The contribution of preschool playground factors in explaining children's physical activity during recess

Background  

Low levels of physical activity are characteristic in preschoolers. To effectively promote physical activity, it is necessary to understand factors that influence young children's physical activity. The present study aimed to investigate how physical activity levels are influenced by environmental factors during recess in preschool.     

Do attributes in the physical environment influence children's physical activity? A review of the literature

Background  

Many youth today are physically inactive. Recent attention linking the physical or built environment to physical activity in adults suggests an investigation into the relationship between the built environment and physical activity in children could guide appropriate intervention strategies.     

Testing a workplace physical activity intervention: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Background  

Increased physical activity levels benefit both an individuals' health and productivity at work. The purpose of the current study was to explore the impact and cost-effectiveness of a workplace physical activity intervention designed to increase physical activity levels.     

Referral from primary care to a physical activity programme: establishing long-term adherence? A randomized controlled trial. Rationale and study design

Background  

Declining physical activity is associated with a rising burden of global disease. There is little evidence about effective ways to increase adherence to physical activity. Therefore, interventions are needed that produce sustained increases in adherence to physical activity and are cost-effective. The purpose is to assess the effectiveness of a primary care physical activity intervention in increasing adherence to physical activity in the general population seen in primary care.     

Who will increase their physical activity? Predictors of change in objectively measured physical activity over 12 months in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ProActive</Emphasis> cohort

Background  

The aim was to identify predictors of change in objectively measured physical activity over 12 months in the ProActive cohort to improve understanding of factors influencing change in physical activity.     

Participation in organised sports does not slow declines in physical activity during adolescence

Background  

Among youth, participation in extracurricular physical activities at school and organised physical activities in the community is associated with higher physical activity levels. The objective was to determine if participation in organised physical activities during early adolescence protects against declines in physical activity levels during adolescence.     

Gender bias in the assessment of physical activity in population studies

Objectives  

Despite their generally more health promoting behaviours, women are found to participate less in physical activity than men. This study explores possible gender bias in measurement of physical activity in population studies.     

Parental exercise is associated with Australian children's extracurricular sports participation and cardiorespiratory fitness: A cross-sectional study

Background  

The relationship between parental physical activity and children's physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness has not been well studied in the Australian context. Given the increasing focus on physical activity and childhood obesity, it is important to understand correlates of children's physical activity. This study aimed to investigate whether parental exercise was associated with children's extracurricular sports participation and cardiorespiratory fitness.     

Physical environmental characteristics and individual interests as correlates of physical activity in Norwegian secondary schools: The health behaviour in school-aged children study

Background  

The school has been identified as a key arena for physical activity promotion for young people. Effective change of physical activity behaviour requires identification of consistent and modifiable correlates. The study explores students' interests in school physical activity and facilities in the school environment and examines their associations with students' participation in physical activity during recess and their cross-level interaction effect.     

A population study on the association between leisure time physical activity and self-rated health among diabetics in Taiwan

Background  

There is strong evidence for the beneficial effects of physical activity in diabetes. There has been little research demonstrating a dose-response relationship between physical activity and self-rated health in diabetics. The aim of this study was to explore the dose-response association between leisure time physical activity and self-rated health among diabetics in Taiwan.     

Measuring physical activity among pregnant women using a structured one-week recall questionnaire: evidence for validity and reliability

Background  

Accurate measurement of the components of physical activity during pregnancy can aid in our understanding of the dose response relationships between physical activity and corresponding perinatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a one-week recall questionnaire to assess moderate to vigorous physical activity during pregnancy.     

Development of scales to assess children's perceptions of friend and parental influences on physical activity

Background  

Many children do not meet physical activity guidelines. Parents and friends are likely to influence children's physical activity but there is a shortage of measures that are able to capture these influences.     

Measuring physical activity during pregnancy

Background  

Currently, little is known about physical activity patterns in pregnancy with prior estimates predominantly based on subjective assessment measures that are prone to error. Given the increasing obesity rates and the importance of physical activity in pregnancy, we evaluated the relationship and agreement between subjective and objective physical activity assessment tools to inform researchers and clinicians on optimal assessment of physical activity in pregnancy.     

Age and exercise: a theoretical and empirical analysis of the effect of age and generation on physical activity

Aim  

The well-documented association of reductions in physical activity with age is based largely on cross-sectional studies that do not distinguish between prevalence of physical activity and initiation/discontinuation patterns. These studies also fail to consider the changes in physical activity as a function of life stage. We investigated how physical activity evolves over a lifetime. We distinguished between prevalence and initiation/discontinuation patterns and also considered multidirectional age effects.     

Depression and quality of life in cancer survivors: is there a relationship with physical activity?

Background  

Evidence is growing on the benefit of physical activity to improve well-being following a cancer diagnosis. This study examined changes in physical activity from pre to post diagnosis and explored this relationship with quality of life and depression.     

Youth at risk of physical inactivity may benefit more from activity-related support than youth not at risk

Background  

This study examines whether associations between activity-related support and adolescents' physical activity differ for adolescents at high versus low risk of physical inactivity.     

Seasonal variation in objectively assessed physical activity among children and adolescents in Norway: a cross-sectional study

Background  

The literature on seasonality in children and youth's physical activity participation is inconsistent. The aims of this study were to: 1) compare physical activity across seasons and describe activity patterns within seasons, and 2) to determine compliance with current physical activity recommendations across seasons among 9- and 15-year-olds living in a climatically diverse country.     

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour typologies of 10-11 year olds

Background  

Targeted interventions may be more effective at increasing children's physical activity. The aim of this study was to identify clusters of children based on physical activity and sedentary patterns across the week.     

Independent mobility in relation to weekday and weekend physical activity in children aged 10–11 years: The PEACH Project

Background  

Children's independent mobility has fallen in recent years and may in part explain reported declines in physical activity in young people. This cross-sectional study investigated whether independent mobility in boys and girls was related to objectively measured physical activity.     

Parent-child relationship of directly measured physical activity

Background  

Studies on parent-child correlations of physical activity have been mixed. Few studies have examined concurrent temporal patterns of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in parents and children using direct measures. The purpose of this study was to examine parent-child activity correlations by gender, day of week, and time of day, using accelerometers - a method for direct assessment of physical activity.