Minutes Of Physical Activity Research Articles

Levels of physical activity in childhood. Analysis of Family influence, gender, type of school and place of residence

The practice of physical activity is linked to an improvement in the state of health and integral development in childhood. The aim of this research was to determine the levels of regular physical activity carried out by children in the school, out-of-school, family and socio-community environments. A descriptive and correlational study was carried out with a total sample of 320 subjects aged 3 to 6 years. The levels of physical activity were collected through an ad hoc questionnaire completed by the parents. The results show that only 30.3% of the children participate in some extracurricular sporting activity, while 6.9% attend federated competitions. There is a higher participation in schoolchildren in the last year of Infant Education and, especially, boys are those who do more physical activity than girls. The use of daily active transport is characterised by 30.6%. Most of the subjects do not comply with the recommendations provided by the World Health Organisation regarding the practice of 180 minutes of physical activity per day. The competent authorities in education, social and sports policy are invited to promote the practice of physical activity from early childhood.

Baseline Comparison of Exercisers and Nonexercisers With Spinal Cord Injury Enrolled in a Group Tele-Exercise Program.

Individuals with SCI are 1.5 times more likely to be sedentary compared to adults without disabilities or chronic health conditions. It is therefore imperative to develop and evaluate innovative facilitation strategies for physical activity behavior in this population. As an insightful step to creating and evaluating tailored physical activity interventions for individuals with SCI, we evaluated demographic, psychosocial, and physical characteristics of those who choose to engage in physical activity by enrolling in a group exercise study. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis detailing demographic features and baseline outcomes of those with SCI enrolled in a group tele-exercise study who were classified as regular exercisers versus nonregular exercisers per the American College of Sports Medicine exercise guidelines. Between-group differences for psychosocial and physical outcomes were assessed with chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests (p < .05). Twenty-seven adult volunteers enrolled in the study (exercisers = 14, nonexercisers = 13). Groups were comparable for biological sex, gender identity, self-reported racial group(s), and current age. Exercisers demonstrated significantly shorter duration of injury compared to nonexercisers (p = .012). Exercisers exhibited significantly higher exercise self-efficacy (p = .017) and increased reported weekly minutes in vigorous intensity leisure time physical activity (p = .029). Nonexercisers with SCI demonstrate increased injury duration and reduced exercise self-efficacy compared to active peers. These factors should be addressed in the design and delivery of SCI-specific physical activity interventions to increase the likelihood of this critical health behavior over time.

Design, implementation and evaluation of an intervention based on a social cognitive theory of physical activity and nutritional behaviors in middle-aged people at the risk of coronary artery disease in Bandar Abbas: A study protocol

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the main cause of mortality in developed and developing countries. Physical activity and nutritional behaviors are modifiable factors in people at the risk of CAD and its risk factors; thus, the present study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate an intervention based on the social cognitive theory for physical activity and nutritional behaviors in the middle-aged population at the risk of CAD residing in Bandar Abbas city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study will be conducted in three phases: qualitative, cross-sectional, and community-based intervention. The middle-aged population with less than 150 minutes of physical activity a week with at least one other risk factor of CAD (hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, overweight and obesity, smoking) will be included in the study. In the qualitative phase of study, the participants will be selected with maximum diversity and with the aim of obtaining comprehensive information to clarify the nature and dimensions of the phenomenon in question. The cross-sectional phase aimed to determine the intensity of physical activity and nutritional behaviors. By analyzing the data obtained from the cross-sectional phase, the most important constructs of the social-cognitive theory in physical activity and nutritional behaviors will be determined, and accordingly, an effective intervention will be designed. The third phase of the pre-test-post-test intervention study will include a randomized control group. The interventions will be a combination of face-to-face meetings and the use of educational technologies. Individuals in the control group will not undergo the educational intervention. Those in the intervention group will be evaluated in two phases (before the implementation of the intervention, and 3 months after the intervention). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study can be used as a strategic plan to help policy makers to strengthen CVD prevention and management alternatives to include physical activity and nutritional behavior as part of their preventive measures.

Physical activity in adults with and without rheumatoid arthritis: cross-sectional results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)

Objective Studies examining habitual physical activity levels and patterns in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using raw data from modern accelerometers are lacking. We aimed (i) to examine physical activity levels and patterns in adults with RA in their familiar environment, and (ii) to investigate whether physical activity levels differ throughout the day. Method Data were taken from Wave 8 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, including N = 607 men and women who wore a triaxial accelerometer and had adequate information for RA and accelerometry data summarized as Euclidean norm minus one (ENMO, mg). Growth-curve models and simple contrast analysis were used to examine the effect of RA on daily patterns of physical activity levels, including mean total ENMO in mg, mean minutes of light-intensity physical activity (ENMO values ≥ 25 mg and ≤ 75 mg), and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (ENMO values > 75 mg). Results Total physical activity averaged throughout the day was 25.0 and 28.6 mg for respondents with and without RA, respectively. Respondents with RA spent more time in light-intensity physical activity throughout the day (p < 0.001), but less time in moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity between 4 am and 11 pm (p < 0.001) than respondents without RA. Conclusion Adults with RA were less physically active than adults without RA. However, there were no diurnal differences in physical activity.

Delivering the National Diabetes Prevention Program: Assessment of Outcomes in In-Person and Virtual Organizations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program (DPRP) has helped organizations deliver the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program for over 10 years. Four delivery modes are now approved: in person, online (self-paced, asynchronous delivery), distance learning (remote, synchronous delivery), and combination (hybrid delivery using more than one delivery mode). We assessed outcomes using data from 333,715 participants who started the 12-month program between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018. The average number of sessions attended was highest for in-person participants (15.0), followed by online (12.9), distance learning (12.2), and combination (10.7). The average number of weeks in the program was highest for in-person participants (28.1), followed by distance learning (20.1), online (18.7), and combination (18.6). The average difference between the first and last reported weekly physical activity minutes reflected an increase for in person (42.0), distance learning (27.1), and combination (15.0), but a decrease for online (-19.8). Among participants retained through session 6 or longer, average weekly physical activity minutes exceeded the program goal of 150 for all delivery modes. Average weight loss (percent of body weight) was greater for in person (4.4%) and distance learning (4.7%) than for online (2.6%) or combination (2.9%). Average participant weight loss increased gradually by session for all delivery modes; among participants who remained in the program for 22 sessions, average weight loss exceeded the program goal of 5% for all delivery modes. In summary, if participants stay in the program, most have positive program outcomes regardless of delivery mode; they have some outcome improvement even if they leave early; and their outcomes improve more the longer they stay. This highlights the benefits of better retention and increased enrollment in the National DPP lifestyle change programs, as well as enhancements to online delivery.

Does Physical Activity Confound Race Differences in Osteoarthritis-Related Functional Limitation?

This study sought to determine the extent to which physical activity confounds the relation between race and the incidence of osteoarthritis (OA)-related functional limitation. OA Initiative study participants with or at increased risk of knee OA who wore an accelerometer were included. Race was self-reported. Average time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (minutes per day) based on ActiGraph uniaxial accelerometer data was assessed. Functional limitation was based on the following: (1) inability to achieve a community walking speed (1.2 m/s) standard, (2) slow walking speed (<1.0 m/s), and (3) low physical functioning based on a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index (WOMAC) physical function score greater than 28 of 68. African American (AA) participants (n=226), compared with White participants (n=1348), had a higher likelihood of developing functional limitation based on various measures. When adjusted for time in moderate to vigorous physical activity, the association between AA race and inability to walk a community walking speed slightly decreased (from relative risk [RR] 2.15, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.64-2.81, to RR 1.99, 95% CI 1.51-2.61). Association between AA race and other measures of functional limitation mildly decreased (slow walking speed: from RR 2.06, 95% CI 1.40-3.01, to RR 1.82, 95% CI 1.25-2.63; low physical functioning: from RR 3.44, 95% CI 1.96-6.03, to RR 3.10, 95% CI 1.79-5.39). When further adjusted for demographic and other clinical variables, only the association between race and low physical functioning (WOMAC) significantly decreased and no longer met statistical significance. Greater physical activity is unlikely to completely make up for race differences in OA-related functional limitation, and other barriers to health equity need to be addressed.

Evaluation of the impact of the complex intervention ‘10,000 Steps Duesseldorf’: Replication study

Abstract Background The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity (PA) per week (approximately 7,000-10,000 steps/day). In Germany, fewer than half of all adults achieve this goal. This highlights the need for population-based intervention approaches to promote regular daily PA. The aims of this replication study are to adapt, implement and evaluate a community-based complex PA intervention originally developed and successfully implemented in Belgium. The following research questions are investigated: 1. Is the intervention ‘10,000 Steps Ghent’ adaptable and transferrable to the German context? 2. Is the intervention ‘10,000 Steps Duesseldorf’ effective for the promotion of PA among residents of city districts selected for the study compared to city districts of a control city? Methods The intervention includes components at different intervention levels (i.e., individual level: website; organizational level: promotion of PA e.g., in companies, senior citizens’ associations; community level: media campaign, environmental changes, e.g., signage in parks). To investigate the effects of the intervention, PA-levels were assessed via telephone interviews and pedometers in two representative samples of adults aged 25-75 years in the cities of Duesseldorf (intervention) and Wuppertal (control) at baseline (April 2021 - March 2022). The one-year follow-up will start in May 2023. Results 376 participants in the intervention and 253 in the control city districts completed baseline (60% female, 32% wore accelerometers in addition to the pedometers). First study results will be presented at the annual European Public Health Conference after the trial is completed. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study is the first research project aiming to replicate the effects of a complex PA intervention successfully implemented in another European country. Key messages • Results regarding the adaptation and transferability of a complex PA intervention originally developed and implemented in Belgium will be presented. • Results regarding the impact of the community-based complex intervention ‘10,000 Steps Duesseldorf’ on residents’ PA levels will be shown.

Prediabetes and lifestyle habits in Reunion Island: Need for targeted interventions

Abstract Background Prediabrun is a cohort study of prediabetic patients settled in primary care in Reunion Island, focusing on the transition to diabetes. This study aimed to analyze the lifestyle habits of the first 330 prediabetics included. Methods A dietary score was calculated from the food frequency questionnaire to assess the adherence of participants to the National Nutrition and Health Plan 4 (PNNS-4) recommendations (-14 to 13.25). Physical activity was classified according to the WHO recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate activity per day. Results The mean dietary score of the participants was 3.7 with an equal distribution of patients between ‘moderately close’ and ‘close’ adherence to PNNS-4 recommendations. Although the average perception of their dietary balance (6/10) seemed consistent with the mean dietary score, there was no correlation between the two variables. The main discrepancies concerned fruits and vegetables consumption: only 2.4% consumed at least five fruits or vegetables per day, and less than half at least one. About 9/10 prediabetic subjects declared 30 minutes of physical activity per day, mainly consisting of walking, and housework. Prior knowledge of prediabetes had no impact on the lifestyle habits. Discussion Effective management of prediabetes requires a balanced diet and regular physical activity to avoid evolution to diabetes. These study results highlight the necessity of lifestyle interventions to assist prediabetic patients in modifying their habits. While subjects perceived their dietary balance to be adequate, they did not comply with dietary recommendations, regardless of their knowledge of their prediabetic condition. This indicates the need for specific dietary and physical activity support, easily accessible that can be prescribed by physicians and reimbursed by the national healthcare system. Key messages • Prediabetics in Reunion Island need targeted lifestyle interventions to improve adherence to dietary recommendations. • Prediabetic patients in Reunion Island require specific dietary and physical activity support, easily accessible and reimbursed by the national healthcare system.

Kickstart: A Mixed Methods Analysis of a Group Activity Program for Persons with Serious Mental Illness

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to explore the social and emotional impact of participation in the Kickstart program (KS), which provides adults experiencing serious mental illness with weekly soccer-based sessions.&#x0D; Methods: A mixed method approach to collecting and analyzing data was utilized. Observation and focus group data was analyzed into themes describing perceived social and emotional effects of KS attendance. Physical activity was assessed with accelerometers. Self-reported mood was measured before and after each session.&#x0D; Findings: Soccer players, walkers, and inactive participants accrued 36.8 ± 10.8, 32.1 ± 15.2 and 26.4 ± 10.0 minutes of activity, respectively. All participants demonstrated improvements in mood. Caregivers noted attendees had higher energy levels and increased morale and confidence. All three groups had significant improvements in mood after KS sessions. Change in mood scores was not correlated with steps nor minutes of physical activity.&#x0D; Conclusion: All participants had significant improvements in mood after a KS session. Although soccer players had statistically significantly better moods after KS than walkers and inactive participants, the differences in moods among attendees was small and may be irrespective of chosen activity. Changes in mood may be related to meaningfulness, rather than physical activity.

Leveraging Recess and Physical Education to Promote Social–Emotional Learning

Recess is ideal for students to accumulate recommended physical activity minutes and work on social-emotional learning skills. However, many students fail to meet national physical activity guidelines, and recess is often withheld from students for a myriad of reasons, including behavioral issues. Helping students build social-emotional skills and providing opportunities to utilize skills at school can help them succeed in school and their future careers. Furthermore, teaching students low organized, student-initiated games provides students with activities they can use at recess, which may keep them more physically active. Thus, the purpose of this article is to share how one physical educator implemented a recess unit into physical education to (a) work on students’ social-emotional learning skills, particularly those needed in gameplay, (b) introduce games that can be played at recess, and (c) how to evaluate recess before and after a recess unit. The article will share games, social-emotional skill-building activities, and evaluation tools. As a physical educator, you can build social-emotional skills and teach recess games with physical education. These efforts can potentially improve the school recess environment from a behavioral perspective and increase students’ physical activity time.

FRI053 Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Weight And Lifestyle In Patients From The Endocrinology Department In Uruguay

Abstract Disclosure: C. Rotundo: None. V. Maguna: None. B. Martinez: None. F. Larrea: None. N. Langlois: None. P. Lopez: None. P. Agüero: None. M.M. Pineyro: None. In Uruguay, on March 13 of 2020 the government decreed a “Health Emergency” due to the COVID 19 pandemic with voluntary confinement, which ended on April 5, 2022. Social isolation, with temporary closure of workplaces, restaurants, gyms and other public spaces abruptly changed the lifestyle of the population. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on physical activity, body weight, quantity and quality of food, and sleep habits in patients that attended the Endocrinology Department of our Hospital from July to September of 2022. We performed an observational-descriptive-cross-sectional study that included 93 patients. A survey about eating habits, physical activity and sleep was performed and anthropometric measurements (height, weight) were taken. Results: The median age was 60 years (range 21-83), 63.4% female. Fifty-eight percent of patients had HTN, 50.5% diabetes mellitus, 37.6% thyroid disease and 32.3% dyslipidemia. Between the period before the pandemic and the pandemic, patients gained 0.6 kg (p=0.71), between the pandemic and after it they gained 1.5 kg (p=0.88). Pre-pandemic and post-pandemic the increase was of 2.1 kg (p=0.32). A significant increase in obesity was found before and after the pandemic (26.9% vs. 36.6%, p&amp;lt;0.0001). Fifty-six percent performed physical exercise before the pandemic, during the pandemic it decreased to 38.7% (p=0.0001), at the expense of aerobic exercise (27% decrease, p=0.0001). Before the pandemic, 39.8% met the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week, which decreased to 22.6% during the pandemic (p=0.0001). Thirty-one point two percent reported changing eating habits (increased snacks, processed foods, fruits, vegetables and sugary drinks), and 30% consumed more food at night. The number of hours of sleep in both periods was the same (median 7 hours). We found a significant increase in problems falling asleep (5.4%, p=0.0001) and staying asleep (9.7%, p=0.0001). Conclusion: We found a negative effect of the covid-19 pandemic confinement on the frequency of obesity, levels of physical activity and unfavorable changes in eating habits and sleep. A significant increase in obesity was found, as well as a decrease in physical activity in a quarter of the population, and a significant increase in problems falling asleep and staying asleep. In addition, we observed unfavorable changes in food consumption in a third of the population (increase in snacks, processed food, and sugary drinks). However, we found healthy changes during the pandemic, such as increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. These changes can have significant short- and long-term consequences on health of the population. The promotion of measures to recover and maintain healthy lifestyle habits is required, as well as to counteract the impact of lockdown on weight gain to prevent the long-term effects of the pandemic on health. Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

Healthier Together: Implementation and evaluation of a co-designed, culturally tailored childhood obesity community prevention program for Māori and Pacific Islander children and families.

Co-designed and culturally tailored preventive initiatives delivered in childhood have high potential to close the cross-cultural gap in health outcomes of priority populations. Māori and Pacific Islander people living in Australia exhibit a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity and higher rates of multimorbidity, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes. This mixed-methods, pilot implementation and evaluation study, aimed to evaluate the implementation of a community-based, co-designed and culturally tailored childhood obesity prevention program, using quantitative (pre-post anthropometric measurement, pre-post health behaviour questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) methods. Sessions relating to healthy eating, physical activity and positive parenting practices were delivered to families residing in Brisbane (Australia) over 8-weeks. Data were collected from a total of 66 children (mean age 11, SD 4) and 38 parents (mean age 40, SD 8) of Māori and Pacific Islander background, from July 2018 to November 2019. Anthropometric changes included a reduction in Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score among 59% of children (median change -0.02, n = 38, p = 0.17) and BMI among 47% of adults (median change +0.06 kg/m2, n = 18, p = 0.64). Significant improvements (p < 0.05) in self-reported health behaviours from pre- to post-program included increased vegetable consumption among children, decreased discretionary food intake of children, decreased discretionary drink consumption among both children and adults, increased minutes of daily physical activity among adults and increased parental confidence in the healthy diets of their children. Qualitative data revealed participants valued the inclusion of all family members, learning of practical skills and cultural tailoring delivered by the Multicultural Health Coaches. This study provides preliminary evidence that the Healthier Together program improved self-reported health behaviours and physical activity levels among Māori and Pacific Islander children and their families in the short-term; however, due to the small sample size, these results must be interpreted carefully. The program empowered change via cultural tailoring and accessibility; however, long-term implementation and evaluation with a larger cohort is needed to validate the observed health behaviour improvements and their sustainability. SO WHAT?: The co-design framework that informed program development and key learnings of implementation will provide guidance to health practitioners, health workers, public health professionals and policy makers to develop inclusive and pragmatic co-design solutions for priority cultural populations in Australia. Health outcomes will improve as a result, promoting health equity for future generations.

Motivational Profile as a Predictor of Physical Activity Among US Adults During the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Daily Diary Study.

This study used a daily diary approach to examine associations between day-level physical activity (PA) behavior, PA-specific motivational profile, and days since the COVID-19 national emergency declaration during the early months (April-June 2020) of the pandemic. A total of 468 US adults (Mage = 34.8y, 79% female) participated in a 28-day smartphone-based daily diary study assessing PA. A baseline survey assessed PA and motivation for PA using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire. Multilevel linear regression models examined the main effects and interactions of motivational profile and time (days since the US March 13, 2020, COVID-19 national emergency declaration) on daily PA minutes. Latent profile analysis identified 4 distinct motivational profiles for PA among this sample: profile 1: high amotivation (n = 100, 21%); profile 2: low controlled motivation (n = 55, 12%); profile 3: high external regulation (n = 47, 10%); and profile 4: moderate autonomous motivation (n = 266, 57%). After controlling for baseline PA, there were significant interactions between profile and time on daily PA (-0.21, P < .01). Profile 2 showed greater decreases in daily PA minutes over time than profile 1 (b = -0.29, P < .01). Profiles 3 and 4 did not indicate significant decreases in PA compared with profile 1 (b = 0.14, P = .31 and b = -0.16, P = .05, respectively). Contrary to previous research, individuals with lower controlled or moderate autonomous motivation demonstrated the largest decreases in PA over time, whereas individuals with higher amotivation or external regulation demonstrated smaller decreases over time. These findings suggest that external motivation may have provided short-term protection against declines in PA observed during early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neuromarkers associated with two levels of physical activity in persons with chronic conditions.

Although research has largely focused on the effects of physical activity (PA) on the brain, less is known about the influence of the brain on engagement in healthy-living behaviors, such as regular PA. In this secondary analysis of a study of brain activity and participation in healthy-living behaviors, we examined relationships between the activation of selected brain networks and PA in persons self-managing chronic conditions. Fifty-eight individuals with chronic conditions underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while exposed to a protocol consisting of listening to emotion-focused and analytic-focused information and measures of activation of three neuromarkers were obtained: default mode network (DMN), task-positive network (TPN), and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). In an exploratory analysis, we assessed differences in neuromarker activation between two PA levels (representing higher and lower accelerometry-measured PA levels) of 1) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) minutes, 2) metabolic equivalents expended (METs), and 3) daily steps. Results showed positive associations between MVPA and DMN (r = 0.31, P = 0.018), steps and DMN (r = 0.28, P = 0.035), and MVPA and vmPFC (r = 0.29, P = 0.026). No associations were found between the TPN and any of the PA measures. Individuals with high MVPA and METs had higher DMN values compared with those with low MVPA (t = -2.17, P = 0.035) and METs (t = -2.02, P = 0.048). No differences in TPN and vmPFC were found among PA levels. These results suggest that providing health information that activates the emotion-focused brain network may be more useful than analytic-focused information (centered on logic and reasoning) to assist people with chronic conditions to engage in more PA.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The influence of the brain on engagement in regular physical activity (PA) has not been well studied. We examined relationships between the activation of three neuromarkers and two PA levels in 58 persons self-managing chronic conditions. Findings suggest that individuals who optimally process health-information when the emotional tone is high (Empathic Network; DMN) may engage in more PA compared with individuals who respond to health information when the emotional tone is low (Analytic Network; TPN).

Perception about Less Physical Activity and its Effect among Service Holders in Dhaka City of Bangladesh

Introduction: Physical activity has been traditionally defined as any bodily movement produced by contraction of skeletal muscle that substantially increases energy expenditure, although the intensity and duration can vary substantially. Lack of physical activity is known to be one of the most important risk factors for leading to morbidity and mortality around the world leading to an estimated 3.2 million deaths globally. Objectives: To assess perception about less physical activity and its effect among service holders in Dhaka city of Bangladesh. Methods: The study was conducted in Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Kurmitola; Janata Bank Limited, Satmasjid Road Branch; Rayerbazar Government Primary School, Rayerbazar and six gyms (training centers) of Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 15 government workers and 15 key informants purposefully (trainers of physical activities) selected for in-depth interview. Socio-demographic data were entered into SPSS version 21. Thematic area were identified and analyzed based on the themes. Result: Total 30 study participants (15 Government office worker and 15 Key Informant) were interviewed. All participants have good perception of physical activities. 7 of workers are moderately physically active (fulfill globally recommended physical activity rate) with 150 minutes of physical activity performance per week. The rest 3 workers have insufficient physical activities which is less than 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Factor like laziness, overloaded by office work, lack of self-confidence in doing physical activity, lack of awareness about physical activity, place factor, poor time management, lack of communication and economic status of workers were found as behaviors or factors affecting doing of physical activities among government office workers. Conclusion and recommendations: There is high number of physical activity insufficiency among workers and there are large numbers of factors that affect physical activity doing of workers. Therefore, the government should work on these factors to make worker healthy and productive.

Sleep characteristics and pain in middle-aged and older adults: Sex-specific impact of physical and sitting activity

ObjectivesThe relationship between poor sleep health and worse pain is established. Physical activity has been successful in reducing chronic pain and improving sleep in aging adults. Despite known sex differences (more women than men experiencing chronic pain and insomnia), sex-specific patterns of interactive associations between physical activity, sleep, and pain remain unexplored. This study tested whether physical and sitting activity moderated associations between sleep characteristics and pain intensity, and whether sex further moderated these relationships. MethodsParticipants aged 50+ (N = 170, Mage = 64.34, 72 women) completed an online survey measuring pre-sleep arousal (Pre-sleep Arousal Scale), sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), past month average pain intensity, and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire). Multiple regressions evaluated whether minutes of physical activity (total, vigorous, moderate, walking) or sitting activity, pre-sleep arousal, sleep, sex, or their interaction was associated with pain. Analyses controlled for education, difficulty walking, body mass index, total medical conditions, pain medication, and depressive/anxiety symptoms. ResultsIn women, vigorous activity interacted with total pre-sleep arousal and somatic pre-sleep arousal in its association with pain. Higher total arousal and somatic arousal were associated with worse pain intensity only for women who reported highest levels of vigorous activity. No such associations were observed for men or for other physical or sitting activity levels. ConclusionsVigorous physical activity may exacerbate the association between more pre-sleep arousal and worse pain in middle-aged and older women. Research should explore potential sex-specific mechanisms (e.g., inflammatory cytokines, arousal neural networks) underlying these results.

Depressive Symptoms and Their Longitudinal Impact on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors Among Mexican-Heritage Youth.

The purpose of this study is to examine the longitudinal impact of depressive symptoms on physical activity (PA) levels, sedentary behavior, and screen time among first-generation, Mexican-heritage youth. Mexican-heritage families were recruited by promotoras de salud from colonias in Hidalgo County, Texas. Participants (n = 200 youth, 116 families in final sample) completed at-home, interviewer-administered surveys once during the summer (June-July) and once during the fall (August-December). Youth PA and sedentary behaviors were assessed using a validated 7-day recall instrument. The validated Center for Epidemiology Studies-Depression Child scale was used to assess depression symptoms. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the relationships of PA and sedentary behavior with depressive symptoms. Results showed that those depression symptoms were significantly associated with decreased number of self-reported minutes of sitting and screen time over time in the full sample and among male youth. Depression symptoms also significantly decreased the number of self-reported active and moderate to vigorous PA minutes over time among male youth. Researchers can build on our findings by identifying the mechanisms driving the relationships between depression and PA/sedentary behavior. Public health-programing efforts should intentionally consider the impact that depressive symptoms have on PA.

The Impact of Multiple Recesses on Limb Movement Patterns in Children: An Exploratory Study

Background: Inactivity levels among elementary-aged children are climbing at alarming rates, as only 24% participate in the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Limb movements during children’s active time are essential for heart, bone, and muscle health, setting the stage for an overall active and healthy life. School recess, defined as child-directed, outdoor play, is optimal for children to accumulate many types and repetitions of limb movements. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use the Movement Pattern Observation Tool (MPOT) to determine the impact of varying amounts of daily recess on elementary-aged children’s limb movement patterns. It was hypothesized that children who participate in 60 minutes of daily recess would accumulate significantly more limb movements and specifically, contralateral movements as they advance in grades.&#x0D; Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study used the MPOT to observe grades K-2 children from two schools offering one twenty-minute recess daily and two schools offering four 15-minute recesses daily. The researchers observed 3,023 children’s limb movements during recess across the schools. There were 36 total observation scans completed for the four schools observed.&#x0D; Results: Children who received 60 minutes of recess maintained significantly higher activity levels and contralateral movements as they advanced by grade. Additionally, on average 96% of all children utilized unilateral, bilateral, or contralateral limb movements when observed.&#x0D; Conclusion: When given the opportunity, most children will utilize recess in a way that is beneficial for off-setting inactivity trends and is instrumental for a healthy mind-body connection as they age.

Implementing physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) food labelling: Views of a nationally representative sample of adults in the United Kingdom.

Nutritional labels aim to support people to make informed healthy food choices, but many people do not understand the meaning of calories on food labels. Another approach is to provide calorie information with an interpretation of what the calorie content of food means for energy expenditure, known as physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) labelling. PACE aims to illustrate how many minutes of physical activity are equivalent to the calories contained in food/drinks. This study investigated the views of the public about the possible implementation of PACE labelling. Data was obtained from a nationally representative sample of adults in the United Kingdom and collected by UK Ipsos KnowledgePanel. Panellists are recruited via a random probability unclustered address-based sampling method. 4,000 panellists were randomly invited to participate and asked to compare their views about traffic light and PACE labelling preferences and behaviour parameters. Data were analysed descriptively and using logistic and multinomial regression analyses. 2,668/4,000 (67%) of those invited participated. More participants preferred traffic light (43%vs33%) than PACE labelling, but more reported PACE was easier to understand (41%vs27%) and more likely to catch their attention (49%vs31%). More participants thought PACE was more likely to help them avoid high calorie food than traffic light labelling (44%vs28%). Physically active (3-4 or 5+ days/week) respondents were more likely to report PACE would catch their attention than traffic light labelling, compared with less active participants (weighted adjusted relative risk ratio = 1.42 (1.00-2.00) and 1.45 (1.03-2.05 respectively)). Perceived overweight was the most predictive factor (weighted adjusted OR = 2.24 (1.19 to 4.20)) in whether PACE was considered useful in helping people decide what to eat/buy. The public identified value to their health in labelling food with PACE information. PACE labelling may be a useful approach to complement current approaches to food labelling.

A Device Agnostic Approach to Predict Children's Activity from Consumer Wearable Accelerometer Data: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

This study examined the potential of a device agnostic approach for predicting physical activity from consumer wearable accelerometry compared with a research-grade accelerometry. Seventy-five 5- to 12-year-olds (58% male, 63% White) participated in a 60-min protocol. Children wore wrist-placed consumer wearables (Apple Watch Series 7 and Garmin Vivoactive 4) and a research-grade device (ActiGraph GT9X) concurrently with an indirect calorimeter (COSMED K5). Activity intensities (i.e., inactive, light, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) were estimated via indirect calorimetry (criterion), and the Hildebrand thresholds were applied to the raw accelerometer data from the consumer wearables and research-grade device. Epoch-by-epoch (e.g., weighted sensitivity, specificity) and discrepancy (e.g., mean bias, absolute error) analyses evaluated agreement between accelerometry-derived and criterion estimates. Equivalence testing evaluated the equivalence of estimates produced by the consumer wearables and ActiGraph. Estimates produced by the raw accelerometry data from ActiGraph, Apple, and Garmin produced similar criterion agreement with weighted sensitivity = 68.2% (95% confidence interval (CI), 67.1%-69.3%), 73.0% (95% CI, 71.8%-74.3%), and 66.6% (95% CI, 65.7%-67.5%), respectively, and weighted specificity = 84.4% (95% CI, 83.6%-85.2%), 82.0% (95% CI, 80.6%-83.4%), and 75.3% (95% CI, 74.7%-75.9%), respectively. Apple Watch produced the lowest mean bias (inactive, -4.0 ± 4.5; light activity, 2.1 ± 4.0) and absolute error (inactive, 4.9 ± 3.4; light activity, 3.6 ± 2.7) for inactive and light physical activity minutes. For moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, ActiGraph produced the lowest mean bias (1.0 ± 2.9) and absolute error (2.8 ± 2.4). No ActiGraph and consumer wearable device estimates were statistically significantly equivalent. Raw accelerometry estimated inactive and light activity from wrist-placed consumer wearables performed similarly to, if not better than, a research-grade device, when compared with indirect calorimetry. This proof-of-concept study highlights the potential of device-agnostic methods for quantifying physical activity intensity via consumer wearables.