Int J Behav Nutr Phy
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Jan 2014
Identifying solutions to increase participation in physical activity interventions within a socio-economically disadvantaged community: a qualitative study.
There is an urgent need to increase population levels of physical activity, particularly amongst those who are socio-economically disadvantaged. Multiple factors influence physical activity behaviour but the generalisability of current evidence to such 'hard-to-reach' population subgroups is limited by difficulties in recruiting them into studies. Also, rigorous qualitative studies of lay perceptions and perceptions of community leaders about public health efforts to increase physical activity are sparse. We sought to explore, within a socio-economically disadvantaged community, residents' and community leaders' perceptions of physical activity (PA) interventions and issues regarding their implementation, in order to improve understanding of needs, expectations, and social/environmental factors relevant to future interventions. ⋯ These findings illustrate the complexity of influences on a community's participation in PA interventions and support a social-ecological approach to promoting PA. They highlight the need for cross-sector working, effective information exchange, involving residents in bottom-up planning and providing adequate financial and social support. An in-depth understanding of a target population's perspectives is of key importance in translating PA behaviour change theories into practice.
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Jan 2014
ReviewA systematic review of active transportation research in Africa and the psychometric properties of measurement tools for children and youth.
Previous systematic reviews indicate that active transportation (AT; the use of non-motorized travel modes such as walking, running and cycling) is an important source of daily physical activity (PA). However, no previous systematic review has examined travel behaviours among African children and youth or the psychometric properties of measurement tools used among children and youth worldwide. ⋯ These findings emphasize a need for more research examining travel behaviours among African children and youth, particularly for non-school travel. Further research is needed to develop valid and reliable measures of non-school travel and to examine their psychometric properties in the African context. These measures could then be used to evaluate AT promotion interventions.
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Jan 2014
Levels of physical activity among a nationally representative sample of people in early old age: results of objective and self-reported assessments.
Detailed assessment of physical activity (PA) in older adults is required to comprehensively describe habitual PA-levels in this growing population segment. Current evidence of population PA-levels is predominantly based on self-report. ⋯ The use of both self-report and objective monitoring to assess PA in early old age provides important information on the domains of PA, PAEE and time spent at different intensity levels. Our findings suggest PA levels are generally low and observed patterns of variation indicate specific subgroups who might benefit from targeted interventions to increase PA.
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Sep 2013
Comparative StudyThe prevalence and correlates of sitting in European adults - a comparison of 32 Eurobarometer-participating countries.
Prolonged sitting is an emerging health risk. However, multi-country comparative sitting data are sparse. This paper reports the prevalence and correlates of sitting time in 32 European countries. ⋯ Weekday sitting time and its demographic correlates varied considerably across European countries, with adults in north-western European countries sitting the most. Sitting is prevalent across Europe and merits attention by preventive interventions.
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Aug 2013
Independent and joint associations of TV viewing time and snack food consumption with the metabolic syndrome and its components; a cross-sectional study in Australian adults.
Television (TV) viewing time is positively associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults. However, the mechanisms through which TV viewing time is associated with MetS risk remain unclear. There is evidence that the consumption of energy-dense, nutrient poor snack foods increases during TV viewing time among adults, suggesting that these behaviors may jointly contribute towards MetS risk. While the association between TV viewing time and the MetS has previously been shown to be independent of adult's overall dietary intake, the specific influence of snack food consumption on the relationship is yet to be investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the independent and joint associations of daily TV viewing time and snack food consumption with the MetS and its components in a sample of Australian adults. ⋯ TV viewing time and snack food consumption are independently and jointly associated with the MetS and its components, particularly in women. In addition to physical activity, population strategies targeting MetS prevention should address high TV time and excessive snack food intake.