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Background: Latinos in the United States face multiple barriers to engaging in physical activity (PA). We implemented a faith-based multilevel intervention to promote PA in parks for Latino adults, which was partially adapted to a virtual platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluated it using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework. Methods: We conducted in-depth semistructured interviews (83% in Spanish) with 24 intervention participants (75% women) participating in a cluster randomized controlled trial in 2019–2022 that linked 6 churches (3 intervention, 3 control) with parks in East Los Angeles, CA. The intervention included in-person, park-based fitness classes, which were adapted to Facebook during the pandemic; PA motivational text messages; and other activities. Interviews assessed Reach (participation), Effectiveness (perceived impacts), Implementation (participation barriers/facilitators), and Maintenance (plans for sustaining PA), as well as perceived pandemic impacts. Results: About 80% of interviewees participated in ≥1 park class and 67% in ≥1 virtual class (Reach). Interviewees perceived positive intervention impacts across multiple health and well-being domains (Effectiveness) despite perceived negative pandemic impacts; several facilitators to participation (personal, social, program) and few barriers (personal, virtual, environmental; Implementation); and plans for maintaining PA (eg, revisiting intervention text messages and video recordings; Maintenance). Conclusions: Findings support the utility of Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance to understand the broad impacts of a faith-based PA intervention. Findings point to the adaptability and robustness of the intervention during a public health crisis. Overall, findings may help inform the translation of the intervention to other communities to advance health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Latino grandparents are often involved in the care and rearing of grandchildren and may help parents in promoting children's leisure time physical activity (LTPA). However, potential disagreements between grandparents and parents may undermine their collaboration and subsequently their support for children's LTPA. Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore Latino grandparents' perception of disagreements with parents in children's (age 2-12) LTPA. Methods: Qualitative data were collected from 53 Latino grandparents in Los Angeles County, USA, using four semi-structured focus groups and 26 semi-structured interviews. Transcribed data were systematically and iteratively coded and analysed. Results: Many Latino grandparents disagreed with parents' sedentary lifestyle, permissive parenting and lack of support for children's LTPA. In addition, Latino grandparents described disagreement with parents in specific issues such as children's LTPA options and safety during LTPA. Conclusion: There were disagreements between Latino grandparents and parents concerning children's LTPA. Health researchers and practitioners should be aware of those disagreements and consider using education/intervention programmes to reduce the tension between Latino grandparents and parents and increase their collaborative support for children's LTPA.

Background: Latino grandparents are often involved in rearing of grandchildren. However, their roles in promoting Latino children's leisure time physical activity (LTPA) have been largely overlooked by researchers. Aim: The purpose of this study is to examine Latino grandparents' involvement in and support for grandchildren's (age 2-12) LTPA as well as issues facing Latino grandparents. Method: Participants included 53 Latino grandparents who lived with/cared for or used to live with/care for grandchildren of 2 to 12 years old in three low-income areas of Los Angeles County. Data were collected using 4 semistructured focus groups and 26 semistructured interviews. Transcribed data were systematically and iteratively coded and analyzed. Results: Latino grandparents perceived various benefits of physical activity to their grandchildren's physical and mental health, and supported grandchildren's LTPA directly and indirectly. The direct support included doing physical activity with grandchildren, taking grandchildren to places for physical activities, verbally asking grandchildren to do physical activities, and rewarding grandchildren for doing physical activities. The indirect support was made through providing suggestions to parents. Mothers usually regulated Latino grandparents' involvement in or support for grandchildren's LTPA and tended to promote a maternal lineage. Some Latino grandparents reported barriers to supporting grandchildren's LTPA, including lack of information, access to affordable and safe LTPA facilities/programs, transportation, money, and time. Conclusions: Latino grandparents are advocates for grandchildren's LTPA and support grandchildren's LTPA directly and indirectly. It may be promising to develop interventions to increase Latino grandparents' competency in supporting grandchildren's LTPA.

Background: The 3 WINS Fitness is a free exercise program delivered by kinesiology students to underserved communities without external funding since 2011. The program's wins focus on reducing health inequities, increasing community health, and student professional development. The objective of this study was to conduct a qualitative evaluation of the program's value for the participant, community, and student-instructors. Methods: We conducted 9 online focus groups (n = 51), categorized by participant role and timeline in 3 WINS: participants (4 groups), student-instructors (3 groups), and combined participants and student-instructors (2 groups). Data collection for this remote qualitative study of the 3 WINS program occurred May to June 2021. The data were analyzed to determine codes and emerging themes. Results: Three main themes are presented: asset, health, and social connection. The asset theme was subdivided into subthemes: (1) professional asset for the student-instructor, (2) program asset for the student-instructor, (3) program asset to the community, and (4) program asset for the participant. The health theme was subdivided into (1) community and (2) personal health subthemes. The social connection theme was defined in any combination, as camaraderie, friendship, connections, community, and family. Conclusion: The program improves the individual participant's health and through role modeling for their family and friends, encourages others to follow their example thus providing a positive influence on overall community health. Concomitantly, student-instructors are developing into well-trained professionals. The 3 WINS as a student-led sustainable and replicable model can address the existing call from public health to reduce physical activity health-related diseases and inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Latino grandparents are often involved in rearing grandchildren, but their roles in promoting children's physical activity (PA) have been largely overlooked. This study examined the impact of a community-based intervention called Nietos Activos y Saludables (Active and Healthy Grandchildren) on Latino grandparents' knowledge about and self-efficacy in supporting grandchildren's (aged 2-12 years) PA. Method: The Spanish language intervention, consisting of 4 weekly sessions, was delivered to 12 Latino grandparents (primarily female, aged >60 years) in Los Angeles County from October to November 2017. Pre- and posttest surveys and postintervention focus groups assessed the intervention impact. Results: Participants indicated that the intervention provided useful information. After intervention sessions, participants achieved a higher score in test on PA requirements for children. They also reported greater knowledge about children's PA, local resources for children's PA, and modifying children's behavior. Additionally, participants reported greater confidence in motivating children in PA and collaborating with parents in promoting children's PA. Results of focus groups generally confirmed the quantitative findings. Discussion: Nietos Activos y Saludables intervention has the promise to increase Latino grandparents' knowledge about and self-efficacy in supporting grandchildren's PA. Future studies should test the impact of the intervention on grandparents' behavior and grandchildren's health outcomes using a randomized controlled trial. Keywords: Latino, grandparent, intervention, physical activity, grandchild, Obesity is a major health issue among Latino American children. Data from 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (Ogden et al., 2016) showed that Latino children had an obesity [...]

Creatine (CR) supplementation seems to increase time to fatigue and maximal strength in isometric exercise, but only for movements performed with a large muscle mass. CR supplementation affects time to fatigue and maximal isometric strength in small and large muscle groups differently based on data from a double-blind study. Supplementation significantly increased maximal isometric strength in knee extension, but not in handgrip exercise. Supplementation increased time to fatigue in each of the three bouts of submaximal knee extension and handgrip exercise vs the placebo trials.

Objectives. This randomized controlled trial studied the effects of a low- to moderate-intensity group exercise program on strength, endurance, mobility, and fall rates in fall-prone elderly men with chronic impairments. Methods. Fifty-nine community-living men (mean age = 74 years) with specific fall risk factors (i.e., leg weakness, impaired gait or balance, previous falls) were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 28) or to a 12-week group exercise program (n = 31). Exercise sessions (90 minutes, three times per week) focused on increasing strength and endurance and improving mobility and balance. Outcome measures included isokinetic strength and endurance, five physical performance measures, and self-reported physical functioning, health perception, activity level, and falls. Results. Exercisers showed significant improvement in measures of endurance and gait. Isokinetic endurance increased 21% for right knee flexion and 26% for extension. Exercisers had a 10% increase (p [is less than] .05) in distance walked in six minutes, and improved (p [is less than] .05) scores on an observational gait scale. Isokinetic strength improved only for right knee flexion. Exercise achieved no significant effect on hip or ankle strength, balance, self-reported physical functioning, or number of falls. Activity level increased within the exercise group. When fall rates were adjusted for activity level, the exercisers had a lower 3-month fall rate than controls (6 falls/1000 hours of activity vs 16.2 falls/1000 hours, p [is less than] .05). Discussion. These findings suggest that exercise can improve endurance, strength, gait, and function in chronically impaired, fall-prone elderly persons. In addition, increased physical activity was associated with reduced fall rates when adjusted for level of activity.

3 WINS Fitness is a student-delivered free exercise program for the community delivered in public parks. We believe this program, which operates without external funding and has been sustained for 6 years, is one significant solution to reducing the level of physical inactivity in the United States. The operative 3 WINS in our program are participant health, community health, and student professional development. The primary focus has been underserved communities, and our current eight programs in Los Angeles, serve over 300 participants regularly. Three challenges to the program are student empowerment, faculty understanding and involvement, and establishing the relationship between university and parks, which represent a vital partnership. However, the accomplishment of undergraduate students having such a dynamic impact on public health underscores the need for encouraging this sustainable and innovative strategy to increase the physical activity levels of communities across America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]