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OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between potential social ecological correlates and self-reported short physical activity breaks during work hours (defined as any interruption in sitting time during a typical work hour) among a sample of employees who commonly sit for working tasks. METHODS: 801 employed adults aged 18-70years from metropolitan Melbourne, Australia were surveyed in 2009 about their short physical activity breaks from sitting during work hours and potential social ecological correlates of this behaviour. RESULTS: Men reported significantly more short physical activity breaks per work hour than did women (2.5 vs. 2.3 breaks/h, p=0.02). A multivariable linear regression analysis adjusting for clustering and meeting the public health physical activity recommendations showed that the factors associated with frequency of short physical activity breaks per work hour were perceptions of lack of time for short physical activity breaks for men (-0.31 breaks/h, 95% confidence intervals [CI] -0.52, -0.09) and lack of information about taking short physical activity breaks for women (-0.20 breaks/h, CI -0.47, -0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that providing male employees with support for short physical activity breaks during work hours, and female employees with information on benefits of this behaviour may be useful for reducing workplace sedentary time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longitudinal trends of screen time, a highly prevalent behavior in adolescents, are relatively unknown. This study examined longitudinal trends in screen time among a large sample of Australian primary school-aged children transitioning into secondary school-aged adolescence. Data were derived from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). In 2010, 2179 children (49.7% boys; 10.3 ± 1.1 years) completed a time-use diary, recording their main activities during waking hours. This was repeated with the same sample in 2012 (12.4 ± 0.5 years) and 2014 (14.4 ± 0.5 years). Data were analyzed for time spent in TV viewing, computer use, electronic gaming, and social networking and online communication. Repeated-measures MANCOVA tests were performed to analyze trends in screen time. Trends were also analyzed by sex. Total screen time significantly increased (+85.9 min/day) over four years (η p 2  = 0.010, P < .001), but differed by sex, with a larger increase in boys (boys: +41.6, girls: +22.7 min/day). Electronic gaming increased in boys (+43.2 min/day) and decreased in girls (-16.8 min/day). In contrast, girls reported larger increases in TV viewing (boys: +0.4, girls: +29.1 min/day), computer use (boys: +24.8, girls: +34.3 min/day) and time communicating online and social networking (boys: +4.3, girls: +15.2 min/day). To conclude, screen time among adolescents increases between the ages of 10 and 14 years, but differs by sex and screen time domain. Future screen time reduction interventions may choose to focus on recreational computer use and electronic gaming in boys and TV viewing and time spent communicating online and social networking for girls., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for the prevention and management of psychological distress. However, no studies have investigated which combination/s of PA prescribed in the current global guidelines (i.e. aerobic moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA] and muscle-strengthening exercise [MSE]) are most strongly linked to reduced psychological distress. This study aimed to examine how PA guidelines adherence is associated with psychological distress. Using cross-sectional data of adults (n = 14,050) who participated in the 2012-2016 Health Survey for England, four categories of self-reported PA guidelines adherence were created: meeting none, only MSE, only aerobic MVPA, meeting both (exposure variables). Psychological distress (outcome) was measured using the General Health Questionnaire-12. The likelihood of experiencing high levels of psychological distress (cut-point of ≥4) across guidelines adherence categories was examined using logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. About 17% of adults experienced high levels of psychological distress; 37.5% did not adhere to any PA guidelines (category 1), 1.3% met only MSE (category 2), 35.5% met only aerobic MVPA (category 3), and 25.7% met both guidelines (category 4). Compared to category 1, the likelihood of experiencing high psychological distress was lowest in category 4 (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.54-0.77) followed by category 3 (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.67-0.90), while it did not differ in category 2 (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 0.75-2.05). This is the first study to identify the association between PA guidelines adherence and psychological distress in a large population sample. Findings suggest that meeting both aerobic MVPA and MSE guidelines might be most beneficial for mental health., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

For the prevention and management of chronic diseases, global physical activity guidelines state that an adult should engage in regular moderate-to-vigorous aerobic physical activity (MVPA; e.g. walking, cycling, running) and muscle-strengthening exercise (MSE; e.g. strength/resistance training). However, the associations between combined MVPA-MSE with chronic health conditions are rarely examined in large population studies. In particular, little is known associations between combined MVPA-MSE with depressive disorders, one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. The aim of this study is to describe the associations between MVPA and MSE with depressive symptom severity among a large sample of U.S. adults. Data were drawn from the U.S. 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. During phone interviews, MVPA, MSE and depressive symptom severity were assessed by validated questionnaires. Poisson regression with a robust error or variance were used to assess prevalence ratios (PR) of depressive symptom severity (mild, moderate, moderately severe/severe) across categories of physical activity guideline adherence (met neither [reference]; MSE only; MVPA only; met both), adjusting for a set of potential cofounders. Data were available on 17,839 adults (18-85 years). When compared with those meeting neither guideline, for mild, moderate and moderately severe/severe depressive symptoms, the PRs were lowest among meeting both guidelines (range: 0.26-0.54), followed by MVPA only (range: 0.36-0.62) and MSE only (range: 0.49-0.84). Among a large sample of U.S. adults, compared to other guideline adherence categories, meeting both MVPA-MSE guidelines was associated with a lowest likelihood of reporting depressive symptoms., (Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Muscle-strengthening activity (MSA) (e.g. weight training), confers unique health benefits. While socioeconomic status (SES) correlates with leisure time physical activity, little is known about its relation with MSA., Methods: Cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 8993 Australian adults (>18years) who participated in the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011-12. Information was collected on SES (income, education, socio-economic disadvantage and remoteness) and MSA participation., Results: 17.9% (CI: 16.8-19.0) met the national guidelines for MSA (≥2 sessions/week). Men and younger adults (<35years) met MSA guidelines more than females (19.7%; CI: 18.3-21.1% vs 16.1%; CI: 14.6-17.6%; p<0.001) and older adults respectively (25.0%; CI: 22.4-27.7% vs 10.4%; CI: 8.9-11.8%; p<0.001). All SES indicators were associated with meeting the guidelines in unadjusted analyses. When adjusting for total physical activity and mutually adjusting for each socioeconomic indicator only remoteness (OR for city vs rural=1.65; CI: 1.17-2.32; p<0.001) was associated with MSA participation (education OR=1.09 for high vs low; CI: 0.80-1.47, p=0.748; income OR=1.31 for Q5 vs Q1, CI: 0.93-1.85, p=0.328; social disadvantage OR=1.04 for v.high vs v.low, CI: 0.76-1.43, p=0.855). These associations were further attenuated when adjusting for BMI, smoking status and self-rated health., Conclusion: Remoteness, and to a lesser degree, education, income and social disadvantage, were independently associated with MSA participation. Public health interventions should improve access to strength training facilities, and/or increase home-based muscle-strengthening activity in remote areas., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)