Journal of physical activity & health最新文献

Background: Physical activity research is pivotal in shaping policies and interventions that promote health. However, disparities in research contributions across authors and institutions can impact the equity and representation of evidence-based practices.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the dispersion of authors and institutions publishing research on physical activity and health within countries.

Methods: A global bibliometric analysis was conducted, including articles on physical activity and health published between 1950 and 2019. Countries with 10 or more publications were analyzed. Data on authors' names and institutions were extracted, and the Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, was calculated using the "Descogini" command in Stata. Gini coefficients were generated for authors in 94 countries and for institutions in 98 countries.

Results: The Gini coefficient for authors ranged from 0.03 in Cuba, Bangladesh, and Lebanon (low concentration) to 0.59 in Belgium and 0.65 in Portugal (high concentration). For institutions, the lowest coefficient was 0.08 in Guatemala, and the highest was 0.84 in Belgium and Portugal. Regions such as the Americas, Europe, and the Western Pacific exhibited higher average Gini coefficients for authors and institutions. Similarly, high-income and upper middle-income countries showed greater research concentration than low-income and lower middle-income nations.

Conclusion: To promote a more equitable and impactful global research landscape, it is crucial to invest strategically in developing and multiplying high-quality research groups across regions. Supporting emerging centers of excellence will foster innovation, capacity building, and more inclusive scientific production. Future research should further explore these factors to guide effective policies and investments.

Background: Smoking is the most significant risk factor for major diseases, including cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Extensive studies have identified physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) as modifiable lifestyle factors that provide substantial health benefits. This study aimed to assess the effects of PA and SB on smoking-related mortality.

Methods: This study included 8542 adults from the 2014-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with mortality follow-up data tracked through 2019. PA, SB, and smoking status were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Cox regression was used to estimate the individual and combined effects of smoking status, PA, and SB on all-cause and CVD-related mortality. The interactions were assessed using a multiplicative scale.

Results: As of December 31, 2019, a total of 147 participants had died from all causes, including 32 deaths attributed to CVD. Both smokers (all-cause: 0.49 [0.32-0.76], CVD: 0.22 [0.06-0.76]) and nonsmokers (all-cause: 0.38 [0.21-0.68], CVD: 0.18 [0.05-0.64]) who adhered to PA guidelines exhibited significant reductions in mortality rates. Similarly, limiting daily sedentary time to <8 hours reduced mortality rates in both smokers and nonsmokers, with more pronounced effects in nonsmokers (all-cause: 0.34 [0.19-0.61], CVD: 0.12 [0.03-0.45]). Even without adhering to the sedentary guidelines, each additional hour of reduced sedentary time significantly lowered mortality rates among smokers (all-cause: P < .0001, CVD: P = .0064).

Conclusions: This study highlighted that PA and SB can attenuate the association between smoking and mortality, including all-cause and CVD-related mortality. For optimal health promotion, practicing smoking cessation, engaging in PA, and reducing SB are recommended simultaneously.

Background: Although previous studies have identified a positive relationship between physical activity (PA) participation and cognitive function in older adults, further research is needed to determine the level of PA necessary to significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD), particularly among older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods: This study used Health and Retirement Study data from 2012 to 2020 (n = 9714 Index = 5) and employed the generalized estimating equations to estimate the odds ratios (OR) of AD/ADRD across various PA levels. Covariates such as age, sex, education, and baseline cognitive function in 2012 were included in the regression model.

Results: Individuals with a PA level of 2.80 experienced a 4.6% reduction in the odds of developing AD/ADRD (B = -0.046, OR = 0.954, 95% CI, 0.946-0.964). Similar significant effects were observed at PA levels of 2.60, 2.40, and 2.20, with ORs of 0.962, 0.967, and 0.970, respectively, all within 95% CI. These findings indicate that maintaining a PA level between 2.20 and 2.80 is significantly associated with a reduced risk of AD/ADRD. Lower PA levels such as 2.00 (OR = 0.974, P = .09) and 1.80 (OR = 0.983, P = .06) showed nonsignificant trends toward risk reduction.

Conclusion: Engaging in PA (eg, walking, exercise) more than twice per week significantly reduces the risk of AD/ADRD, whereas less frequent activity showed no statistically significant benefit.

Background: Maintaining exercise behavior is important for health. Although exercising with others may be an effective strategy for maintaining this, the association between exercising with others and the maintenance of it as well as the mediators of this association remain unconfirmed. The present study examined whether exercising with others was longitudinally and positively associated with 1-year maintenance of exercise behavior, and this association was mediated by exercise motivation among workers.

Methods: This study used data of an online survey-based longitudinal cohort study on 2819 Japanese workers who performed exercise at baseline and responded to a 1-year follow-up survey. This study analyzed 1-year follow-up data of participation in exercise; baseline and 1-year follow-up data of weekly exercise time; and baseline data of exercising with others, exercise motivation, and demographic factors. Participation in exercise (model 1) and weekly exercise time (model 2) after 1 year were indices of 1-year maintenance of exercise behavior.

Results: Adjusting for demographic factors, path analyses showed that exercising with others at baseline indirectly and significantly predicted 1-year maintenance of exercise behavior, mediated by exercise motivation and weekly exercise time at baseline (standardized total associations, 0.07 in model 1 and 0.18 in model 2; standardized indirect associations, 0.06 in model 1 and 0.18 in model 2).

Conclusions: This study found that exercising with others was indirectly and positively associated with 1-year maintenance of exercise behavior, mediated by exercise motivation. Encouraging participation with others may be effective in supporting motivation and maintaining exercise behavior.

Background: Built environments are excellent places/opportunities for sports and recreational practice. However, research on this topic is scarce and unclear in Latin America, especially in Uruguay. This study aimed to analyze the features of resources for sport and recreational physical activity and their association with use in the city of Rivera, Uruguay.

Methods: This observational, cross-sectional study analyzed all available public open spaces (POS) from Rivera city in Uruguay the Physical Activity Resource Assessment checklist to evaluate the presence and quality of resources, and the System for Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities to evaluate the use. Each space was visited 9 times: mornings, afternoons, and evenings on 2 nonconsecutive weekdays and weekend days. A negative binomial regression model was used to analyze the association between POS quality and their use.

Results: Twenty-nine POS were assessed, the squares (58.1%) and sports facilities (22.6%) were the most frequent of resource. A total of 7920 scans were performed in 88 target areas; 808 users were observed, and the highest frequency of use was identified in men on the weekdays (66.4%) and on the weekend (66.7%). Was observed a positive and significant association between the features (P = .028), incivilities (P = .042), and total quality (P = .001) with the number, but there was no association between the amenities (P = .155) and the number users.

Conclusion: Our findings provide relevant information at the local level and suggest promoting intervention policies that help maintain renovated and accessible POS for the physical activity, sports, and outdoor recreation.

Background: Mental health is a serious concern among US adolescents. We examined the role of a combined running/mentorship program, Teens Run DC (TRDC), on self-reported indicators of mental health in high-school students (N = 291) living in Washington, DC.

Methods: The TRDC program was offered in 10 high schools across 7 DC wards between 2010 and 2018. We used a quasi-experimental design within each school to determine the relation between dose of the TRDC program, and indicators of depression, and social connectedness in students who did and did not participate in the program. Data were collected at the beginning and end of each school year, using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression in Children scale and the Hemingway Social Connectedness scale. Mixed-effect regression modeling examined the dose-response relationship between participation dose and mental health scores.

Results: High school students who completed at least 2 years of TRDC lowered their Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression in Children scale score by 6 points (β = -5.9; 95% CI, -10.7 to -1.0) and had a 69% lower odds of developing symptoms of clinical depression (odds ratios = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.42), compared with students receiving less than one year. Similarly, students with 2 or more years of TRDC increased their overall Hemingway Social Connectedness score by 8 points (β = 7.9; 95% CI, 0.65 to 15.1), relative to those with less than one year of exposure. The benefits of TRDC were especially pronounced in female students.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that a running/mentoring program has substantial mental health benefits for high school students and this is particularly so for teenage girls.