Epidemiology of physical activity in adult Polish population in the second decade of the 21st century. Results of the NATPOL 2011 study

Objectives

The aim of the study was to assess physical activity (PA) level in a representative sample of Polish adults.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional analysis was performed among 2413 randomly selected individuals (51.5% women) aged 18–79 years, who participated in the Nationwide Study of Occurrence of Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases NATPOL 2011 (March–July 2011). The study procedures consisted of a questionnaire as well as of anthropometric, blood pressure and biochemical measurements. Leisure-time, occupational and commuting PA were assessed by the use of a questionnaire interview.

Results

About 48.2% of adults do exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of a week. About 11% of the respondents declare a sedentary lifestyle. About 26.5% of working population report hard physical work, while sedentary work is reported by 47.6% of the employed participants. Active commuting is declared by 27.3% of working/studying population. About 47.2%, 36.6%, and 15.3% spend < 15, 15–30, and > 30 min per day, respectively, on this kind of PA.

Conclusions

PA level of more than half of Polish adults is still not satisfactory. Promotion of an active lifestyle should concern mainly leisure-time and commuting PA with paying special attention to substantial differences in various socio-demographic groups.     

Job strain and leisure-time physical activity in female and male public sector employees

BACKGROUND: High work stress could decrease physical activity but the evidence of the relationship has remained equivocal. The present study examined the association between job strain and leisure-time physical activity in a large sample of employees. METHODS: Cross-sectional data related to a cohort of 46,573 Finnish public sector employees aged 17-64 years. Job strain was measured by questions derived from Karasek's Demand/Control model. Leisure-time physical activity was defined using activity metabolic equivalent task (MET) index. Analysis of variance was used to compare means of MET-hours/week by job strain categories and by tertiles of job control and job demands. RESULTS: Women and men with high strain (low control and high demands), passive jobs (low control and low demands), and low job control had 2.6 to 5.2 MET-hours/week less than their counterparts with low strain and high control, respectively, even after the effects of age, marital status, socioeconomic status, job contract, smoking, heavy drinking, and trait anxiety were taken into account. Active jobs (high control and high demands) were additionally associated with lower mean of MET-hours in men and in older workers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest an independent, albeit substantially weak, association between higher work stress and lower leisure-time physical activity.     

Epidemiology of leisure-time physical activity in socio-demographic,lifestyle and psychological characteristics of men and women in Greece: the ATTICA Study

Background  

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence, frequency and type of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among adults in Greece, as well as its relationship with socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical characteristics of these people.     

Physical activity and sedentary behaviours among rural adults in suixi,china: a cross-sectional study

Background  

Modernisation and urbanisation have led to lifestyle changes and increasing risks for chronic diseases in China. Physical activity and sedentary behaviours among rural populations need to be better understood, as the rural areas are undergoing rapid transitions. This study assessed levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviours of farming and non-farming adults in rural Suixi, described activity differences between farming and non-farming seasons, and examined correlates of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and TV viewing.     

Correlates of objectively measured physical activity in adults and older people: a cross-sectional study of population-based sample of adults and older people living in Norway

Objectives

The aims of the study were to identify correlates of objectively measured physical activity and to determine whether the explanatory power of the correlates differed with sex, weight status or level of education.

Methods

Physical activity was assessed objectively in 3,867 participants, aged 20–85 years, for a consecutive 7 days using the ActiGraph GT1M activity monitor. Demographic and biological variables and levels of psychological, social environmental and physical environmental correlates were self-reported.

Results

The complete set of correlates explained 18.6 % (p < 0.001) of the variance in overall physical activity. Age and physical activity identity were the most important factors, explaining 4.8 and 3.2 % of the variance, respectively, whereas social environmental and physical environmental correlates did not significantly increase the amount of explained variance. Small interaction effects between demographic and biological variables and the correlates were observed.

Conclusions

Self-efficacy, perceived behavioural control and physical activity identity might be important targets for intervention. Intervention efforts aimed at influencing psychological correlates of physical activity may prove equally effective regardless of sex, weight status and level of education.     

Leisure-time physical activity and risk of disability incidence: A 12-year prospective cohort study among young elderly of the same age at baseline

Background

To clarify the role of physical activity in preventing disability in Japan, we investigated the association between amount of leisure-time physical activity and incidence of disability among the young elderly.

Which subgroups of fire fighters are more prone to work-related diminished health requirements?

Purpose

To determine whether certain subgroups of fire fighters are prone to work-related diminished health requirements.

Methods

The health requirements for fire-fighting were tested in a workers’ health surveillance (WHS) setting. These health requirements included psychological, physical and sense-related components as well as cardiovascular risk factors. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for the presence of the diminished health requirements were calculated for the subgroups of gender, professionalism and age.

Results

The prevalence of diminished psychological requirements was equivalent among the subgroups, and no significant high-risk group was identified. As compared to men fire fighters, women fire fighters were more likely to have diminished physical requirements (OR 28.5; 95% CI 12.1–66.9) and less likely to have cardiovascular risk factors (OR 0.3; 0.1–0.5). As compared to volunteer fire fighters, professionals were less likely to have diminished physical requirements (OR 0.5; 0.3–0.9), but professionals had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors with an odds ratio of 1.9 (1.1–3.2). As compared to the youngest fire fighters, the oldest fire fighters were more likely to have diminished sense-related requirements (OR 7.1; 3.4–15.2); a similar comparison could be made between oldest and middle-aged fire fighters (OR 5.1; 2.5–10.5). In addition, the oldest fire fighters were more likely to have cardiovascular risk factors when compared to the youngest (OR 4.4; 1.7–11.1) and to the middle-aged fire fighters (OR 3.1; 1.2–7.9).

Conclusions

Subgroups (gender, professionalism and age) of fire fighters are prone to at least one specific work-related diminished health requirement. Therefore, parts of the WHS could be applied with more attention to these high-risk groups.     

Determinants of the transition from a cardiometabolic normal to abnormal overweight/obese phenotype in a Spanish population

Purpose

There is limited prospective evidence at population scale of the impacts of lifestyle and surrogate measures of general and abdominal adiposity on the transition of a metabolically healthy (absence of a metabolic disorder) overweight/obese (MHOO) phenotype to a metabolically abnormal overweight/obese (MAOO) phenotype. Therefore, we determined the relationship between 10-year body mass index (BMI), waist circumferences (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR), and lifestyle changes and the transition of the MHOO phenotype.

Methods

We conducted a prospective population-based study of 3,052 male and female Spaniards aged 25–74 years who were followed from 2000 through 2009. Diet and leisure-time physical activity were recorded on validated questionnaires. Weight, height, WC, blood lipids, glycemia, and blood pressure were measured. All variables were obtained at baseline (BL) and follow-up (FL). Participants with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² and free from hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, diabetes, hypertension, and low HDL and high LDL cholesterol levels were characterized as the MHOO phenotype. A composite healthy lifestyle index (HLI) was constructed by including temporary changes in 3 lifestyle variables (diet, leisure-time physical activity, and smoking).

Results

Initially, 20.8 % of subjects had the MHOO phenotype; 49.2 % of these shifted to MAOO phenotype. In multivariate analysis, changes in BMI, WC, WHtR were positively associated (p = 0.004, p = 0.018, and p = 0.016, respectively) with this transition. One unit increase in the HLI was associated with a 33 % lower risk (p = 0.025) to the MAOO phenotype transition after adjusting for age, sex, educational level, and baseline energy intake, BMI, WC, and WHtR.

Conclusions

The presence of metabolic disorders in the MHOO phenotype is predicted by an increase in anthropometric surrogate measures of general and abdominal adiposity. In contrast, a healthy lifestyle protects against a transition to the MAOO phenotype.     

Patterns and correlates of physical activity: a cross-sectional study in urban Chinese women

Background  

Inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for many diseases. Rapid economic development in China has been associated with changes in lifestyle, including physical activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns and correlates of physical activity in middle-aged and elderly women from urban Shanghai.     

Health-related quality of life among adults with work-related asthma in the United States

Purpose

The objective of this study was to examine health-related quality of life among adults with work-related asthma.

Methods

We analyzed 2006–2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Asthma Call-back Survey data for ever-employed adults with current asthma from 38 states and District of Columbia. Individuals with work-related asthma had been told by a doctor or other health professional that their asthma was related to any job they ever had. Health-related quality of life indicators included poor self-rated health, impaired physical health, impaired mental health, and activity limitation. We calculated prevalence ratios (PRs) adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, employment, and health insurance.

Results

Of ever-employed adults with current asthma, an estimated 9.0 % had work-related asthma, 26.9 % had poor self-rated health, 20.6 % had impaired physical health, 18.2 % had impaired mental health, and 10.2 % had activity limitation. Individuals with work-related asthma were significantly more likely than those with non-work-related asthma to have poor self-rated health [PR, 1.45; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.31–1.60], impaired physical health (PR, 1.60; 95 % CI, 1.42–1.80), impaired mental health (PR, 1.55; 95 % CI, 1.34–1.80), and activity limitation (PR, 2.16; 95 % CI, 1.81–2.56).

Conclusions

Future research should examine opportunities to improve health-related quality of life among individuals with work-related asthma.     

Understanding occupational sitting: Prevalence,correlates and moderating effects in Australian employees

ObjectiveTo (1) compare occupational sitting between different socio-demographic, health-related, work-related and psychosocial categories, (2) identity socio-demographic, health-related, work-related and psychosocial correlates of occupational sitting, and (3) examine the moderating effect of work-related factors in the relation between correlates and occupational sitting.MethodsRandomly-selected Australian adults completed a web-based survey assessing socio-demographic (country of birth, gender, age, education, income), health-related (general health, weight, physical activity), work-related (employment status, occupational task, occupational classification) and sedentary-specific psychosocial (social norm, social support, self-efficacy, control, advantages, disadvantage, intention) factors, and occupational sitting-time. t-tests, ANOVAs and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted (in 2013) on a sample of employees (n = 993).ResultsRespondents sat on average for 3.75 (SD = 2.45) h/day during work. Investigated correlates explained 41% of the variance in occupational sitting. More occupational sitting was associated with being male, being younger, higher education and income, part-time and full-time employment, sedentary job tasks, white-collar/professional occupations, higher BMI, and perceiving more advantages of sitting less at work. Employment status and occupational classification moderated the association between control to sit less and occupational sitting. A lack of control to sit less was associated with higher occupational sitting in part-time and full-time workers, but not in casual workers; and in white-collar and professional workers, but not in blue-collar workers.ConclusionsMost important contributors to occupational sitting were work-related and socio-demographic correlates. More research is needed to confirm present results.     

Mental Health and Family Functioning as Correlates of a Sedentary Lifestyle Among Low-Income Women with Young Children

The authors in this cross-sectional study examined mental health and family environmental factors related to a sedentary lifestyle, including lack of leisure-time physical activity and high levels of television viewing, among low-income mothers/female guardians of preschool-aged children. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 131 mothers in 2010. Primary outcome measures included television viewing time (minutes/day) and leisure-time physical activity (<150 versus ≥150 minutes per week). Independent variables included depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and family functioning. Demographic factors (age, marriage, work status, education, number of children in the household, and race/ethnicity) were examined as potential covariates. Participating women watched television on average 186.1 minutes/day (i.e., >3 hours). Additionally, 36% of women engaged in less than the recommended 150-minute leisure-time physical activity per week. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that greater depressive symptoms (B = 76.4, p < 0.01) and lower family functioning (B = 33.0, p < 0.05) were independently related to greater television viewing when controlling for other variables. No independent factors were identified for lack of leisure-time physical activity when controlling for other covariates. Findings suggest that health promotion efforts to promote an active lifestyle among low-income women with young children should address mental health and family functioning factors, especially depressive symptoms.     

Sugar-sweetened beverage and diet soda consumption and the 7-year risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men

Purpose

This cohort study investigated the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and diet soda consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese men.

Methods

The participants were 2,037 employees of a factory in Japan. We measured consumption of SSB and diet soda using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual medical examinations over a 7-year period. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for diabetes were estimated after adjusting for age, body mass index, family history, and dietary and other lifestyle factors.

Results

During the study, 170 participants developed diabetes. The crude incidence rates (/1,000 person-years) across participants who were rare/never SSB consumers, <1 serving/week, ≥1 serving/week and <1 serving/day, and ≥1 serving/day were 15.5, 12.7, 14.9, and 17.4, respectively. The multivariate-adjusted HR compared to rare/never SSB consumers was 1.35 (95 % CI 0.80–2.27) for participants who consumed ≥1 serving/day SSB. Diet soda consumption was significantly associated with the incident risk of diabetes (P for trend = 0.013), and multivariate-adjusted HRs compared to rare/never diet soda consumers were 1.05 (0.62–1.78) and 1.70 (1.13–2.55), respectively, for participants who consumed <1 serving/week and ≥1 serving/week.

Conclusions

Consumption of diet soda was significantly associated with an increased risk for diabetes in Japanese men. Diet soda is not always effective at preventing type 2 diabetes even though it is a zero-calorie drink.     

Night shift work and modifiable lifestyle factors

Objectives

Night shift work has been linked to some chronic diseases. Modification of lifestyle by night work may partially contribute to the development of these diseases, nevertheless, so far epidemiological evidence is limited. The aim of the study was to explore association between night shift work and lifestyle factors using data from a cross-sectional study among blue-collar workers employed in industrial plants in ?ód?, Poland.

Material and Methods

The anonymous questionnaire was self-administered among 605 employees (236 women and 369 men, aged 35 or more) — 434 individuals currently working night shifts. Distribution of the selected lifestyle related factors such as smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), number of main meals and the hour of the last meal was compared between current, former, and never night shift workers. Adjusted ORs or predicted means were calculated, as a measure of the associations between night shift work and lifestyle factors, with age, marital status and education included in the models as covariates.

Results

Recreational inactivity (defined here as less than one hour per week of recreational physical activity) was associated with current night shift work when compared to never night shift workers (OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.13–5.22) among men. Alcohol abstinence and later time of the last meal was associated with night shift work among women. Statistically significant positive relationship between night shift work duration and BMI was observed among men (p = 0.029).

Conclusions

This study confirms previous studies reporting lower exercising among night shift workers and tendency to increase body weight. This finding provides important public health implication for the prevention of chronic diseases among night shift workers. Initiatives promoting physical activity addressed in particular to the night shift workers are recommended.     

Effekte einer individualisierten Sportberatung im Betrieb

Background

Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) is becoming increasingly important. Individualized exercise counselling provides a person-oriented measure of WHP which sets out to increase the level of sport activity. The aim of the present study was to check the efficacy of individualized exercise counselling in workplace.

Method

86 employees received counselling in 60–90-min sessions. Their level of sport activity was ascertained both during the intervention and 6 weeks later. At T2, the perceived impulse to change their personal behaviour was also determined. The data were analysed by calculating Spearman’s rank correlation and conducting t-tests.

Results

Overall, the level of sport activity increased from 173 to 228 min/week (ES?=?0.34). Particularly those people who had been inactive (ES?=?0.76), <?90 min/week (ES?=?0.63) or 90–180 min/week active (ES?=?0.53) at T1, report a higher level of sport activities at T2.

Discussion

The findings speak in favour of integrating individualized exercise counselling into WHP, whereby the person-oriented measure should be supplemented by environmental strategies.     

Is park visitation associated with leisure-time and transportation physical activity?

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine whether frequency of park visitation was associated with time spent in various domains of physical activity among adults living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Victoria, Australia.

Methods

In 2009, participants (n = 319) self-reported park visitation and physical activity including: walking and cycling for transport, leisure-time walking, leisure-time moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, and total physical activity.

Results

The mean number of park visits per week was 3.3 (SD = 3.8). Park visitation was associated with greater odds of engaging in high (as compared to low) amounts of transportation physical activity, leisure-time walking, leisure-time moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity. Each additional park visit per week was associated with 23% greater odds of being in the high category for transportation physical activity, 26% greater odds of engaging in high amounts of leisure-time walking, 11% greater odds of engaging in MVPA, and 40% greater odds of high total physical activity.

Conclusions

Acknowledging the cross-sectional study design, the findings suggest that park visitation may be an important predictor and/or destination for transportation and leisure-time walking and physical activity. Findings highlight the potentially important role of parks for physical activity.     

Leisure time physical activity as a determinant of self-perceived health and fitness in middle-aged male employees

Self-perceived health and fitness are epidemiological predictors of subsequent mortality and/or functional limitation. The present study was designed to analyze which lifestyle factors contribute to good status of self-perceived health and fitness in middle-aged male employees. Participants (n=401) aged 50-59 were assessed as to the status of self-perceived health and fitness, and various lifestyle factors including nutrition, smoking, drinking, physical activity, psychological stress, sleeping and relaxation. Logistic regression analysis revealed that among the lifestyle factors surveyed in the present study, doing exercise/sports at a medium level (either > or =4.5METs/1-2 times per week or <4.5METs/> or =3-4 times per week) of physical activity index (PAI) was the only predictor of good self-perceived health. Similarly, doing exercise/sports at or above the medium level of PAI was identified as the only independent predictor of good self-perceived fitness. In addition, maintaining the habit of doing exercise/sports at or above the medium level of PAI throughout the year, and having this habit through the 4th and 5th decades of life or starting to have it from the age of 50 through 59 were important to obtain a good status of self-perceived health and fitness. These findings suggest that leisure time physical activity level is a determinant of good health and fitness in the middle-aged male employees in the present study.     

Detektierung einer Herz-Kreislauf-Risikogefährdung bei akademischem Personal mit Führungsaufgaben

Background

Although working conditions are currently undergoing deep changes, stress management is considered to have a high impact on the development of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to find correlations between psychological and cardiac parameters that possibly contribute to new onset of cardiovascular disease and at which preventive measures could be directed. Psychological screening and analysis of 24-h electrocardiograms (EKGs) were used to investigate work-related stress.

Methods

The study participants consisted of 163 university employees with leadership tasks. A thorough physical examination, blood tests, and a 24-h EKG were done at baseline.

Results

Groups with distinct work-related behaviours differed in relevant factors of work, lifestyle, and methods of coping with stress (for example, “negative” strategies, “resignation,” and “avoidance tendency”).

Conclusions

The classic cardiovascular risk factors have diagnostic relevance and may be supplemented by psychological or physiological methods.     

Differences in physical activity and sedentary time in relation to weight in 8–9 year old children

Background

To determine whether the provision of higher levels of compulsory school physical activity is associated with higher physical activity and fitness levels and less overweight in childhood and 20 years later.

Methods

As part of the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey, 109 schools reported how much compulsory physical education (PE) and school sport they provided and were classified as low (<110 and <150 minutes/week for primary and secondary schools, respectively), medium (110–149 and 150–189 minutes/week for primary and secondary schools, respectively) or high (≥150 and ≥190 minutes/week for primary and secondary schools, respectively) compulsory physical activity schools by tertile cutpoints. 6,412 children reported frequency and duration of school (PE and sport) and non-school (commuting and non-organised exercise) physical activity and had height and weight measured; overweight was defined using body mass index (BMI) (m/kg²) cutpoints. 9, 12 and 15 year-olds (n = 2,595) completed a cycle ergometer fitness test (physical working capacity at heart rate 170, PWC₁₇₀). At follow-up in 2004–5, 2,346 participants kept a pedometer record, completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and/or a PWC₁₇₀ fitness test; and had height and weight measured (overweight = BMI≥25 m/kg²).

Results

At baseline and follow-up, median total physical activity, fitness and BMI were similar in participants who attended low, medium and high physical activity schools, and those attending high physical activity schools reported only modestly higher school physical activity. There was no difference in the prevalence of high total physical activity and fitness levels in childhood or adulthood across compulsory school physical activity categories. The prevalence of overweight in childhood and adulthood was similar across low, medium and high compulsory physical activity schools.

Conclusion

The amount of compulsory physical activity reported by schools was not associated with total physical activity, fitness or overweight in childhood or in adulthood. Policies promoting amounts of compulsory school physical activity in this range may not be sufficient to increase physical activity and fitness or reduce the prevalence of obesity in children.     

Leisure-time physical activity does not fully explain the higher body mass index in irregular-shift workers

Purpose

To elucidate the influence of leisure-time physical activity on body mass index (BMI), appetite-related hormones, and sleep when working irregular shifts.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was undertaken of 57 male truck drivers, 31 irregular-shift workers and 26 day-shift workers. Participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and were assessed for BMI. Subjects also provided a fasting blood sample for analysis of appetite-related hormones and wore an actigraphy device for seven consecutive days.

Results

Although leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was generally low (<150 min/week) in both groups, the irregular-shift workers were more physically active than day-shift workers (99 ± 166 vs. 23 ± 76 min/week, p < 0.01). In spite of this, mean BMI of irregular-shift workers was 2 kg/m² greater than day-shift workers (28.4 ± 3.8 vs. 26.4 ± 3.6 kg/m², p = 0.04). Mean leptin concentration was 61 % higher in irregular-shift workers (5,205 ± 4,181 vs. 3,179 ± 2,413 pg/ml, p = 0.04). Among obese individuals, irregular-shift workers had higher leptin concentration (p < 0.01) and shorter sleep duration (p = 0.01) than obese day-shift workers.

Conclusion

Elevated BMI was associated with high leptin and low ghrelin levels in this population of irregular-shift workers. No influence of LTPA on appetite-related hormones or sleep duration was found. We conclude that moderate LTPA is insufficient to attenuate the higher BMI associated with this type of irregular-shift work in truck drivers.