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Purpose: This study aimed to examine the associations between participation frequency in physical education (PE) classes and objective measures of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in children from 12 countries at different levels of development., Methods: This multinational, cross-sectional study included 5874 children 9-11 yr old from sites in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, India, Kenya, Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. PA and SB were monitored for seven consecutive days using a waist-worn accelerometer. PA and SB data were presented for weekdays (times in and out of school) and weekend days. Participation frequency in PE classes was determined by questionnaire. Multilevel modeling analyses stratified by sex were used., Results: Overall, 24.8% of children self-reported participation in PE classes ≥3 times per week (25.3% in high-income countries [HIC] and 24.3% in low- and middle-income countries [LMIC]). After adjusting for age, sex, parental education, and body mass index z-score, results showed that children from low- and middle-income countries who took PE classes one to two times per week were more likely to present better indicators of PA and shorter time in SB in and out of school. In HIC, boys that participated in PE classes were more likely to meet the moderate-to-vigorous PA recommendations and to present better indicators of PA (in school) and shorter time in SB in and out of school. For girls in HIC, attending PE classes increased the likelihood of spending more time in moderate-to-vigorous PA, especially if they attended ≥3 times per week., Conclusion: Attending PE classes is associated with a higher level of PA and a lower level of SB in and out of school during weekdays in children from countries at various levels of development.

Purpose: To determine the relationships between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), vigorous physical activity (VPA), sedentary time, and obesity in children from 12 countries representing a wide range of human development., Methods: The sample included 6539 children age 9-11 yr. Times in MVPA, VPA, and sedentary behaviors were assessed by accelerometry. The body mass index (BMI; kg·m) was used to classify children as obese based on z-scores (> +2 SD) from World Health Organization reference data., Results: The mean (SD) times spent in MVPA, VPA, and sedentary behavior were 60 (25) min·d, 18 (11) min·d, and 513 (69) min·d, respectively. The overall proportion of the sample that was obese ranged from 5.2% to 24.6% across sites. The odds ratios for obesity were significant for MVPA (0.49; 95% CI, 0.44-0.55), VPA (0.41; 0.37-0.46), and sedentary time (1.19; 1.08-1.30) in the overall sample. The associations of MVPA and VPA with obesity were significant in all 12 sites, whereas the association between sedentary time and obesity was significant in five of the 12 sites. There was a significant difference in BMI z-scores across tertiles of MVPA (P < 0.001) but not across tertiles of sedentary time in a mutually adjusted model. The results of receiver operating characteristic curve analyses for obesity indicated that the optimal thresholds for MVPA (area under the curve [AUC], 0.64), VPA (AUC, 0.67) and sedentary behavior (AUC, 0.57) were 55 (95% CI, 50-64) min·d, 14 (11-16) min·d, and 482 (455-535) min·d, respectively., Conclusions: Greater MVPA and VPA were both associated with lower odds of obesity independent of sedentary behavior. Sedentary time was positively associated with obesity, but not independent of MVPA. Attaining at least 55 min·d of MVPA is associated with lower obesity in this multinational sample of children, which supports current guidelines.

Purpose: This study was conducted to criterion-validate the short format of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) against health-related fitness., Methods: Participants included 951 men, aged 21-43 yr. VO2max by ergometer was used to measure cardiorespiratory fitness. Muscular fitness tests included the number of sit-ups, push-ups, and squats performed during 60 s. Physical activity was assessed from IPAQ by categories for health (health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA)) and by calculating total and vigorous MET-hours per week. The participants were classified in five groups of almost equal size by the IPAQ outcomes. Moreover, the frequency of vigorous activity was assessed by one precoded question (single-item question on leisure-time vigorous physical activity (SIVAQ))., Results: The mean fitness improved from the first through the fourth IPAQ group. VO2max in the most active IPAQ group, however, was lower than in the fourth group (P < 0.05), both with HEPA categories and vigorous METs as the outcome. In contrast, the weekly frequency of vigorous physical activity showed a positive association with fitness through all six categories. The 65 sedentary (according to SIVAQ) and unfit individuals who belonged to the highest 20% (by IPAQ total METs) were older (30.6 +/- 5.1 vs 28.9 +/- 3.8, P = 0.02), more obese (waist 93 +/- 12 vs 89 +/- 10 cm), more often current smokers (59.4 vs 42.0%; P = 0.03), and less educated (<12 yr of education 70.8 vs 52.0%; P = 0.02), compared with the others in the highest IPAQ group., Conclusions: Almost 10% of young men had poor fitness and apparently low physical activity, but they reported very high physical activity by IPAQ. An evident need therefore exists to develop IPAQ further to solve the apparent overreporting by a considerable proportion of sedentary individuals.

Purpose: To evaluate the current status of knowledge concerning the effects of physical activity in the treatment and prevention of obesity- related problems, including cancers of the colon, breast, uterus, and prostate; gallstones; osteoarthritis; back pain; sleep apnea; reproductive abnormalities; and impaired health-related quality of life., Design: A Medline literature search on the effects of physical activity in the above conditions was conducted. Only studies with some measure of weight and a description of the type of physical activity were included., Results: No controlled randomized trials of exercise in the treatment of any of the studied conditions in obese patients were identified. Most of the epidemiologic studies reviewed were beset with severe methodological weaknesses. Most of the 18 studies on physical activity and colon cancer risk showed a protective effect that in some studies appeared to be greater than expected by weight loss alone. Some but not all studies of hormone-dependent cancers and gallstones showed a protective effect for physical activity. There were insufficient data on the role of exercise for the other morbid conditions studied., Conclusion: The scarce data available on the role of physical activity in the prevention of obesity-related chronic conditions listed above suggest a protective role that needs to be examined further in studies with improved methodologies. Well-designed intervention trials are needed to assess the role of physical activity in the treatment and long-term outcome of obese patients with these co-morbid conditions.

Recently, Sarna et al. (Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 25:237-244, 1993) reported increased mean life expectancy in former world class athletes. Because lifestyle is associated with longevity, we have examined whether health habits of former Finnish male athletes (N = 1274; present mean age: 57.5, range: 36-94 yr) differed from those of noncompetitive referents (N = 788; mean age: 55.7, range: 39-87 yr). The athletes had represented Finland in international competitions in endurance (N = 177), power (N = 454), or other ("mixed") events (N = 643) from 1920-1965. Data on physical characteristics, sociodemographic factors, and health habits were obtained from questionnaires. All dependent variables in an analysis of covariance and in a logistic regression analysis were adjusted for age and occupation. Both leisure aerobic and work activity of all athlete groups was higher (P < 0.01) than that of referents. Compared with the referents, both power and "mixed" athletes were more prone to eat fruits and vegetables and to avoid vitamin supplements, but less prone to use butter and high-fat milk, and to smoke (odds ratios different from 1.0, P < 0.05). Also endurance athletes smoked less and drank less alcohol than the referents (P < 0.05). Higher leisure aerobic activity and less frequent smoking after athletic years might explain higher life expectancy of Finnish athletes.