Physical Activity Intensity Levels Research Articles

Observational physical activity in public open spaces: environmental determinants of physical activity intensity levels in Iran

Public open spaces play an important role in promoting physical activity (PA). This study aimed to describe user characteristics of public open spaces (POSs) given the type of location and levels of PA. The study also evaluated the relationship between the environmental determinants of POSs and PA intensity. The study used observational data to measure environmental determinants and obtain information on users and their activity levels in the POSs of Darab in Iran. Out of 13,342 individuals observed, the proportion of men was slightly higher than that of women. More than half of the users observed in the community parks performed vigorous activities. Children and teenagers were found more often than other age groups doing vigorous activities. Most of the observed users performed vigorous activities in the evening and sedentary activities during weekends. Seniors were more sedentary than the other groups. Greater size, and better facilities and aesthetics of POSs increased the odds of being more active. However, a higher number of incivilities was associated with a greater chance of walking and lower odds of performing vigorous activities. As the quality of POSs contributes to PA levels, stakeholders should consider the quality of such spaces to improve retrofitting and designing POSs to maximize activity levels.

Comparison of Physical Activity Measures Derived From the Fitbit Flex and the ActiGraph GT3X+ in an Employee Population With Chronic Knee Symptoms.

ObjectiveWe examined the accuracy of data from an affordable personal monitor (Fitbit Flex) compared with that of data from a research‐grade accelerometer worn simultaneously for 7 days; high accuracy would support substitution with this less‐expensive personal activity monitor in future community‐based arthritis research.MethodsSubjects (N = 35) with chronic knee symptoms were recruited for a pilot intervention study using Fitbits to increase physical activity in employees with chronic knee symptoms at an urban corporation. Subjects simultaneously wore for 7 days a Fitbit Flex (wrist‐worn) and ActiGraph GT3X+ (waist‐worn). Fitbit Flex data were regularly stored on a research storage service (Fitabase) by participants. Bland–Altman plots were constructed to examine the agreement between the mean daily times spent in light activity and in bouted moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Comparisons were calculated by matching Fitabase data from calendar days the Fitbit was worn with data from valid monitoring days (greater than or equal to 10 hours wear time) of the ActiGraph.ResultsParticipants at baseline were mostly female (69%) and white (57%) and had a mean age of 52 years and body mass index of 32 kg/m2. Bland–Altman analyses indicated systematic bias overall (the Fitbit overestimated both light‐intensity activity and MVPA compared with the ActiGraph). The average error varied in magnitude and direction with changing activity amounts.ConclusionThe Fitbit Flex does not appear to be an adequate substitute for research‐grade accelerometry (which represents the gold standard for objective research monitoring of all physical activity intensity levels) in this population of persons with chronic knee symptoms.

Adult Level of Physical Activity in Urban (Abobo, Cocody) and Rural (Yocoboué) Area in Côte d'Ivoire

The physical activity (PA) plays an important role in the fight against the chronic noncommunicable diseases.The objective of this study was to assess the level of physical activity in an adult population in rural and urban area in Côte d'Ivoire. To achieve this goal, a group of 1046 participants was submitted to the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). The data analysis was done according to the GPAQ guidelines. The prevalence of the recommended level of the physical activity during the work, the leisure and the displacement was calculated.This assessment has showed that the intense Physical Activity (PA) decreased with age, from 34% (19-29 years) to 14% (50-60 years).Then the results have showed that the workers had the highest intensity Physical Activity Level (NAP) at 70%, versus 13% for the office workers.Moreover, more the Level of Study (LS) was higher, more the physical activity practiced decreased, whatever the area of living. Finally, it has been shown that men were more active than women. Also, the level of physical activity was higher in rural than in urban areas, and the limited physical activity level was present in the adult population. This work has shown that the level of physical activity and the contexts of practice vary according to the socio-demographic characteristics. At that fact, targeted interventions to promote the physical activity are necessary.

RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN NURSING HOME RESIDENTS WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

INTRODUCTION: Nursing home residents with moderate to severe cognitive impairment are mostly sedentary. It is more likely that African-American (AA) older adults tend to be more sedentary than their white counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine racial differences in overall time spent in physical activity (PA), time in sedentary, light intensity, and moderate levels of PA, and participation in activities of daily living (ADLs) among cognitively impaired nursing home residents. METHODS: This was a secondary data analysis from the Function and Behavior Focused Care Intervention study. The sample included 336 cognitively impaired residents from 12 nursing homes. RESULTS: The mean age of the residents was 86.2 (SD=10.1) with an average MMSE score of 7.8 (SD=5.0) where 41% were AA and 59% white. White and AA participants engaged in only 51.2 and 46.1 minutes of light and 1.5 and 1.1 minutes of moderate level PA, respectively. There was a significant difference in time spent in light-intensity PA with whites spending more time in this level of activity [F(4, 242) = 3.360, p = .01]. Conversely, AAs had better functional ability than white residents [F(4, 242) = 4.754, p < .001]. There were no significant racial differences in time in sedentary, or moderate level PA. DISCUSSION: These findings are consistent with prior research showing that AAs had lower PA levels compared to their white counterparts. Future research should focus on increasing PA among nursing home residents and consider specific interventions to increase activity among AA residents.

Association of sedentary time and physical activity levels with immunometabolic markers in early pregnancy: The GESTAFIT project.

To analyze the association of sedentary time and physical activity (PA) intensity levels with immunometabolic markers during early pregnancy; and to examine if meeting the PA recommendations is associated with the immunometabolic profile of pregnant women. Fifty Caucasian pregnant women (age: 32.8±4.7years old, body mass index: 24.2±4.1kg/m2 , gestational age: 17±1.5weeks) participated in this cross-sectional study (from September 2015 through May 2016). Sedentary time and PA intensity levels were objectively measured with triaxial accelerometer (seven consecutive valid days). Fasting serum glucose, total cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides were assessed with standard methods. Serum pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (fractalkine, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α) were measured using Luminex xMAP technology. Sedentary time and PA were not correlated with any glycemic or lipid marker (P>.05). After adjusting for the potential confounders, vigorous PA showed a positive non-significant association with interleukin-6 (P=.06), and bouts of moderate-vigorous PA was inversely associated with interleukin-1β and interferon-γ (P=.02 and P=.04, respectively). Meeting the PA guidelines was inversely associated with interleukin-1β and positively associated with interleukin-8 (P=.01 and P=.04, respectively). These associations disappeared after controlling for multiplicity. Increasing the time spent in moderate-vigorous PA, or meeting the PA recommendations, is associated with the cytokine profile of women without metabolic disruptions in early pregnancy. However, sedentary time and PA do not seem to be associated with glucose or lipid levels. These results should be interpreted cautiously in view of the discrepancies after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Future studies in this novel field of research are warranted before reaching any conclusion.

ARE ACTIVE VIDEO GAMES EFFECTIVE IN ELICITING AT LEAST MODERATE INTENSITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN AND DO CHILDREN ENJOY PLAYING THEM?

Despite current physical activity (PA) guidelines, children spend an average of 1-3 hours/day playing video games. Most video games are associated with sedentary behaviour, but some support physical interaction through motion sensing input devices. This technology has allowed the development of active video games (AVG) that involve dancing, fighting, playing sports or exercising and require the players to physically move their body in order to play. We wanted to investigate if popular AVGs can elicit at least moderate PA in children. We also wanted to determine what aspects of their favorite video games children find enjoyable and compare this to the AVGs used in the study in an effort to improve future AVG design. We reviewed 80 AVGs and selected Kung Fu (KF) and Dance Central (DC) for the Microsoft Kinect on the Xbox One as they were the most entertaining and elicited the most PA. Subjects underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing, peak heart rate (HR) and HR at anaerobic threshold ([email protected]) were obtained. Subjects were asked to play these games for 30 to 40 minutes each while their HR was monitored. Game Engagement Questionnaires (GenQ) were used to evaluate the AVGs and the participants favorite video game. Twenty healthy children aged 8 to 16 (mean 11.8 ± 2.5, 12 male) were enrolled in the study. Participants reported playing video games for 2 hours/day on average and the majority preferred video games over outdoor PA. The median [email protected] was determined to be 68% (IQR 65-74%) of the measured peak HR and corresponds well to reported moderate PA intensity levels (50-70% of HRmax=220-age). The proportion of time during game play that participants HR was above the HR thresholds for moderate and vigorous exercise was determined (Table 1). DC and KF produced at least moderate PA for a median of 67% (IQR 28-76%) and 95% (IQR 92-97%) of gameplay time, respectively. While participants enjoyed these AVGs, they still preferred their favorite games (GenQ score of 1.82 ± 0.67 vs. 0.95 ± 0.70 (DC) and 1.39 ± 0.37 (KF)). While outdoor PA is preferable, the reality is that children prefer playing mostly sedentary video games. Well-designed AVGs can provide moderate to vigorous PA and are enjoyable to play. However, interest in any particular video game is fleeting. To address this, the gaming industry needs to be socially responsible and incorporate enjoyable PA components into their video games and the government should support this.

Accuracy of self-reported physical activity in patients with anorexia nervosa: links with clinical features

BackgroundHigh levels of physical activity (PA) have long been described in patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Despite the importance of measuring PA in this population, there are two important factors that remain unknown. First, it is not clear how accurate self-report measures of PA are among patients. Second, little is known about how clinical characteristics are associated with the accuracy of self-reported PA. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the accuracy of self-reported PA compared to an objective measure of PA in patients with AN. It also investigated whether levels of accuracy/inaccuracy were associated with compulsive exercise, motivation to change, and psychological distress.MethodData were analysed from 34 adult outpatients with AN. Patients wore an accelerometer device (ActiGraph) for 4 days and completed a retrospective self-report measure of exercise (Exercise Participation Screening Questionnaire). They also completed measures of compulsive exercise (Compulsive Exercise Test), motivation to change (The Anorexia Nervosa Stages of Change Questionnaire), and psychological distress (Kessler-10).ResultsOn the self-report measure, patients accurately reported their time spent in moderate and vigorous intensity PA, however, they significantly under-reported their light physical activity (compared to the accelerometer data). Accurate reporting of total PA was positively associated with higher levels of compulsive exercise. There was evidence to suggest that clinical features, such as motivation to change and psychological distress, may be associated with inaccurate reporting at some levels of PA intensity and not others.ConclusionsResults indicate that patients with AN are likely to under-report their light intensity PA. We also found preliminary evidence for how compulsive exercise, motivation to change, and distress are associated with self-reported PA accuracy. Clinical implications and directions for future research are considered.Trial registrationACTRN12610000585022. Taking a LEAP forward in the treatment of anorexia nervosa: a randomized controlled trial. NHMRC grant: 634922.

The linkage between the perception of neighbourhood and physical activity in Guangzhou, China: using street view imagery with deep learning techniques

BackgroundNeighbourhood environment characteristics have been found to be associated with residents’ willingness to conduct physical activity (PA). Traditional methods to assess perceived neighbourhood environment characteristics are often subjective, costly, and time-consuming, and can be applied only on a small scale. Recent developments in deep learning algorithms and the recent availability of street view images enable researchers to assess multiple aspects of neighbourhood environment perceptions more efficiently on a large scale. This study aims to examine the relationship between each of six neighbourhood environment perceptual indicators—namely, wealthy, safe, lively, depressing, boring and beautiful—and residents’ time spent on PA in Guangzhou, China.MethodsA human–machine adversarial scoring system was developed to predict perceptions of neighbourhood environments based on Tencent Street View imagery and deep learning techniques. Image segmentation was conducted using a fully convolutional neural network (FCN-8s) and annotated ADE20k data. A human–machine adversarial scoring system was constructed based on a random forest model and image ratings by 30 volunteers. Multilevel linear regressions were used to examine the association between each of the six indicators and time spent on PA among 808 residents living in 35 neighbourhoods.ResultsTotal PA time was positively associated with the scores for “safe” [Coef. = 1.495, SE = 0.558], “lively” [1.635, 0.789] and “beautiful” [1.009, 0.404]. It was negatively associated with the scores for “depressing” [− 1.232, 0.588] and “boring” [− 1.227, 0.603]. No significant linkage was found between total PA time and the “wealthy” score. PA was further categorised into three intensity levels. More neighbourhood perceptual indicators were associated with higher intensity PA. The scores for “safe” and “depressing” were significantly related to all three intensity levels of PA.ConclusionsPeople living in perceived safe, lively and beautiful neighbourhoods were more likely to engage in PA, and people living in perceived boring and depressing neighbourhoods were less likely to engage in PA. Additionally, the relationship between neighbourhood perception and PA varies across different PA intensity levels. A combination of Tencent Street View imagery and deep learning techniques provides an accurate tool to automatically assess neighbourhood environment exposure for Chinese large cities.

Vigorous and moderate physical activity among overweight and obese adults in Malaysia: Sociodemographic correlates

BackgroundThis study examines the effects of sociodemographic factors on participation in vigorous and moderate physical activity and how they vary across bodyweight group (underweight, normal, overweight, obese I, obese II). MethodsThis study uses a nationally representative data with a sample of 10141 respondents. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are stratified by bodyweight group. The intensity of physical activity is measured using metabolic equivalent (MET). Vigorous physical activity has >6 MET, while moderate physical activity has ≤6 MET. ResultsSeveral important findings are noteworthy. First, age has a positive impact on moderate physical activity among obese I individuals but a negative impact on moderate physical activity among obese II individuals. Second, education is significant in determining participation in all intensity levels of physical activity among obese I individuals. Third, higher income obese II individuals spend less time in vigorous physical activity than their lower income counterparts. However, higher income overweight and obese I individuals spend less time in moderate physical activity compared with those who have lower income. Fourth, overweight, obese I and obese II males spend more time in vigorous and total physical activity than their female counterparts, but they allocate less time for moderate physical activity. ConclusionsIt appears that sociodemographic factors play an important role in determining participation in vigorous and moderate physical activity among overweight and obese adults. We conclude by discussing implications for policies directed towards promoting physically active lifestyle among overweight and obese adults who are unlikely to spend time in physical activity.

Physical Activity in Young Schoolchildren in After School Programs

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDAfter‐school programs (ASP) provide opportunities to influence children's physical activity (PA). However, little is known about the PA levels of the youngest schoolchildren. The aim of the study was to describe the level of PA intensity and sedentary time among first graders attending ASP in Norway, and to investigate factors that are associated with PA in the ASP.METHODSFirst graders from 14 ASPs were invited to participate in the study and 426 children were included. The children wore an accelerometer for five consecutive days during their stay in the ASP. Light, moderate, and vigorous PA and sedentary time were registered and analyzed.RESULTSOn average, the children accumulated 25.8 minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during their ASP‐stay. However, there was considerable variation within the sample. Sex, as well as body mass, were associated with MVPA. The activity level increased substantially when the children had to be outside.CONCLUSIONSThe findings show that on average, the children were quite physically active in the ASP. However, it seems critical to devote increased attention to the least active children and to include extensive outdoor play‐time in the ASP schedule.

P100 How Various Epoch Lengths and Activity Cut-Points Influence Physical Activity Estimates for Low-Income Hispanic Adults Under Free-Living Conditions

Background Accelerometers are popular, objective physical activity (PA) measures. However, when using accelerometry, data processing decisions must be made regarding sampling intervals (i.e., epoch lengths (EL)) and PA intensity cut-points. Objective To examine how different epoch lengths (EL) and intensity cut-points influence PA estimates among free-living, low-income Hispanic adults. Study Design, Settings, Participants This study was cross-sectional. Low-income Hispanic adults (n = 35) recruited from Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in five states, were asked to wear an accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+) for seven consecutive days. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Only data from participants with > 4 valid days (i.e., > 10 hour of wear time) were analyzed. Downloaded data were reintegrated into 1-, 10-, 30-, and 60-second ELs. Within each EL, PA cut-points were classified as either: a) sedentary; b) light; c) moderate; or d) vigorous, using two widely-accepted algorithms (Freedson and Matthews). Total moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was also calculated. Since the data were not normally distributed, Kruskal-Wallis analysis was used to compare the time spent in different PA intensity levels, by aforementioned ELs, for each intensity cut-point. Results The participants were mostly female (88.6%), with a mean age of 36.5 ± 11.0. Using the Freedson cut-points, the mean rank of time spent in light PA was higher for longer ELs (H = 90.7, P P P P P Conclusion This study's findings suggest that PA estimates vary by EL regardless of the cut-points used, thus validity studies should be done to compare accelerometer results with indirect calorimetry to generate the optimal EL for estimating low-income Hispanic adults’ true PA levels. Funding NIFA.

Attitudes of hemodialysis patients, medical and nursing staff towards patients' physical activity.

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) seem to have a negative attitude towards physical activity, which is mainly favored by the lack of counseling provided by the medical and nursing staff. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of both ESRD patients and medical staff on the participation and promotion of physical activity and identify the obstacles that discourage patients' involvement in intervention programs. Subjective assessment questionnaires and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire were administrated to hemodialysis patients and medical staff, to investigate the association between patient's barriers to physical activity, the total intensity level of physical activity, and attitudes of both ESRD patients and medical staff on the participation and promotion of physical activity. A total of 103 ESRD patients (61 men, 59.2%), 20 nephrologists (12 men, 60.0%), and 72 nurses (61 women, 84.7%) participated in the study. Most commonly reported patient's barriers were fatigue on dialysis (97.4%) and non-dialysis days (55.1%). Healthcare staff showed positive attitude towards renal rehabilitation exercise programs. However, most of physicians (85.0%) and nurses (83.3%) did not have previous experience with interventional exercise rehabilitation programs. Binary logistic regression revealed significant association between patients' inactivity, demographic data, and barriers towards physical activity, such as fatigue and pain in dialysis and non-dialysis days (p < 0.05), family's and physician's concern (p < 0.05), too many medical problems (p < 0.05), the fear of getting hurt (p = 0.01), and unwillingness for exercise (p < 0.05). Interestingly, healthcare staff's negative attitudes toward patient's physical activity seem to be strongly associated with patient's inactivity status. Healthcare staff negative attitudes and multiple related barriers especially fatigue on dialysis and non-dialysis days, towards ESRD patient's physical activity, suppress desire for exercise and active patients' status, leading them to abstain from it.

Individualized Accelerometer Activity Cut-Points for the Measurement of Relative Physical Activity Intensity Levels

ABSTRACTPurpose: The aim of this study was to compare the widely used accelerometer activity cut-points derived from the absolute moderate intensity recommendation (3‒6 METs), with relative intensity cut-points according to maximal cardiorespiratory fitness (46%‒63% ) and to individual lactate thresholds (LT1 and LT2) in postmenopausal women. Method: Thirty postmenopausal women performed several exercise tests with measures of heart rate, blood lactate, accelerometer activity counts and oxygen consumption. Individual regressions were developed to derive the accelerometer activity counts at absolute and relative moderate intensity recommendations and at individual LTs. Results: The activity counts calculated at the lower moderate intensity boundary were lower for the absolute 3 METs threshold (2026 ± 808 ct·min−1) compared to relative 46 % intensity threshold (p < .01, ES: 1.95) and LT1 (p < .01, ES: 2.27), which corresponded to 4.6 ± 0.7 METs. The activity counts at the upper moderate intensity boundary were higher for LT2 (7249 ± 2499 ct·min−1) compared to the absolute 6 METs threshold (p < .01, ES: 0.72) and relative 63% intensity threshold (p < .01, ES: 0.55). The interindividual variability in activity counts at relative intensity thresholds was high (CV = 30–34%), and was largely explained by cardiorespiratory fitness level (R2 = ~ 50%). Conclusion: Individually tailored (relative to or submaximal LTs) rather than fixed accelerometer intensity cut-points derived from the classic absolute moderate physical activity intensity (3–6 METs) would result in a more accurate measurement of an individual´s activity levels and reduce the risk of overestimating or underestimating physical activity.

Measures of Physical Activity and Body Mass Index in Hospital Workers: A Multisite Cross-Sectional Study.

This study examined physical activity (PA) profiles of hospital employees and evaluated associations between PA domains (occupation, commute, leisure, and domestic) and intensity levels (light, moderate, and vigorous) with body mass index (BMI). Nine hundred twenty employees across six Texas hospitals were enrolled in the multisite study, 2012 to 2013. Analysis of covariance tests assessed equality of means (minutes) across PA measures, and mixed effects analyses evaluated associations between PA measures and BMI, while controlling for covariates. Over 78% of participants were overweight or obese. Mixed effects models showed significant inverse associations with BMI: light leisure PA (β = -0.0183|P = 0.003), moderate leisure PA (β = -0.0182|P = 0.005), vigorous leisure PA (β = -0.0248|P = 0.000), moderate commute PA (β = -0.0315|P = 0.02), moderate domestic PA (β = -0.0087|P = 0.018), and vigorous occupation PA (β = -0.0158|P = 0.001). Delivery of effective interventions in this population must consider the nature of the work environment as well as employees' PA profiles.

(334) The Association between Daily Physical Activity and Pain among Women with Fibromyalgia: The Moderating Role of Pain Catastrophizing

Fibromyalgia is a condition marked by widespread chronic pain and psychological symptoms. The primary objective of this study was to examine the day-to-day association between physical activity and pain intensity among a sample of women with fibromyalgia (FM) and the potential moderation of this association by pain catastrophizing. In this micro-longitudinal daily diary study, FM patients (N =80) completed questionnaires assessing pain (Brief Pain Inventory) and psychosocial functioning (PROMIS-anxiety, depression) and were then asked to report their levels of pain catastrophizing (e.g negative cognitions on pain), physical activity and pain intensity once per day for a period of seven days using an electronic diary. Multilevel modeling analyses indicated that association between physical activity and pain intensity was moderated by catastrophizing (B = -0.05 SE = 0.023, p

Conceptual skills and verbal abilities were better in children aged six to seven years who were from more highly educated families and attended sports clubs.

We explored the cognitive abilities, health behaviour and cardiorespiratory fitness of preschool Estonian children aged 6-7 and any association with parental education, attending sports clubs and gender. Data were obtained from 256 children recruited from 13 randomly chosen kindergartens in Tartu, Estonia. Cognitive abilities were assessed using the modified Boehm Test of Basic Concepts - Third Edition. Objective physical activity (PA) intensity and sedentary levels were measured over seven days by accelerometry. To assess cardiorespiratory fitness, we used the 20-m shuttle run from the PREFIT test battery. Parents reported their educational attainment, together with their child's sports club attendance, sleep duration and screen time. Children from more highly educated families had significantly better test results for conceptual skills, verbal abilities and cardiorespiratory fitness. PA levels, cardiorespiratory fitness and perception and conceptual skills test results were better in children who attended sports clubs. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness level, shorter screen time and sleep duration were associated with better conceptual skills. Conceptual skills and verbal abilities were better in the children of more highly educated families and if they attended sports clubs. Children's cognitive abilities may benefit from better cardiorespiratory fitness, reduced sedentary activity and less screen time.

Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity

Physical activity (PA) assessment needs tools that are inexpensive and easy to administer. Common questionnaires inquire time spent in light, moderate, and vigorous PA. However, inaccuracies may occur due to individually different understanding of PA intensity levels. Alternatively used direct measures (e.g., accelerometers) are susceptible to reactivity bias and may lack the ability to capture certain activities. Compared to accelerometer measurement, respondents report more time spent in higher-intensity PA. A video that visualizes PA intensity levels might help to overcome this problem. This report describes the design of a randomized controlled trial as a methodology to investigate the effect of a video on the difference between self-reported and directly measured PA. It is hypothesized that the video reduces the mean difference between the two measures. Individuals from the general population are recruited. Hip-worn accelerometers are used to collect directly measured PA data on seven consecutive days. Afterwards, participants are randomly allocated to the experimental and the control group. The experimental group receives a video demonstration on PA intensity levels and subsequent PA assessment via self-administered computer-assisted questionnaire. The control group receives PA assessment only. Thereafter, the data are processed to compare the difference between self-reported and accelerometer-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between the study groups using a two-sample t-test. This methodology is appropriate for investigating the effect of any existing or self-produced video on the difference between the two measurement methods. It can be used not only for persons from the general population, but for a variety of other populations and contexts as accurate measures are needed to evaluate PA levels.

Understanding Youths' Ability to Interpret 3D-Printed Physical Activity Data and Identify Associated Intensity Levels: Mixed-Methods Study.

BackgroundA significant proportion of youth in the United Kingdom fail to meet the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. One of the major barriers encountered in achieving these physical activity recommendations is the perceived difficulty for youths to interpret physical activity intensity levels and apply them to everyday activities. Personalized physical activity feedback is an important method to educate youths about behaviors and associated outcomes. Recent advances in 3D printing have enabled novel ways of representing physical activity levels through personalized tangible feedback to enhance youths’ understanding of concepts and make data more available in the everyday physical environment rather than on screen.ObjectiveThe purpose of this research was to elicit youths’ (children and adolescents) interpretations of two age-specific 3D models displaying physical activity and to assess their ability to appropriately align activities to the respective intensity.MethodsTwelve primary school children (9 boys; mean age 7.8 years; SD 0.4 years) and 12 secondary school adolescents (6 boys; mean age 14.1 years; SD 0.3 years) participated in individual semistructured interviews. Interview questions, in combination with two interactive tasks, focused on youths’ ability to correctly identify physical activity intensities and interpret an age-specific 3D model. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, content was analyzed, and outcomes were represented via tables and diagrammatic pen profiles.ResultsYouths, irrespective of age, demonstrated a poor ability to define moderate-intensity activities. Moreover, children and adolescents demonstrated difficulty in correctly identifying light- and vigorous-intensity activities, respectively. Although youths were able to correctly interpret different components of the age-specific 3D models, children struggled to differentiate physical activity intensities represented in the models.ConclusionsThese findings support the potential use of age-specific 3D models of physical activity to enhance youths’ understanding of the recommended guidelines and associated intensities.

Physical activity on days with and without soccer practice in 12-13-year-old boys

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Majority of children are unable to meet the recommended 60min of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Even participation into organized sport may not guarantee that recommended amount of activity is reached.Objectives: Purpose of this study was to examine the amount and intensity of physical activity (PA) on days with and without practices and to find out whether daytime PA preceding soccer practice is associated with certain practice-time PA intensity level.Methods: Daily light, moderate and vigorous PA of 18 boys between 12 and 13 years of age engaged in soccer was measured for 9 days with and without soccer practices with wrist-worn Polar A300 activity meter. In addition, PA during practices was extracted and compared to PA preceding the practice session.Results: The daily MVPA was twice as high on days with training as compared to days without training both on weekdays (mean difference ± 95% confidence interval = 67 min ± 14 min) and on weekend (63 min ± 36 min). PA preceding soccer practice had a positive correlation with all PA intensity levels during practice (r = 0.34–0.84, p < 0.05–0.01).Conclusion: Physical activity should be promoted especially on days without organized practices and children should be encouraged to be physically active throughout the day as this was not found to compromise their activity during training.

Points-Based Reward Systems in Gamification Impact Children's Physical Activity Strategies and Psychological Needs.

Gamification is an increasingly popular form of health intervention but its efficacy remains elusive due to a lack of clarity in its conceptualization and operationalization. This study aimed to isolate and determine the direct causal effect of one of the most popular game elements used in gamified interventions, the points-based reward system, on physical activity (PA) in children. A 72-hour field study with children aged 9 to 13 ( N = 67) was conducted using a digital PA intervention featuring a virtual dog, with and without a points-based reward system. PA was assessed with an activity monitor, and overall PA, three levels of PA intensity, and PA strategies during the 3-day intervention were measured. Guided by self-determination theory, the impact of the points-based reward system on children's basic psychological needs was also investigated. Results indicated that the points-based reward system briefly increased PA engagement but did not significantly affect overall PA over time. When given equal number of points regardless of intensity, children approached the PA intervention strategically by engaging in significantly more light intensity and significantly less vigorous intensity PA than children who did not receive points. Results also suggested that the points-based reward system might promote perceptions of relatedness with the virtual agent featured in the gamified intervention.