Self-reported Exercise Frequency Research Articles

The prognostic role of diet quality in patients with MAFLD and physical activity: data from NHANES

Background and objectivesDietary control and increased physical activity (PA) are recommended for patients with metabolic (dysfunction-) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, not all patients can sustain both exercise and a healthy diet. This study explored the interaction between dietary quality, PA levels, and mortality in MAFLD patients.MethodsThe Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and linked mortality data were used in this study. Diet quality was assessed with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). PA level was calculated by multiply self-reported exercise frequency and its Metabolic Equivalent A high-quality diet was associated. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to explore risk factors for mortality in MAFLD patients.ResultsIn total, 3709 participants with MAFLD were included in the final analysis. The median follow-up time was 26.2 (interquartile range 19.3–28.1) years and 1549 (41.8%) deaths were recorded over follow-up. Cox multivariate regression was used to adjust for potential confounders of mortality. The results showed both HEI score and PA level were inversely correlated with all-cause mortality (P < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis stratified by PA level, higher diet quality decreased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular-related mortality and cancer-related mortality in PA inactive of MAFLD patients (P < 0.05), but these correlations were not present in active PA groups.ConclusionHealthy diet and physical activity may have different impact as lifestyle interventions for MAFLD. A high-quality diet is associated less mortality in inactive individuals with MAFLD but not in those with active PA levels. Sedentary individuals require healthier diet.

The effect of increasing exercise in the intellectually disabled community.

Intellectually disabled individuals have been observed to lead sedentary lifestyles resulting in poor health. Physical fitness has been positively correlated to better health outcomes with small changes in fitness translating to major health changes among unfit older adults with intellectual disability. However, there is currently no literature on safe exercise regimens for the intellectually disabled population. In this article, a retrospective review was conducted using the Special Olympics Athlete database and analyzed the mean differences of various performance metrics based on self-reported exercise frequency. These results demonstrated that those who exercised daily performed significantly better in flexibility, static balance and functional strength as compared to those who did not exercise. No statistically significant differences were found among athletes and self-reported exercise frequency for aerobic fitness. Overall, these findings suggest that 3-6 days-a-week of moderate exercise would be a recommended exercise dose to see significant improvement in performance and physiological adaptations.

Exercise frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal probability survey of the US population

Regular physical activity is important for general health and reduces the risk for COVID-19 infections and for severe outcomes among infected people. However, measures to mitigate COVID-19 likely decrease population physical activity. This study aimed to examine 1) changes in exercise frequency in a representative sample of US adults during the pandemic (04/01/2020–07/21/2021), and 2) how sociodemographic characteristics, pre-COVID health-related behaviors and outcomes, and state-level stringency of COVID-19 containment measures predict exercise frequency. Self-reported exercise frequency and its individual-level predictors were determined based on 151,155 observations from 6,540 adult participants (aged ≥ 18 years) in all US states from the Understanding America Study. State-level stringency of COVID-19 control measures was examined from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker. Exercise frequency varied significantly over 28 survey waves across 475 days of follow-up (F1,473 = 185.5, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.23-1.00), where exercise frequency decreased between April 2020 and January 2021, and then increased from January 2021 to July 2021. Those who were younger, living alone, non-White, had no college degree, lower household income, low pre-pandemic physical activity levels, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease and hypertension had lower exercise frequency. State-level stringency of COVID-19 control measures was inversely associated with exercise frequency (B = 0.002, SE = 0.001, p < 0.01) between April and December 2020 when the overall stringency level was relatively high; but the association was non-significant (B = 0.001, SE = 0.001, p > 0.05) between January and July 2021, during which the stringency index sharply declined to a low level. This longitudinal probability survey of the US population revealed significant fluctuations in exercise during COVID-19. Low exercise levels are concerning and deserve public health attention. Health inequalities from physical inactivity are likely to exacerbate because of COVID-19. Physical activity promotion in safe environments is urgently warranted, especially in at-risk population subgroups.

Preference for and tolerance of the intensity of exercise questionnaire (PRETIE-Q): validity, reliability and gender invariance in Portuguese health club exercisers

The aim of the present study was to translate and adapt the Preference for and Tolerance of the Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire to Portuguese (PRETIE-Q-PT), and to analyze its psychometric properties (factorial validity with gender invariance analyses, reliability, temporal stability, and construct validity). The sample was composed of 445 Portuguese participants (55.9% women), with a mean age of 29.6 years (SD = 8.2). To verify the psychometric properties of the scale, structural equation modeling procedures were used. Results showed that an abbreviated 10-item scale presented good fit, reliability, and convergent validity. Latent mean analysis between samples, sex, and time points showed no differences. Construct validity tested with self-reported exercise frequency, vitality, well-being, and habit supported the use of the PRETIE-Q-PT in exercise settings, highlighting the need for exercise professionals to consider these intensity-related trait variables in the promotion of a pleasant exercise experience. As a general conclusion, the PRETIE-Q-PT seems to be a valid scale that can be used to assess intensity-trait characteristics in health club exercisers, and may allow professionals to better adjust exercise prescription to subjective needs aiming to achieve theoretically suggested promotion of pleasurable exercise experiences.

Self-reported exercise frequency and PTSD: results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.

Physical exercise may serve as a protective factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but little is known about whether physical exercise is associated with PTSD in population-based samples of military veterans. We analyzed cross-sectional data on the relation between self-reported physical exercise frequency and the prevalence of probable PTSD in a nationally representative sample of 2832 U.S. military veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. A "U-shaped" association best explained the relation between self-reported exercise frequency and the prevalence of probable PTSD. Compared to veterans without probable PTSD, those with probable PTSD were nearly twice as likely to report no weekly exercise (52.3% vs. 29.3%) or daily (7days/week) exercise (15.2% vs. 8.5%) and were nearly half as likely to report exercising a median of 3.5days/week (32.6% vs. 62.1%). No exercise was associated with greater severity of emotional numbing and lower severity of anxious arousal symptoms, while daily exercise was associated with greater severity of re-experiencing symptoms. Results of this study suggest a "U-shaped" association between self-reported exercise frequency and the prevalence of probable PTSD among U.S. veterans. Veterans with probable PTSD were more likely than those without probable PTSD to report not exercising at all or exercising every day and were less likely to report exercising 1-6days per week. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Self-rated health literacy is associated with exercise frequency among adults aged 50+ in Ireland.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-rated health literacy and self-reported exercise frequency among people aged 50+ in Ireland. Data were from the European Health Literacy Survey (2011) a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of adults aged 15+ from eight countries. Health literacy was measured using composite indices (0-50, low to high) in three domains: healthcare, disease prevention and health promotion. Participants reported how often they exercised for 30 min or longer in the month prior to survey. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between exercise frequency (almost daily activity vs. weekly or less) and health literacy among participants aged 50+ in Ireland (n = 389). All models were fully adjusted for age, gender, employment status, marital status, social status, education, financial deprivation and having a physically limiting illness. An increased odds of exercising almost daily was associated with understanding disease prevention (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.03-1.35) and health promotion information (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.32) and accessing (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.00-1.29) and evaluating health promotion information (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.00-1.26) with ease. Public health approaches to promoting exercise often include providing information about the benefits of regular exercise, promoting affordable options and enhancing the accessibility of the built environment. Public health policy should also consider measures to improve interactive health literacy skills in order to achieve positive behavioural change.

Physical exercise among participants in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS): correlates and associated outcomes

Levels of physical exercise among haemodialysis patients are low. Increased physical activity in this population has been associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and survival. However, results of previous studies may not be applicable to the haemodialysis population as a whole. The present study provides the first description of international patterns of exercise frequency and its association with exercise programmes and clinical outcomes among participants in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS). Data from a cross section of 20,920 DOPPS participants in 12 countries between 1996 and 2004 were analysed. Regular exercise was defined as exercise frequency equal to or more than once/week based on patient self-report. Linear mixed models and logistic regression assessed associations of exercise frequency with HRQoL and other psychosocial variables. Mortality risk was calculated in Cox proportional hazard models using patient-level (patient self-reported exercise frequency) and facility-level (the dialysis facility percentage of regular exercisers) predictors. Regular exercise frequency varied widely across countries and across dialysis facilities within a country. Overall, 47.4% of participants were categorized as regular exercisers. The odds of regular exercise was 38% higher for patients from facilities offering exercise programmes (adjusted odds ratio = 1.38 [95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.84]; P = 0.03). Regular exercisers had higher HRQoL, physical functioning and sleep quality scores; reported fewer limitations in physical activities; and were less bothered by bodily pain or lack of appetite (P <or= 0.0001 for all). Regular exercise was also correlated with more positive patient affect and fewer depressive symptoms (P <or= 0.0001). In models extensively adjusted for demographics, comorbidities and socio-economic indicators, mortality risk was lower among regular exercisers (hazard ratio = 0.73 [0.69-0.78]; P < 0.0001) and at facilities with more regular exercisers (0.92 [0.89-0.94]; P < 0.0001 per 10% more regular exercisers). Results from an international study of haemodialysis patients indicate that regular exercise is associated with better outcomes in this population and that patients at facilities offering exercise programmes have higher odds of exercising. Dialysis facility efforts to increase patient physical activity may be beneficial.

Exercise and Quality of Life Among People With Multiple Sclerosis: Looking Beyond Physical Functioning to Mental Health and Participation in Life

Turner AP, Kivlahan DR, Haselkorn JK. Exercise and quality of life among people with multiple sclerosis: looking beyond physical functioning to mental health and participation in life. Objective To describe the prevalence of exercise in a national sample of veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the association of exercise with quality of life, including physical health, mental health, and participation restriction. Design Cross-sectional cohort study linking computerized medical records to mailed survey data from 1999. Setting Veterans Health Administration. Participants Veterans with MS (N=2995; 86.5% men) who received services in the Veterans Health Administration and returned survey questionnaires. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Demographic information, Veteran RAND 36-Item Health Survey (VR-36), self-reported exercise frequency. Results Among all survey respondents with MS, only 28.6% (95% confidence interval, 26.9–30.2) endorsed any exercise. In adjusted logistic regression, exercise was associated with younger age, more education, living alone, lower levels of bodily pain, and higher body mass index. After adjusting for demographic variables and medical comorbidities, exercise was associated with better physical and mental health. People who exercised reported they had better social functioning and better role functioning (participation in life despite physical and emotional difficulties). Conclusions Exercise in veterans with MS is uncommon. In the context of chronic illness care, the identification of exercise patterns and promotion of physical activity may represent an important opportunity to improve mental health and quality of life among people with MS. Intervention should address factors associated with lower rates of exercise including age, education, and pain.

Social physique anxiety and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance impact on orthorexia test in fitness participants

This study investigates how scores on the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) and the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ) relate to Bratman's orthorexia test (BOT) scores with regard to age, sex, and self-reported exercise frequency and duration in a sample of Swedish participants in fitness center activities. A total of 251 participants (166 women and 85 men) completed the SPAS, the SATAQ, and a questionnaire focusing on exercise frequency and duration. The results indicated that the SATAQ subdomain internalization could itself explain the variation in BOT results. In women, the results indicated that exercise frequency, followed by SPAS score and the SATAQ subdomains internalization and awareness, could together explain the variation in BOT results. Fitness centers could make a point of emphasizing that some physical ideals are neither healthy nor realistic, thus strengthening member self-image and preventing social physique anxiety, eating disorders, and negative attitudes toward appearance.

Self-Reported Exercise Frequency Predicts the Accuracy of Using a Circumference Test in Senior Military Leaders

1784 Procedures for estimating body composition using measurements of height, weight, and specific body circumferences (Circumference Test, CT) have been criticized for yielding biased estimates of body composition. That is, the equations under-predict percent body fat for obese individuals and over-predict percent body fat for lean individuals. Body fat standards have been used by the military services since the early 1980s, but few if any studies have examined the relationship between self-report exercise frequency and the accuracy of the CT in a population of over-40 males. PURPOSE: The present study examined the value of using self-reported frequencies of aerobic and strength training to predict the accuracy of the CT in measuring body composition as assessed by air displacement plethysmography (ADP) in 189 male senior military leaders. METHODS: Each subject's (mean age: 43.6 years) body composition and general exercise habits were measured as part of a comprehensive health and fitness assessment. Subjects completed a general exercise survey prior to their assessments. Body composition was measured using the CT according to Army Regulations first and then using ADP using the BOD POD (Life Measurement Instruments), where lung volume was measured. RESULTS: Subjects were categorized based on their responses to aerobic and resistance training frequency into low frequency (less than 3 times per week) of aerobic and resistance training (LOW, n = 53) or high frequency (3 times per week or more) of aerobic and resistance training (HIGH, n = 50). The LOW group (mean: 22.97 ± .53 and 26.55 ± .78, respectively) had significantly greater body fat using either the CT or ADP (p < .001 and p < .001, respectively) than the HIGH group (mean: 19.71 ± .54 and 21.54 ± .65, respectively). Furthermore, the difference between ADP and CT scores was significantly greater in the LOW group than the HIGH group (3.58 ± .47 and 1.83 ± .46, respectively, p < .01), indicating that the CT is more accurate in individuals who report higher frequency of aerobic and resistance training. CONCLUSION: Self-report data on the frequency of aerobic and resistance training is associated with increased reliability and validity of using circumference measures in assessing the body composition of senior military leaders.

Self-Reported Exercise Frequency Predicts the Accuracy of Using a Circumference Test in Senior Military Leaders

1784 Procedures for estimating body composition using measurements of height, weight, and specific body circumferences (Circumference Test, CT) have been criticized for yielding biased estimates of body composition. That is, the equations under-predict percent body fat for obese individuals and over-predict percent body fat for lean individuals. Body fat standards have been used by the military services since the early 1980s, but few if any studies have examined the relationship between self-report exercise frequency and the accuracy of the CT in a population of over-40 males. PURPOSE: The present study examined the value of using self-reported frequencies of aerobic and strength training to predict the accuracy of the CT in measuring body composition as assessed by air displacement plethysmography (ADP) in 189 male senior military leaders. METHODS: Each subject's (mean age: 43.6 years) body composition and general exercise habits were measured as part of a comprehensive health and fitness assessment. Subjects completed a general exercise survey prior to their assessments. Body composition was measured using the CT according to Army Regulations first and then using ADP using the BOD POD (Life Measurement Instruments), where lung volume was measured. RESULTS: Subjects were categorized based on their responses to aerobic and resistance training frequency into low frequency (less than 3 times per week) of aerobic and resistance training (LOW, n = 53) or high frequency (3 times per week or more) of aerobic and resistance training (HIGH, n = 50). The LOW group (mean: 22.97 ± .53 and 26.55 ± .78, respectively) had significantly greater body fat using either the CT or ADP (p < .001 and p < .001, respectively) than the HIGH group (mean: 19.71 ± .54 and 21.54 ± .65, respectively). Furthermore, the difference between ADP and CT scores was significantly greater in the LOW group than the HIGH group (3.58 ± .47 and 1.83 ± .46, respectively, p < .01), indicating that the CT is more accurate in individuals who report higher frequency of aerobic and resistance training. CONCLUSION: Self-report data on the frequency of aerobic and resistance training is associated with increased reliability and validity of using circumference measures in assessing the body composition of senior military leaders.

The role of exercise and gender for physical self‐perceptions and importance ratings in Swedish university students

The purpose of this study was to investigate how scores on the Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP), including scores on the Perceived Importance Profile (PIP), were related to self-reported exercise frequency, duration, and gender in sample of Swedish university students. A total of 164 participants completed the PSPP, PIP, and a questionnaire focusing on frequency and duration of exercise. Exercise frequency, duration, and gender predicted best the PSPP sub-domains of Sport Competence and Physical Conditioning. Exercising more frequently, and for a longer time on each occasion was associated with higher PSPP and PIP scores. Women generally displayed lower PSPP scores than men. These results suggest that exercise professionals need to master a range of appropriate exercise strategies, since doubts concerning self-presentation may work against establishing a regular exercise routine.

Self-reported exercise frequency and personality: a population-based study in Japan.

This study of relationships between personality and exercise frequency was based on 22,448 residents (40 to 64 years old) in Miyagi, Japan. They completed the self-administered questionnaires on their exercise frequency and the Japanese version of the short form Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised. Higher scores on Extraversion were positively related to exercising and higher scores on Neuroticism and Psychoticism were positively related to "not exercising" in a general population for both sexes. These observed relationships were consistent even when an analysis of covariance was conducted with controlling for possible confounding factors of age, marital status, and education.

EXERCISE VERSUS BODY MASS INDEX AS PREDICTORS OF CVD RISK FACTORS IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN 501

We determined the potential impact of regular exercise on CVD risk factors in lean and overweight African-American women who were members of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and who followed a prudent, plant-based diet. Using a cross-sectional analysis, we examined blood pressure (BP), blood lipids and insulin in a sample of 142 Black women (x age=52 yrs) recruited from churches in three northeastem U.S. cities. Women were divided into four groups based on BMI (above versus below 27 kg/m2) and self-reported exercise frequency (≤ 1 time/wk versus ≥ 2 time/wk: 1) LE=Lean exercisers (n=50; x BMI=22.6 kg/m2, x exercise frequency=4.0 session/wk; 2) LNE=Lean non-exercisers (n=39, BMI=23.1); 3) OWE=Overweight exercisers (n=22, BMI=30.9, x exercise frequency= 3.9 sessions/wk; and 4) OWNE=Overweight nonexercisers (n=31, BMI=32.8). Two-way ANCOVAs (BMI X exercise frequency with age as a covariate) revealed significant (p <0.05) main effects of BMI on BP, serum total cholesterol (STC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and the lipid ratios STC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C. The values for these variables were more favorable in the low BMI groups compared to the high BMI groups collapsed across exercise categories. There were significant (p <0.05) main effects of exercise frequency only for LDL-C, STC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, and fasting insulin, such that values for these variables were lower for exercisers compared to nonexercisers collapsed across BMI categories. There were BMI by exercise interactions at p<0.10 for LDL-C and the above lipid ratios, with these values lower for LE, LNE, and OWE compared to OWNE. These data suggest that in this population, regular exercise may attenuate the adverse effects of overweight on several, but not all of the measured CVD risk factors.

EXERCISE AND BODY IMAGE IN COLLEGE FEMALES 822

A considerable literature exists documenting relationships among exercise and psychosocial outcomes. Body image is one such outcome that is generally considered to be positively influenced by exercise, although the empirical literature on this topic is equivocal. In large part this equivocality has been due to subjective recall of exercise participation and the lack of a theoretical framework to guide researchers. In the context of college females, we used a self-presentational perspective in an attempt to better understand relationships between fitness, activity level, and perceptions of appearance. Seventy-four college females completed a battery of physiological(cardiovascular fitness, anthropometrics, and self-reported exercise behavior) and psychological inventories (Social Physique Anxiety, Physical Attractiveness Self-Efficacy, and Body Satisfaction). Bivariate correlations revealed that females with greater cardiovascular fitness reported less body fat (r=-.61), weight (r=-.45), and physique anxiety (r=-.26) and greater efficacy (r=.29) and body satisfaction (r=.40). Self-reported exercise frequency and duration was only related to body fat (-.25). Hierarchical regression analyses further revealed that efficacy (β=-.30) and body satisfaction (β=-.40) were the only significant predictors of physique anxiety. The results are discussed in terms of measurement and research design specifications.