Journal of physical activity & health最新文献

Background: Little is known about leisure physical activity (PA) behavior among people with previous myocardial infarction. This cross-sectional study within a cohort compared leisure PA behavior between women and men ≤61-year post myocardial infarction, overall and by race. We also examined factors that explain low leisure PA by sex-race category.

Methods: We used data of participants from the second and third waves of the Myocardial Infarction and Mental Stress Study. Least squares means of the Baecke Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire (leisure component) were estimated for 4 sex-race categories (Black Women, non-Black women, Black men, and non-Black men) using linear mixed-effects models. The final model adjusted for education, income, obesity status, stress, depression, heart failure, and cardiac rehabilitation. Relative importance analysis identified key correlates of low leisure PA for each sex-race group. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to enhance validity and robustness.

Results: Participants (N = 619) had a mean age of 51 (SD: 7) years; 46% were female, and 59% were Black. Leisure PA was low among all participants, with Black women reporting the least PA overall and across all types (ie, walking, cycling, sports, gardening) compared with the other 3 groups. Correlates of low leisure PA differed by sex/race: depression (Black women), education (Black men, non-Black women), and body mass index (non-Black men).

Conclusions: Personalized PA interventions addressing these factors could be effective in clinical settings. At the policy level, infrastructure improvements are needed to expand PA opportunities.

Background: Tracking physical activity (PA) levels during the COVID-19 pandemic was important to understand how an unexpected disease outbreak impacted people's behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the trajectory of leisure-time PA among adults throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We analyzed data of 5 waves of the PAMPA (Prospective Study on Mental and Physical Health in Adults) Cohort, from June 2020 to June 2023. Self-reported leisure-time PA practice, frequency, and duration in the previous week were assessed. PA trajectories were analyzed by latent growth curve analysis using mean PA scores per week across all waves. Inequalities were evaluated by slope index of inequality and concentration index.

Results: Most of the sample were women (72.9%-79.0% across follow-ups), with ages ranging from 18 to 39 years. There was a significant increase in leisure-time PA from waves 1 to 5, with the lowest prevalence observed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the highest prevalence observed after the emergency ended. Men were more likely to be active than women at all time points. In adults aged 18-39 years, there was an increase in PA across follow-ups. From waves 2 to 5, those with the lowest schooling were consistently less active when compared with those with more schooling. Black and Pardo participants were less active than white ones.

Conclusions: After the first few months of the pandemic, there was a trend to increase PA in adults from southern Brazil. Public policies should focus on increasing leisure-time PA in vulnerable population groups. In future disease outbreaks, policies to keep the population active are needed.

Background: The objectives of the study were to analyze the relationship between social support, self-efficacy, and perceived neighborhood environment characteristics and simultaneous exposure to these factors (interactions) with physical activity practice time; and whether these relationships were moderated by the sociodemographic characteristics of the adolescents.

Methods: Longitudinal study (3 y follow-up, with one data collection per year), with 28 schools (selection was by clusters), and 319 adolescents (52% female, ages 10-13 y, in 2014, the base year of the study) from the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. Social support from fathers, mothers, and friends; self-efficacy; and perceived environment characteristics were measured using scales, and physical activity practice time was measured using the physical activity questionnaire. Generalized Estimating Equations were used to analyze the longitudinal relationship between the variables studied.

Results: The multivariate analysis results indicated that social support from the father (β = 5.1; 95% CI, 0.1 to 10.1), mother (β = 9.0; 95% CI, 2.5 to 15.4), and friends (β = 19.4; 95% CI, 13.5 to 25.3), as well as self-efficacy (β = 27.1; 95% CI, 5.5 to 48.8) were associated with longer physical activity practice. The perceived environment characteristics were not associated with the time spent practicing physical activity. These associations were not moderated by the sociodemographic characteristics of the adolescents.

Conclusions: The social support provided by parents and friends, and the perception of self-efficacy were shown to be determining factors in the physical activity practice time among adolescents and should be the target of actions aimed at promoting physical activity in adolescents.

Background: Climate change and physical inactivity are urgent public health challenges with intersecting effects on health, environmental sustainability, and community resilience. Physical Activity Plans (PAPs) and Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) provide strategic frameworks for advancing both agendas. This study aimed to identify opportunities to leverage physical activity as a strategy for climate mitigation and adaptation and to recommend coordinated actions for policy and practice.

Methods: We conducted a directed content analysis of PAPs and PCAPs. Using NVivo (version 14), we extracted elements of plans, such as goals, objectives, strategies, sectors, implementing agencies, and year of implementation, and systematically assessed cross-plan connections. The connections were then categorized by unifying themes and analyzed to determine whether physical activity contributed to mitigation, adaptation, or both.

Results: Analysis of 25 state-level PAPs and PCAPs revealed multiple pathways through which physical activity can contribute to climate goals, including active transportation, green infrastructure, energy-efficient spaces, dissemination efforts, and the creation of safe and inviting public spaces. Despite clear opportunities for co-benefits between health and climate, significant gaps remain. Among these are the absence of shared goals and coordinated strategies across PAPs and PCAPs, as well as inconsistent integration of equity and community engagement in plan development.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the potential of integrated, cross-sectoral strategies to advance both public health and climate resilience. Embedding equity and community participation in future PAPs and PCAPs and aligning federal policies with state policies is crucial for bridging gaps, maximizing co-benefits, and promoting socially just and sustainable outcomes.

Background: School recess is a primary setting for children to be physically active. The state of Arizona passed a 2019 law mandating 2 daily recess periods for students in grades K-5 (ARS§15-118). Informed by a multilevel social ecological model that considers physical activity in relation to state, district, and school policies, this study assessed differences in recess policy and practices between 2021 and 2023, and policies and practices associated with compliance with the law.

Methods: State-, district-, and school-level data on reported recess policies and practices were collected from 429 public elementary school teachers across Arizona (16% response rate) using a modified version of the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs Questionnaire in 2021, 2022, and 2023 as part of a repeated cross-sectional design. Chi-square and 1-way analyses of variance were used to compare differences in policies and practices between years. Policy and practice items across years were analyzed using bivariate analyses to assess associations with compliance.

Results: Nearly 81%, 70%, and 65% of participating schools reported compliance each year, respectively, and significantly fewer schools offered 2+ recess in 2022 and 2023 than in 2021. School policies did not differ between years; however, 18 individual policies and practices were significantly associated with compliance, including practices prohibiting the withholding of recess, providing recess equipment, and offering 20+ minutes of recess daily.

Conclusion: This study highlights policies and practices in Arizona K-5 public schools that can support compliance with the state recess policy. Lack of change in reported school policies and practices and concurrent declines in daily recess raise concerns.

Background: This study examined the relative contributions of individual, family, and neighborhood social factors to active outdoor play (AOP) in preschool-aged children (3-5 y).

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 92 preschool-aged children and their parents in Alberta, Canada. AOP outcomes (light-intensity, moderate- to vigorous-intensity, total) were measured using a novel method integrating accelerometer, Global Positioning System, and time-use diary data. Separate hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for each AOP outcome, with season included in the first block to account for seasonal variation. Individual, family, and neighborhood social factors, measured using a parental questionnaire adapted from previous tools, were then sequentially entered into subsequent blocks.

Results: Across all AOP outcomes, adding individual and family factors did not significantly increase the explained variance. However, adding neighborhood social factors led to significant increases in the explained variance, contributing an additional 10.7% for light-intensity AOP, 8.5% for moderate- to vigorous-intensity AOP, and 11.6% for total AOP. Among the neighborhood social factors, civic engagement for a better neighborhood was consistently positively associated with all 3 outcomes: light-intensity AOP (B = 3.47; 95% CI, 1.35-5.60), moderate- to vigorous-intensity AOP (B = 1.45; 95% CI, 0.31-2.58), and total AOP (B = 4.92; 95% CI, 1.95-7.89).

Conclusions: Findings suggest that targeting the neighborhood social environment may be important in interventions promoting AOP among preschool-aged children. In particular, civic engagement for a better neighborhood may enable collective action to address neighborhood-level concerns such as improving safety for children's AOP when individual efforts are insufficient.

Background: The existing physical activity (PA) literature underscores the necessity of amplifying research awareness within specific geographical contexts. The low-resource countries are facing multiple challenges in the research. Comparative analyses of PA research between higher-income and low-middle-income countries (LMICs) reveal a pressing need to bolster research efforts in LMICs. The exact output from LMICs is not clear. Hence, this bibliometric analysis aimed to evaluate the trends in PA and sedentary behavior research specifically within LMICs.

Methods: This bibliometric study utilized Scopus database using specific keywords. The geographical focus was restricted to LMICs, which were classified according to the World Bank criteria. The present review included studies on PA and sedentary behavior of the last 25 years, irrespective of their language and design. The bibliometric analysis for different variables was performed using Microsoft Excel and VOS Viewer.

Results: The search retrieved a total of 22,605 publications from LMICs about PA and sedentary behavior. Since the year 2000, a collection of research on PA and sedentary behavior has grown significantly. China, Brazil, India, Iran, South Korea, Malaysia, and Colombia contributed 18,119 publications. The highest number of publications was from Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, with 746 citations.

Conclusion: Despite overall growth, the research output from LMICs remains relatively limited. This disparity underscores the urgent need to reconsider and strengthen research and funding policies to better support and enhance scientific contributions from LMICs.

Objective: To evaluate the independent contribution of intensity, duration, and frequency of physical activity (PA) and lifelong risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods: ATTICA is a population-based cohort study that was conducted in the Attica region (Greece) in 2002, and included 3042 adults (45 [11] y, 50% males). Participants' PA levels, together with information regarding CVD incidence during 2002-2022, were available from 1988 participants (45 [12] y old, 987 males and 1001 females). PA volume (intensity, duration, and frequency) was evaluated using the validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire, in consecutive follow-up examinations (2006, 2012, and 2022).

Results: Over 20 years, 36% of participants experienced a CVD event. Moderate and high PA volume was linked to 48% and 37% lower CVD risk, respectively, versus low volume (P < .05). Intensity of PA was the strongest protective factor. Benefits were more evident in nonobese individuals and those with fewer CVD risk factors.

Conclusions: Long-term, moderate to vigorous PA is associated with lower CVD risk. Intensity and duration matter more than frequency. These findings support intensity-focused, individualized PA recommendations for cardiovascular prevention.

Objective: We aimed to explore the effect of supervised exercise training on neonatal neurological examination outcomes in neonates exposed to exercise in utero.

Methods: Five hundred and sixty pregnant women were recruited from the hospital, and randomized (NCT03838146) to 1 of 4 intervention groups: aerobic, resistance, combination, and control group. Exercise was conducted 3 times per week from 16 weeks gestation until delivery. This is a secondary post hoc analysis of the study in which the primary outcome was offspring health outcomes; this analysis focuses on neonatal neurological examination at delivery. Statistical analyses were performed using both intention-to-treat and per-protocol (>75% adherence); 1-way analysis of variance, Pearson chi-square, and linear regression tests were used to analyze data with SPSS.

Results: For the analysis, we had aerobic (n = 95), resistance (n = 63), or combination (n = 73) in comparison with a control group (n = 95). Groups were similar for maternal and neonatal descriptors. Per-protocol, the analyses showed a difference between combination and control groups in neonatal neurological examination (traction, P = .017) for all women. After controlling for type of exercise and weekly exercise intensity, gravida (P = .022) and parity after delivery (P = .009) were significant predictors for neonatal traction reflex (R2 = .047, P = .016).

Conclusions: Exercise during pregnancy effectively improves the traction reflex in neonates.

Background: Bicycling can be a great way to support youth physical and mental health, yet participation among adolescents in the United States has steadily declined. School-based bicycling programs offer a promising approach to promote physical activity, but few in the United States have been comprehensively evaluated.

Methods: This study applies the RE-AIM framework to carry out a pragmatic evaluation of Outride's Riding for Focus middle school bicycling program across 117 public schools onboarded between 2020 and 2022. We used student surveys, teacher implementation surveys, and national program data to assess the program.

Results: Reach: The Riding for Focus program reached a diverse student population.

Effectiveness: Students reported high levels of program enjoyment, cycling confidence, and safety knowledge which aligned with teacher perceptions. There was an increase in self-reported student well-being and helmet use, but no changes were observed in cycling frequency or other health behaviors after the program. Adoption: The program was adopted across a wide range of school settings, representing 1.4% of public US middle schools serving low-income communities.

Implementation: Moderate to high levels of implementation fidelity were reported, and modifications were often reported. Maintenance: Of the schools onboarded before 2020, 79% were still running the program in 2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting strong potential for program sustainability. Common challenges included equipment maintenance, staffing capacity, and scheduling flexibility.

Conclusions: This evaluation highlights the program's potential as a scalable, school-based bicycling intervention with high levels of student enjoyment. Future research should examine long-term maintenance and program refinement to ensure program longevity.