Journal of physical activity & health最新文献

Introduction: Outdoor gyms present an opportunity to promote resistance training (RT) among the general population, however, there is a lack of reliable tools that can measure outdoor gym usage. We developed a modified version of the System of Observing Play and Recreation in Communities to assess Resistance Training using outdoor gyms (SOPARC-RT).

Methods: Paired assessors completed observations (N = 24) across 4 outdoor gyms. The interrater reliability was assessed using Bland-Altman plots, intraclass correlation coefficients, and weighted kappa coefficients based on distribution of the data.

Results: The SOPARC-RT tool demonstrated excellent interrater reliability for all users overall (intraclass correlation coefficients = .96; 95% confidence interval, .91-.99), as well as youth (children and adolescents), adults and seniors.

Conclusions: SOPARC-RT is a reliable tool that can be utilized by researchers and local government agencies interested in measuring RT using outdoor gym equipment among the general population.

Background: Physical inactivity is a high-priority public health issue because of its negative impact on quality of life and well-being. Although socioeconomic factors (SEF) are known to influence physical activity, few studies have explored their association with regular exercise (RE). This gap highlights the need for further research on the associations between SEF and RE.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the 2022 Sasakawa Sports Foundation National Sports-life Survey conducted in June and July 2022. The dependent variable was RE, and the independent variables were SEF (education, income, and occupation). A modified Poisson regression analysis was performed.

Results: The data of 2318 participants (53% male) with a mean (SD) age of 51 (16) years were analyzed. Those with higher education, higher income, and certain types of occupations were more likely to engage in RE. Subgroup analysis revealed differences in the associations with age, sex, and city size.

Conclusions: This study showed that individuals with higher SEF, such as education and income, generally had higher levels of RE. However, part-time worker or nonworker individuals were more likely to be engaged in RE than employees. Each SEF may be differently associated with RE; and therefore, public health interventions should be tailored to specific subgroups defined by SEF to promote RE and reduce health inequalities.

Background: Self-reported and wearable device derived data on physical activity (PA) differ in burden, transparency, and validity, underscoring the need for comparison in cancer survivorship research. Physical activity and sedentary behavior measured from the ActiGraph, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and Fitbit Inspire device in women with early-stage breast cancer were compared.

Methods: Breast cancer survivors participating in a lifestyle intervention trial concurrently provided ActiGraph and IPAQ data at baseline and 6 months. Fitbit devices were used for PA self-monitoring after randomization and data were available at follow-up only. Comparisons of PA measurements were estimated via Pearson correlation coefficients and visualized using Bland-Altman plots. Prevalence of meeting moderate to vigorous PA guidelines of ≥150 minutes per week were also calculated.

Results: At baseline (n = 73), mean vigorous PA was 2 and 5 minutes per day for ActiGraph and IPAQ, respectively (r = .22, P = .06), while mean sedentary hours per day were 11.4 and 6.2 for ActiGraph and IPAQ, respectively (r = .29, P = .01). Correlations between ActiGraph and IPAQ at 6-month follow-up (n = 50) were not statistically significant. Six-month comparisons of PA measures between ActiGraph and Fitbit (n = 30) were higher than those between IPAQ and Fitbit (n = 30). Prevalence of meeting moderate to vigorous PA guidelines at baseline was 40% for ActiGraph and 59% for IPAQ (P = .01). At 6 months, proportions meeting moderate to vigorous PA guidelines were 50%, 73%, and 67% for ActiGraph, IPAQ, and Fitbit, respectively.

Conclusion: Correlations of PA comparing self-report from IPAQ and activity devices from ActiGraph and Fitbit were weak. Strengths and limitations of PA measurement methods should be weighed accordingly in studies of lifestyle interventions for breast cancer survivors.

Background: Population-level physical activity surveillance is critical for informing research, practice, and policy efforts for supporting healthy development. The 2024 US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth synthesizes the most recent national data on physical activity levels and supports among US children and youth.

Methods: A committee of experts evaluated 12 indicators related to physical activity in children and youth using the best available national data for each indicator. Based on established criteria from the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, letter grades (A-F) were assigned to the indicators to reflect how well the United States is succeeding at providing children and youth with opportunities for physical activity. Key metrics within select indicators were evaluated for differences among racial/ethnic and disability subgroups and trends over time since the first report card (2014) or earliest available data.

Results: Sufficient data were available to assign grades for 8 indicators. The grades ranged from B- to D-, with Overall Physical Activity earning a D-. Racial/ethnic disparities were observed for the Overall Physical Activity, Organized Sport, Sedentary Behavior, Sleep, and Community and Built Environment indicators. Key metrics for Overall Physical Activity and Active Transportation metrics decreased slightly over the past decade, whereas larger decreases were observed for Organized Sport and Sedentary Behavior metrics.

Conclusions: Findings highlight opportunities to improve physical activity levels and supports among US children and youth. The 2024 Report Card can be a tool for informing research and practice at the local and national levels.

Background: Insufficient physical activity and excessive sedentary behavior are growing public health concerns in rapidly urbanizing Asian cities. Built environment characteristics may influence these behaviors, but region-specific evidence remains limited. This review synthesized associations between built environment characteristics and physical activity or sedentary behavior in urban Asia.

Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PROSPERO CRD42023396292), 5 databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) were searched for English-language articles published between 2012 and 2024. Articles were included if they examined associations between built environment characteristics and physical activity or sedentary behavior among adults in urban areas of Asia. Statistically significant associations were synthesized descriptively.

Results: Of 14,549 records screened, 98 articles from 13 countries met inclusion criteria, most using cross-sectional designs (96.9%). A total of 261 associations were identified, focusing on overall (37.9%), recreational (31.4%), and transport-related (29.9%) physical activity; only 2 associations (0.8%) addressed sedentary behavior. Supportive built environments were more often associated with increased physical activity (n = 208) than with decreased (n = 38). Overall physical activity was commonly associated with recreational facilities and land-use mix; recreational activity with recreational facilities and aesthetics; and transport-related activity with land-use mix and residential density.

Conclusions: In urban Asia, 208 of 261 significant associations showed that supportive built environments were associated with increased physical activity. Land-use mix and access to recreational facilities were most consistently supportive. These findings highlight the need for context-sensitive urban planning and more research on sedentary behavior.

Background: This study examined the associations between expectancy beliefs and values, cardiometabolic risk factors represented by body composition and blood pressure (BP), and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in Middle Eastern female college students.

Methods: The study involved 221 female college students (mean = 20.63 [0.35] y) from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Measures included test and retest questionnaires for expectancy beliefs and values; devices to measure MVPA; a body composition analyzer to determine fat, muscle, and bone mass; and BP monitors. Path models were adopted to test the relationships between the study variables.

Results: The path models revealed that expectancy beliefs were negatively associated with fat mass, as well as with muscle and bone mass. Expectancies for success are inversely correlated with systolic BP but positively with fat mass. Additionally, the importance value was positively linked with fat, muscle, and bone mass. Higher interest value correlated with increased MVPA. The models significantly explained the variations in expectancy beliefs (model 1: R2 = .37/Model 2: R2 = .28), expectancies for success (.32/.23), importance (.56/.22), interest (.21/.22), usefulness (.19/.22), cost (.23/-), fat mass (.25/-), systolic BP (.16/-), and MVPA (-/.07).

Discussion: The complex interactions suggested that higher expectancy beliefs and expectations do not automatically result in better health outcomes, such as reduced fat mass and increased muscle mass. The study emphasizes the importance of targeted, multifaceted approaches to enhancing health behavior and MVPA among Middle Eastern female college students.

Background: Access to green and recreational areas has been linked to cardiovascular health, but evidence from low- and middle-income megacities remains limited. This study investigated the prospective association between public open spaces (POSs) and incident hypertension in adults living in São Paulo, Brazil and whether leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) mediates this relationship.

Methods: Data from 1056 participants free of hypertension at baseline were analyzed, collected through the "Health Survey of São Paulo: Physical Activity and Environment" cohort (2014-2021). Exposure to POSs, including parks, squares, outdoor gyms, and bike paths, was assessed using geographic information systems within 500-m buffers around participants' residences. The number of types of POSs was categorized as 0, 1 to 2, or 3 to 4. Hypertension was self-reported, and LTPA was measured via the long-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Poisson regression models estimated the relative risks of developing hypertension, and mediation was tested using Sobel and bootstrap methods.

Results: Living near 3 or 4 types of POSs was associated with a lower risk of hypertension (relative risk: 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-0.99). LTPA significantly mediated this association. Among individuals engaging in ≥150 minutes per week of LTPA, proximity to 3 or 4 POSs types was associated with an even lower risk (relative risk: 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79-0.98), while no effect was observed among inactive participants.

Conclusions: A greater variety of POSs near home is associated with a reduced risk of hypertension, partly explained by increased LTPA. These findings support urban planning strategies that enhance diverse recreational environments to promote cardiovascular health in middle-income urban cities.