Journal of Physical Activity & Health

BACKGROUND: Few studies have quantified cardiorespiratory fitness among individuals seeking bariatric surgery. Treadmill testing allows researchers to determine exercise capacity through metabolic equivalents (METs). These findings can assist clinicians in understanding patients' capabilities to carry out various activities of daily living. The purpose of this study was to determine exercise tolerance, and the variables associated with fitness, among individuals seeking bariatric surgery...

BACKGROUND: Sedentary behavior is associated with increased risk of poor outcomes in breast cancer survivors but underlying mechanisms are not well understood. This pilot study explored associations between different aspects of sedentary behaviors (sitting, prolonged sitting, sit-to-stand transitions, and standing) and breast cancer risk-related biomarkers in breast cancer survivors (n=30). METHODS: Sedentary behavior variables (sitting, prolonged sitting, sit-to-stand transitions) were measured objectively with thigh-worn activPALs...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the effect of a behavior change program, called Vida Ativa Melhorando a Saúde (VAMOS), on physical activity, eating habits and quality of life in patients with hypertension. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was carried out with 90 patients with hypertension (57.8 ± 9.9 years). They were randomly assigned to two groups: VAMOS (n = 45) and control group (n = 45). The VAMOS group participated in a behavioral change program aimed at motivating changes in physical activity and nutrition behavior during 12 weeks...

BACKGROUND: Yoga may provide a strategy for healthy weight management in young adults. This study examined prevalence and characteristics of young adults' yoga practice and associations with changes in body mass index (BMI). METHODS: Surveys were completed by 1830 young adults (31.1±1.6 years) participating in Project EAT-IV. Cross-sectional and five-year longitudinal analyses were conducted stratified by initial weight status. RESULTS: Two-thirds (66...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of intermittent physical activity (2-minute bouts of varying intensities) on psychological mood and enjoyment in elementary school-age children and to examine the effect of weight status on these psychological outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-nine children [healthy weight (HW), n=26; overweight/obese (OW/OB), n=13] completed four experimental conditions in random order which consisted of 8 hours of sitting interrupted with 20, 2-minute low-, moderate- or high-intensity activity breaks or 20, 2-minute screen-time breaks...

BACKGROUND: Temperament activity level can serve as proxy for non-deliberate activity, and an important part of overall energy expenditure. However, little is known about any association between temperament activity level and children's levels of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA). We examined whether temperament activity level in young children is associated with MVPA later in childhood and mid-adolescence. We also assessed if parenting behaviors moderate any association...

Background Aim of the study was to test the 12-month effects of a multicomponent physical activity (PA) intervention at schoolyards on morning recess PA levels of 6(th) and 7(th) grade children in primary schools, using accelerometry and additional GPS data. Methods A quasi-experimental study design was used with 20 paired intervention and control schools. GPS confirmatory analyses were applied to validate attendance at schoolyards during recess. Accelerometer data from 376 children from 7 pairs of schools were included in the final analyses...

BACKGROUND: Gender differences in physical activity trajectories during adolescence are well-documented, yet little research has examined whether the determinants of these trajectories vary by child's gender. This study is one of few prospective examinations of gender differences in the influences of psychosocial and socioenvironmental factors on changes in objectively measured PA. METHODS: Students and parents from elementary and middle schools located in two school districts in South Carolina were enrolled in a prospective cohort study of changes in children's PA from elementary to middle school...

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BACKGROUND: Recess and physical education time continues to diminish, creating a need for additional physical activity opportunities within the school environment. The use of school gardens as a teaching tool in elementary science and math class has the potential to increase the proportion of time spent active throughout the school day. METHODS: Teachers from four elementary schools agreed to teach one math or science lesson per week in the school garden. Student physical activity time was measured with ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers on three garden days and three no garden days at each school...

BACKGROUND: This investigation sought to determine how accelerometer wear 1) biased estimates of sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA), 2) affected misclassifications for meeting Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAGA), and 3) impacted the results of regression models examining the association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and a clinically-relevant health outcome. METHODS: One-hundred participants (age: 20.6±7.9 years) wore an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer for 15...

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed (1) to compare the level of physical activity (PA) between working and non-working hours and (2) to compare the level of PA during working hours of nurse clinical practitioners (NCP) with that of nurse managers (NM). METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted at a Thai university hospital from October 2015 to March 2016. All randomly selected participants wore an activity tracker on their hip for five days, except during bathing and sleeping periods to record step counts and time points...

BACKGROUND: This study explores changes in the leisure-time physical activities of Canadian adults over time. METHODS: Using representative panel data from the National Population Health Survey, multilevel analyses of 13,933 respondents aged 18 and over were performed to assess both overall and individual leisure-time physical activity trajectories from 1994 to 2011 and the extent to which these trajectories differ by sex and age groups. RESULTS: With the exception of those 65 and over, there is evidence that as Canadians age their overall levels of physical activity increase over time...

BACKGROUND: The distribution of adolescent MVPA across multiple contexts is unclear. This study examined indoor and outdoor leisure-time in terms of being structured or unstructured, and explored relationships with total daily MVPA. METHODS: Between September 2012 and January 2014, seventy 11-13 year olds from 4 schools in Edinburgh wore an accelerometer and GPS receiver over 7 days, also reporting structured physical activity using a diary. Time spent and MVPA were summarised according to indoor/outdoor location and whether activity was structured/unstructured...

BACKGROUND: Dropout from organized youth sport has significant adverse health implications. Enjoyment and behavioral intentions have consistently been linked with participation and dropout; however few studies have investigated these links using a prospective design. This study explored whether enjoyment and intentions to continue predicted dropout behavior at one-year follow-up. METHODS: Questionnaires were completed by 327 regular sports participants (Mage=13...

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of exercise on cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers for healthy individuals, however a comprehensive review regarding the effect of exercise on CVD biomarkers in at-risk populations is lacking. METHODS: Literature search was performed to identify studies meeting the following criteria: RCT; participants with pathology/activity limitations; biomarker outcome (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, C-reactive protein, insulin, triglycerides, or glucose); exercise intervention...

BACKGROUND: There is a need to understand physical activity types associated with health-related work limitations (also known as presenteeism). This study tests whether additive effects between physical activity types are associated with health-related work limitations among employees from a public university system. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using health assessment data (n=10,791) was used to examine aims. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models tested differences in work limitations between physical activity groups based on combinations of stretching behavior, aerobic, and muscle strengthening physical activity...

BACKGROUND: Research regarding the impact of aquatic exercise on cognition is scarce. This study aimed at identifying the effects of water-based exercise training on the cognitive function and quality of life of healthy adult women. METHODS: Fifty-one healthy women (mean age: 46.5 ± 12.3 years) were assigned to group A or B and followed a water-based exercise program for six months. During the first three months, the sessions performed by group A were focused on stimulating cognitive function...

BACKGROUND: We investigated the association between 10-years of change in physical activity levels and 7-year all-cause mortality. METHODS: Mexican-American adults aged 67 and older (N=803) participating in the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (1995/1996 to 2012/2013) were included. All-cause mortality was our outcome. Participants were divided into four groups based on their difference in overall physical activity between 1995/1996 and 2005/2006 measured by the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly...

BACKGROUND: To investigate the mediation effects of physical activity on the relationship between the perceived neighborhood aesthetic environment and overweight/obesity in free-living South Africans. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 671 adults aged ≥35 years was analysed. Physical activity was assessed using the validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Perceived neighborhood aesthetics was assessed using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale questionnaire...