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Objective: To understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students' movement behaviors. Participants: College students attending a large Midwestern university during the pandemic. Methods: The Activity Questionnaire for Adults and Adolescents estimated physical activity and sedentary time before, early, and later in the pandemic. Barriers and facilitators to physical activity were assessed at early and later timepoints. Open-ended questions examined additional impacts. Results: Comparing before vs. early/later pandemic assessments, respondents (n = 230, 82% female, 21 ± 5 years) reported a significant decrease in physical activity metabolic equivalent (MET)-minutes/week (7891 ± 7340 vs. 5550 ± 6410/5953 ± 5180) and a significant increase in sedentary MET-minutes/week (1330 ± 1570 vs. 2415 ± 1770/1767 ± 1652). The top barrier was schoolwork (47.7%). The top facilitator was social support (21.5%). Responses to open-ended questions indicated that most individuals reported sitting more during the pandemic, with variation in physical activity patterns. Conclusions: Adverse changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior observed early in the pandemic were sustained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objective:Providing a demonstration of a 10-minute bout of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) immediately prior to subjective reporting of MVPA could influence self-reported activity by calibrating both duration and intensity. We assessed the effect of a demonstration of MVPA on subsequent MVPA recall, and explored whether this improved agreement with objective measures of MVPA. Methods:A total of 846 individuals participated in four different physical activity interventions; two of which included a 10-minute moderate-intensity demonstration walk on a treadmill at baseline and 6-month visits immediately prior to reporting MVPA. Participants from three studies also wore accelerometers during the week overlapping with self-reported MVPA. Results:Overall, those completing the demonstration walk reported significantly fewer minutes of MVPA per week at baseline (b = -11.69, standard error = 2.53, p

We investigated the acceptability of bodyweight resistance exercise breaks (REB) to disrupt prolonged sedentary behavior in the workplace. Twenty-nine individuals completed a REB, where they performed 3-min REB 4, 8, and 16 times on days 1–2, 3–4, and 5 of the workweek, respectively, and a control condition (i.e., SIT). Productivity was assessed on days 1 and 5 each week. The acceptability of each REB frequency was assessed. When asked to complete 4, 8, and 16 REB, participants completed (mean values) 3.2, 6.2, and 9.2 REB/day, respectively. Moreover, 88%, 40%, and 9% of participants expressed that the 4-, 8-, and 16-REB frequencies were acceptable, respectively. Decision-making ability and concentration levels increased from day 1–5 of the REB week (p=0.048) but were stable during SIT. REB (4/day) are highly acceptable and could be a promising intervention strategy for reducing occupational sitting, thus decreasing sedentary-behavior-induced risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Longitudinal association of television (TV) viewing and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) with pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) is unclear. Methods: We studied Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study participants transitioning from early to middle age at Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) exam years 15 (2000–2001; N = 1975, mean age = 40.4, 55.4% women, 45.3% Black) and 25 (2010–2011). TV viewing (in hours per day) and MVPA (in exercise units) were measured using a self-report questionnaire. PAT volume (in milliliters) was measured using computed tomography. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the associations of tertiles of 10-year change (years 25–15) in TV viewing and MVPA with a concurrent change in PAT with adjustments for covariates. Results: Participants in the highest tertile of 10-year increase in TV viewing had a greater increase in PAT (β = 2.96 mL, P <.01). Participants in both middle (β = −3.93 mL, P <.01) and highest (β = −6.22 mL, P <.01) tertiles of 10-year changes in MVPA had smaller mean increases in PAT over 10 years when compared with the lowest tertile in fully adjusted models. Conclusions: Reducing or maintaining early-midlife levels of TV viewing and increasing MVPA may be associated with less PAT accumulation with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have explored the impact of internal building design features on physical activity. The purpose of this study is to determine building design features associate with physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Methods: Full-time workers (n = 114) wore an ActivPal monitor for 4 work days to measure physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Participants completed a 25-item survey about the presence of external, internal, and staircase design features at their worksite. Participants also reported their desk type. General linear models were used to examine relations between the number of features present for each category and physical activity (steps per hour) and sedentary behavior (sitting time per hour). Results: Internal design scores were positively associated with occupational physical activity. Each single item increase in facilitating internal design features was associated with +64.5 steps/hr (p =.045) at work. Workers who reported having a desk job walked 538 fewer steps/hr (p <.01) and sat 17 min more/hr at work than workers who reported not having a desk. Conclusion: These results suggest that internal design features can promote more movement and less sitting at work. Future studies that examine the longitudinal effect of changing internal design features on occupational physical activity and sedentary behaviors are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regular physical activity is crucial for healthy aging, but older adults are the least active age group. This study explored the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a multilevel mHealth intervention for increasing physical activity of older adults living in a retirement community. Methods: Participants included 54 older adults (mean age = 81.2 y, 77.8% female, 98.1% white) living in a retirement community. Participants received a Fitbit Zip and access to a multilevel mHealth physical activity intervention (MapTrek Residential) for 8 weeks. Physical activity (in steps per day) and intervention compliance (days worn) were measured objectively with the Fitbit for 12 weeks (8-wk intervention plus 4-wk follow-up). Psychosocial outcomes (social support, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations) were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks. Acceptability outcomes were assessed with an open-ended process evaluation survey and focus groups. Descriptive statistics and linear mixed models were used to examine intervention effects. Results: Participants increased daily steps from 5438 steps per day at baseline (95% CI, 4620 to 6256) to 6201 steps per day (95% CI, 5359 to 7042) at week 8 (P <.0001) but this was not maintained at 12 weeks (P =.92). Conclusions: Our multilevel mHealth physical activity intervention was effective for increasing physical activity older adults over 8 weeks. Additional research focused on maintaining physical activity gains with this approach is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Less than a quarter of the population achieves the recommended Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Physicians who achieve the guidelines themselves may be more likely to promote them to patients given strong evidence physicians' personal health habits influence their patient counseling practices. We surveyed primary care and sports medicine specialty physicians about personal exercise habits and beliefs and patient counseling practices. Sports medicine physicians were significantly more likely to meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and believe that as physicians, they have an obligation to do so. They also were more likely to ask about, counsel, and refer patients to physical activity resources than other primary care physicians. Our results are consistent with previous evidence that physicians' personal habits influence their practice recommendations. This provides support that physicians' personal beliefs about the importance of exercise and sense of obligation to achieve recommended levels themselves plays a strong role in their patient care practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Childhood overweight is a global health problem. Monitoring of childhood body mass index (BMI) may help identify critical time periods during which excess body weight is accumulated. Purpose: To examine changes in mean BMI and the prevalence of at-risk-for overweight in repeated cross-sectional samples of rural first grade schoolchildren between 1999 and 2004. Methods: BMI was determined in 479 first graders from a rural Wyoming school district. BMI and gender-specific BMI-for-age percentiles were determined and evaluated over the 6 years. Children were also classified as normal or at-risk-for overweight according to CDC classification procedures. Findings: From 1999 to 2004, there was a significant increase in the average BMI of first graders, 15.8 plus or minus 2.2 kg/m[superscript 2] versus 16.8 plus or minus 2.2 kg/m[superscript 2], respectively (P less than 0.05). First grade boys had a progressive increase in BMI from 1999 to 2004 (15.6 plus or minus 2.2 kg/m[superscript 2] compared to 17.3 plus or minus 2.2 kg/m[superscript 2], respectively), but no change was evident for first grade girls. There was an approximate 4-fold increase in the percentage of rural first grade boys classified as at-risk-for overweight between 1999 and 2004. Conclusions: A progressive increase in the BMI and the significant increase in prevalence of at-risk-for overweight in rural first grade boys highlight the need for future gender and age group-specific investigations. Focus should be given to primary prevention programs targeting potentially vulnerable time periods when excess weight gain may be occurring.

Summary: Sleep behaviour is an important contributing factor in healthy human ageing and cognitive function. Previous studies have linked sleep deficiency with cognitive decline in older adults. However, there is need for more prospective investigations that focus on specific domains of cognitive function. The present study analysed cross‐sectional and prospective associations between self‐reported sleep and cognitive function in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Weekday and weekend sleep duration and habitual sleep quality were obtained via questionnaire data. Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone was conducted to assess overall cognitive function, as well as episodic memory and executive function. We found significant trend for both long weekday and weekend sleep (>8 hr) and lower episodic memory scores in the overall sample. Sex‐specific cross‐sectional analysis demonstrated men with longer weekend sleep duration have lower overall cognitive function scores, and a negative association between weekend sleep and episodic memory scores. Women demonstrated a positive association between weekend sleep duration and executive function scores. There was no prospective significance for overall or sex‐specific analysis. Our present results suggest that sleep duration may contribute to cognitive function, and future studies should include objective sleep measurements and focus on the potential cognitive benefits of improving sleep to further elucidate this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias contribute to one in three senior deaths. Lifestyle factors, including sleep, may contribute to AD risk and mortality; however, current evidence on sleep and AD mortality is mixed. Methods: We used data from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Sleep duration and napping were self-reported and AD death were ascertained via linkage to the National Death Index. Results: Long sleep and napping were both associated with increased AD mortality. Specifically, 9+ hr of sleep was associated with 50% increase (hazard ratio = 1.50, 95% CI = [1.17, 1.92]) in AD mortality when compared 7 to 8 hr, while napping for 1+ hr was associated with 29% increase (1.29 [1.08, 1.55]) when compared with no napping. Results appeared to be stronger in men and remained after removing AD deaths within first 5 years after baseline. Discussion: Long sleep and napping may predict higher AD mortality in the older population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]