Walking Frequency Research Articles

Flexible ZnO:PVDF based free standing piezoelectric nanogenerator for vibrational energy harvesting and wearable shoe insole pedometer sensor

The increasing demand of energy harvesting and wearable electronics applications requires the development of flexible and highly durable piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG). In this work, We have fabricated flexible ZnO:PVDF based PENGs for vibrational energy harvesting and shoe insole pedometer applications. ZnO nanorods were grown by hydrothermal method and incorporated into PVDF matrixes in the concentration range of 5–15 wt%. These homogeneous ZnO:PVDF composite films were sandwiched between Al electrodes to realize flexible free standing PENGs. The open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current (Isc) and instantaneous power density of PENGs increased from ∼ 4 V, 0.4 µA and 1.6 µW/cm2 to ∼ 14.6 V, 0.6 µA and 21.3 µW/cm2 respectively when ZnO nanorods concentration in PVDF increased from 0 to 10 wt% and decreased with further increase in ZnO nanorods concentration. The enhancement in output characteristics of ZnO:PVDF PENG with increasing ZnO concentration was attributed to β-phase crystallization of PVDF, which was confirmed by XRD and FTIR measurements. The deterioration in output characteristics beyond 10 wt% of ZnO nanorods concentration was explained considering the variation of dielectric constant and remnant polarization. The rectified output of the PENGs was effectively stored in various commercially available capacitors and used to power LEDs and stopwatch displays. The PENG with 10 wt% ZnO concentration was used to develop shoe insole pedometer which was interfaced with android based mobile application via Bluetooth. The shoe insole pedometer was successfully tested for 5000 steps at different walking frequencies ranging from 0.5 Hz to 2 Hz in the speed range of ∼ 1.4 km/h to 5.5 km/h. This study not only gives an insight into the mechanism of ZnO:PVDF based PENGs but also opens up their potential in vibration energy harvesting and shoe insole pedometer applications.

Development of a GIS-based walking route planner with integrated comfort walkability parameters

Walking is a simple physical activity that is available to almost everyone and effective in reducing pollution, saving resources, and enhancing the general health of the population. Previous research has revealed the need to produce a WI that takes into account real-time comfort conditions. The objective of this study was to design a GIS-based algorithm that automated real time and customized WI computation and proposed a comfortable walking route using these inputs. Two comfort factors were considered; shaded areas and temperature. To this end, we devised a novel method for projecting shadows on the ground and a new way of creating a network of sidewalk routes. We designed an algorithm that successfully computed WI values which took the user’s comfort preferences into account. These values were then used to create the most comfortable route for the user to take along the sidewalks, in line with real-time weather conditions. Key findings unfold in two directions; firstly, GIS functions are enriched by the methods developed for creating a pedestrian network along sidewalks and road crossings, and for calculating the shadows cast by adjacent buildings. Secondly, the proposed algorithm constitutes a significant step forward in the development of a route planner that incorporates personalized walking comfort parameters based on real-time data. This in turn could potentially increase the frequency and duration of walks, thereby improving the general health of the population. Validation was based on an assessment of the accuracy of the model in calculating shadows and on the analysis of the routes calculated under different conditions.

Do walking and social support always relate to autonomic nervous system function in later life? Reexamining an age-based moderating model

Although walking and social support relate to healthy function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in later life, it is unclear whether age groups moderate the relationships of walking frequency and social support with ANS function. To address this area of limited research, we conducted a cross-sectional study with 300 older adults to examine these moderating relationships. Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that walking frequency and social support correlated positively with ANS function. The correlation between walking frequency and ANS function was moderated by age groups, but that between social support and ANS function was not. Therefore, increasing frequency of walking and levels of social support should be considered critical elements of healthy ANS function in later life. However, increasing frequency of walking may be ineffective for old-old adults. We recommend that healthcare practitioners guide old-old adults in seeking sources of social support to promote ANS function.

In-lab Assessment of a Sternum-Worn Accelerometer to Measure Gait Speed in Healthy Individuals (P3-11.010)

<h3>Objective:</h3> To assess the validity of gait speed derived using a sternum-worn accelerometer, thus supporting the deployment of a single device to measure multiple biosignals, e.g., gait and ECG. <h3>Background:</h3> Gait assessment is essential to understand, diagnose, and monitor numerous neurological disorders. In contrast to conventional clinical evaluations, wearable sensors used in free-living environments grant more objective measurements. While wearing the widespread lumbar-worn accelerometers may be burdensome over the long-term, sternum-worn devices, already validated for at-home vitals monitoring, may be more comfortable. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> During two in-lab visits, twenty healthy individuals (13 females, mean±sd age: 33.9±9.1 years, BMI: 24.4±4.67kg/m²) were instrumented with a 6-sensor set (APDM), including lumbar-worn and sternum-worn accelerometers. Participants underwent two assessments: A1) walking three 20-ft laps on an instrumented mat (GAITRite), at normal, slow, and fast speeds; A2) freely performing in-lab 20-min activities with frequent walking bouts. Gait speed was extracted by sternum-worn and lumbar-worn accelerometers (test devices) using the in-house built GaitPy algorithm, and compared against the values collected by GAITRite and APDM (reference devices for A1 and A2, respectively). Agreement was evaluated via Bland-Altman analysis, Pearson’s correlation (R), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). <h3>Results:</h3> In A1, sternum-worn device underestimated gait speed compared to GAITRite, but the values were highly correlated, and the ICC showed moderate-to-good agreement (R: 0.91, 0.81, 0.66; bias (m/s): −0.137, −0.162, −0.209; ICC: 0.59, 0.50, 0.43, for slow, normal, and fast speeds, respectively). In A2, bias=0.055, R=0.82, and ICC= 0.78 demonstrated excellent agreement between gait speed derived from APDM and sternum-worn device. Sternum-worn and lumbar-worn accelerometers showed comparable performances. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Sternum-worn devices can reliably measure gait speed both in scripted walking tasks and naturalistic walks. They can be deployed to simultaneously capture gait parameters and vital signs, thus opening new opportunities for more in-depth, free-living studies of patients with neurological disorders. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Camerlingo has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Pfizer. Mr. Welbourn has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Mindlance, Inc. (employee servicing Pfizer). Mr. Psaltos has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Pfizer. Mr. Messere has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhang has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Pfizer. Dr. Demanuele has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Pfizer. Dr. Demanuele has stock in Pfizer. Dr. Santamaria Serra has nothing to disclose. Mr. Adamowicz has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Pfizer. Mr. Adamowicz has stock in Pfizer. Dr. Karahanoglu has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Pfizer. Dr. Cai has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Pfizer. Dr. Cai has stock in Pfizer.

Neighborhood socioeconomic status and cardiometabolic risk: mediating roles of domain-specific physical activities and sedentary behaviors

PurposeWe examined the potential mediating roles of domain-specific physical activities and sedentary behaviors in the relationship between area-level socioeconomic status (SES) and cardiometabolic risk. MethodsData were from the 2011/2012 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study (n = 3431). The outcome was a clustered cardiometabolic risk (CCR) score, and the exposure was suburb-level SES. Potential mediators were domain-specific physical activities and sedentary behaviors. Multilevel linear regression models examined associations between SES and potential mediators (α) and between mediators and CCR (β). Mediation was assessed using the joint-significance test. ResultsHigher SES was associated with a lower CCR score. Lower SES was associated with less frequent walking for transport, lower vigorous-intensity recreational physical activity, and higher TV time, which were associated with higher CCR scores. However, higher SES was associated with longer transport-related sitting time (all modes and in cars), which were associated with higher CCR scores. ConclusionsThe SES-cardiometabolic risk relationship may be partially explained by walking for transport, vigorous-intensity recreational physical activity, and TV viewing. These findings, which require corroboration from prospective evidence and clarification of the roles of transport-related sitting and occupational physical activity, can inform initiatives addressing socioeconomic inequalities in cardiometabolic health.

Prevalence and factors associated with knee osteoarthritis among middle-aged and elderly individuals in rural Tianjin: a population-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe prevalence of osteoarthritis has been investigated in many countries and regions. Considering the wide differences in ethnicity, socioeconomic status, environmental factors, and lifestyle patterns, our study aimed to report the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and its associated factors in rural areas of Tianjin.MethodsThis population-based cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2020. KOA was diagnosed according to the 1995 American College of Rheumatology criteria. Information on participants’ age, years of education, BMI, smoking and drinking status, sleep quality, and frequency of walking were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze factors influencing KOA.ResultsThis study included 3924 participants (1950 male and 1974 female); the mean age of all participants was 58.53 years. In total, 404 patients were diagnosed with KOA, and the overall prevalence of KOA was 10.3%. The prevalence of KOA was higher in women than in men (14.1% vs. 6.5%). The risk of KOA in women was 1.764 times higher than that in men. The risk of KOA increased following the increasement of age. There was higher risk of KOA in participants who walked frequently than in participants who walked infrequently (OR = 1.572); in participants with overweight than in participants with normal weight (OR = 1.509), in participants with average sleep quality (OR = 1.677) and those with perceived poor sleep quality (OR = 1.978), respectively, than participants with satisfactory sleep quality, and in postmenopausal women than in non-menopausal women (OR = 4.12). The risk of KOA in participants with an elementary level was lower (0.619 times) than participants with illiteracy. In addition, the results of gender subgroup analysis showed that in male, age, obesity, frequent walking and sleep quality were independent factors associated with KOA; while in female, age, BMI, education level, sleep quality, frequent walking and whether menopausal were independent factors associated with KOA (P < 0.05).ConclusionThe results of our population-based cross-sectional study showed that sex, age, educational level, BMI, sleep quality, and frequent walking were independent influencing factors for KOA, and the influencing factors for KOA differed between the sexes. In order to reduce the disease burden of KOA and the harm to the health of middle-aged and elderly people, the risk factors related to the control of KOA should be identified as much as possible.Trial registration: ChiCTR2100050140.

Neurobiological, Psychosocial, and Behavioral Mechanisms Mediating Associations Between Physical Activity and Psychiatric Symptoms in Youth in the Netherlands

Understanding the mechanisms by which physical activity is associated with a lower risk of psychiatric symptoms may stimulate the identification of cost-efficient strategies for preventing and treating mental illness at early life stages. To examine neurobiological, psychosocial, and behavioral mechanisms that mediate associations of physical activity with psychiatric symptoms in youth by testing an integrated model. Generation R is an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study collecting data from fetal life until young adulthood in a multiethnic urban population in the Netherlands. Pregnant women living in Rotterdam with an expected delivery date between April 2002 and January 2006 were eligible for participation along with their children born during this time. Data were collected at a single research center in the Erasmus Medical Center Sophia Children's Hospital. For the current study, data were analyzed from 4216 children with complete data on both exposure and outcome at ages 6, 10, and 13 years. Data were analyzed from January 2021 to November 2022. Physical activity was ascertained at age 6 years (visit 1) via parent report and included weekly frequency and duration of walking or cycling to or from school, physical education at school, outdoor play, swimming, and sports participation. Psychiatric symptoms (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) were assessed at age 6 years (visit 1) and at age 13 years (visit 3) using the Child Behavior Checklist. Several mechanisms were explored as mediators, measured at age 10 years (visit 2). Neurobiological mechanisms included total brain volume, white matter microstructure, and resting-state connectivity assessed using a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Psychosocial mechanisms included self-esteem, body image, and friendship. Behavioral mechanisms included sleep quality, diet quality, and recreational screen time. Pearson correlations between physical activity measures and psychiatric symptoms were calculated, with false discovery rate correction applied to account for the number of tests performed. Mediation analyses were performed when a correlation (defined as false discovery rate P < .05) between exposure and outcome was observed and were adjusted for confounders. Among the 4216 children included in this study, the mean (SD) age was 6.0 (0.4) years at visit 1, and 2115 participants (50.2%) were girls. More sports participation was associated with fewer internalizing symptoms (β for direct effect, -0.025; SE, 0.078; P = .03) but not externalizing symptoms. Self-esteem mediated the association between sports participation and internalizing symptoms (β for indirect effect, -0.009; SE, 0.018; P = .002). No evidence was found for associations between any other neurobiological, psychosocial, or behavioral variables. No association was found between other types of physical activity and psychiatric symptoms at these ages. The integrated model presented in this cohort study evaluated potential mechanisms mediating associations between physical activity and psychiatric symptoms in youth. Self-esteem mediated an association between sports participation in childhood and internalizing symptoms in adolescence; other significant mediations were not observed. Further studies might explore whether larger effects are present in certain subgroups (eg, children at high risk of developing psychiatric symptoms), different ages, or structured sport-based physical activity interventions.

Movement-synchronized cerebellum rhythm coordinates multi-joint movements in young and elderly adults.

Rhythmic limb multi-joint movement like locomotion is controlled by intralimb coordination. Intralimb coordination changes entail immediate alterations in movement patterns and be related with cerebellum function. Synchronized cerebellum activity has known to modulate the frequency of walking, but not known the effect of only intralimb coordination. The purpose of this study was to reveal the effect of synchronized and unsynchronized cerebellum activity on the coordination of multi-joint movements of the unilateral leg in young and elderly people. To achieve our purpose, we applied synchronized and unsynchronized cerebellum transcranial alternating current stimulation during cyclic unilateral multi-joint movement by visual tracking task. The results showed that the reduction in comprehensive synchrony between targets and movements through trials had no significant differences under all stimulus conditions in young and elderly people. However, the reduction in variation of synchronization through trials was significantly smaller under the synchronized transcranial alternating current stimulation condition in both young and elderly groups. Variation of synchronization was remarkably reduced under the synchronized transcranial alternating current stimulation condition for the elderly group. This study showed that movement-synchronized cerebellum activity contributes to reducing fluctuations in movement synchrony by coordinating unilateral multi-joint movements. Moreover, this reduction was remarkable in the elderly group.

"Can Do" vs. "Do Do" in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sensor-Derived Physical Activity Patterns.

(1) Background: Identifying groups with a misaligned physical capacity (PC) and physical activity (PA) is potentially relevant for health promotion. Although an important health determinant, deeper knowledge of underlying walking behavior patterns in older adults is currently missing. We aim to identify specific PA signatures of misaligned groups and determine PA variables discriminating between groups. (2) Methods: In total, 294 community-dwelling older adults (≥70 years) were divided into four quadrants based on thresholds for PA (≥ or <5000 steps/day) and PC (≤ or >12 s, Timed Up and Go test). Kruskal-Wallis and effect sizes were calculated to compare quadrants' PA variables and to determine the discriminative power of PA parameters on walking duration, frequency, and intensity. (3) Results: We identified quadrant-specific PA signatures. Compared with "can do-do do", the "cannot do-do do" group performs shorter continuous and lower-intensity walks; the "can do-do not do" group takes fewer steps and walks with less intensity. The "cannot do-do not do" group presents lower values in all PA variables. "Walking duration greater or equal 3 METs" was the strongest discriminative PA variable. (4) Conclusion: We provide distinct PA signatures for four clinically different groups of older adults. Walking intensity is most useful to distinguish community-dwelling older adults, which is relevant for developing improved customized health promotion interventions.

Role of individual characteristics and national distancing policies for COVID-19 protective behaviour among older adults: a cross-sectional study of 27 European countries

ObjectiveEvidence on how individual characteristics and distancing policies during the first wave of COVID-19 together influenced health behaviours is scarce. The objective of this study is to fill in this...

Can Intelligence Affect Alcohol-, Smoking-, and Physical Activity-Related Behaviors? A Mendelian Randomization Study

People with high levels of intelligence are more aware of risk factors, therefore choosing a healthier lifestyle. This assumption seems reasonable, but is it true? Previous studies appear to agree and disagree. To cope with the uncertainty, we designed a mendelian randomization (MR) study to examine the causal effects of genetically proxied intelligence on alcohol-, smoking-, and physical activity (PA)-related behaviors. We obtained genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets concerning these variables from separate studies or biobanks and used inverse-variance weighted (IVW) or MR-Egger estimator to evaluate the causal effects according to an MR protocol. The MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, and funnel plots were employed for horizontal pleiotropy diagnosis. The Steiger test (with reliability test), Cochran's Q test, MR-PRESSO, and leave-one-out method were employed for sensitivity analysis. We found significant or potential effects of intelligence on alcohol dependence (OR = 0.749, p = 0.003), mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol (OR = 0.814, p = 0.009), smoking (OR = 0.585, p = 0.005), and smoking cessation (OR = 1.334, p = 0.001). Meanwhile, we found significant or potential effects on walking duration (B = -0.066, p < 0.001), walking frequency (B = -0.055, p = 0.031), moderate PA frequency (B = -0.131, p < 0.001), and vigorous PA frequency (B = -0.070, p = 0.001), but all in a negative direction. In conclusion, our findings reinforce some existing knowledge, indicate the complexity of the health impacts of human intelligence, and underline the value of smoking and alcohol prevention in less intelligent populations. Given the existing limitations in this study, particularly the potential reverse causality in some estimations, re-examinations are warranted in future research.

Behavioural Profiling of Cycling and Walking in Nine European Cities

To ensure cities’ livability, a significant modal shift from car use towards more sustainable modes of transportation, such as walking and cycling, is required. To establish such a modal shift, a better understanding is needed of the psychological components that affect people’s likelihood of shifting to active transport modes. To this end, a behavioural survey was conducted among more than 2000 respondents across nine European cities in four countries. Using factor and cluster analysis, two groups of respondents are identified that have common determinants of their variations in intentions to shift to active transport modes, i.e., a “pro-cycling” cluster (55.6% of the respondents) and a “non-pro-cycling” cluster (44.4%). The findings highlight the intrinsically different nature of walking and cycling as transport modes, underlining the importance of distinguishing walking and cycling policies. The main obstacle to cycle more frequently is perceived traffic safety. Therefore, the main priority should be the improvement of traffic safety. The most important obstacle hindering more frequent walking is time. Hence, reducing travel time, for instance, by creating shortcuts for pedestrians and denser and more diversified urban areas will be an important strategy. Future research could extend this research to cities in other countries and regions. By repeating the survey periodically, changes in people’s motivations and perceived barriers can be analysed over time.

Active school commuting in adolescents from 28 countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia: a temporal trends study

BackgroundEvidence examining trends in active school commuting among adolescents are mainly single-country studies, and principally focused on high-income countries. Thus, the present study aims to examine temporal trends in adolescents’ active school commuting and to examine if there are differences in such trends by sex. We used nationally representative samples of 28 countries, which were predominantly low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), covering 5 different WHO regions.MethodsData from the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2004–2017 were analyzed in 177,616 adolescents [mean (SD) age: 13.7 (1.0) years; 50.7% girls]. Active school commuting was self-reported (frequency of walking or riding a bike to and from school in the past 7 days). The prevalence and 95%CI of active school commuting (i.e., ≥ 3 days/week) was calculated for the overall sample and by sex for each survey. Crude linear trends in active school commuting were assessed by linear regression models. Interaction analyses were conducted to examine differing trends among boys and girls.ResultsTrends in active school commuting were heterogeneous across countries, with results showing stable patterns for the majority (16/28), decreasing trends for some (7/28) and increasing trends over time for a few (5/28). The majority of countries showed no differences in active school commuting trends between girls and boys.ConclusionsThe quantification of changes in adolescents’ active school commuting over time, together with a deeper understanding of local determinants for such behaviors will provide valuable evidence to inform the development of tailored and context-specific actions.

Utilization of nutrition labels and related factors among patients with diabetes in Korea.

The prevalence of diabetes has continued to increase globally. Changes in eating habits, lack of exercise, increased stress, and aging are major contributors. Glycemic control is the key strategy of diabetes management. The purpose of this study was to analyze the utilization of nutrition labels and related factors among patients with diabetes. Data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. General, health-related, diabetes-related characteristics from 1,587 adults with diabetes history were included. Nutrition label utilization was assessed with awareness and use of nutrition labels and effects on food choice. For statistical analyses, chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed. The prevalence of awareness, use, and effects of nutrition labels on food choice among diabetic patients were 48.8%, 11.4%, and 9.6%, respectively. High monthly income, walking frequency, family history of diabetes, younger age at diagnosis, and shorter duration of diabetes were associated with higher nutrition label awareness. Nutrition label use and effect on food choice were higher in women, those with high monthly income, those diagnosed at younger than 45 yrs, those with diabetes for less than 10 yrs, those with meal therapy, or patients who had undergone a fundus examination. Nutrition label utilization status was low in Korean patients with diabetes. Strategies are needed to promote nutrition label use as a diet management tool for patients with diabetes.

A Coaxial Wrist-Worn Energy Harvester for Self-Powered Internet of Things Sensors

Energy harvesting from human motion has great potential of sustainably powering Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and satisfying their continuous sensing requirement. In this article, we propose a high-performance wrist-worn energy harvester to efficiently capture the biomechanical energy of arm swinging to self-power wearable sensors. Based on coaxial topology, a planetary gear system serves as frequency-up converter to increase energy conversion capacity, and all the functional units are coaxially installed to achieve a highly compact structure. Thanks to improved energy conversion capacity and structure compactness, the energy harvester can efficiently capture the kinetic energy of arm swinging and achieve high average power. We derive an analytical model to predict the system dynamics and power generation performance using the Lagrangian approach and mirror image method. We fabricate a miniature prototype with different proof mass configurations, which is characterized under bench-top excitations and tested under real walking excitations. The results show that in bench-top testing, the prototype generates maximum average power of 2.73 mW and maximum power density of 535.29 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {\mathrm {\mu }}\text{W}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> /cm3 at the excitation frequency of 1.2 Hz among different configurations. In terms of average power and power density, this energy harvester significantly overperforms its counterparts. In real walking testing, the prototype generates maximum average power of 3.13 mW at a walking frequency of 1.2 Hz among different configurations and achieves higher power output than bench-top testing. Finally, the prototype is used to simultaneously power four sensors and demonstrates great potential in self-powered IoT applications.

MAIN FACTORS OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN

Relevance. It is widely recognized that COVID-19 disease is significant problem for public health. The COVID-19 pandemic evolves, the long-term health impacts are continually increasing and children health is particular concern. The duration of exposure, heterogeneity and plurality of biopsychosocial factors have to unpredictable consequences on the mental health of vulnerable populations such as children and adolescents.&#x0D; Objective. Determination the significant factors affecting the mental health of schoolchildren during the pandemic in order to further develop the health-saving measures.&#x0D; Methods. During implementation of quarantine measures due to COVID-19 pandemic, we studied the peculiarities of schoolchildren’s life and mental health in 2020-2021 (n=1393) from all regions of Ukraine. Q-RAPH, GPAQ, RCADS-P-25 questionnaires were used. Prior to the pandemic, MH survey of 500 schoolchildren was conducted using “Children’s Neuroses Questionnaire” method. Descriptive statistics, Student's coefficients, univariate and multivariate analysis of variance, followed by a posteriori estimation of mean differences according to the Bonferroni test, conjugation tables, logistic and linear regression models were used.&#x0D; Results. Сonstant stay in an apartment during quarantine leads to an increase in the chances of anxiety-depressive disorders on average by 2.5 times. During the pandemic for the observation period, both duration and frequency of walks were significantly lower for the children with mental disorders. The likelihood of pathological increases in anxiety and depression in school age children without interactive learning is 1.8 times greater. Pairwise comparisons of adjusted means using the Bonferroni test demonstrated that the higher is the BMI - the shorter is the sleep (β=-1.9; p=0.004), the longer is the sedentary behavior duration (β=3.4; p=0.001) - the shorter is MVPA (β =-1,4; p=0,005). It was established that depressive disorders are 2.4 times more common among the children with chronic diseases than among the healthy children (χ2 =51.1; p&lt;0.001). In the course of 3d linear modeling of normalized indicators we can see that a decrease in both light physical activity (LPA) and MVPA leads to deterioration in mental health indicators of the children.&#x0D; Conclusions. Main factors of the negative impact on children's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic are: permanent stay at home (OR=2.02; CI 1.39-2.93), frequency of walks less than 4 times a week and duration less than 220 minutes per week (OR=1.96; CI 1.12-3.45), non-interactive remote learning (OR=1.78; CI 1.17-2.69), overweight and obesity of schoolchildren (OR=1 .52; CI 1.11-2.08), presence of chronic diseases (OR=2.79; CI 1.99-3.91), anxiety disorders in parents (OR=3.67; CI 1.02-13,25) and their lack of higher education (OR=1,27; CI 1,03-1,56).&#x0D; The obtained results must be taken into account when developing further preventive strategies and tactics for overcoming the pandemic consequences.

Breaking up sitting with short frequent or long infrequent physical activity breaks does not lead to compensatory changes in appetite, appetite-regulating hormones or energy intake

The aim of this study was to determine the appetite-related responses to breaking up prolonged sitting with physical activity bouts differing in frequency and duration among adult females. Fourteen sedentary females aged 34 ± 13 years with a body mass index of 27.1 ± 6.3 kg/m2 (mean ± SD) took part in a randomised crossover trial with three, 7.5 h conditions: (1) uninterrupted sitting (SIT), (2) sitting with short frequent 2-min moderate-intensity walking breaks every 30 min (SHORT-BREAKS), and (3) sitting with longer duration, less frequent 10-min moderate-intensity walking breaks every 170–180 min (LONG-BREAKS). The intensity and total duration of physical activity was matched between the SHORT-BREAKS and LONG-BREAKS conditions. Linear mixed models were used to compare the outcomes between conditions with significance being accepted as p ≤ 0.05. There were no significant between-condition differences in hunger, satisfaction, prospective food consumption or overall appetite area under the curve (AUC) (all p ≥ 0.801). Absolute ad libitum energy intake and relative energy intake (REI) did not differ significantly between conditions (all p ≥ 0.420). Acylated ghrelin and total peptide YY incremental and total AUC did not differ significantly between conditions (all p ≥ 0.388). Yet, there was a medium effect size for the higher acylated ghrelin incremental AUC in SHORT-BREAKS versus SIT (d = 0.61); the reverse was seen for total AUC, which was lower in SHORT-BREAKS versus SIT (d = 0.69). These findings suggest that breaking up sitting does not lead to compensatory changes in appetite, appetite hormones or energy intake regardless of physical activity bout duration and frequency among adult females.

Factors associated with social participation and community ambulation in people with osteoarthritis: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Walking in the community allows participation in meaningful activities which positively influences self-rated health and quality of life. Our objective was to identify factors associated with social participation and community ambulation in a representative sample of Canadian adults with osteoarthritis (OA). Data were from >3800 participants in the Baseline Tracking Dataset of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging with OA of the hip and/or knee. Outcomes included frequency of participation in 8 community-based activities (past year, social participation), and frequency walking outside the home (past 7 days, community ambulation). Explanatory variables (15 for social participation, 11 for community ambulation) established in previous literature were evaluated. Variables significant in univariate binary logistic regression models were entered into multivariable models. Frequency of social participation was greater for females, and individuals with higher levels of education. Those who were younger, dissatisfied with life, and had difficulty walking 2-3 blocks were less likely to participate. Having fewer chronic conditions, being younger, being single/widowed and being interviewed in spring/summer were associated with more frequent ambulation. Lower self-rated health, difficulty walking 2-3 blocks, pain and being female were associated with less frequent walking outside the home. Many factors influence frequency of social participation and community ambulation. The ability to walk short distances is positively associated with both outcomes. This important factor can and should be addressed clinically to improve health and quality of life in people with OA.

Walking through a pandemic: How did utilitarian walking change during COVID-19?

Walking for transportation has well-known environmental, social, and health-related benefits. However, its daily use may have been especially altered by restrictions to population activities and mobility during the post-lock-down phase of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. In this study we aimed to explore how daily walking for transportation during a period of partial restrictions on mobility, and to evaluate whether its traditional individual and area-level determinants were modified during that period. We used an official travel survey in Southern Catalonia, which was deployed in two phases: right before (n = 9,065) and after the lock-down phase of the pandemic (n = 3,944). We observed not only that utilitarian walking frequency and time spent on daily walking trips had significantly decreased, but also did walking mode share. The positive association between age and walking not only remained unaltered during the study period but became stronger for those between 56 and 70 years old. During the pandemic, household income and area-level income inequality were no longer predictors of utilitarian walking. Policymakers will need to consider the possible mid and long-term behavioral changes derived from habits adopted during the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially considering that restrictions on activities and mobility had a specific impact on sustainable and healthy forms of everyday mobility, and for specific groups of population.

Vertical human-structure interaction of a simply-supported steel-glass composite footbridge under both standing and moving pedestrians

For lightweight footbridges, there are evident vertical coupling effects among standing pedestrians, moving pedestrians and the footbridge. To further clarify the vertical human-structure interaction, the effects of a single standing pedestrian, a single moving pedestrian, as well as both a single standing pedestrian and a single moving pedestrian on a simply supported steel-glass composite footbridge model are investigated in this study, respectively. Experimental results show that the effects of standing and moving pedestrians on the structural natural frequencies are different. The Fourier spectrum of the footbridge is sensitive to the relationship between the natural frequency of the coupled system and the walking frequency of the moving pedestrian. Moreover, at the same monitoring point, the vertical velocity of the footbridge is significantly less than that of the centroid of the standing pedestrian. Finally, a corresponding theoretical model is presented in this study. It is found that the theoretical model can well predict vertical dynamic responses of the human-structure coupled system, and the relative relationship of the vertical dynamic response between the footbridge and the standing pedestrian is clarified. This study can provide valuable references for vertical human-structure interaction and vibration serviceability assessment of the footbridge.