5-Year Changes in Afterschool Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior

Numerous intervention studies have shown increased physical activity (PA) among insufficiently active adults over the short term. Few reports document the impact of increased PA on other daily activities or what happens following the intervention. PURPOSE: To investigate the changes in both PA and sedentary behaviors with two types of intensive PA interventions. METHODS: A 40-day intervention study was designed to increase PA in 438 insufficiently active (<150 min/wk PA) subjects randomly assigned to a pedometer (n=251) or group (n=187) intervention arm who exercised daily. An active control group was also included (n=135). Subjects completed the Active Australia Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Questionnaire pre and post intervention, and at 3 and 6-months follow-up. RESULTS: During the intervention phase there were significant increases in PA for both arms (pre mean (SE) 70 (3) min/wk and 303 (22) and 550 (30) min/wk postintervention in the pedometer and group arms, respectively). Sedentary time decreased significantly in both groups during the intervention (1528 (65) to 1352 (74) min/wk for group and 1494 (57) to 1373 (53) min/wk for pedometer subjects). Within sedentary time there were significant decreases in screen-based leisure time and no changes in reading or driving time. A significant group x intervention decrease in screen time (group > pedometer, p = 0.02) was found. PA patterns decreased and sedentary time gradually increased over the next 6 months. Across the entire study there were significant inverse correlations between changes in PA and changes in screen time (within groups and when combined), but not for other sedentary time (p<0.0001). PA and sedentary behavior patterns for the controls were unchanged across the study. CONCLUSION: Changes in PA mirror changes in screen-based leisure time. Strategies to reduce screen time should be included as part of PA interventions. Supported by the South Australian Department of Health and Australian Research Council.

BackgroundIn the context of healthy ageing, it is necessary to identify opportunities to implement health interventions in order to develop an active lifestyle with sufficient physical activity and limited sedentary time in middle-aged and older adults. The transition to retirement is such an opportunity, as individuals tend to establish new routines at the start of retirement. Before health interventions can be developed, the psychological, social and physical environmental determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviors during early retirement should be identified, ideally with longitudinal studies. The aim of this paper was first to examine whether psychological, social and physical environmental factors at the start of retirement predict longitudinal changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviors during the first years of retirement. Second, moderating effects of gender and educational levels were examined.MethodsThis longitudinal study was conducted in Flanders, Belgium. In total, 180 recently retired (>1 month, <2 years at baseline) adults completed a postal questionnaire twice (in 2012–2013 and two years later in 2014–2015). The validated questionnaire assessed socio-demographic information, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and psychological, social and physical environmental characteristics. Multiple moderated hierarchic regression analyses were conducted in SPSS 22.0.ResultsHigher perceived residential density (p < 0.001) and lower aesthetics (p = 0.08) predicted an increase in active transportation (adjusted R2 = 0.18). Higher baseline self-efficacy was associated with an increase in leisure-time physical activity (p = 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.13). A more positive perception of old age (p = 0.04) and perceiving less street connectivity (p = 0.001) were associated with an increase in screen time (adjusted R2 = 0.06). Finally, higher baseline levels of modeling from friends (p = 0.06) and lower perceived land use mix access (p = 0.09) predicted an increase in car use (adjusted R2 = 0.06). A few moderating effects, mainly of educational level, were found.DiscussionWalkability characteristics (perceived residential density) and self-efficacy at the start of retirement are the most important predictors of longitudinal changes in active transportation and leisure-time physical activity. Few moderating effects were found, so health interventions at the start of retirement focusing on self-efficacy and specific walkability characteristics could be effective to increase physical activity in recently retired adults. No firm conclusions can be drawn on the importance of the examined predictors to explain change in car use and screen time, possibly other factors like the home environment, or automatic processes and habit strength are more important to explain sedentary behaviors.

The COVID-19 lockdown has been associated with physical inactivity. We prospectively evaluated changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) among 1565 cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients using validated questionnaires at 5 weeks after lockdown initiation (i.e., baseline, April 2020) and at every 4 subsequent weeks, until July 2020. Multivariate mixed model analyses were performed to identify whether age, sex, CVD-subtype, lockdown adherence and mental health factors impacted changes in physical (in)activity. Patients were 67 (interquartile range: 60–73) years and primarily diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Time spent in MVPA was 143 min/day (95% confidence interval (CI) 137; 148) at baseline. Female sex, heart-failure, fear of COVID-19 infection and limited possibilities for physical activity were independently associated with lower levels of MVPA across time. After adjusting for confounders, overall MVPA did not change. ST was 567 (95% CI 555; 578) min/day at baseline. Lack of social contact, limited possibilities for physical activity and younger age were independently associated with higher levels of ST. After adjusting for confounders, ST progressively increased following 8 (Δ+19.7 (95% CI 0.4; 39.0)) and 12 weeks (Δ+25.2 (95% CI 5.4; 47.1) min/day) of lockdown. Despite a phased relaxation of the lockdown, CVD patients progressively increased ST and reported no change in MVPA. This highlights the need to target physical inactivity during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundSedentary behaviors and physical activity are likely to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and sedentary lifestyles can increase subjective fatigue. The nonpharmaceutical policies imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may also have adverse effects on fatigue.ObjectiveThis study has two aims: to examine the changes in sedentary behaviors and physical activity of company workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan and to examine relationships between changes in these sedentary behaviors and physical activity and changes in fatigue.MethodsData from a nationwide prospective online survey conducted in 2019 and 2020 were used. On February 22, 2019, an email with a link to participate in the study was sent to 45,659 workers, aged 20 to 59 years, who were randomly selected from a database of approximately 1 million individuals. A total of 2466 and 1318 participants, who self-reported their occupation as company workers, answered the baseline and follow-up surveys, respectively. Surveys captured fatigue, workday and daily domain-specific sedentary behaviors and physical activity, and total sedentary behaviors and physical activity. We used multivariable linear regression models to estimate associations of changes in sedentary behaviors and physical activity with changes in fatigue.ResultsIncreases in public transportation sitting during workdays, other leisure sitting time during workdays, and other leisure sitting time were associated with an increase in the motivation aspect of fatigue (b=0.29, 95% CI 0-0.57, P=.048; b=0.40, 95% CI 0.18-0.62, P<.001; and b=0.26, 95% CI 0.07-0.45, P=.007, respectively). Increases in work-related sitting time during workdays, total sitting time during workdays, and total work-related sitting time were significantly associated with an increase in the physical activity aspect of fatigue (b=0.06, 95% CI 0-0.12, P=.03; b=0.05, 95% CI 0.01-0.09, P=.02; and b=0.07, 95% CI 0-0.14, P=.04, respectively). The motivation and physical activity aspects of fatigue increased by 0.06 for each 1-hour increase in total sitting time between baseline and follow-up (b=0.06, 95% CI 0-0.11, P=.045; and b=0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.10, P=.009, respectively).ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated that sedentary and active behaviors among company workers in Japan were negatively affected during the COVID-19 outbreak. Increases in several domain-specific sedentary behaviors also contributed to unfavorable changes in workers’ fatigue. Social distancing and teleworking amid a pandemic may contribute to the sedentary lifestyle of company workers. Public health interventions are needed to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemics on sedentary and physical activity behaviors and fatigue among company workers.

Background: Emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic impacted the population’s health behaviors. The influence of local shutdowns and regulations on physical activity and sedentary behaviors in college-aged students is not well understood. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate changes in physical activity and sedentary time as well as barriers and facilitators to leisure-time physical activity among college aged students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We recruited undergraduate and graduate students attending the University of Iowa during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. Physical activity and sedentary time were estimated a week before shutdown (before), a week during May 2020 (early), and the first week of September 2020 (later) using the Activity Questionnaire for Adults and Adolescents (AQuAA). Barriers and facilitators to physical activity during the pandemic were assessed in May and September using 14 statements that participants ranked on a four-point Likert scale. Participants also responded to six open-ended questions in May examining other influences the pandemic had on physical activity and sedentary behaviors not addressed in prior surveys. Significant differences in AQuAA categories between all three time points were assessed by a Friedman test and by Wilcoxon signed rank test between two time points. Significant differences between mean scores of barriers and facilitators were assessed by Wilcoxon signed rank tests. All open-ended questions were content analyzed and coded into themes and assessed for frequency. Results: Student respondents (n=230) were mostly female (82%) with a median age of 21 ± 5 years. Median weekly MVPA minutes significantly decreased (7891±7340 vs. 5550±6410 P&lt;.001) and sedentary time significantly increased (1330±1570 vs. 2415±1770 P&lt;.001) early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Median weekly MVPA minutes did not significantly differ between early and a later assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic, but total sedentary time significantly decreased (2415±1770 vs. 1767±1652 P=.002). The most commonly cited barrier to physical activity during the pandemic was schoolwork (47.71%). The most commonly cited facilitators to physical activity during the pandemic were social support (21.5%), having more time (19.6%), and technology (11.5%). Conclusion: COVID-19 related regulations are associated with reduced physical activity and increased sedentary behaviors of college age students. Local regulations and shutdowns may have introduced new barriers to physical activity. Therefore, it may prove critical to create interventions that target these unique barriers to promote physical activity in this population following the pandemic and to help inform public health initiative targeting these behaviors in future pandemics or crises.

Changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior associated with an exercise intervention in depressed adults

BackgroundSocio-behavioural adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic may have significantly affected adolescents’ lifestyle. This study aimed to explore possible reasons affecting changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Indonesian adolescents during the pandemic based on mothers’ perspectives.MethodsWe recruited parents (n = 20) from the Yogyakarta region of Indonesia (July–August 2020) using purposive and snowball sampling. Individual interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and anonymised. Data were imported into NVivo software for a reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsThe interviews lasted between 38 and 113 min (M = 65 min). Participants’ age ranged between 36 and 54 years (M = 42.6 years). Participants’ children ranged in age from 12 to 15 years (M = 13.7 years, female: 9, male: 11). Themes related to changes in physical activity during the pandemic were 1) self-determination and enjoyment, 2) supports from others, and 3) physical activity facilities and equipment. Themes related to changes in sedentary behaviour during the pandemic included 1) educational demands, 2) psychological effects due to the pandemic, 3) devices and internet availability, 4) parental control, and 5) social facilitators.ConclusionsDuring the pandemic, mothers perceived their children to be less active and using more screen-based devices, either for educational or recreational purposes, compared to before. The present themes might be useful when developing interventions and policies promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour in adolescents. Interventions could, for example, consider increasing parents’ and adolescents’ awareness on current activity guidelines, providing education on healthier recreational screen time, and involving parents, peers, and teachers. Increasing the accessibility of physical activity facilities and equipment, making use of adolescents’ favourite program and social media for interventions, and providing activities that are fun and enjoyable may also important.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in public health and policy measures to reduce in-person contact and the transmission of the virus. These measures impacted daily life and mental well-being (MWB). The aims of this study were to explore the MWB impacts of COVID-19 on children and assess the associations among perceived changes in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB), with perceived MWB changes, using a mixed-methods approach.MethodsA convergent parallel mixed-methods design consisting of an online survey with a convenience sample and interviews was conducted from May through July 2020 with parents/caregivers of kindergarten through 5th graders in the St. Louis region. Survey domains assessed included child MWB, PA, and SB. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed using a code book developed to elicit themes. Survey data was analyzed with chi-squared tests and logistic regressions. The dependent variable was perceived change in child MWB due to the impact of COVID-19. Independent variables included perceived changes in PA, SB, and child concerns about COVID-19.ResultsSample size consisted of 144 surveys and 16 interviews. Most parents reported a perceived decrease in child MWB (74%), a decrease in child PA (61%), and an increase in child SB (91%). Discontentment with stay-at-home orders and concern about COVID-19 were associated with a perceived decrease in MWB. Children whose PA decreased were 53% less likely to have the same or better MWB (OR 0.47) and children whose outside PA decreased were 72% less likely to have the same or better MWB (OR 0.28). Common qualitative themes included difficulty in adjusting to COVID-19 restrictions due to school closures and lack of socializing, child concerns about family getting sick, and PA benefits for improving MWB.ConclusionsBased on parent perceptions, MWB decreased with COVID-19. Maintained or increased child PA improved the chances MWB would remain the same or improve. Parent interviews provide context to these findings by showing how COVID-19 impacted MWB and the associations between PA and MWB. Understanding protective factors for child MWB during COVID-19 is important to offset negative long-term health outcomes from this ongoing pandemic.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has led to imposed movement restrictions and lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19 cases in the community. These lockdowns had greatly changed people’s daily lives, including physical activity and sedentary behaviour. The aim of this scoping review was to establish available evidence linked to physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) among adults in the Asia region during the COVID-19 outbreak. This scoping review was conducted using Arksey &amp; O’Malley’s protocol with 132 studies included after full-text screening. Changes in PA were reported in 122 studies and SB in 50 studies. Most studies reported a reduction in the total level of PA and a hike in sedentary and screen time. This decrement in PA and increment in SB was related to poor mental health, body weight increase and complications in COVID-19 patients, while participants who maintained or improved their PA reported better health outcomes.

BackgroundMental well-being (MWB) may play an important role in physical activity (PA) behavior, but the independent associations of affective MWB indicators and depressive symptoms with PA are sparsely investigated in late adulthood. We investigated the associations of positive affect, negative affect, and depressive symptoms with PA during the COVID-19 restrictions across late adulthood.MethodsCross-sectional data came from two Finnish population-based studies. The younger cohort (N = 162, 56% women, 60–61 years) was drawn from the TRAILS study, and the older (N = 272, 60% women, 72–88 years) from the PASSWORD study. Data on PA frequency (1–7; from “not at all” to “approximately daily”) and perceived changes in PA (no change/increased/reduced) during COVID-19 restrictions were self-reported. MWB was assessed by positive and negative affect (International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form) and depressive symptoms (younger cohort: General Behavioral Inventory; older cohort: Geriatric Depression Scale). Associations between MWB and PA were analyzed using linear and multinominal logistic regression models.ResultsWhen each MWB indicator was investigated separately, higher positive affect was associated with higher PA frequency in both cohorts and with a higher likelihood of increased PA in the younger cohort; higher negative affect was associated with a higher likelihood of reduced PA in the older cohort; higher depressive symptoms were associated with lower PA frequency in both cohorts and with a higher likelihood of reduced PA in the older cohort (p ≤ 0.009 for all), In the final models including all three MWB indicators, socioeconomic, and health-related covariates, only the association between higher positive affect and higher odds of increased PA remained significant in the younger cohort (OR = 4.28, p = 0.006). In the older cohort, only the associations of higher depressive symptoms with lower PA frequency (β=-0.097, p = 0.024) and higher odds of reduced PA (OR = 1.26, p = 0.010) remained significant.ConclusionsPositive affect was independently associated with increased PA during the COVID-19 restrictions in sixty-year-olds. Higher depressive symptoms were independently associated with lower PA frequency and a higher likelihood of reduced PA in 72-88-year-olds. Positive and negative aspects of MWB have different relations to PA among people aged 60 and 70 + when one’s daily routines are restricted.Trial registration numberISRCTN52388040 (the PASSWORD study).

BackgroundPartnering and parenting are important life-stage transitions often accompanied by changes in social networks, roles and responsibilities. There have been no longitudinal studies examining associations of partnering and parenting with changes in domain-specific physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours, and our understanding of whether these transitions are associated with weight change is limited.MethodsTwo thousand one hundred and twenty-four Australian adults from a national cohort (mean age 31.7 (2.7) years, 47.5% male) completed questionnaires at baseline (2004–06) and follow-up (2009–11), reporting marital and parental status. Weight (kg) was measured at baseline and self-reported at follow-up. PA and sedentary behaviours (sitting and television (TV) viewing) were self-reported in a subset (n = 1221). Linear regression estimated the longitudinal associations of parenting and partnering transitions with PA, sedentary behaviours and weight at follow-up, adjusted for baseline value of the respective outcome variable, age, education, follow-up duration and other life-stage transition.ResultsDuring the 5-year follow-up, 17.3% men and 12.9% women partnered, and 27.3% men and 19.1% women had their first child. Compared to staying not partnered, partnering was associated with an increase in total PA (177.5mins/week, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 18.0 to 337.0) among men and a greater weight gain (2.2 kg, 95% CI 0.6 to 3.7) among women. Compared to remaining child-free, having a first child was associated with greater reductions in total PA (− 123.9mins/week, 95% CI − 248.8 to 1.1) and TV viewing time (− 27.0mins/day, 95% CI − 50.6 to − 3.3) among men. Women who had their first child had greater weight gain (1.4 kg, 95% CI 0.1 to 2.7) but spent less time sitting (− 103.8mins/day, 95% CI − 135.5 to − 72.1) than those remaining child-free. For women, having additional children was associated with less sitting time (− 39.4mins/week, 95% CI − 66.0 to − 12.8) than having the same number of children.ConclusionsPartnering was associated with an increase in men’s total PA and women’s weight. Transitions into parenthood with a first child or additional children were associated with potentially health-impairing changes in weight and PA, but health-promoting changes in sedentary behaviours. Future PA promotion strategies should pay attention to men who had their first child to mitigate declining total PA.

Prolonged lockdown/restriction measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have reportedly impacted opportunities to be physically active for a large proportion of the population in affected countries globally. The exact changes to physical activity and sedentary behaviours due to these measures have not been fully studied. Accordingly, the objective of this PROSPERO-registered systematic review is to evaluate the available evidence on physical activity and sedentary behaviours in the general population during COVID-19-related lockdown/restriction measures, compared to prior to restrictions being in place. Defined searches to identify eligible studies published in English, from November 2019 up to the date of submission, will be conducted using the following databases: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PSYCinfo, Coronavirus Research Database, Public Health Database, Publicly Available Content Database, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. The applied inclusion criteria were selected to identify observational studies with no restrictions placed on participants, with outcomes regarding physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour during lockdown/restriction measures, and with comparisons for these outcomes to a time when no such measures were in place. Where appropriate, results from included studies will be pooled and effect estimates will be presented in random effects meta-analyses. To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first systematic review to evaluate one complete year of published data on the impact of COVID-19-related lockdown/restriction measures on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis will constitute the most up-to-date synthesis of published evidence on any such documented changes, and so will comprehensively inform clinical practitioners, public health agencies, researchers, policymakers and the general public regarding the effects of lockdown/restriction measures on both physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

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.

Most governments worldwide introduced containment measures to protect people from the risk of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection which also affected children. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting confinement at home may have affected physical health and mental well-being especially among vulnerable young people, widening health disparities. Therefore, the aim of the EPaSS-ISS study was to study the changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviours among 8-9 years old Italian students during the pandemic of COVID-19 compared with before the pandemic. Data were collected using a web questionnaire. The target population was parents of children attending third-grade primary schools and living in Italy. A cluster sample design was used. Logistic regression models were used to explore changes between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods in children's studying hours, active play and screen time. The possible effects of gender, geographical area of residence, parents' nationality and educational level, family structure, family-perceived wealth, availability of home outdoor spaces and house size were investigated. A stratification by sociodemographic characteristics of children and parents was also included in the analysis. 4863 children were included: 47.9% were females, the average age was 8 years and 9 months (SD ± 5 months). The parents reported that 44.3% of their children increased the time spent studying at home, 52.7% the screen time for non-educational purposes on weekdays, and 47.3% at weekends; 44% of the children decreased their time spent playing actively outside school hours on weekdays and 39.3% at weekends. A larger increase of sedentary lifestyle was found among children with at least one parent with a medium (OR:2.57; 95%CI:1.78-3.72) or high educational level (OR:3.32, 95%CI:2.29-4.82), with low family-perceived wealth (OR:1.21; 95%CI:1.03-1.41), with both Italian parents (OR:1.44; 95%CI:1.10-1.90), resident in Centre (OR:1.25; 95%CI:1.04-1.50) or South (OR:1.26; 95%CI:1.05-1.51) Italy. No outdoor spaces (OR:2.14; 95%CI:1.82-2.51) and home size < = 90m2 (OR:1.41; 95%CI:1.05-1.68) had also a negative effect on children's behaviours. In Italy physical activity decreased and sedentary behaviours increased among 8-9 years old children during the COVID 19 pandemic.

This study evaluated the effect of two home-based exercise interventions (one culturally adapted and one standard) on changes in social cognitive theory (SCT) variables, physical activity (PA), and sedentary time (ST), and determined the association between changes in SCT variables and changes in PA and ST in Hispanic breast cancer survivors. Project VIVA! was a 16-week randomized controlled pilot study to test the effectiveness and feasibility of a culturally adapted exercise intervention for Mexican American and Puerto Rican breast cancer survivors in Houston, Texas and San Juan, Puerto Rico, respectively. Women (N = 89) completed questionnaires on SCT variables, PA, and ST and were then randomized to a 16-week culturally adapted exercise program, a non-culturally adapted standard exercise intervention or a wait-list control group. Multiple regression models were used to determine associations between changes in SCT variables and changes in PA and ST. Participants were in their late 50s (58.5 ± 9.2years) and obese (31.0 ± 6.5kg/m2 ). Women reported doing roughly 34.5min/day of PA and spending over 11h/day in sedentary activities. Across groups, women reported significant increases in exercise self-efficacy and moderate-intensity, vigorous-intensity, and total PA from baseline to follow-up (p < 0.05). Increased social support from family was associated with increases in vigorous-intensity PA. Increases in social modeling were associated with increases in moderate-intensity and total PA and with decreases in ST from baseline to follow-up (p < 0.05). Hispanic cancer survivors benefit from PA interventions that focus on increasing social support from family and friends and social modeling. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.