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The article discusses the potential benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools and algorithms in physical activity and sedentary behavior research. While AI and ML have been widely utilized in healthcare and medicine, their application in studying physical activity and sedentary behavior is still underutilized. The article highlights the capabilities of AI and ML in generating novel hypotheses, improving measurement of behaviors, predicting health indicators, and advancing precision medicine. However, there are challenges in implementing these techniques, including ethical concerns and limitations in identifying cause-effect relationships. Overall, integrating AI and ML tools can contribute to a deeper understanding of physical activity and sedentary behavior. [Extracted from the article]

Job strain is a major concern in the workplace. Work‐related stress is an increasing challenge worldwide as it is the leading cause of long‐term sickness absences, disability pensions and lower productivity. Rarely studied simultaneously, both leisure‐time physical activity (LTPA) and physical fitness (PF), which comprises cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular fitness (MF), may have potential in preventing and managing job strain. The current study aimed to investigate whether LTPA, CRF and MF predict perceived job strain. In addition, the study examines reverse associations, that is, whether job strain predicts LTPA, CRF and MF. We used longitudinal population‐based data from a Northern Finland birth cohort of 1966 (n = 5363) to analyse LTPA, CRF and MF as well as job strain and its components, job demands and job control, at age 31 years (1997) and 46 years (2012). Leisure‐time physical activity was measured with a self‐reported questionnaire whereas CRF and MF were measured as part of clinical examination. Linear regression analyses were used to analyse the data. In both men (n = 2548) and women (n = 2815), higher baseline MF predicted lower job strain and job demands 15 years later. In women, higher baseline total LTPA predicted higher job demands, whereas in men, higher CRF predicted lower job strain and higher job control. These associations remained significant, also when adjusted for education and occupational status. In the analyses on reverse associations, higher job control and higher job demands were linked to higher leisure‐time moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total LTPA 15 years later among both men and women, except for the association between job demands and total LTPA among women. These associations remained significant after adjustment for education and occupational status, except for the association of job control with MVPA and total LTPA among men. The association of higher job demands and total LTPA became significant in women. We conclude that LTPA and PF seem beneficial in preventing and managing job strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Movement behaviors within the 24‐h day, including physical activity (PA), sedentary time, and sleep, are associated with cardiometabolic health. We aimed to determine the association between 24‐h movement composition and cardiometabolic health while accounting for sleep efficiency. Altogether, 1134 participants from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 study, free from prior cardiovascular disease, provided at least 4 days of 24‐h activity and sleep efficiency measured with a wearable ring. Participants' body composition was assessed with bioimpedance, blood pressure, and waist circumference were measured, and lipids and glucose were analyzed from a fasting blood sample. Linear regression models for cardiometabolic outcomes were created with 24‐h movement composition and covariates, including sleep efficiency and behavioral and socioeconomic factors. Isotemporal time reallocations were used to demonstrate the dose‐dependent associations between time use and outcomes. Beneficial associations with the outcomes were detected when sedentary time was reallocated to light PA, moderate‐to‐vigorous PA (MVPA), or sleep. For example, substituting 30 min of sedentary time with MVPA was associated with 7.2% (95% CI from −9.8% to −4.5%) lower visceral fat area, 4.9% (95% CI from −6.5% to −3.3%) lower body fat percentage, 1.6% (95% CI from −2.3% to −0.9%) smaller waist circumference, and 2.4% (95% CI from 1.2% to 3.5%) higher high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol after accounting for gender, marital status, education level, employment, smoking, alcohol consumption, and sleep efficiency. Substituting sedentary time with sleep or light PA showed beneficial but smaller differences in adiposity measures and HDL cholesterol. Limiting sedentary time should be encouraged in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Due to rapid urbanization, there is a need to better understand the relative roles of residential environment and physical activity in depression. We aimed to investigate whether neighbourhood characteristics are related to the presence of depressive symptoms and whether the association is modified by physical activity. Methods This cross-sectional study used the 46-year-old follow-up data (n  =   5489) from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Data on depressive symptoms, measured by Beck Depression Inventory-II, and self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity were included. Neighbourhood characteristics, population density, distance to the closest grocery store, bus stops and cycle/pedestrian paths, distance to the nearest parks and forests, residential greenness and level of urbanicity were calculated using Geographic Information System methods based on participants' home coordinates. Results According to ordinal logistic regression analyses adjusted for physical activity at different intensities and individual covariates, living in a neighbourhood with higher population density and urbanicity level were associated with a higher risk of experiencing more severe depressive symptoms. Higher residential greenness was associated with a lower risk of experiencing more severe depressive symptoms after adjustment for self-reported light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and individual covariates. Both higher self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity were independently associated with a lower risk of more severe depressive symptoms. Conclusions Both residential environment and physical activity behaviour play an important role in depressive symptoms; however, further research among populations of different ages is required. Our findings can be utilized when designing interventions for the prevention of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This population‐based study examines the associations between physical activity (PA), residential environmental greenness, and cardiac health measured by resting short‐term heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: Residential greenness of a birth cohort sample (n = 5433) at 46 years was measured with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) by fixing a 1 km buffer around each participant's home. Daily light PA (LPA), moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), and the combination of both (MVPA) were measured using a wrist‐worn accelerometer for 14 days. Resting HRV was measured with a heart rate monitor, and generalized additive modeling (GAM) was used to examine the association between PA, NDVI, and resting HRV. Results: In nongreen areas, men had less PA at all intensity levels compared to men in green areas. Women had more LPA and total PA and less MPA, MVPA, and VPA in green residential areas compared to nongreen areas. In green residential areas, men had more MPA, MVPA, and VPA than women, whereas women had more LPA than men. GAM showed positive linear associations between LPA, MVPA and HRV in all models. Conclusions: Higher LPA and MVPA were significantly associated with increased HRV, irrespective of residential greenness. Greenness was positively associated with PA at all intensity levels in men, whereas in women, a positive association was found for LPA and total PA. A positive relationship of PA with resting HRV and greenness with PA was found. Residential greenness for promoting PA and heart health in adults should be considered in city planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Purpose: This study aimed to examine how compositions of 24-h time use and time reallocations between movement behaviors are associated with cardiometabolic health in a population-based sample of middle-age Finnish adults. Methods: Participants were 3443 adults 46 yr of age from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 study. Participants wore a hip-worn accelerometer for 14 d from which time spent in sedentary behavior (SB), light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) were determined. These data were combined with self-reported sleep to obtain the 24-h time-use composition. Cardiometabolic outcomes included adiposity markers, blood lipid levels, and markers of glucose control and insulin sensitivity. Multivariable-adjusted regression analysis, using a compositional data analysis approach based on isometric log-ratio transformation, was used to examine associations between movement behaviors with cardiometabolic outcomes. Results: More daily time in MVPA and LPA, relative to other movement behaviors, was consistently favorably associated with all cardiometabolic outcomes. For example, relative to time spent in other behaviors, 30 min·d−1 more MVPA and LPA were both associated with lower 2-h post–glucose load insulin level (−11.8% and −2.7%, respectively). Relative to other movement behaviors, more daily time in SB was adversely associated with adiposity measures, lipid levels, and markers of insulin sensitivity, and more daily time asleep was adversely associated with adiposity measures, blood lipid, fasting plasma glucose, and 2-h insulin. For example, 60 min·d−1 more SB and sleep relative to the remaining behaviors were both associated with higher 2-h insulin (3.5% and 5.7%, respectively). Conclusions: Altering daily movement behavior compositions to incorporate more MVPA at the expense of any other movement behavior, or more LPA at the expense of SB or sleep, could help to improve cardiometabolic health in midadulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]