Journal of physical activity & health最新文献

Background: This study aimed to examine trends in socioeconomic inequalities in sports group participation and daily walking time among older adults in Japan from 2016 to 2019, and to elucidate the association of municipal-level social capital in these trends.

Methods: Using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study across 2 waves (2016 and 2019), this repeated cross-sectional ecological study included 50 municipalities with 102,575 and 94,022 participants, respectively. We investigated inequalities in sports group participation, and daily walking time by income and education, using the slope index of inequality and relative index of inequality with municipal-level social capital variables, such as civic participation, reciprocity, social cohesion, and social network.

Results: From 2016 to 2019, all slope index of inequalities showed a decreasing trend (-4.2 to - 0.5), whereas relative index of inequalities maintained or decreased (-0.10 to 0.00). Increases in municipal-level social capital particularly civic participation and social networks with friends were associated with reduced inequalities in both sports group participation and walking time. For example, increased civic participation scores were associated with reduced relative index of inequalities, which assessed inequalities in sports group participation by income (B = -0.13, 95% CI, -0.24 to - 0.03) and in walking time by education (B = -0.06, 95% CI, -0.11 to - 0.01).

Conclusions: Enhancements in municipal social capital can reduce socioeconomic inequalities in sports group participation and daily walking among older adults, highlighting the importance of fostering civic participation, social networks, and cohesion in public health strategies aimed at reducing inequalities in sports and walking.

Background: Research investigating the psychological determinants of physical activity (PA) tends to conceptualize determinants as stable, trait-like factors. Growing evidence suggests that people and the processes that regulate people's behavior fluctuate over short timescales (eg, hours and days). This study explores the extent to which subject-level variability (vs stability) in determinants of PA, as well as the interaction between subject-level mean and variability in those determinants, is associated with moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) in older adults.

Methods: Older adults (N = 202) enrolled in a measurement burst design study with 3 data collection waves occurring over a 1-year period. Each data collection wave consisted of accelerometers and ecological momentary assessment to capture MVPA and psychological determinants of MVPA, respectively. Mixed-effects location scale modeling was first used to estimate subject-level means and variability in psychological determinants. These estimates were then used as predictors of daily MVPA using multilevel modeling.

Results: Subject-level variability in PA intentions (β = 0.199, SE = 0.062, P = .001), self-efficacy (β = 0.133, SE = 0.064, P = .037), and planning (β = 0.154, SE = 0.062, P = .014) were positively associated with daily MVPA. Associations between subject-level variability in PA intentions and self-efficacy decreased in strength, becoming nonsignificant at higher mean levels of PA intentions (β = -0.147, SE = 0.062, P = .018) and self-efficacy (β = -0.116, SE = 0.063, P = .062).

Conclusions: Greater subject-level variability in psychological determinants may be adaptive for PA engagement, especially among older adults experiencing low levels of those determinants. Moving beyond mean levels to include subject-level variability in psychological determinants of PA may help to improve our understanding of the processes that drive PA engagement.

Background: With a warming climate, extreme wildfires are more likely to occur, which may adversely affect air quality, physical activity (PA), and therefore, mental well-being.

Methods: We assessed PA engagement and mental well-being between periods with and without wildfire smoke, and whether there were associations between changes in PA behavior and mental well-being. Questionnaires on PA and mental well-being during a period of wildfire smoke were completed by 348 participants; of these participants, 162 also completed a follow-up PA and mental well-being questionnaire during a period without wildfire smoke. Data were analyzed using generalized/linear mixed models. Relationships between mental well-being and PA were analyzed using repeated-measures correlations.

Results: Leisure-time walking, moderate PA, and vigorous PA were all significantly lower during periods of smoke compared to periods without smoke. Participants also experienced significantly higher symptoms of stress (11.63 [1.91] vs 10.20 [1.70], P = .039), anxiety (7.75 [2.24] vs 4.38 [1.32], P < .001), and depression (9.67 [0.90] vs 7.27 [0.76], P < .001) during the period of wildfire smoke. Vigorous PA, the proportion of PA time spent outdoors, and the sum of PA during leisure time, were significantly negatively correlated with mental well-being, therefore, it is possible that PA could be used as a tool during times of wildfire smoke.

Conclusions: These data suggest that PA and mental well-being are adversely impacted during wildfire smoke events. Future research should consider the impact of strategies to support PA during wildfire events on PA and mental well-being.

Background: The "Healthy and Active Fund" involved 17 community-based projects focused on the delivery of physical activity interventions, led by a variety of public and third sector organizations. As a novel, direct approach to capturing impact at this level, these organizations were encouraged to robustly evaluate and monitor their own project's outcomes, with core funds allocated to this process. This study aimed to explore project experiences of planning and completing evaluation activities, to better understand how to support community-based practice improvement.

Methods: In-depth semistructured interviews were completed with individuals who had supported their project's evaluation. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify key facilitators and barriers associated with evaluation in this context.

Results: Across 3 identified themes, participants (N = 15, 12 projects) referred to a need for greater organizational capacity and expertise, familiarity with evaluation methods, partnership-working, inclusivity, and flexibility, particularly when collecting data from project beneficiaries. Overarching program support (eg, case officers) was viewed as a valuable resource that was disrupted by COVID-19. Participants highlighted the resilience of their projects when engaging with evaluation processes and acknowledged wider learning across organization networks as a result of this success.

Conclusions: This study shows that projects may benefit from closer support and external expertise for research and evaluation. There is willingness by third sector and public bodies to adopt research and evaluation methods into routine practice, but significant barriers persist. Future programs should continue to support adaptable approaches to evaluation at community-level, to better progress health and well-being goals for diverse populations.

Background: In the context of rising noncommunicable diseases, Chinese authorities emphasize the need for local governments to provide public sports services to support physical activity (PA).

Methods: Employing a socioecological theoretical framework, and drawing on a hierarchical data set synthesized from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, China Stock Market & Accounting Research Database, and Wind Financial Terminal from 2015, a multilevel analysis of the association between provincial government expenditure on culture, sports, and media from 12 provinces, the recreation facilities provided by 287 communities, and PA of n = 10,305 individuals is performed. The number of, and time allocated to, PAs undertaken as well as their METs equivalent in relation to World Health Organization guidelines are investigated.

Results: Controlling for a large set of individual confounders, the results show that community recreation facilities and provincial government expenditure have a significant positive association with PA participation that exceeds health guidelines.

Conclusions: The results confirm the importance of government support for sport and the provision of community sport and PA facilities in China. This has implications for public health policy generally including the Western context. It remains, however, that the cultural context of engagement also needs further consideration.

Background: Active travel to school faces challenges in urbanized and car-centric Asian regions. The UN-Habitat supports global governments in formulating National Urban Policies (NUPs) for sustainable urban development. This study examined how young people's active travel is discussed in NUP documents in selected Asian countries.

Methods: Framing analysis using thematic coding was applied to NUP documents from Asian countries. NUP documents were identified via the UN-Habitat's Urban Policy Platform website. A theory-based framework, using both inductive and deductive coding, was employed to identify discussions on key themes related to young people's active travel (active travel, transport, physical activity, young people, and school). A semiquantitative heat map visualized theme patterns coverage (presence; degree of policy-relevant detail discussed).

Results: NUP documents from 15 (of 47) Asian countries were retrieved. Transport promotion was acknowledged in 11/15 countries. Discussions on young people's active travel were limited (7/15 featured detailed discussion). Main themes (active travel, physical activity, young people, and school) were treated as secondary considerations, with active travel framed as a utilitarian solution rather than a well-being promoter. Additional contextual considerations (sustainability, natural disaster risk, pollution, and urban congestion) were identified through inductive analysis.

Conclusions: NUPs inadequately incorporate active travel, especially in relation to young people. NUPs focus on transport and sustainability while neglecting physical activity, schools, and youth. A more intersectoral approach, tailored to each country's priorities, is necessary for enhanced policy development. Leveraging active travel as a double-duty intervention allows policymakers to tackle health and sustainability challenges along with concerns about traffic congestion and pollution.

Background: The comforts of modern life have markedly caused a reduction in physical activity. Approximately only one third of the adult population engages in regular physical activity levels as recommended, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. The study aimed to determine if physical education undergraduate students' cardiorespiratory and abdominal endurance levels changed between 2000-2021.

Methods: We collected data from 1353 physical education undergraduate students, 20-30 years of age. Data included evaluations of the following abilities: cardiorespiratory endurance using the time result of a 2000-m run, abdominal muscle endurance measured using 1-minute sit-up test results, arms muscle endurance using maximal numbers of push-up test results, and agility using 4 × 10-m shuttle run results.

Results: Findings include a statistically significant decline over the years in cardiorespiratory endurance with medium effect size for males and females (r = .293; 95% CI, 0.215 to .367; and r = .222; 95% CI, .133 to .308, respectively), and abdominal muscle endurance with medium effect size for males and females (r = -.394; 95% CI, -.455 to -.329; and r = -.366; 95% CI, -.434 to -.294, respectively).

Conclusions: We concluded that the decline in the physical abilities of physical education undergraduate students over a span of 20 years is significant. Also, in light of the current technological age, further physical activity considerations should be given to populations younger than 18 and of other particular adult populations.

Background: Physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep are interrelated 24-hour movement behaviors that are important for the growth and well-being of children. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between 24-hour movement behaviors and adiposity, and predicted changes in adiposity following compositional time reallocations in 7- to 12.9-year-old Malaysian children from the South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II Malaysia.

Methods: A total of 381 children (mean age 9.7 [1.6] y, 57% girls) provided 24-hour wrist-worn GENEActiv accelerometry data which captured time spent for sleep, SB, light PA and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). Indicators of adiposity were derived from anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis: body-mass-index-for-age, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, percent body fat, and body mass index. The composition of 4-part movement behaviors was expressed as isometric log-ratio coordinates which were entered into regression models. Isotemporal substitution analysis was used to assess changes in adiposity indicators when reallocating time between movement behaviors.

Results: Relative to other movement behaviors, time spent on MVPA was significantly associated with waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, percent body fat, and fat mass index. A 15-minute one-to-one reallocation from other movement behaviors to MVPA predicted lower body-mass-index-for-age (-0.03 to -0.11), smaller waist circumference (-0.67 to -1.28 cm), lower waist-to-height ratio (-0.004 to -0.008), percent body fat (-0.87% to -1.47%), and fat mass index (-0.23 to -0.42). Replacing SB and light PA with sleep or MVPA was associated with lower adiposity.

Conclusions: The overall composition of movement behavior was significantly associated with the adiposity of Malaysian schoolchildren. Promoting MVPA and sleep and reducing SB and light PA are important for prevention of childhood obesity.

Background: Global initiatives have been put in place to attain a thorough understanding of worldwide variations in physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents. Yet, there is limited knowledge about PA-related indicators, specifically for children and adolescents with disabilities (CAWD). To bridge this data gap, the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards (PRCs) of CAWD initiative was established to address the scarcity of information on PA for this population globally. The purpose of this manuscript is to summarize the results of Chile's First PRC on PA for CAWD.

Methods: Chile's PRC included 10 core PA indicators common to the Global Matrix of PRCs. Evidence from scientific articles, reports, and databases available or released from 2018 to January 2022 was included for each indicator. A scientific committee collected and analyzed the data, assigning letter grades (A-F) based on benchmarks.

Results: The grades assigned were as follows: Overall PA, D-; Organized Sports and Physical Activity Participation, C-; Active Play, INCOMPLETE; Active Transportation, D-; Sedentary Behavior, F; Physical Fitness, INCOMPLETE; Family and Peers, D+; School, C+; Community and Environment, D+; Government, B-.

Conclusions: Chile scored low in most indicators. Although some efforts have been made in the last decade in terms of policies, these have not been reflected in PA and related behaviors in CAWD. The results underscore that maintaining the current situation is inadequate for addressing the widespread problem of physical inactivity among CAWD in Chile, emphasizing the urgency for substantial changes and a comprehensive approach to effectively combat this crisis.