices) in the entire city, providing scientific-based evidence on which to build effective public health policies in Latin America.

Impact of school and work status on diet and physical activity in rural Guatemalan adolescent girls: a qualitative study.

In low‐ and middle‐income countries, gender norms and access to energy‐dense, nutrient‐poor foods are well‐studied determinants of food and physical activity choices for adolescent girls. However, most work has been done in urban and school settings. In many settings, a large proportion of the adolescent population is rural or not enrolled in school. We conducted in‐depth interviews with 20 adolescent girls (ages 15–19) in Tecpán, Guatemala, a rural, largely indigenous Maya community. Interviews were coded and themes analyzed for insights into eating habits, food choices, and physical activity. Twelve participants were enrolled in school and eight were employed and not in school. Girls enrolled in school had more disrupted eating schedules and consumed more energy‐dense, nutrient‐poor foods. Girls not enrolled in school had fewer opportunities for physical activity and were more sedentary. To our knowledge, this study is the first in a low‐ and middle‐income country to consider diet and physical activity of adolescent girls enrolled and not enrolled in school. Key implications include (1) the need to reduce exposure to nutrient‐poor foods and promote healthy eating schedules in schools, and (2) the need to create community‐based opportunities for the activity for girls no longer enrolled in school.

P114 Do Parents Promote Healthy Behaviors in Young Children: An Examination of Parenting Practices and Influence of Head Start

Background While parents acknowledge the importance of promoting healthy behaviors among their preschool-aged children (3-5 years), many low-income families lack the knowledge/skills needed to effectively encourage these behaviors. Research is needed to understand the challenges parents face when promoting healthy choices to their children. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore Head Start (HS) parents’ experiences with: promoting positive dietary and physical activity (PA) choices among their preschoolers; and HS-based health-focused resources. Study Design, Settings, and Participants Researchers conducted 13 in-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews. Participants were parents of preschoolers (4-5 years) enrolled in HS. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Phenomenology was used to guide study design and analysis. Researchers identified significant statements through open-coding and grouped them into themes. Themes focused on the “how” and “what” of parents’ experiences with the phenomenon. Results Researchers identified four themes: Social Ecological (SE) Influences; Home-based Strategies for Health Promotion; HS Health Promotion Strategies for Parents; and HS Health Promotion Strategies for Children. Parents’ SE influences (e.g. knowledge, time) affected strategies they used at home, as well as their ability to engage with HS programming. Parents reported HS provided nutrition resources (e.g. classes, handouts) for parents, but parent engagement with these resources was limited. Parents also reported HS implemented strategies at school (e.g. modeling) to promote positive health behaviors among children. These HS-based strategies appeared to positively impact parents’ strategies at home. Conclusion HS parents use a variety of strategies to encourage positive health behaviors among their children and acknowledge the importance of promoting healthy behaviors. HS serves as a resource to parents, however parent engagement with these opportunities was limited potentially due to SE barriers. HS-based health promotion strategies that focused on children's education appeared to be an effective strategy for engaging parents. Funding East Carolina University.

Relationships between body weight perception, body mass index, physical activity, and food choices in Southern California male and female adolescents

ABSTRACT Understanding the relationship between body weight perception (BWP) and weight control is an important influencer on adolescents’ health behaviours. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between BWP, body mass index (BMI), physical activity and food choices in adolescent males and females (N = 1,212). Across BMI categories, more females perceived themselves as overweight and tried to control their weight, where more males tried to gain weight or never tried to control their weight (p < 0.001). Major reason for weight control was to look better followed by to improve health. Interestingly, adolescents who perceived themselves as thin consumed unhealthier foods (hamburgers and regular soda), where those who perceived themselves as fit and overweight ate healthier foods (salad and vegetables). Results of this study validate that an accurate perception of weight is critical to the success of education and behaviour intervention programs for both overweight and normal weight adolescents.

Influences on diet and physical activity choices of 11–13-year-olds in a school setting

Objective: This paper uses a qualitative approach to explore the factors that influence diet and physical activity choices of 11–13-year-olds with a particular focus on the impact of the school environment. Design: Qualitative focus groups. Setting: Three purposively sampled secondary schools in Devon, UK. Method: A total of 53 students, aged 11–13, took part in six focus groups. Thematic, framework analysis was used to analyse the data. Result: Four overarching themes emerged: (1) health now and in the future; (2) the role of others; (3) provision, temptation and addiction; and (4) boundaries, strategies and support. Participants demonstrated good knowledge of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and its importance for future health, although it was not necessarily seen as a priority at this stage of life. Key influences on their choices were their peers and family, although participants also identified that the school environment influences the food choices they make while there. Conclusion: In this study, 11–13-year-olds identified that schools could do more to support them to make healthier food choices. However, future research needs to understand the constraints schools face in terms of food provision in order to highlight possible opportunities for intervention.

How diet, physical activity and psychosocial well-being interact in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: an integrative review

BackgroundGestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is associated with future cardio-metabolic risks for the mother and her child. In addition, one-third of women with recent GDM develop postpartum depression. Given these adverse impacts of GDM on the health of the mother and her offspring, it is important to intervene on modifiable factors, such as diet, physical activity, and psychosocial well-being. This integrative review therefore explored evidence on how these modifiable factors interact in women with GDM and their offspring, and how effective combined interventions are on reducing adverse impacts of GDM.MethodsA comprehensive search strategy included carefully selected terms that corresponded to the domains of interest (diet, physical activity and psychosocial well-being). The databases searched for articles published between 1980 and February 2018 were: CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Pubmed and Cochrane. Studies that were included in this review were either observational or intervention studies that included at least two domains of interest. Articles had to at least report data on maternal outcomes of women with GDM.ResultsThe search strategies identified 14′419 citations after excluding duplicates. After screening titles and then abstracts, 114 articles were selected for detailed evaluation of their full text, and 16 were included in this review: two observational and 14 intervention studies. Results from observational studies showed that psychosocial well-being (social support and self-efficacy) were positively associated with physical activity and dietary choice. Intervention studies always included diet and physical activity interventions, although none integrated psychosocial well-being in the intervention. These lifestyle interventions mostly led to increased physical activity, improved diet and lower stress perception. Many of these lifestyle interventions also reduced BMI and postpartum diabetes status, improved metabolic outcomes and reduced the risk of preterm deliveries and low birth weight.ConclusionThis integrative review showed that psychosocial well-being interacted with diet as well as with physical activity in women with GDM. We recommend that future studies consider integrating psychosocial well-being in their intervention, as observational studies demonstrated that social support and self-efficacy helped with adopting a healthy lifestyle following GDM diagnosis.

A Case for Peer-Focused Efforts to Understand and Promote Physical Activity in Young People

In observing others and participating in social exchanges, people learn about aspects of physical activity, become inspired or discouraged to be active, and are afforded physical activity and other choices that are pursued with varying degrees of effort and persistence. With respect to children and adolescents, peers are uniquely situated social agents that we could more intensively study and leverage to the benefit of understanding and promoting physical activity. The author presents a case for expanding peer-focused physical activity research. He overviews how peers can both facilitate and undermine physical activity motivation (i.e., through desire for affiliation, social comparison, and social rejection) and how peers express structure (i.e., flocking) in ways that may offer paths to successful physical activity promotion. He then presents knowledge gaps and critical conceptual and methodological considerations that must be addressed to advance scientific understanding and peer-focused physical-activi...

Happiness and Health.

Research into the relationship between happiness and health is developing rapidly, exploring the possibility that impaired happiness is not only a consequence of ill-health but also a potential contributor to disease risk. Happiness encompasses several constructs, including affective well-being (feelings of joy and pleasure), eudaimonic well-being (sense of meaning and purpose in life), and evaluative well-being (life satisfaction). Happiness is generally associated with reduced mortality in prospective observational studies, albeit with several discrepant results. Confounding and reverse causation are major concerns. Associations with morbidity and disease prognosis have also been identified for a limited range of health conditions. The mechanisms potentially linking happiness with health include lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and dietary choice, and biological processes, involving neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and metabolic pathways. Interventions have yet to demonstrate substantial, sustained improvements in subjective well-being or direct impact on physical health outcomes. Nevertheless, this field shows great potential, with the promise of establishing a favorable effect on population health.

Implementation of Reproductive Health Gymnastics Against Female Adolescents Hemoglobin Level

Anemia in female adolescent has a risk to women's health, both short and long term which will disrupt the life cycle of women. Reproductive health exercises adopted from aerobics and SKJ 2012 are believed to be good physical activity choices, especially for female adolescents to deal with anemia problems. The purpose of this study was to prove the implementation of reproductive health exercise on the hemoglobin levels of female adolescents. This study used 30 respondents as research subjects. The intervention group was given reproductive health exercises and Fe tablets for 4 weeks with a duration of 18 minutes 3 times a week. Blood collection are namely before after treatment and menstruation. The results of this study found an increase in hemoglobin levels. The average increase in hemoglobin level from 10.43 gr/dL to 13.98 gr /dL with an increase of 3.54 gr /dL, by statistical test there was a significant difference in p-value &lt;0.05. Meanwhile, the mean hemoglobin level of the intervention group with control was different with p-value &lt;0.05. The conclusion of this study proves that the implementation of reproductive health exercise has an effect on the hemoglobin level of female adolescents.

An Exercise in Happiness: Physical Activity Choices and Psychological Wellbeing in Post-Partum Mothers

Depression in the post-partum period affects a substantial number of mothers and can have serious consequences for quality of life and parenting. It is therefore imperative that the factors that can protect against and provide resilience to parental depression are identified. Exercise and physical activity has previously been found to be effective in decreasing symptoms of depression however the efficacy of exercise as an intervention is still unclear. Using a cross-sectional design and an opportunistic sample, this study sought to explore what exercise mothers choose to, or are able to, engage in and associations with depression and social support. Three-hundred and four mothers (mean age = 32.7 years) with young children (mean age = 14.2 months) completed an online questionnaire consisting of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPNDS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and questions on their physical activity choices (what type, how often, etc). Mothers were divided into groups based on their self-reported exercise habits: No exercise (N-E), own exercise (O-E) and mother-baby exercise classes (M-B). The results found that mothers who engaged in mother-baby exercise classes had significantly less depression symptomology. Frequency of attending classes was associated with social support, with higher scores on the measure of depression related to lower levels of social support (in total and separately from family, friends, and significant others). Not participating in any exercise was reported to be related to lack of childcare and time. These results suggest that, outside of targeted interventions, mother who seek out group exercise classes gain in social support, which may be protective against depression. Assisting mothers with opportunities to engage with such classes should be a priority.