Search

BACKGROUND:Community initiatives to promote physical activity in children are common, but evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited. OBJECTIVES:The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between community programmes and policies and children's physical activity in a large and diverse sample of US communities. METHODS:Programmes and policies to promote children's physical activity were assessed in 130 communities by key informant interviews, and physical activity behaviours were measured by self-report and parental report in samples of children in each community (total n = 5138). Associations between composite indices of community programmes and policies and indicators of total and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were examined without and with adjustment for demographic factors. RESULTS:An index reflecting the 6-year history of the number of behaviour change strategies used in community programmes and policies was positively associated with children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. This association was attenuated with adjustment for demographic factors. Effect modification analyses found that the association was positive among non-Hispanic children but was negative for Hispanic children. CONCLUSIONS:Community initiatives to promote physical activity in children were positively associated with children's physical activity in non-Hispanic children. Such initiatives were negatively associated with physical activity in Hispanic children, suggesting that future research should consider unique cultural factors when designing community initiatives to promote activity in this population sub-group.

The purposes of the study were to assess differences in physical activity levels and correlates of physical activity among overweight (³ 85th percentile of body mass index for their sex and age) and non-overweight (< 85th percentile) youth. The sample included 509 seventh through twelfth graders. Activity was measured by a 7-day, 46-item activity checklist. Overweight girls were more sedentary than non-overweight girls (p < .03), and non-overweight girls engaged in more vigorous physical activity than overweight girls (p < .03). For boys, there were no significant differences in activity. The regression analyses for vigorous activity yielded the largest total R2's (R2 = .49 for overweight and R2 = .27 for non-overweight.) The significant factor for overweight youth was greater athletic coordination (p < .01). For non-overweight youth, the significant factors were greater family support (p < .05), greater peer support (p < .001), fewer barriers (p < .03), and greater athletic coordination (p < .01). Correlates of physical activity vary by weight status of young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the validity of the Previous Day Physical-Activity Activity Recall (PDPAR) self-report instrument in quantifying after-school physical activity behavior in fifth-grade children. Thirty-eight fifth-grade students (mean age, 10.8 +/- 0.1; 52.6% female; 26.3% African American) from two urban elementary schools completed the PDPAR after wearing a CSA WAM 7164 accelerometer for a day. The mean within-subject correlation between self-reported MET level and total counts for each 30-min block was 0.57 (95% C.I., 0.51-0.62). Self- reported mean MET level during the after-school period and the number of 30-min blocks with activity rated at >/= 6 METs were significantly correlated with the CSA outcome variables. Validity coefficients for these variables ranged from 0.35 to 0.43 (p < .05). Correlations between the number of 30-min blocks with activity rated at >/= 3 METs and the CSA variables were positive but failed to reach statistical significance (r = 0.19.23). The PDPAR provides moderately valid estimates of relative participation in vigorous activity and mean MET level in fifth-grade children. Caution should be exercised when using the PDPAR to quantify moderate physical activity in preadolescent children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational diabetes affects approximately 7 percent of all pregnancies in the United States; its prevalence may have increased among all ethnic groups since the early 1990s. Our study examined whether physical activity during pregnancy reduced the risk of gestational diabetes among women who were physically inactive before pregnancy. Methods: We used data from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey (NMIHS), a nationally representative sample of mothers with live births. The NMIHS obtained mothers' gestational diabetes diagnoses from care providers and mothers reported their physical activity before and during pregnancy, including the number of months with physical activity and types of physical activity. We developed a physical activity index, the product of the number of months with physical activity, and average metabolic equivalents for specific activities. The analysis included 4,813 women who reported being physically inactive before pregnancy, with singleton births and no previous diabetes diagnosis. Results: Gestational diabetes was diagnosed in 3.5 percent of the weighted sample in 1988. About 11.8 percent of these previously inactive women began physical activity during pregnancy. Women who became physically active had 57 percent lower adjusted odds of developing gestational diabetes than those who remained inactive (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.20-0.93). Women who had done brisk walking during pregnancy had a lower adjusted risk of gestational diabetes (OR 0.44, CI 0.19-1.02) and women with a physical activity index score above the median had 62 percent lower odds of developing gestational diabetes than the inactive women (CI 0.15-0.96). Conclusions: Results suggest that physical activity during pregnancy is associated with lower risk for gestational diabetes among previously inactive women. (BIRTH 35:3 September 2008) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: To assess in men whether exercise affects the estimated age-related increase in adiposity, and contrariwise, whether age affects the estimated exercise-related decrease in adiposity. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses of 64,911 male runners who provided data on their body mass index (97.6%) and waist circumference (91.1%). RESULTS: Between 18 and 55 yr old, the decline in BMI with weekly distance run (slope +/- SE) was significantly greater in men 25-55 yr old than in younger men (slope +/- SE: -0.036 +/- 0.001 vs -0.020 +/- 0.002 kg x m(-2) per km x wk(-1)). Declines in waist circumference with distance were also significantly greater in older than younger men (P < 10(-9)), that is, the slopes decreased progressively from -0.035 +/- 0.004 cm per km x wk(-1) in 18- to 25-yr-old men to -0.097 +/- 0.003 cm per km x wk(-1) in 50- to 55-yr-old men). Increases in BMI with age were greater for men who ran under 16 km.wk(-1) than for relatively longer distance runners. Waist circumference increased with age at all running distances, but the increase diminished by running further (0.259 +/- 0.015 cm x yr(-1) if running <8 km x wk(-1) and 0.154 +/- 0.003 cm x yr(-1) for >16 km x wk(-1)). In men 50-85 yr old, BMI declined -0.038 +/- 0.001 kg x m(-2) per km x wk(-1) run when adjusted for age and declined -0.054 +/- 0.003 kg x m(-2) (increased 0.021 +/- 0.007 cm) per year of age when adjusted for running distance. Their waist circumference declined -0.096 +/- 0.002 cm per km x wk(-1) run when adjusted for age and increased 0.021 +/- 0.007 cm per year of age when adjusted for running distance. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that age and vigorous exercise interact with each other in affecting men's adiposity and are consistent with the proposition that vigorous physical activity must increase with age to prevent middle-age weight gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Obesity rates are increasing among children of all ages, and reduced physical activity is a likely contributor to this trend. Little is known about the physical activity behavior of preschool-aged children or about the influence of preschool attendance on physical activity. The purpose of this study was to describe the physical activity levels of children while they attend preschools, to identify the demographic factors that might be associated with physical activity among those children, and to determine the extent to which children's physical activity varies among preschools. METHODS: A total of 281 children from 9 preschools wore an Actigraph (Fort Walton Beach, FL) accelerometer for an average of 4.4 hours per day for an average of 6.6 days. Each child's height and weight were measured, and parents of participating children provided demographic and education data. RESULTS: The preschool that a child attended was a significant predictor of vigorous physical activity (VPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Boys participated in significantly more MVPA and VPA than did girls, and black children participated in more VPA than did white children. Age was not a significant predictor of MVPA or VPA. CONCLUSIONS: Children's physical activity levels were highly variable among preschools, which suggests that preschool policies and practices have an important influence on the overall activity levels of the children the preschools serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate social support and theory of planned behavior (TPB) constructs in explaining physical activity in adolescent girls. METHODS: One thousand seven hundred ninety-seven 8th-grade girls completed a survey measuring social provisions, family support, TPB constructs, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and team sport involvement (TSI). RESULTS: Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated statistically significant direct effects from TPB constructs and social provisions to intention; social provisions, family support, and intention to MVPA; and social provisions and family support to TSI. CONCLUSIONS: Social variables play a greater role in explaining TSI than in explaining MVPA in this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine if moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of 3-5 year old preschool children varied with differences in policies/practices, and overall quality of preschools. A total of 266 children (47% males, 60% African American) from 9 preschools were observed for 1 hour on 3 different days. PA of children was observed twice per minute and scored as 1-5, with 1 for stationary/motionless and 5 for fast movement. Summary MVPA was calculated over the 3 days as percent of times observed at levels of 4 or 5, and percent of time at levels 1 or 2 as sedentary activity. A structured interview about PA policies was conducted with an administrator at each preschool and overall quality of the preschool was assessed using Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition (ECERS-R). Preschools were divided into groups according to whether a specific policy/practice that would be logically hypothesized to promote PA was in place at the school. MVPA differences between groups of children was assessed using mixed ANOVA controlling for preschool. When preschools offered more field trips, and more college educated teachers, the children participated in more MVPA. Children who attended preschools with lower quality spent more time in sedentary activity. In conclusion, children in preschools which may have more resources and better quality appear to show both more sedentary behavior and more MVPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relative utility of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining intentions and physical activity behavior in white and African-American eighth-grade girls. METHODS: One-thousand-thirty white and 1.114 African-American eighth-grade girls (mean age 13.6 +/- 0.7 years) from 31 middle schools in South Carolina completed a 3-day physical activity recall and a questionnaire assessing attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, self-efficacy, and intentions related to regular participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). RESULTS: Among Whites, 17% of the variance in intentions was contributed by subjective norms and attitude, with intentions accounting for 8% of the variance in MVPA. The addition of perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy to the TRA significantly improved the prediction of intentions and MVPA accounting for 40% and 10% of the variance, respectively. Among African-Americans, subjective norms and attitude accounted for 13% of the variance in intentions, with intentions accounting for only 3% of the variance in MVPA. The addition of perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy to the TRA significantly improved the prediction of intentions and MVPA accounting for 28% and 5% of the variance, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results provided limited empirical support for the TPB among white adolescent girls; however, our findings suggest that the planned behavior framework has limited utility among African-American adolescent girls. The relatively weak link between intentions and MVPA observed in both population groups suggest that constructs external to the TPB may be more important mediators of physical activity behavior in adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To use objective monitoring of physical activity to determine the percentages of children and youth in a population that met physical activity guidelines.Methods: A total of 375 students in grades 1-12 wore an accelerometer (CSA 7164) for seven consecutive days. Bouts of continuous activity and accumulation of minutes spent in physical activity at various intensities were calculated to determine how many students met three physical activity guidelines.Results: Over 90% of students met Healthy People 2010, Objective 22.6 and nearly 70% met the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group guideline, both of which recommend daily accumulation of moderate physical activity. Less than 3% met Healthy People 2010, Objective 22.7, which calls for bouts of continuous vigorous physical activity. For the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group guideline, compliance decreased markedly with age, but gender differences were not statistically significant.Conclusions: Prevalence estimates for compliance with national physical activity guidelines varied markedly for the three guidelines examined. Objective monitoring of physical activity in youth appears to be feasible and may provide more accurate prevalence rates than self-report measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the determinants of physical activity in active and low-active African-American sixth grade students (N = 108, 57 F, 51 M). Objective assessments of physical activity over a seven-day period were obtained using the CSA 7164 accelerometer. Students were classified as active if they exhibited three or more 20-minute bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity over the seven-day period. Relative to low-actives, active boys reported significantly higher levels of self-efficacy, greater involvement in community physical activity organizations, and were significantly more likely to perceive their mother as active. Relative to low-actives, active girls reported significantly higher levels of physical activity self-efficacy, greater positive beliefs regarding physical activity outcomes, and were significantly less likely to watch television or play video games for > or = 3 hrs/day. These observations provide preliminary guidance as to the design of physical activity interventions targeted at African-American youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this study were to (a) estimate the prevalence of single and concurrent health risk behaviors, including obesity (eating behaviors), physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol use, and (b) explore the relationships between these behaviors and social-psychological potential risk factors (correlates) and the role of race in a population of rural sixth grade boys and girls. DESIGN: Longitudinal. SETTING: Fifth and sixth grade classes in five public schools in rural South Carolina. POPULATION: The sample for this study consisted of 352 subjects, including 190 girls and 162 boys. Of these, 253 were African-American and 99 were White. The sample's mean age was 11.8 years. INTERVENTIONS: Height, body weight, and triceps measurements were used to determine obesity. Students were classified as obese if either their BMI or triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) was equal to or greater than the race-, gender-, and age-specific 85th percentile of the first National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES I). Physical activity during after-school hours was assessed using the Previous Day Physical Activity Recall (PDPAR), a self-report instrument. The PDPAR was administered in the classroom on three consecutive days by two trained research assistants. Cigarette smoking and alcohol use were measured by items selected from the National Center for Disease Control, School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Of the 352 subjects, 111 (32%) had no health risk behaviors (HRBs), 155 (44%) had one HRB, and 86 (24%) had two or more HRBs. Overall, 174 (49%) students were obese, 116 (33%) were inactive, 23 (7%) smoked, and 27 (8%) had used alcohol in the past month. The numbers of health risk behaviors were similar for boys and girls but the pattern of behaviors differed. Among subjects in the two-or-more-HRBs category, the linkage between inactivity and obesity was clear-cut among the girls, with 95% of the girls in this category being both obese and inactive. Risk factors for girls with one HRB included factors from the social environment domain (not using the phone, nonparticipation in organized sports, and watching television/video), and the personality domain (not in perceived good shape and health status.) . Far more smoking, alcohol use, or both, were reported among the boys than among the girls. Among boys, simultaneous evaluation of the 12 factors showed race to be the only risk factor associated with one-HRB category. African-American boys were nearly four times more likely than White boys to exhibit one risk behavior. The risk factors associated with two HRBs were nonparticipation in organized sports, physically inactive best friend, and use of alcohol by best friend. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: The alarming rate of obesity observed in this study may be explained by both dietary practices as well as physical inactivity. The rate of drinking in the previous month for this sample was comparable to that seen among similar age groups in rural areas. In the present study, the higher rates of drinking and smoking in boys may indicate that more boys than girls transition early into negative adult behaviors. Girls who viewed television were nearly two times more likely than other girls to have one HRB. African-Americans were four times more likely to have one HRB than Whites. Specifically, because obesity was the most frequently occurring HRB in boys, the risk factors associated with obesity in rural African-American boys should be addressed. The findings of this study suggest that domain targeted interventions have potential as a means of preventing and reducing HRB. [CINAHL abstract] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined if gender differences in physical activity could be accounted for by differences in selected social-cognitive determinants of activity behavior. Some 334 fifth grade, predominantly African-American students provided information regarding after-school physical activity and the hypothesized determinants of activity behavior. Boys reported significantly greater participation in vigorous (> or = 6 METs) and in moderate to vigorous (> or = 4 METs). Relative to girls, boys demonstrated higher levels of physical fitness, greater self-efficacy in overcoming barriers to physical activity, greater amounts of television watching, and higher levels of participation in community sports and physical activity organizations. When mean physical activity scores for girls and boys were adjusted for the effects of these determinant variables, the significant gender difference in physical activity remained. However, adjustment for self-efficacy in overcoming barriers and community sports reduced the gender gap by 5% and 7%, respectively. In contrast, adjustment for television watching increased the gender gap by about 8%. Results indicated perceived confidence in over-coming barriers to physical activity and participation in community physical activity programs are factors related to the gender difference in physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study smoking experimentation among 374 rural fifth grade students. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was utilized. Results: 26% of males and 16% of females had tried cigarette smoking. In regard to race, 25.2% of whites had tried cigarette smoking compared to 19.6% for blacks. For males, correlates of smoking included greater age, best friend who smokes and having tried alcohol. For females, race (whites>blacks), greater age, father (adult male) who smokes and having tried alcohol were significant correlates of smoking experimentation. Conclusion: Primary prevention efforts for rural preadolescents should begin prior to fifth grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the association between physical activity level and cigarette, smokeless tobacco, and marijuana use among a selected group of public high school students from South Carolina (N = 4,800). The 1993 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey was used to collect self-report information on physical activity, substance use, and other risk-taking behaviors. Multiple logistic regression analysis for weighted data (SUDAAN) was used for data analysis. Adjusted analysis showed significant associations (p < .05) among White males for use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and marijuana, where higher levels of physical activity were inversely associated to use of these substances. Results from the study substantiate the importance of physical activity for adolescents, and demonstrate the need for future research to clarify the causal relationship between physical activity and substance use behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing evidence that alcohol use is becoming more common during childhood and early adolescence. However, little is known about alcohol use among rural youths. This article reports a study of alcohol use among 367 fifth-grade students in two rural South Carolina school districts. More than one third (n = 131) of the fifth graders reported having used alcohol. Of these, 34 percent (n = 44) reported drinking during the previous month; 8 percent had been intoxicated during the previous two months; and 54 percent reported drinking in the home with or without parental approval. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of alcohol use by fifth graders. The results indicated that gender (OR = 2.82), mother's alcohol use (OR = 1.86), father's alcohol use (OR = 2.13), and smoking (OR = 8.30) were significantly associated with alcohol use. The findings suggest that prevention programs address cigarette smoking and drinking behaviors of parents to reduce alcohol use and the acquisition of other health compromising behavior by youths. Early intervention approaches must go beyond the schools and target families as well as community populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined associations between physical education (PE) class enjoyment and sociodemographic, personal, and perceived school environment factors among early adolescent girls. Participants included 1,511 sixth-grade girls who completed baseline assessments for the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls, with 50% indicating they enjoyed PE class a lot. Variables positively associated with PE class enjoyment included physical activity level, perceived benefits of physical activity, self-efficacy for leisure time physical activity, and perceived school climate for girls' physical activity as influenced by teachers, while body mass index was inversely associated with PE class enjoyment. After adjusting for all variables in the model, PE class enjoyment was significantly greater in Blacks than in Whites. In model testing, with mutual adjustment for all variables, self-efficacy was the strongest correlate of PE class enjoyment, followed by perceived benefits, race/ethnicity, and teachers' support for girls' physical activity, as compared to boys, at school. The overall model explained 11% of the variance in PE class enjoyment. Findings suggest that efforts to enhance girls' self-efficacy and perceived benefits and to provide a supportive PE class environment that promotes gender equality can potentially increase PE class enjoyment among young girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the developmental pattern for physical activity (PA) in children 6-36 months of age and to identify factors that are longitudinally associated with PA as children transition from infancy to preschool age., Study Design: The study employed a prospective longitudinal design with baseline data collected when children were approximately 6 months of age. Mothers and infants (n = 124) were recruited through community and educational settings in South Carolina. Data were collected at 6-month intervals from 6 to 36 months. PA was measured via accelerometry. Mothers completed questionnaires that assessed independent variables, including parent characteristics, the child's sex, race, and ethnicity, birth/delivery type, motor milestones, sleep habits, dietary practices, childcare setting, and home environmental factors. Trained research staff administered anthropometric measures and assessed motor developmental status. Growth curve models described the age-related pattern for PA and evaluated relationships between independent variables and change in PA., Results: PA increased by approximately 45% between 6 and 36 months of age and followed a curvilinear pattern, with most of the increase occurring between 6 and 24 months. The child's exposure to television/electronic media was negatively associated with change in PA, and the presence of older siblings in the home was positively associated with change in PA., Conclusions: As children develop from infancy to early childhood, their PA increases substantially, with most of the increase occurring by 24 months of age., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. This study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, R01HD091483., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study examined longitudinal associations between average physical activity (PA) levels in children and their sleep duration, and whether changes in PA levels are associated with their sleep duration., Methods: Data were collected on 108 children at 4 time points: when children were 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age (44% female, 50% Non-Hispanic White). PA was assessed using accelerometry. Children's daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour sleep duration were measured with actigraphy. Linear mixed model analyses estimated the associations between average PA levels over time and changes in PA over time, treating each sleep duration variable as an outcome in separate linear mixed model analyses., Results: Children with higher total PA levels slept less during the day compared with children with lower total PA levels over the 2-year period. The strength of the relationship between a child's PA levels and their 24-hour sleep duration decreased as they approached 24 months of age., Conclusions: The results suggest that while PA may be developmentally beneficial overall, it appears that its relationship with sleep duration is not clinically relevant in very young children.