Physical Activity Stage Research Articles

Determinants and Factors of Physical Activity After Oncology Treatments (DEFACTO) in Metropolitan France: Protocol of a Mixed Methods Study and Intervention.

While the scientific community widely recognizes the benefits of physical activity (PA) in oncology supportive care, cancer survivors who have undergone chemo- or radio-immunotherapy treatments struggle to meet PA recommendations. This underscores the importance of identifying factors influencing active lifestyle adoption and maintenance and proposing a multilevel model (micro-, meso-, and macrolevel) to better understand facilitators and barriers. Currently, no socioecological model explains an active lifestyle in the posttreatment phase of breast, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers. The objective is to identify factors influencing an active lifestyle in cancer survivorship and assess the feasibility of an individualized program targeting an active lifestyle. The objectives will be addressed in 3 stages. Stage 1 aims to elucidate factors associated with the active lifestyle of cancer survivors. Stage 2 involves developing an explanatory model based on previously identified factors to create a tailored health education program for an active lifestyle after oncology treatments. Stage 3 aims to evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of this personalized health education program after its national implementation. First, the exploration of factors influencing PA (stage 1) will be based on a mixed methods approach, using an explanatory sequential design and multilevel analysis. The quantitative phase involves completing a questionnaire from a socioecological perspective. Subsequently, a subset of respondents will engage in semistructured interviews to aid in interpreting the quantitative results. This phase aims to construct a model of the factors influencing an active lifestyle and develop an individualized 12-week program based on our earlier findings (stage 2). In stage 3, we will implement our multicenter, multimodal program for 150 physically inactive and sedentary cancer survivors across metropolitan France. Program feasibility will be evaluated. Measured PA level by connected device and multidimensional variables such as declared PA and sedentary behaviors, PA readiness, motivation, PA preferences, PA knowledge and skills, and barriers and facilitators will be assessed before and during the program and 52 weeks afterward. The institutional review board approved the mixed methods study (phase 1) in April 2020, and the intervention (phase 3) was approved in March 2022. Recruitment and data collection commenced in April 2022, with intervention implementation concluded in May 2023. Data collection and full analysis are expected to be finalized by July 2024. The Determinants and Factors of Physical Activity After Oncology Treatments (DEFACTO) study seeks to enhance our understanding, within our socioecological model, of factors influencing an active lifestyle among cancer survivors and to assess whether a tailored intervention based on this model can support an active lifestyle. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05354882; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05354882. DERR1-10.2196/52274.

How Do Awareness, Perceptions, and Expectations of an Urban Greenway Influence Residents’ Visits and Recreational Physical Activity? Evidence From the Connswater Community Greenway, Belfast, Northern Ireland

How Do Awareness, Perceptions, and Expectations of an Urban Greenway Influence Residents’ Visits and Recreational Physical Activity? Evidence From the Connswater Community Greenway, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Enhancing physical activity participation among female employees: evaluating the effectiveness of an educational intervention.

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on the transtheoretical model aimed at increasing physical activity (PA) participation among female employees in Bandar Abbas city (Iran) healthcare centers in December 2017 and August 2018. Using a semi-experimental interventional study design with a randomized and multi-stage method, 100 participants were included in both the intervention (n=50) and control groups (n=50). Data collection involved questionnaires assessing demographic information (age, gender, marital status and education), stages of change in PA behavior, Perceived Benefits, Barriers and Self-efficacy. The data were analyzed using SPSS-16, employing both descriptive (mean, SD, frequency, percentage) and inferential statistics (t-tests, chi-squared tests, etc.). Prior to the educational intervention, 19 participants (0.38%) in the intervention group engaged consistently in PA (stages 4-5). After 3 and 6 months of intervention, these numbers increased to 29 (0.58%) and 25 (0.50%), respectively. This improvement was statistically significant compared to the pre-intervention stage (P<0.001). The findings highlight the importance of theory-based behavior change models and health education programs in promoting PA and combating sedentary lifestyles. Although focused on a specific population in Bandar Abbas, the intervention can serve as a model for similar programs targeting diverse social classes and populations.

Indicators of Dietary Behavior and Physical Activity Change Associated with Metabolic Control of Obesity, Hypertension, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Mexican Adults: National Nutrition and Health Survey in Mexico, 2016.

Introduction: Obesity (OB), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), and hypertension (HTN) are health issues in Mexico linked to unhealthy behaviors. This study investigates the relationship between behavior change indicators and metabolic control in Mexican adults with OB, T2D, and HTN. Methods: We used data from the 2016 National Health and Nutrition Survey Midway (ENSANUT MC-2016), representing ∼59.5 million Mexican adults aged 20-59 with these conditions. We assessed behavior change indicators, including stages of change, self-efficacy, and perceptions of benefits and barriers. In addition, we conducted descriptive analyses and used statistical tests, such as Pearson's chi-squared test and logistic regression models, adjusted for multiple variables. Results: We found that adults in the action and maintenance stages of physical activity (PA) were four times more likely to have adequate HTN control than those in the precontemplation stage. Self-efficacy for PA was related to better control in T2D and HTN. Self-efficacy for reducing the consumption of sugary beverages was positively associated with control in OB and T2D. No significant association was observed with self-efficacy for consuming fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: Behavior-change indicators are significantly linked to metabolic control in adults with HTN. These results support the importance of these indicators in managing chronic diseases such as HTN and their potential use in public health strategies.

Associations between physical activity, mental health concerns, eating disorder symptoms, and emotional intelligence in adolescent athletes transitioning from COVID-19

BackgroundIt is well known that COVID-19 significantly disrupted the routines of school sports for adolescent athletes. In transitioning from this “change event,” athletes may need support with resuming their pre-pandemic level of activities, and addressing their ongoing mental health concerns, including exacerbated eating disorder symptoms. Emotional intelligence (the ability to understand emotions, influencing decisions and motivation) is a factor that has not yet been studied during this transition, but may serve as a coping mechanism for altered physical activity, mental health, and eating disorder symptoms.MethodsParticipants of the study included 315 Iranian adolescent athletes who transitioned back to 1 of 10 sports post quarantine restrictions (January 2022–January 2023). Physical activity and related stages of motivation for behavioral change were assessed by the Physical Activity Stages of Change Questionnaire, mental health concerns were assessed by the General Health Questionnaire-28, eating disorder symptoms were assessed by the Eating Attitudes Test-26, and emotional intelligence was assessed by the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test.ResultsA three-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted in order to test the overall differences between the 5 physical activity and behavioral change motivation groups (Pre-Contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance) on each of the 3 health measures (mental health concerns, eating disorder symptoms, and emotional intelligence); significant main effects were found for each measure. Fischer’s Least Significant Difference Post-Hoc Test indicated that there were significant differences between the Pre-Contemplation and Preparation groups, as well as the Preparation and Action groups, on all of the health measure mean variable scores, which contributed to the MANOVA significant main effects.ConclusionsParticipants in the Pre-Contemplation group (not intending to make behavioral changes within the next 6 months) had less mental health, higher eating pathology, and lower emotional intelligence, compared to participants who were in the Preparation group (intending to make behavioral changes within the next 1 month). Similarly, participants in the Preparation group had less mental health, higher eating pathology, and lower emotional intelligence, compared to participants who were in the Action group (has made specific, overt behavioral changes within the preceding 6 months). Overall, the findings from the current study highlight the need for sports professionals working with adolescent athletes transitioning from COVID-19 to monitor these aspects of mental, eating, and emotional health. Given that those in earlier motivation stages had more health concerns compared to those in later stages, professionals should encourage progression from the Pre-Contemplation to Action/Maintenance stage in order to improve health outcomes.

Application of remote monitoring of biosignals and geolocation with a Wearable for patients with sequelae of the coronavirus

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;Several patients who have overcome coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been left with cardiovascular and pulmonary sequelae and most medical centers lack a remote monitoring system for each patient that notifies them of any complications during rehabilitation. The objective of this research was to implement a Wearable that monitors the patient's health and alerts in case of detecting any anomaly. For this reason, a Wearable was developed that displays the patient's heart rate, oxygen saturation level and body temperature on the Light Emitting Diode (LCD) and the application mobile, sending an alert and geolocation message if anomalies are detected in vital signs. The standard deviation of heart rate, temperature and oxygen saturation was obtained, which was 1.4930, 0.1558 and 0.4364 in the rest stage, respectively, and 6.3442, 0.2365 and 0.9186 in the physical activity stage respectively with a maximum duration of 42 hours and 52 minutes of battery, managing to send alert messages and store the information in the cloud, which allows to conclude that the Wearable can facilitate the management of the database and the location of the patient, that the measurement error increases with physical activity, and that battery life varies with the number of biosignal readings per hour.&lt;/span&gt;

“Activity Matters was great - I now realize: if I move, I’m fitter.”: development and process evaluation of a web-based program for persons with multiple sclerosis

Purpose Research shows that persons with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis are less physically active than healthy controls even though they would benefit from it. This study focusses on the feasibility testing and process evaluation of the pilot study of Activity Matters, a twelve-week web-based program, from Ireland, to increase physical activity in this population. Materials and Methods The intervention was adapted to local circumstances in Hamburg, Germany and consists of eleven modules incorporating behavior change techniques. After feasibility had been confirmed, 43 persons with multiple sclerosis participated in a pilot study with a pre-post, single-group intervention design. Qualitative data was collected with questionnaires and semi structured interviews. Physical activity level and stage of change was measured quantitatively. Results Participants had a mean age of 49.5 years (SD 9.29) and an average Patient Determined Disease Step Score of 2.2 (SD 1.47). Thirty-six participants answered the follow-up questionnaire. On average 9.8 modules were processed within 13 weeks. Each tool for behavior change was perceived as helpful except the chat group. Physical activity levels increased significantly from pre- to post intervention (p-value 0.042, Cohen’s d = 0.35). Conclusions The results indicate that Activity Matters is feasible and satisfactory and may change activity levels.

The effect of a theory-based health education program on physical activity and blood pressure in middle-aged women with pre-hypertension: A cluster randomized trial

ABSTRACT The purpose of this interventional experimental study was to determine the effect of health education program on physical activity and blood pressure in middle-aged women with pre-hypertension in Kohdasht. Eighty middle-aged women with pre-hypertension were selected and divided into two groups randomly. After the one-month online training program for intervention group, by conducting an interview, the data was completed using questionnaire and it was analyzed using spss 27 software (significance level of 0.05). Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups. After 3 months of follow-up, a significant increase in attitude, perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention related to physical activity was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < .05). Also, the average blood pressure in the intervention group was higher than the control group. Considering the effect of the online health education program based on the theory of planned behavior in improving the stages of changing physical activity and reducing blood pressure, the use of these developed models with an emphasis on modifying the subjective norm related to physical activity in the field of prevention is recommended for high blood pressure.

Differences and Associations of Physical Activeness, Quality of Life, Motivational Factors, and Stages of Change Between Young and Mid Adults

The current study aimed to examine differences and associations of physical activity (PA) levels, quality of life (QoL), motives for PA, and stages of change (SOC) between young and mid adults. A total of 208 participants in Malaysia completed an online survey which comprised of questionnaires about PA, motivational factors, QoL, and SOC in PA. Independent t-tests revealed that young adults engaged in more PA in general, as well as light PA. However, mid adults in general scored higher levels of QoL and its four domains (i.e., physical, psychological, social, and environmental). Moreover, young adults were significantly more motivated by appearance for PA. Pearson correlations revealed higher levels of vigorous PA linked to, higher social domain of QoL in both age groups, and, physical and psychological domain of QoL in mid adults. Vigorous PA also showed the strongest positive links with motivations in competence in both young and mid adults. Cross tabulations showed that both young and mid adults have highest frequency counts in contemplation stage for moderate and light PA and highest frequency counts in the maintenance stage for vigorous PA. This study is the first to show how young and mid adults differed in PA levels, QoL, motives behind PA engagements, and how they correlate differently. However, both age groups showed similar SOC patterns, indicating the likelihood of moderate and light PA engagements when they see the possibility of change but still lack commitment, whilst those engaged in vigorous PA are more likely to actively maintaining the change.

Behavioral and neural network characterizations of the reinforcement of voluntary physical activity in heterogenous mice

Maintaining healthy and consistent levels of physical activity (PA) is a cost-effective means of reducing the onset of &gt;40-chronic diseases; however, these benefits go largely unrealized by the ~97% of adult Americans who fail to meet activity guidelines. Our prior work suggests that acute activity engages aversion-related brain regions, which may act as a barrier to PA adherence. Chronic PA is reinforcing and creates neural remodeling a across a network of brain regions belonging to the mesocorticolimbic system - comprising of stress and aversion-related brain regions [such as the basolateral amygdala (BLA)] and important reinforcement brain regions [i.e., the ventral tegmental area (VTA)]. A primary focus of this study is to determine how neural inputs to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) -the central point of convergence for this system– are engaged during acute and chronic PA. Objectives: Here we tested whether sex differences in the reinforcing value of wheel-running exist in a genetically diverse population of mice, the Heterogeneous Stock/Northport (HS/Npt). Moreover, we sought to identify the neural circuits engaged during acute and chronic voluntary wheel-running in these mice. Hypothesis: Given established findings that female rodents run more than males, we hypothesized that female HS/Npt mice would find wheel-running less aversive than males. We further hypothesized that 1-week of voluntary wheel-running would increase cFos expression (compared to mice with 1-week of wheel-lock) in brain regions associated with stress and aversion, whereas 4-weeks of wheel-running would increase neural engagement in brain regions associated with reinforcement, including the NAc, insular cortex, VTA and the medial preoptic area (a sexually dimorphic brain region critical for the estrogenic control of wheel-running in female rodents). Methods: As a proxy for their hedonic state, mice were provided a two-bottle choice saccharin preference test following acute or chronic PA. To better define the mesocorticolimbic system, we used an established retrograde tracer (rAAV-retro) to label the neural inputs to the NAc, which helped to identify important brain region involvement at two distinct stages of PA reinforcement. Results: There were no differences in running distance between female and male mice at 1- or 4-weeks and no differences in saccharin preference at 1-week. In contrast, male HS/Npt showed lower saccharin preference compared to females at 4-weeks of voluntary wheel running, suggesting a potential sex difference in the reinforcement value of chronic PA. Whole brain cFOS imaging is currently underway. Conclusions: It appears that chronic voluntary activity may confer lower hedonic states in male mice. Moreover, an improved understanding of how neural circuits across the mesocorticolimbic system are engaged during crtical stages of PA (in males and females) may prove important for determining neural and behavioral barriers to exercise adherence in humans. American College of Sports Medicine This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Cognitive and Psychological Constructs of Korean Physical Literacy Scale in Children

OBJECTIVES The current study examined the cognitive and psychological factors of Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 (CAPL-2) using a cross-sectional design. Also, this study assessed the measurement and structural invariance of the CAPL-2.METHODS The survey was conducted on 539 elementary school students in Seoul, Korea. Among the collected data, 274 datasets were used for confirmatory factor analysis, and 25 datasets for test-retest reliability analysis and 240 datasets for differences by group. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and criterion-related validity analysis were carried out by using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0.RESULTS Results indicated that the Korean physical literacy scale consists of four factors (interest, motivation, competence, and understanding with 15 items). In addition, the findings revealed that all factors in physical literacy differed by the stage of physical activity (λ= .723, F=5.59, p&lt;.001).CONCLUSIONS This study was the first to validate the CAPL-2 into the Korean children. The Korean physical literacy scale offers the possibility of assessing physical literacy to researchers and practitioners and Korean children’s physical activity enhancement could be easily tracked in school and community settings.

Chronic effect of bioresonance therapy on cardiovascular risk factors and physical activity pattern in the elderly: a randomized clinical trial

The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of 12 months of bioresonance therapy on physical activity behavior and cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly. A randomized, parallel, double-blind clinical trial was carried out in a sample of 20 elderly people. Bioresonance therapy was performed using QUANTEC® PRO. Data on gender, sex and morbidities were obtained. As cardiovascular risk factors, body composition, blood pressure and biochemical profile were analyzed. The behavior change stage related to physical activity was verified by the transtheoretical model and the physical activity pattern evaluated by the Baecke questionnaire. The treatment group showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, LDL-c and non-HDL-c, and an increase in HDL-c and physical activity and physical exercise scores. The placebo group, showed a regression in the behavior stage for physical activity. Based on the results, we conclude that instrumental biocommunication therapy using QUANTEC® can make a significant contribution to the health of the elderly, particularly in increasing physical activity level, maintaining blood glucose levels and improving the lipid profile.

Process of Change, Self-efficacy, Decisional Balance, and Stage Of Change of Physical Activity in Children: a Meta-analysis

Research findings on the application of the transtheoretical model (TTM) to physical activity in children and adolescents have been inconsistent, indicating that the relationships between structural elements in the TTM are unclear. We conducted a database search to collect TTM-based cross-sectional studies and used a meta-analysis to explore the relationships between processes of change (POC), self-efficacy (SEI), decisional balance (DBL), and stages of change in children and adolescents. Meta-analysis results of 16 articles showed that physical activity stage changes in children and adolescents were associated with POC, SEI, and DBL, and that POC, SEI, and DBL had distinct stage characteristics. Thus, POC, SEI, and DBL differ in the extent to which they play a role in adjacent stage transitions in the physical activity of children and adolescents. We recommend that stage-matched intervention strategies be developed based on key elements of adjacent stage transitions.

Understanding the relationship between acceptance of multifunctional health and fitness features of wrist-worn wearables and actual usage

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify existing users' acceptance of the multidimensional health and fitness features of wrist-worn wearable devices (WWDs) required for each stage of physical activity (i.e. before, during and after) and examine the relationship between its acceptance (i.e. knowledge acquisition, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) and the actual use of its health and fitness attributes.Design/methodology/approachBoth qualitative and quantitative approaches were taken to analyze the relationships. A focus group interview was conducted (N = 9) to design the research model, including the operationalized definition of the study constructs. A questionnaire survey was conducted with respondents in South Korea (N = 480). Partial least squares structural equation modeling via Smart PLS 3.0 was employed to test the hypotheses.FindingsWhen users learned to use fitness functions and perceived them as useful for physical activity without causing any difficulty, they tended to use those functions more, which provided enhanced health benefits in the digitalized interactive environment of WWDs.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first to examine the relationship between the perceived user value of WWDs and their actual usage within a digitalized and interactive environment. The results are expected to offer theoretical insights into how well users accept the health and fitness components of WWDs. Practically, it will build awareness of what makes users adopt and use WWDs, helping practitioners design better health promotions and campaigns associated with WWDs.

Validation of a brief German Physical Activity Questionnaire (German-PAQ): Biometric, physiological, strength, and psychological considerations

“It is impossible to change things that cannot be measured.” (Nigg et al., 2012, p. 455)&#x0D; Background&#x0D; For valid conclusions about physical activity (PA) prevalence, intervention efficacy, dose-response and health outcome, and provide evidence-based recommendations, high-quality measurement is essential (Nigg et al., 2020). PA Questionnaires (PAQs) are a type of self-report allowing both assessment of quantitative and qualitative aspects. An important aspect of a quality measure is its validity – or the degree to which an instrument truly measures the construct it purports to measure. Specifically, criterion validity documents the extent to which an operationalization of a construct, such as a PA (as measured by a PAQ), relates to another representation of the construct.&#x0D; PA-related indicators include biometric, physiological, strength, and behavioral domains. Although several long German language PAQs exist (e.g., Frey et al., 1999; Jekauc et al., 2013), there is only one brief German PAQ (the IPAQ-short form), however, without criterion validity established. Therefore, this study aimed to validate a brief German PAQ using various criterion validation domains.&#x0D; Methods&#x0D; Data from eight different studies (overall N = 155; 31.0% female; mean age = 24.5, SD = 4.8) were combined for this purpose. Six PA items assessed how many days per week and how many minutes per day individuals participated in vigorous, moderate, and mild activity, respectively. To enable PA guideline conclusions moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) min/wk was calculated (2*vigorous PA min/wk + moderate PA min/wk). Criterion validity measures included biometric indicators: body mass index (BMI, kg/m2), body fat (%), muscle mass (kg), waist circumference (cm), waist-to-height ratio; physiological indicators: resting heart rate (bpm), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg), maximum oxygen consumption [VO2max, ml/min/kg]); strength indicators: countermovement jump (cm), handgrip strength (kg); and a psychological indicator: PA stage of change.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; As expected MVPA min/wk negatively correlated with body fat % (r = -.17, p &lt; .05), and positively with VO2max (r = .36, p &lt; .001), hand grip strength (r = .27, p &lt; .05), and PA stage of change (r = .39, p = .003). Those who met PA guidelines according to the German-PAQ had lower BMI (Cohen’s d [d] = -.20), bodyfat % (d = -.32), waist circumference (d = -.32), waist-to-height ratio (d = -.36), resting heart rate (d = -.31) (all small effects), higher handgrip strength (d = .55; medium effect), VO2max (d = .75, large effect) and PA stage of change (d = 3.46, large effect) versus those who did not. No effects were found for muscle mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and countermovement jump (|d| ≤ .1),&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; In addition to high face validity, the brief German-PAQ exhibited criterion validity with biometric, physiological, strength, and psychological indicators, similar to other (English language) PAQs. The fact that meeting the guidelines according to the German-PAQ was associated with differences in the indicators adds additional credence to the validity of this measure.&#x0D; References&#x0D; Frey, I., Berg, A., Grathwohl, D., &amp; Keul J. (1999). Freiburger Fragebogen zur körperlichen Aktivität-Entwicklung, Prüfung und Anwendung [Freiburg questionnaire on physical activity-development, testing and application]. Sozial und Präventivmedizin, 44, 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01667127&#x0D; Jekauc, D., Wagner, M. O., Kahlert, D. &amp; Woll, A. (2013). Reliabilität und Validität des MoMo-Aktivitätsfragebogens für Jugendliche (MoMo-AFB) [Reliability and validity of the MoMo Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (MoMo-AFB)]. Diagnostica, 59(2), 100-111. https://doi.org/10.1026/0012-1924/a000083&#x0D; Nigg, C. R., Fuchs, R., Gerber, M., Jekauc, D., Koch, T., Krell-Roesch, J., Lippke, S., Mnich; C., Novak, B., Ju, Q., Sattler, M., Schmidt, S. C. E., van Poppel, M., Reimers, A. K., Wagner, P., Woods, K., &amp; Woll, A. (2020). Assessing physical activity through questionnaires – A consensus of best practices and future directions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 50, Article 101715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101715&#x0D; Nigg, C. R., Jordan, P. J., &amp; Atkins, A. (2012). Behavioral measurement in exercise psychology. In G. Tenenbaum, R. C. Eklund, R. C. &amp; A. Kamata, A. (Eds.), Measurement in Sport and Exercise Psychology (pp. 455-464). Human Kinetics.

Ammonia induced toxico‐physiological responses in fish and management interventions

AbstractIntensification of aquaculture practices resulted in increased ammonia production in the culture systems. Lack of proper management of the culture system will result in elevated ammonia, which adversely affects the culture species. Moreover, with the ongoing global warming, fish metabolism and ammonia excretion are expected to increase. This, coupled with the hypoxic condition, exacerbates the severity of ammonia toxicity. Ammonia toxicity can alter the growth and the biochemical, physiological and immunological responses of fish. Several factors such as pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, species and life stages of fish, physical activity, feeding and stress influence the toxicity of ammonia in fish. A proper understanding of these factors is a prerequisite for successful aquaculture. The physiological changes caused by the elevated ammonia hinder homeostasis that eventually increases their susceptibility to diseases. This review discusses ammonia toxicity in fish, factors affecting the toxicity and various physiological, haematological, histological and immunological responses induced by the elevated ammonia. Furthermore, the review summarizes various management and dietary interventions to mitigate ammonia and ammonia induced stress in aquaculture.

Effectiveness of Student-Led Interventions on Improving Diabetes Outcomes: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Background Diabetes education and treatment is a public health priority. Student-delivered strategies have the potential to offer low-cost, high-quality healthcare services to underserved patients while giving students practice experience. However, the effectiveness of these interventions is unknown. Purpose To document study characteristics and the effectiveness of student-delivered interventions on diabetes health outcomes. Methods Databases searched included Medline, CINAHL Plus, and others. Appropriate keywords/subject headings were used to identify studies meeting inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently extracted data which were compared, and conflicts resolved by discussion. Results Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Six had statistically significant improvement in outcomes including HbA1c, a long-term glycemic control indicator (n = 4), blood pressure (n = 3), physical activity (n = 1), and exercise stage of change (n = 1). Studies involved medical (n = 3), pharmacy (n = 2), nursing (n = 1), and exercise science (n = 1) students. Studies with improved outcomes tended to have more patient contact. Discussion This review provides evidence that student-led diabetes interventions may be effective at improving outcomes, although studies reviewed are limited by lack of comparison groups and representative samples. Translation to Health Education Practice: Student-delivered diabetes interventions may improve outcomes, especially with adequate patient contact time. Studies of theory- and evidence-based student-led diabetes interventions involving health education/promotion students are warranted.

Effect of the SNS-Based Physical Activity-Related Psychological Intervention on Physical Activity and Psychological Constructs among Inactive University Students

Background/ObjectiveThe current study investigated the effects of the physical activity-related psychological intervention via social network service (SNS) on physical activity and psychological constructs in inactive university students. MethodThirty inactive university students participated in the 12-week intervention and received the physical activity-related psychological strategy via SNS. The physical activity levels, stages of physical activity, self-efficacy, pros, and cons were measured at the three time points (baseline, after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks). Data analyses included frequency analysis, McNemar chi-square (χ2) test, and a repeated measures ANOVA were conducted. ResultsResults indicated that the number of inactive university students gradually decreased across the three different time points, and that a total physical activity of inactive university students significantly increased over the 12-week intervention. In addition, pros and self-efficacy significantly increased but cons gradually decreased over the intervention. ConclusionsThe current study suggests that the SNS-based physical activity-related psychological strategies have positive effects on promoting physical activity and its related psychological constructs for inactive university students.

Physical Activity Determinants in Older German Adults at Increased Dementia Risk with Multimorbidity: Baseline Results of the AgeWell.de Study.

Background: Multimorbidity is a common issue in aging societies and is usually associated with dementia in older people. Physical activity (PA) may be a beneficial nonpharmacological strategy for patients with complex health needs. However, insufficient PA is predominant in this population. Thus, there is an evident need to expand the knowledge on potential determinants influencing PA engagement among elderly persons at risk of dementia and multimorbidity. Methods: We used baseline data from the multicenter, cluster-randomized controlled AgeWell.de study. The main aim was to describe PA engagement and identify potential PA determinants in a sample of community-dwelling Germans aged 60–77 years old with an increased risk of dementia and multimorbidity. Results: Of the 1030 included participants, approximately half (51.8%) engaged in PA ≥2 times/week for at least 30 min at baseline. We identified self-efficacy (beta = 0.202, (p < 0.001) and BMI (beta = −0.055, (p < 0.001) as potential PA determinants. Conclusions: The identified determinants, self-efficacy, and BMI are consistent with those reported in the literature. Specific knowledge on PA determinants and stages of change in persons with risk of dementia and multimorbidity might guide the development of effective future prevention measures and health services tailored to this population. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (reference number: DRKS00013555).

남자 고등학생의 운동행동 변화단계와 신체활동에 따른 회복탄력성의 차이

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference in resilience according to stages of exercise behavior change and physical activity in male high school students.<BR> Method: Through convenience sampling method, selected 300 survey questionnaires from recruited private single-sex male high school students (1 ~ 3th grade) located in Gyeonggi-do were used for final analysis. Participants completed a series of questionnaires on the stage of exercise behavior change scale, international physical activity questionnaire, and resilience scale. With the collected data, the Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA analysis were performed by SPSS 23.0.<BR> Results: First, the differences in physical activity levels (low, medium, and high strength) were observed depending on the stages of exercise behavior change (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance). Second, it was observed that groups in practice (action and maintenance) have higher levels of resilience except for cause analysis than groups in the early stages (pre-contemplation, contemplation, and preparation) of stages of exercise behavior change. Third, high levels of resilience were observed in high-strength physical activity groups.<BR> Conclusion: In summary, these results of the study suggest that regular exercise participation habits must be formed to maintain a high level of resilience for male high school students, and that high-strength physical activities are required in daily life.