Int J Behav Nutr Phy
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Jun 2020
A tale of two cities: the cost, price-differential and affordability of current and healthy diets in Sydney and Canberra, Australia.
The perception that healthy foods are more expensive than unhealthy foods has been reported widely to be a key barrier to healthy eating. However, assessment of the relative cost of healthy and unhealthy foods and diets is fraught methodologically. Standardised approaches to produce reliable data on the cost of total diets and different dietary patterns, rather than selected foods, are lacking globally to inform policy and practice. ⋯ Health and fiscal policy actions to increase affordability of healthy diets for low income households are required urgently. Also, there is a need to counter perceptions that current, unhealthy diets must be less expensive than healthy diets. The Healthy Diets ASAP methods could be adapted to assess the cost and affordability of healthy and unhealthy diets elsewhere.
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · May 2020
Meta AnalysisCan consumer wearable activity tracker-based interventions improve physical activity and cardiometabolic health in patients with chronic diseases? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
To date, it is unclear if consumer wearable activity trackers (CWATs), with or without behaviour multi-component strategies, effectively improve adherence to physical activity and health outcomes under free living conditions in populations with chronic diseases. Therefore, we systematically evaluated the efficacy of CWAT-based interventions to promote physical activity levels and cardiometabolic health in populations with chronic diseases. ⋯ CWAT-based interventions increase physical activity and have beneficial effects on important health-related outcomes such as systolic blood pressure, waist circumference and LDL cholesterol concentration in patients with chronic diseases.
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Feb 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialCardiorespiratory fitness and accelerometer-determined physical activity following one year of free-living high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training: a randomized trial.
Free-living adherence to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has not been adequately tested. This randomized trial examined changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and accelerometer-measured purposeful physical activity over 12 months of free-living HIIT versus moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). ⋯ Despite being prescribed twice as many minutes of exercise and accumulating significantly more purposeful exercise, CRF improvements were similar across 12 months of free-living HIIT and MICT in previously low-active individuals with overweight/obesity.
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Feb 2020
German recommendations for physical activity and physical activity promotion in adults with noncommunicable diseases.
Existing physical activity guidelines predominantly focus on healthy age-stratified target groups. The objective of this study was to develop evidence-based recommendations for physical activity (PA) and PA promotion for German adults (18-65 years) with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). ⋯ The development of evidence-based recommendations for PA and PA promotion is an important step in terms of the initiation and implementation of actions for PA-related health promotion in Germany. The German recommendations for PA and PA promotion inform adults affected by NCDs and health professionals on how much PA would be optimal for adults with NCDs. Additionally, the recommendations provide professionals entrusted in PA promotion the best strategies and interventions to raise low PA levels in adults with NCDs. The formulation of specific PA recommendations for adults with NCDs and their combination with recommendations on PA promotion is a unique characteristic of the German recommendations.
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Int J Behav Nutr Phy · Dec 2019
Comparative StudyAdolescents' physical activity: cross-national comparisons of levels, distributions and disparities across 52 countries.
Despite global concerns regarding physical inactivity, limited cross-national evidence exists to compare adolescents' physical activity participation. We analysed data from 52 high- and low-middle income countries, with activity undertaken inside and outside of school in 2015. We investigated gender and socioeconomic disparities, and additionally examined correlations with country-level indices of physical education (PE) curriculum time allocation, wealth, and income inequality. ⋯ Our findings reveal extensive cross-country differences in adolescents' physical activity; in turn, these highlight policy areas that could ultimately improve global adolescent health, such as the incorporation of minimum country-level PE classes, and the targeting of gender and socioeconomic disparities in activity conducted outside of school. Our findings also highlight the utility of educational databases such as PISA for use in global population health research.