Physical Activity In Young Adults Research Articles

Improving youth physical, mental and social health through physical activity: A Systematic literature review.

Across various parts of the world there is an increasing trend in adolescent and young adult physical inactivity, which has been linked to a multitude of illnesses throughout the lifespan. To further understand the link between physical inactivity and illness, it is important to determine the effect that physical activity has various components of wellbeing. The primary aim of this review was to compile and synthesise the recent evidence on physical activity and its effect on physical, mental and social wellbeing across younger populations. The secondary aim was to determine whether there is relationship between the amount, type and intensity of exercise, and changes in wellbeing outcomes. Main databases were searched using MeSH terms for the population of interest (young adult, adolescent), intervention (physical activity) and outcome (wellbeing). Upon screening papers of eligibility, quality appraisal was completed through the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme (CASP). Nineteen studies were included in this review. The majority of studies found an associated link between the participation of physical activity and improvements in physical, mental and social wellbeing outcomes. There was evidence to suggest that lower levels of physical intensity produced similar results in mental and social outcomes when compared to higher levels of physical intensity. This review supports the encouragement of adolescent and young adult physical activity, noting the improvements seen across the physical, mental and social wellbeing outcomes. Future research is still required to further understand the benefits of lower intensity exercise within the adolescent and young adult population.

Depression Associated With COVID-19 and its Impact on Physical Activities of Young Adults of Pakistan

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a cluster of acute respiratory illnesses with unknown etiology, which firstly appeared in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. All educational institutes of Pakistan were completely closed from March 13, 2020, to August 15, 2020. This condition disturbs the daily routines of children with mental health needs. This sudden closure limited their physical activities in their routine life. This study aims to observe the depression associated with COVID-19 and its impact on the physical activities of young adults of Pakistan. Materials and Methods: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 384 young adults. A modified depression scale was used to assess depression, and the revised physical activity questionnaire was used to evaluate the physical activity of Pakistani young adults in the past month. Results: About 57.8% of the samples were sometimes sad; 44.5% sometimes felt grouchy in the mood; 43.8% never felt hopeless about the future. Also, 32.6% sometimes slept less or more than usual, 35.9% sometimes had difficulty concentrating on their work, 48.7% slept 6-8 hours per day. Besides, 49% engaged 1-3 hours in work or study per day; 43.2% watched TV, sat quietly, or listened to music for 1-3 hours. About 57.8% engaged less than 1 hour per week in light physical activities. Also, 77.9% engaged for less than 1 hour per week in moderately strenuous activities. Conclusion: Depression could be highly associated with the COVID-19 outbreak, and it might affect the physical activities of young adults.

Enhancing the Physical Activity Levels of Frail Older Adults with a Wearable Activity Tracker-Based Exercise Intervention: A Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

A wearable activity tracker (WAT) incorporated with behavioral change techniques (BCTs) increases physical activity in younger adults; however, its effectiveness with frail older adults is unknown. The feasibility and preliminary effects of a WAT-based exercise intervention to increase physical activity levels in frail older adults was investigated in this pilot study involving 40 community-dwelling frail older adults. The experimental group received a 14-week WAT-based group exercise intervention and a 3-month follow-up, while the control group only received similar physical training and all BCTs. The recruitment rate was 93%, and the average attendance rate was 85.2% and 82.2% in the WAT and control groups, respectively, establishing feasibility. Adherence to wearing the WAT was 94.2% and 92% during the intervention and follow-up periods, respectively. A significant interaction effect between time and group was found in all physical assessments, possibly lasting for 3 months post-intervention. However, no significant difference between groups was observed in any daily activity level by the ActiGraph measurement. The majority of the WAT group’s ActiGraph measurements reverted to baseline levels at the 1-month follow-up. Thus, the WAT-based exercise program has potential for employment among community-dwelling frail older adults, but sustaining the effects after the intervention remains a major challenge.

Long-term effectiveness of an mHealth-tailored physical activity intervention in youth with congenital heart disease: A randomized controlled trial.

To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the Care & Organize Our Lifestyle (COOL) programme, a self-regulation theory-based mHealth programme, on improving disease knowledge and physical activity in youth with congenital heart disease (CHD). A three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total 143 participants with simple and moderate CHD aged 15-24years were recruited from June 2016 to February 2018. The 12-month programme compared two active intervention groups to a standard-care control group (n=47). Participants in one active intervention group (n=49) were provided with COOL Passport, a mobile healthcare application. Those in the other group (n=47) were provided with access to the Health Promotion Cloud system and use of game-based interactive platforms along with COOL Passport. Outcomes were the Leuven Knowledge Questionnaire for Congenital Heart Disease and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Taiwan Show-Card Version. After 12months, 103 participants remained; the overall attrition rate was 28%. No significant differences were observed between the groups in any domain of disease knowledge after 6months or 1year. Neither active group exhibited significantly greater physical activity intensity than the standard-care control group in any month during the 1year. The mHealth-tailored intervention of the COOL programme did not improve disease knowledge or physical activity in young adults with CHD. The application of the COOL Passport and Health Promotion Cloud system and use of game-based interactive platforms must be modified and verified in future studies and may have clinical potential. The registry of clinical trials was ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04264650.

Relationship between Body Mass Index and Flexibility in Young Adults

BACKGROUND: Flexibility is important for general health and fitness, athletic performance, injury prevention and rehabilitation. Sedentary behavior of students leads to decreased physical fitness levels which affects flexibility. There is little evidence regarding relationship between BMI and flexibility.
 Aim: To study the relationship between BMI and flexibility and BMI and physical activity in young adults.
 Study Design: Observational study
 Place and Duration Of Study: The study was carried out at College of Physiotherapy, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, Vadodara from September 2019 to March 2020.
 Methods: Males and females between 18 to 30 years were included in the study. BMI, Sit and Reach Test for low back and hamstring flexibility, Active Knee Extension Test (AKET) for hamstrings and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) for physical activity levels were assessed.
 Results: 570 participants with mean age of 20.23±2.07 years were included. Mean BMI was 21.83±4.81 kg/m2. Number of females were 462 and males were 108. There was no significant correlation between BMI and flexibility of low back (P=.247) and hamstring (Rt) (P=.668) (Lt) (P=.354). BMI and GPAQ showed a statistically significant association (P=0.02). There was a weak positive correlation which was statistically significant between GPAQ and SART (P =0.000) and a weak negative correlation which was statistically significant between GPAQ and Rt AKET (P=0.004).
 Conclusion: There was no significant correlation found between BMI and flexibility. There was a statistically significant association between BMI and physical activity, a weak negative correlation between GPAQ and hamstring flexibility and weak positive correlation between GPAQ and SART.

The role of tax-filing status in uncovering socioeconomic and physical activity differences in college-aged students

Objective: This study examined relationships among multifaceted measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and physical activity (PA) in undergraduates. Participants were classified into dependent and independent tax filers to encapsulate the atypical divide in financial responsibility. Participants: 366 diverse American undergraduates. Methods: Participants completed an online survey including three SES metrics and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: Participants engaged in the same amount of total PA, albeit different proportions depending on SES measure and PA type. Independent tax filers engaged in more occupational PA than dependent tax filers, regardless of SES. Students with low SES engaged in less leisure-time PA than students with high SES. Conclusion: Household Material Hardship and SES proxy measures should be considered in the context of tax filing status among undergraduates. Greater precision with multifactorial SES measures will assist in providing the nuanced context when optimizing interventions and reducing barriers to increase PA in young adults.

The Great Recession and Physical Activity of Young Adults.

Objective. Since physical inactivity has been identified as a pandemic and a public health priority, it is crucial to understand the role of adverse economic shocks on physical activity. In this study, we examine the impact of job losses during the U.S. Great Recession from January 2008 to June 2009 on the likelihood of physical activities of young adults. Methods. We use individual fixed effects estimation on a nationally representative longitudinal data from 2005 to 2015, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), to examine the impact of job losses of young adults, their spouses, and their parents on physical exercise of young adults aged 18 to 27 years. Results. Own job losses during the Great Recession led to a decrease in the likelihood of physical exercise among young adults. However, job losses of parents and partners had no effect on the likelihood of young adults' physical exercise. Conclusion. Our findings indicate a negative impact of the recession on physical activity of young adults and highlights the need for policymakers to consider the impact of major economic downturns on the physical activity of young adults.

Associations among physical activity tracking, physical activity motivation and level of physical activity in young adults.

Whether physical activity (PA) tracking devices are associated with PA motivation in young adults is largely unknown. We compared total PA minutes per week, total minutes walking/week, meeting moderate-to vigorous PA guidelines, and past-year activity tracking across motivation cluster profiles among 799 young adults. Participants with "self-determined" profiles reported the highest total PA minutes/week followed by participants with "low intrinsic," "controlled self-determined," and "high external" profiles. A behavior regulation profile X activity tracking frequency interaction was not significant. Behavior regulation profiles may need to be considered in PA interventions using activity trackers.

Influence of ACE Gene I/D Polymorphism on Cardiometabolic Risk, Maximal Fat Oxidation, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Diet and Physical Activity in Young Adults.

There is controversy about the relationship between ACE I/D polymorphism and health. Seventy-four healthy adults (n = 28 women; 22.5 ± 4.2 years) participated in this cross-sectional study aimed at determining the influence of ACE I/D polymorphism, ascertained by polymerase chain reaction, on cardiometabolic risk (i.e., waist circumference, body fat, blood pressure (BP), glucose, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers), maximal fat oxidation (MFO), cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen uptake), physical activity and diet. Our results showed differences by ACE I/D polymorphism in systolic BP (DD: 116.4 ± 11.8 mmHg; ID: 116.7 ± 6.3 mmHg; II: 109.4 ± 12.3 mmHg, p = 0.035) and body fat (DD: 27.3 ± 10.8%; ID: 22.6 ± 9.7%; II: 19.3 ± 7.1%, p = 0.030). Interestingly, a genotype*sex interaction in relativized MFO by lean mass (p = 0.048) was found. The DD polymorphism had higher MFO values than ID/II polymorphisms in men (8.4 ± 3.0 vs. 6.5 ± 2.9 mg/kg/min), while the ID/II polymorphisms showed higher R-MFO values than DD polymorphism in women (6.6 ± 2.3 vs. 7.6 ± 2.6 mg/kg/min). In conclusion, ACE I/D polymorphism is apparently associated with adiposity and BP, where a protective effect can be attributed to the II genotype, but not with cardiorespiratory fitness, diet and physical activity. Moreover, our study highlighted that there is a sexual dimorphism in the influence of ACE I/D gene polymorphism on MFO.

Effectiveness of interventions and behaviour change techniques for improving physical activity in young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Physical activity (PA) participation declines from adolescence to young adulthood. This review evaluates the effectiveness of interventions aiming to improve PA among healthy young adults (17–35 years), and the effectiveness of the behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used. Six electronic databases were searched up to December 2019, for randomized controlled trials aiming to achieve PA behaviour change among young adults. In total, 66 RCTs were included. Meta-analyses for moderate-vigorous PA (n = 11 studies), steps (n = 5 studies) and total PA (MET min/week, n = 11 studies) identified that intervention participants compared with control significantly increased PA at time points up to 3 months and >3 months. Narrative synthesis identified that 34 RCTs (52%) reported significant between group differences favouring the intervention for one or more PA outcome. BCTs with the highest effectiveness were material reward, valued self-identity and habit formation. However, the overall test of significance demonstrated no significant relationship between type or number of BCTs and effectiveness. This review identified interventions that improve steps, moderate-vigorous and total PA in young adults in the shorter-term, and BCTs associated with greater effectiveness. Further research is needed to determine strategies to achieve longer-term effectiveness of PA interventions in young adults.

DNA methylation across the genome in aged human skeletal muscle tissue and muscle-derived cells: the role of HOX genes and physical activity

Skeletal muscle tissue demonstrates global hypermethylation with age. However, methylome changes across the time-course of differentiation in aged human muscle derived cells, and larger coverage arrays in aged muscle tissue have not been undertaken. Using 850K DNA methylation arrays we compared the methylomes of young (27 ± 4.4 years) and aged (83 ± 4 years) human skeletal muscle and that of young/aged heterogenous muscle-derived human primary cells (HDMCs) over several time points of differentiation (0, 72 h, 7, 10 days). Aged muscle tissue was hypermethylated compared with young tissue, enriched for; pathways-in-cancer (including; focal adhesion, MAPK signaling, PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling, p53 signaling, Jak-STAT signaling, TGF-beta and notch signaling), rap1-signaling, axon-guidance and hippo-signalling. Aged cells also demonstrated a hypermethylated profile in pathways; axon-guidance, adherens-junction and calcium-signaling, particularly at later timepoints of myotube formation, corresponding with reduced morphological differentiation and reductions in MyoD/Myogenin gene expression compared with young cells. While young cells showed little alterations in DNA methylation during differentiation, aged cells demonstrated extensive and significantly altered DNA methylation, particularly at 7 days of differentiation and most notably in focal adhesion and PI3K-AKT signalling pathways. While the methylomes were vastly different between muscle tissue and HDMCs, we identified a small number of CpG sites showing a hypermethylated state with age, in both muscle tissue and cells on genes KIF15, DYRK2, FHL2, MRPS33, ABCA17P. Most notably, differential methylation analysis of chromosomal regions identified three locations containing enrichment of 6–8 CpGs in the HOX family of genes altered with age. With HOXD10, HOXD9, HOXD8, HOXA3, HOXC9, HOXB1, HOXB3, HOXC-AS2 and HOXC10 all hypermethylated in aged tissue. In aged cells the same HOX genes (and additionally HOXC-AS3) displayed the most variable methylation at 7 days of differentiation versus young cells, with HOXD8, HOXC9, HOXB1 and HOXC-AS3 hypermethylated and HOXC10 and HOXC-AS2 hypomethylated. We also determined that there was an inverse relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression for HOXB1, HOXA3 and HOXC-AS3. Finally, increased physical activity in young adults was associated with oppositely regulating HOXB1 and HOXA3 methylation compared with age. Overall, we demonstrate that a considerable number of HOX genes are differentially epigenetically regulated in aged human skeletal muscle and HDMCs and increased physical activity may help prevent age-related epigenetic changes in these HOX genes.

A Novel Video-Based Direct Observation System for Assessing Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Children and Young Adults

Purpose: Develop a direct observation (DO) system to serve as a criterion measure for the calibration of models applied to free-living (FL) accelerometer data. Methods: Ten participants (19.4 ± 0.8 years) were video-recorded during four, one-hour FL sessions in different settings: 1) school, 2) home, 3) community, and 4) physical activity. For each setting, 10-minute clips from three randomly selected sessions were extracted and coded by one expert coder and up to 20 trained coders using the Observer XT software (Noldus, Wageningen, the Netherlands). The coder defines each whole-body movement which was further described with three modifiers: 1) locomotion, 2) activity type, and 3) MET value (used to categorize intensity level). Percent agreement was calculated for intra- and inter-rater reliability. For intra-rater reliability, the criterion coder coded all 12 clips twice, separated by at least one week between coding sessions. For inter-rater reliability, coded clips by trained coders were compared to the expert coder. Intraclass correlations (ICCs) were calculated to assess the agreement of intensity category for intra- and inter-rater comparisons described above. Results: For intra-rater reliability, mean percent agreement ranged from 91.9 ± 3.9% to 100.0 ± 0.0% across all variables in all settings. For inter-rater reliability, mean percent agreement ranged from 88.2 ± 3.5% to 100.0 ± 0.0% across all variables in all settings. ICCs for intensity category ranged from 0.74–1.00 and 0.81–1.00 for intra- and inter-rater comparisons, respectively. Conclusion: The DO system is reliable and feasible to serve as a criterion measure of FL physical activity in young adults to calibrate accelerometers, subsequently improving interpretation of surveillance and intervention research.

The Use and Effects of an App-Based Physical Activity Intervention "Active2Gether" in Young Adults: Quasi-Experimental Trial.

BackgroundInsufficient physical activity (PA) is highly prevalent and associated with adverse health conditions and the risk of noncommunicable diseases. To increase levels of PA, effective interventions to promote PA are needed. Present-day technologies such as smartphones, smartphone apps, and activity trackers offer several possibilities in health promotion.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the use and short-term effects of an app-based intervention (Active2Gether) to increase the levels of PA in young adults.MethodsYoung adults aged 18-30 years were recruited (N=104) using diverse recruitment strategies. The participants were allocated to the Active2Gether-Full condition (tailored coaching messages, self-monitoring, and social comparison), Active2Gether-Light condition (self-monitoring and social comparison), and the Fitbit-only control condition (self-monitoring). All participants received a Fitbit One activity tracker, which could be synchronized with the intervention apps, to monitor PA behavior. A 12-week quasi-experimental trial was conducted to explore the intervention effects on weekly moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and relevant behavioral determinants (ie, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, social norm, intentions, satisfaction, perceived barriers, and long-term goals). The ActiGraph wGT3XBT and GT3X+ were used to assess baseline and postintervention follow-up PA.ResultsCompared with the Fitbit condition, the Active2Gether-Light condition showed larger effect sizes for minutes of MVPA per day (regression coefficient B=3.1; 95% CI −6.7 to 12.9), and comparatively smaller effect sizes were seen for the Active2Gether-Full condition (B=1.2; 95% CI −8.7 to 11.1). Linear and logistic regression analyses for the intervention effects on the behavioral determinants at postintervention follow-up showed no significant intervention effects of the Active2Gether-Full and Active2Gether-Light conditions. The overall engagement with the Fitbit activity tracker was high (median 88% (74/84) of the days), but lower in the Fitbit condition. Participants in the Active2Gether conditions reported more technical problems than those in the Fitbit condition.ConclusionsThis study showed no statistically significant differences in MVPA or determinants of MVPA after exposure to the Active2Gether-Full condition compared with the Active2Gether-Light or Fitbit condition. This might partly be explained by the small sample size and the low rates of satisfaction in the participants in the two Active2Gether conditions that might be because of the high rates of technical problems.

Variability in Executive Control Performance Is Predicted by Physical Activity.

Physical activity (PA) promotes neurogenesis and has neuroprotective effects on the brain, bolstering the structural and functional resources necessary for improved cognitive functioning. Intraindividual variability (IIV) in cognitive performance is linked to neuropsychological structure and functional ability. Despite evidence of the neurogenerative and neuroprotective effects of PA, limited investigation into the link between PA and IIV has been conducted. Across three studies we investigate the effect of PA on IIV in reaction time (RT) on three modified Flanker Tasks. The International PA Questionnaire was used to evaluate PA while the Attention Network Test (ANT) and two additional modified Flanker Tasks were used to assess executive control and attentional performance. RT coefficients of variation (RTCV) were calculated for each participant by dividing the standard deviation by the mean RT for each stimuli condition. Analysis revealed that basic RT was not associated with PA nor was PA predictive of IIV on the modified Flanker Tasks. However, three consistent findings emerged from analysis of the ANT. First, RTCV and moderate PA were positively related, such that more self-reported moderate PA was associated with greater IIV. Conversely, RTCV and vigorous PA were negatively related. Finally, when controlling for the effects of PA on IIV in young adults, variability decreases as age increases. In sum, PA is predictive of IIV on attentional and executive control tasks in young adults, though only at particular intensities and on certain tasks, indicating that task type and cognitive load are important determinants of the relationship between PA and cognitive performance. These findings are consistent with prior literature that suggests that the role of PA in young adults is reliant on specific interventions and measures in order to detect effects more readily found in adolescent and aging populations.

Relationships between Sleep, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Activity in Young Adults

Relationships between Sleep, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Activity in Young Adults

Research Tracker 6 Accelerometer Calibration and Validation in Comparison to GENEActiv, ActiGraph, and Gas Analysis in Young Adults

Background: The ability to objectively assess physical activity and inactivity in free living individuals is important in understanding activity patterns and the dose response relationship with health. Currently, a large number of research tools exist, but little evidence has examined the validity/utility of the Research Tracker 6 (RT6) monitor. Questions remain in regard to the best placements, positions, and cut-points in young adults to determine activity intensity across a range of activities. This study sought to address this gap in young adults. The study aims were 1) to examine criterion validity of RT6 in comparison to breath-by-breath gas analysis; 2) convergent validity of RT6 in comparison to ActiGraph and GENEActiv; 3) development of RT6 tri-axial vector magnitude cut-points to classify physical activity at different intensities (i.e., for sedentary, moderate, and vigorous); 4) to compare the generated cut-points of the RT6 in comparison to other tools. Methods: Following ethics approval and informed consent, 31 young adults (age = 22±3 years: BMI = 23±3 kg/m2) undertook five modes of physical activity/sedentary behaviors while wearing three different accelerometers at hip and wrist locations (ActiGraph GT9X Link, GENEActiv, RT6). Expired gas was sampled during the five activities (MetaMax 3B). Correlational analysis assessed the relationship between accelerometer devices and METs/VO2. Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves analysis were used to calculate area under the curve and define cut-points for physical activity intensities. Results: The RT6 demonstrated criterion and convergent validity (r = 0.662–0.966, P < .05). RT6 generally performed good to excellent across activity intensities and monitor position (sedentary [AUC = 0.862–0.911], moderate [AUC = 0.849–0.830], vigorous [AUC = 0.872–0.877]) for non-dominant and dominant position, respectively. Cut-points were derived across activity intensities for non-dominant- and dominant-worn RT6 devices. Comparison of the RT6 derived cut-points identified appropriate agreement with comparative tools but yields the strongest agreement with the ActiGraph monitor at the hip location during sedentary, light, and moderate activity. Conclusion: The RT6 performed similar to the ActiGraph and GENEActiv and is capable of classifying the intensity of physical activity in young adults. As such this may offer a more useable tool for understanding current physical activity levels and in intervention studies to monitor and track changes without the excessive need for downloading and making complex analysis, especially given the option to view energy expenditure data while wearing it. The RT6 should be placed on the dominant hip when determining activities that are sedentary, moderate, or vigorous intensity.

Free-Living Accelerometer Calibration: A Novel Direct Observation System

PURPOSE: To develop a direct observation (DO) system to serve as a criterion measure for model calibration using free-living (FL) accelerometer data. METHODS: Ten participants (19.4±0.8 yrs) were video-recorded during four, 1-hr FL sessions in different settings: school, home, community and physical activity (PA). For each setting, 10-min clips from three, randomly selected sessions were extracted and coded by a criterion coder and assistant coders (ACs) using the Observer XT software (Noldus, Wageningen, the Netherlands). Coders identified the movement/body position and four modifiers: locomotion (yes or no), activity type (e.g. reading), MET value, and intensity category. For intra-rater agreement, the criterion coder coded all 12 videos twice, separated by at least one week. For inter-rater agreement, all 12 videos coded by each AC were compared to the criterion coder. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess agreement of intensity category for intra- and inter-rater comparisons. RESULTS: Intra-rater agreement ranged from 91% to 100% across all variables in all four settings. Inter-rater agreement between the criterion coder and the ACs ranged from 88±3.5% to 100±0% across all variables in all four settings. As shown below, ICCs for intensity category ranged from 0.74-1.00 and 0.81-1.00 for intra- and inter-rater comparisons, respectively. CONCLUSION: The DO system is reliable and feasible to serve as a criterion measure of FL physical activity in young adults. The DO system can serve as a standardized instrument to develop accelerometer models for estimating PA and sedentary behavior in FL settings. Supported by: NIH NIDDK 1R01DK110148-01

Relationships among motor skill, perceived self-competence, fitness, and physical activity in young adults

PurposeThis large-scale, exploratory study sought to examine the associations between motor skill proficiency (MSP), perceived self-competence (PC), physical fitness (PF), and self-reported physical activity (PA) to assess the assumption that relationships among these variables found in childhood and adolescence persist into young-adulthood. Specifically, predictors of PF and PA were assessed. Additionally, the contributions body mass index (BMI) and gender made to these relationships, as well as that of process- versus product-oriented motor skills data, were studied. Finally, how these relationships differed by gender was explored. MethodsParticipants’ (n = 448) MSP was assessed using select measures from the TGMD-2 and the BOT-2, while PF was evaluated using the FitnessGram. Participants also completed surveys to assess PC (SPPCS), PA (past-week MAQ), and demographic information. Height and weight were collected to calculate BMI. ResultsModels predicting physical fitness had good fit to the observed data, with perceived athletic competence, locomotor skill, upper-limb coordination, BMI, and gender accounting for about 75% (R2 = 0.748) of aerobic PF variance and about 48% (R2 = 0.476) of variance in push-up performances. About 18% (R2 = 0.178) of variance in curl-up performances was predicted by perceived athletic competence, locomotor skill, upper-limb coordination, and PA. The PA model demonstrated weaker predictive power, with only about 10% (R2 = 0.097) of variance explained. When considering male and female models separately, female models demonstrated better fit when predicting all PF and PA outcome variables. BMI and gender operated as significant predictors to differing degrees across the various models. ConclusionsThere is compelling evidence to believe relationships found among MSP, PC, PF, and PA in childhood and adolescence also exist in early adulthood. However, differences in the roles of gender and physical fitness versus physical activity are likely to exist.

Qualification for physical activity in young adults with arrhythmias

Physical activity has a protective effect against cardiovascular disease. Population awareness has enhanced and more and more people practice not only competitive but also recreational sport. Cardiovascular causes of sudden death in athletes are rare, but still present. Sudden onset of participation in intensive leisure-time sport can lead to SCD during or directly after physical activity. Thus the ultimate goal is prevention of SCD and simultaneously not unnecessarily remove from sport which can deteriorates quality of life.

Moderating effect of social interaction on enjoyment and perception of physical activity in young adults with autism spectrum disorders

Background: Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for a sedentary lifestyle and its associated health problems. In neurotypical (NT) individuals, social participation and enjoyment are related to physical activity engagement. Exergaming has been shown to increase energy expenditure compared to traditional video games and is an effective option for community-based recreation.Methods: We measured physiological and psychological responses of young adults with ASD to exergaming under varying conditions and sought to determine whether playing alone versus with a partner influenced physical activity level and/or experience in NT young adults (n = 18) and those with ASD (n = 18).Results: Both ASD and NT groups experienced high enjoyment and perceived exertion while exergaming. Perceived exertion was moderated by enjoyment when young adults with ASD played with a partner, reporting less effort despite actually expending more energy.Conclusion: Social interaction may lead to increased intensity and duration of physical activity for individuals with ASD. Exergaming is a socially acceptable and age-appropriate exercise modality for this group and likely represents a cost-effective and accessible way to incorporate physical activity and social interaction into their daily lives.