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The COVID-19 pandemic has been detrimental to the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people across the globe. Regular physical activity has consistently demonstrated an array of health benefits, but the impact of regular physical activity habits pre-pandemic on health and wellbeing during the pandemic is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify distinct pre-COVID-19 lockdown physical activity profiles [i.e., walking, leisure-time moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), domestic MVPA and muscle strengthening exercise] and assess whether these profiles were associated with mental wellbeing and quality of life during COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 442 adults (Mage = 43.97 ± 13.85; 75.6% female) from Melbourne, Australia completed an online questionnaire measuring pre-COVID-19 physical activity, including walking habits, leisure-time MVPA, domestic MVPA, and muscle strengthening exercise - and completed measures of mental wellbeing and health related quality of life. Latent profile analysis identified five distinct profiles that differed in terms of levels of walking, leisure-time MVPA, domestic MVPA and muscle strengthening exercise. Based on the observed pre-COVID-19 lockdown profiles, it appears that high levels of MVPA and muscle strengthening exercise may serve as a protective factor against the potential negative impact of a global pandemic lockdown on mental wellbeing and quality of life., Author(s): Kara Dadswell [sup.1] [sup.3] , Matthew Bourke [sup.1] , Jaimie-Lee Maple [sup.2] , Melinda Craike [sup.1] [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/04j757h98, grid.1019.9, 0000 0001 0396 9544, Institute for Health [...]

Background: COVID-19 caused closures of movement supporting environments such as gyms and schools in Canada. This study evaluated the association between Ontario parents' and children's physical activity levels across time during COVID-19, controlling for variables that were identified as significant predictors of children's and parents' physical activity (e.g., children's age, parents' employment status). Methods: Parents (n = 243; mean age = 38.8 y) of children aged 12 and under (n = 408; mean age = 6.3 y) living in Ontario, Canada completed 2 online surveys, the first between August and December 2020 and the second between August and December 2021. At baseline, parents were asked to recall prepandemic physical activity levels. To determine the association between parent and child physical activity during COVID-19, a cross-lagged model was estimated to determine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parents' and children's physical activity across time. Results: Bivariate associations revealed that parents' and children's physical activity levels were significantly related during lockdown and postlockdown but not prelockdown. The autoregressive paths from prelockdown to during lockdown were significant for children (β = 0.53, P <.001) and parents (β = 1.058, P <.001) as were the autoregressive paths from during lockdown to postlockdown for children (β = 0.61, P <.001) and parents (β = 0.48, P <.001). In fully adjusted models, the cross-lagged association between parents' physical activity prelockdowns was significantly positively associated with their children's physical activity during lockdowns (β = 0.19, P =.013). Conclusions: Resources are needed to ensure that children and parents are obtaining sufficient levels of physical activity, particularly during a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood educators (ECEs) are ideally positioned to support the development of children's fundamental movement skills (FMS). However, ECEs have little specialised training to support the development of FMS in young children. This study aimed to assess the impact of an e-Learning course on the FMS of preschool-aged children. 145 Preschool-aged children and 42 ECEs from 12 childcare centres participated in the study. ECEs in the experimental group were asked to complete the e-Learning course. A subsample of children (n = 48) was objectively assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development 3rd Edition (TGMD-3). Additionally, parents of all participating children reported perceptions of their child's FMS to understand if they knew how well their child was progressing. Findings showed a significant increase in TGMD-3 assessed locomotor skills from baseline to follow-up in the intervention group compared to the control group and total FMS but not objective control skills. Parent-reported FMS increased in the intervention group for all locomotor, object control skills, and total FMS. However, the intervention effect for all three measurements was not significant. The results from this study highlight the potential utility of online professional development for ECEs as an approach to improving young children's FMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal-oriented exercise motives are important predictors of men's physical activity behaviours and experiences, and body-related perceptions. To date, men's exercise goal motives have been studied predominantly in isolation, and person-centred approaches that identify distinct goal motive profiles and their correlates have been limited. To address this gap, 322 men (mean age = 34.15, SD = 11.53) were recruited to participate in an online multi-national cross-sectional survey, and latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles based on an adapted version of the Reasons for Exercising Inventory. Comparisons were made for levels of LTPA, physical activity enjoyment, body surveillance, and body attitudes between the profiles. Five profiles were identified, with three profiles having low, average, and high levels of all forms of goal-oriented motives, respectively. Additionally, one profile was characterised mainly by appearance goals and one profile by weight loss goals. Participants in the low overall goal-oriented motivation profile participated in less LTPA than the other profiles, and the participants in the weight loss and appearance profiles reported significantly less exercise enjoyment than the high overall goal-oriented motivation profile. As expected, participants in the profile motivated by appearance reported greater body surveillance and more negative body attitudes. Leveraging a person-centred approach, these results advance previous literature on men's exercise goal-oriented motives, and the ways in which distinct goal-oriented motive profiles are associated with physical activity experiences and body-related perceptions. Interventions targeting different forms of goal-oriented motivation may have the potential to enhance men's physical activity experiences and body-related perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited research on how the context in which moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) occurs influences the relationship between physical activity and affect. This study aimed to investigate how the social context and physical environment enhance the relationship between MVPA and affect in daily life. Overall, 119 adolescents (mean age = 14.7 years) provided information about their core affect, physical environment and social context on multiple occasions over a 4-day period using ecological momentary assessment. Additionally, participants' level of MVPA was objectively measured using accelerometers. Level of MVPA was positively associated with energetic arousal, being outdoors was positively associated with valence and energetic arousal, and being with someone else was also positively associated with energetic arousal. Additionally, being outdoors moderated the association between MVPA and tense arousal so that MVPA was only inversely related to tense arousal when outdoors. These findings showed that young people experience more positive valence, greater levels of energetic arousal and less tense arousal when physically active outdoors compared to when indoors and highlight the importance of encouraging young people to participate in physical activity outdoors. Further research is warranted to understand how social contexts may influence the association between MVPA and affect in young people., Author(s): Matthew Bourke [sup.1] , Toni A. Hilland [sup.2] , Melinda Craike [sup.1] [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.1019.9, 0000 0001 0396 9544, Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University, [...]

Purpose: Many young children spend a significant portion of time in center-based childcare settings; however, these children are often not sufficiently active during care. Promoting physical activity through policy implementation is one mechanism which has the potential to increase physical activity. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide an overview of physical activity policies implemented in childcare centers and determine their effect on children's physical activity. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Sports Medicine and Education Database. Two reviewers independently examined 3,286 articles to find peer-reviewed, original studies that assessed the impact of physical activity policies on children's physical activity. Random effects meta-analyses were used to determine the impact of policies. Results: A total of 13 articles met the inclusion criteria; in which 12 unique policies were implemented. Results of the meta-analyses suggest that introducing new physical activity policies did not increase children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); however, compared to centers without a formalized physical activity policy, children in centers with a formalized policy engaged in significantly more MVPA and total physical activity. Conclusions: Introducing new physical activity policies alone may not be sufficient to increase children's engagement in physical activity, and it may be important to combine with capacity-building initiatives for childcare staff and early childhood educators. Results reinforce the value of childcare centers implementing their own formalized physical activity policies to support children's physical activity, which highlights the importance of regulating physical activity practices in childcare. Registration: CRD42022326037. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: External contexts, including the social and physical contexts, are independent predictors of momentary physical activity and sedentary behaviors. However, no studies to date have examined how external contexts are related to overall momentary movement behavior compositions using compositional data analysis. Therefore, this study aimed to determine differences in momentary movement behavior compositions between different social and physical contexts in adolescents. Methods: Overall, 119 adolescents (mean age 14.7 y, SD = 1.44) provided details about their momentary physical and social contexts over 4 days using ecological momentary assessment. Sedentary behaviors, light-intensity physical activity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity were assessed using ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers. Compositional multivariate multilevel models were estimated to determine if movement behavior compositions differed between contexts. Results: Participants engaged in significantly less sedentary behaviors when outdoors compared with indoors and replaced it with moderate to vigorous physical activity. Participants also engaged in significantly less sedentary behaviors when with friends or friends and family and replaced it with light-intensity physical activity. Conclusion: These results highlight the potential of targeting external contexts to increase physical activity and to reduce sedentary behavior in adolescents' daily lives. These factors could be targeted in mobile health and just-in-time adaptive interventions to improve young people's movement behavior compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the domain specific associations between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and affect. This study aimed to determine whether the association between MVPA and affect differed by domain in adolescents. Overall, 119 adolescents (mean age = 14.7 years) provided information about their affective states multiple times a day over a four-day period using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Additionally, minutes of MVPA were measured using accelerometers and participants self-reported whether they were participating in recreational physical activity, active travel, or household physical activity at the time of an EMA prompt. The main outcomes that were measured were affective valence, energetic arousal and tense arousal. Participants who engaged in more recreational MVPA on average reported more positive valence, more energetic arousal, and less tense arousal. Additionally, participants reported more energetic arousal when they participated in greater levels of recreational MVPA than usual, but also more tense arousal. Active travel and household physical activity were not associated with valence, energetic arousal or tense arousal. These findings highlight the importance of encouraging participation in recreational physical activities to promote positive affective outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Mental illness is common among young people. Exercise has benefits for mental health; however, young people experience a range of barriers to engaging in physical activity, one of which is psychological distress. Mindfulness is a modifiable factor that can reduce distress and may, in turn, reduce perceived barriers to physical activity. The aim of this work was to explore associations between dispositional mindfulness, psychological distress and barriers to engaging in physical activity. Methods: We used cross‐sectional survey data from young adults aged 15–25 years who attended youth mental health services (headspace centres). Demographic, mindfulness, exercise barriers and wellbeing data were collected. Results: Mediation analysis showed that greater dispositional mindfulness reduced perceived barriers to exercise via reductions in psychological distress among 88 help‐seeking young Australians. Conclusion: Interventions to increase dispositional mindfulness may be helpful in reducing psychological distress and lessening barriers to exercise engagement, therefore promoting mental health among young people experiencing mental health symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]