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Background: Knowledge of changes in the domains of physical activity (PA) during the transition period from primary to secondary education and the factors associated with these changes, are prerequisites for the design of effective PA promotion strategies. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to systematically review changes in general, leisure-time, school, transport, work, and home PA across the transition from primary to secondary education. The second aim was to systematically review the individual, social, and physical environmental factors that were associated with these changes. Methods: Records published up until September 2023 were retrieved from five electronic databases. We included longitudinal and cross-sectional studies that investigated general or domain-specific PA from 2 years before to 2 years after the transition from primary to secondary education. Information on source, study characteristics, sample characteristics, PA, and factors were extracted from the papers included. We reported the direction of change in general and domain-specific PA and the direction of association of the factors with change in general and domain-specific PA. Results: Forty-eight papers were included in the study. The evidence on changes in PA and associated factors was greatest for general PA. A limited number of the studies investigated the separate domains of leisure-time, school, and transport. Most studies on general and school PA reported a decline in PA, but there were no consistent results for the domains of leisure-time and transport. With respect to the associated factors, evidence was predominantly found for individual factors and to a lesser degree for physical environmental and social environmental factors. None of the factors were consistently associated with changes in general or domain-specific PA during the school transition. Conclusions: For the design of targeted PA promotion strategies, further studies are warranted to explore changes in the specific domains of PA across the transition from primary to secondary education, especially in the domains of leisure-time, transport, home, and work PA. In addition, the interactions between factors at different socioecological levels to influence changes in PA need to be addressed more in the future. Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42020190204. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of adolescents; however, inadequate sleep is frequently reported in numerous countries. This current paper aimed to describe sleep duration, factors impacting sleep, consequences of insufficient sleep and satisfaction with life in Norwegian adolescents, stratified by sex and by adherence to the 8-hour sleep recommendation, and to examine potential associations between adherence to the 8-hours sleep recommendation and satisfaction with life. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Norwegian Ungdata Survey, collected in 2021. Adolescents from five Norwegian counties were included, comprising a total of 32,161 upper secondary school students. Study variables were collected through an electronic questionnaire administered during school hours and all data are anonymous. Descriptive data of sleep patterns are presented, and linear regressions were conducted adjusting for SES, perceived stress, physical activity level, over-the-counter analgesics use, grade level and screen time. Results: 73% of adolescents did not adhere to the 8-hours of sleep recommendation per night, with similar results for girls and boys. 64% reported tiredness at school (minimum 1–2 days weekly) and 62% reported that screen time negatively affected their ability to sleep. 23% reported that gaming affected their sleep, with a higher prevalence in boys than girls. Satisfaction with life score was 7.0 ± 1.9 points (out of 10) for the total sample, with higher scores for boys (7.3 ± 1.8 points) than girls (6.9 ± 1.9 points). Regressions revealed a positive association with satisfaction with life (B = 0.31, 95% [0.15 to 0.48]) in adolescents adhering to sleep recommendation of 8h compared to the ones not adhering to the sleep recommendation. Conclusions: Most Norwegian adolescents fail to adhere to the 8-hours of sleep recommendation and the majority feel tired at school or during activities. More than half of adolescents reported that screen time negatively affected their ability to sleep. Adhering to the sleep recommendation was associated with higher life satisfaction. Our findings highlight the importance of sufficient sleep in adolescents, while future research is needed to examine other sleep related measures on adolescents´ satisfaction with life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption and maintenance of physical activity (PA) is an important health behavior. This paper presents the first comprehensive empirical test of the Physical Activity Adoption and Maintenance (PAAM) model, which proposes that a combination of explicit (e.g., intention) and implicit (e.g., habit,, affect) self-regulatory processes is involved in PA adoption and maintenance. Data were collected via online questionnaires in English, German, and Italian at two measurement points four weeks apart. The study included 422 participants (Mage= 25.3, SDage= 10.1; 74.2% women) from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and the U.S. The study results largely supported the assumptions of the PAAM model, indicating that intentions and habits significantly mediate the effects of past PA on future PA. In addition, the effect of past PA on future PA was shown to be significant through a mediation chain involving affect and habit. Although the hypothesis that trait self-regulation moderates the intention-behavior relationship was not supported, a significant moderating effect of affect on the same relationship was observed. The results suggest that interventions targeting both explicit and implicit processes may be effective in promoting PA adoption and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Much evidence-based physical activity (PA) interventions have been tested and implemented in urban contexts. However, studies that adapt, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in micropolitan rural contexts are needed. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Active Ottumwa intervention to promote PA in a micropolitan community. Methods: Between 2013 – 2019, we implemented Active Ottumwa in a micropolitan setting, and subsequently implemented and evaluated its effectiveness using a Hybrid Type I design. In this paper, we describe the intervention's effectiveness in promoting PA. We collected PA data over 24 months from a cohort of community residents using accelerometers and PA data from two cross-sectional community surveys administered in 2013 and 2018, using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: From the cohort, we found significant change in PA over 24 months (P = 0.03) corresponding to a 45-min daily decrease in sedentary activity, a daily increase of 35-min in light PA and 9 min in moderate-to-vigorous PA. There was a statistically significant (P = 0.01) increasing trend at the population-level in the moderate-to-vigorous composition of 7 min between the two cross-sectional assessments (95% CI: 0.1%—1.34%). Conclusions: The study demonstrates that the adapted evidence-based PA interventions in a micropolitan context is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Active commuting to school can be a meaningful contributor to overall physical activity in children. To inform better micro-level urban design near schools that can support active commuting to school, there is a need for measures that capture these elements. This paper describes the adaptation of an observational instrument for use in assessing micro-scale environments around urban elementary schools in the United States. Methods: The Micro-scale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes for Safe Routes to School (MAPS-SRTS) was developed from existing audit instruments not designed for school travel environments and modifications for the MAPS-SRTS instrument include the structure of the audit tool sections, the content, the observation route, and addition of new subscales. Subscales were analyzed for inter-rater reliability in a sample of 36 schools in Austin, TX. To assess reliability for each subscale, one-way random effects single-measure intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used. Results: Compared to the 30 original subscales, the adapted MAPS-SRTS included 26 (86.6%) subscales with revised scoring algorithms. Most MAPS-SRTS subscales had acceptable inter-rater reliability, with an ICC of 0.97 for the revised audit tool. Conclusions: The MAPS-SRTS audit tool is a reliable instrument for measuring the school travel environment for research and evaluation purposes, such as assessing human-scale determinants of active commuting to school behavior and documenting built environment changes from infrastructure interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Active commuting to school can be a meaningful contributor to overall physical activity in children. To inform better micro-level urban design near schools that can support active commuting to school, there is a need for measures that capture these elements. This paper describes the adaptation of an observational instrument for use in assessing micro-scale environments around urban elementary schools in the United States. Methods The Micro-scale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes for Safe Routes to School (MAPS-SRTS) was developed from existing audit instruments not designed for school travel environments and modifications for the MAPS-SRTS instrument include the structure of the audit tool sections, the content, the observation route, and addition of new subscales. Subscales were analyzed for inter-rater reliability in a sample of 36 schools in Austin, TX. To assess reliability for each subscale, one-way random effects single-measure intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used. Results Compared to the 30 original subscales, the adapted MAPS-SRTS included 26 (86.6%) subscales with revised scoring algorithms. Most MAPS-SRTS subscales had acceptable inter-rater reliability, with an ICC of 0.97 for the revised audit tool. Conclusions The MAPS-SRTS audit tool is a reliable instrument for measuring the school travel environment for research and evaluation purposes, such as assessing human-scale determinants of active commuting to school behavior and documenting built environment changes from infrastructure interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions are becoming more common in schools. However, limited input has been sought from end-users, which can help design interventions that are more engaging and context appropriate, therefore increasing their potential for successful implementation. One method of engaging end-users is co-design, which involves an active collaboration to design solutions to pre-specified problems. This paper aimed to: (1) describe the methodology and results of the co-design process in Making a HIIT to develop HIIT workouts for a school-based intervention; and (2) evaluate the feasibility and impact of co-designing HIIT workouts with students and teachers within the health and physical education (HPE) curriculum. Methods: The development of the HIIT workouts occurred during obligatory HPE lessons with year seven and eight students. The co-design process included: (1) identifying barriers and facilitators to exercise to create evaluation criteria for creating the HIIT workouts; (2) exploring HIIT; (3) defining HIIT parameters (intensity and interval length); (4) creating HIIT workouts using the parameters and evaluation criteria; (5) trialling and modifying the HIIT workouts based on class feedback and intensity data. To evaluate the feasibility and impact of the co-design process, a thematic analysis was completed using teacher interviews, student discussions, and student surveys. Results: Five classes comprised of 121 students (12–14 years; 49% female) and five teachers were involved in the co-design process across three schools in Queensland, Australia. A total of 33 HIIT workouts were created aimed at satisfying the HIIT parameters and variations of the following evaluation criteria: (1) fun; (2) social; (3) achievable skill level; (4) feeling accomplished; and (5) beneficial for health. From the thematic analysis, three themes (acceptability; implementation; integration) and 12 codes contributed to the overarching understanding of the feasibility of the lessons within the curriculum and a further three themes (perceived changes to lessons; educative outcomes; personal and social capabilities) and three codes contributed towards understanding their impact. Conclusion: Overall, co-designing HIIT workouts was feasible within the HPE curriculum and may have contributed to positive educative outcomes. Using this methodology could improve the implementation of HIIT interventions within HPE while supporting educative benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health-related behaviors may change after retirement and induce changes in the mental health. This systematic review aimed to investigate the nature of changes in physical activity and leisure activities, as well as the relationship between physical activity, leisure, and psychological adjustment among retirees. Methods: Search of papers was done in three electronic databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus without constraints on time, geographical regions, or languages in February 2022. The papers that had examined the relationship between physical activity and adjustment among retirees using observational design (cross-sectional or longitudinal) were included in the present study. To evaluate the methodological quality of cross-sectional studies, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist, and for longitudinal studies, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used. Results: The search results identified 1458 records. Twenty-six papers were included in this review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings of most of these studies indicated a significant positive correlation between physical activity, leisure, and psychological adjustment in retirees. Retirees were mostly engaged in passive leisure activities such as reading, watching TV and movies, and less engaged in physical activities, sport, or physical exercise. General organized assessment of the total physical activity among retirees was not possible. Conclusions: Based on the study findings, it can be stated that there is a positive correlation between physical activity, leisure, and the retirees' adjustment. Usage of the same and valid measurement method specific to old age and retirement period can be useful in more precise assessment of physical activity and its association with adjustment among retirees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, adolescents' physical activity (PA) participation rates are low, particularly among lower socioeconomic groups, with females consistently the least active. The aim of this study was to co-design, with adolescent females, a school-based PA intervention in a single-sex, females-only designated disadvantaged post-primary school in Ireland. This involved using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Public and Patient Involvement (PPI). This paper outlines the novel methodological approach taken.Methods: The three stages 1) understand the behaviour, 2) identify intervention options, and 3) identify content and implementation options of the BCW guide is described. A student PPI Youth Advisory Group (YAG) (n = 8, aged 15-17) was established. Mixed-methods were used with students (n = 287, aged 12-18) and teachers (n = 7) to capture current self-reported PA levels and to identify factors influencing adolescent females' PA behaviour in their school setting. The intervention options, content and implementation options were identified through discussion groups with the YAG. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist was used to specify details of the intervention.Results: Just 1.4% of the students in this sample reported meeting the recommended PA guidelines. Students identified having more 'time' as the strongest predictor to becoming more active in school (Mean = 4.01, 95% CI 3.91 to 4.12). Social influences, environmental context and resources, behavioural regulation, beliefs about capabilities, goals, and reinforcement emerged from the qualitative data as factors influencing PA behaviour at school. The BCW co-design process resulted in the identification of seven intervention functions, four policy categories and 21 Behaviour Change Techniques. The Girls Active Project (GAP) intervention, a peer-led, after-school PA programme was proposed.Conclusions: This paper describes how the BCW, a comprehensive, evidence-based, theory-driven framework was used in combination with PPI to co-design a school-based intervention aimed to increase adolescent females' PA levels. This approach could be replicated in other settings to develop targeted behavioural interventions in populations with specific demographic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A randomised trial of European Fans in Training (EuroFIT), a 12-week healthy lifestyle program delivered in 15 professional football clubs in the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, successfully increased physical activity and improved diet but did not reduce sedentary time. To guide future implementation, this paper investigates how those effects were achieved. We ask: 1) how was EuroFIT implemented? 2) what were the processes through which outcomes were achieved? Methods: We analysed qualitative data implementation notes, observations of 29 of 180 weekly EuroFIT deliveries, semi-structured interviews with 16 coaches and 15 club representatives, and 30 focus group discussions with participants (15 post-program and 15 after 12 months). We descriptively analysed quantitative data on recruitment, attendance at sessions and logs of use of the technologies and survey data on the views of participants at baseline, post program and after 12 months. We used a triangulation protocol to investigate agreement between data from difference sources, organised around meeting 15 objectives within the two research questions. Results: We successfully recruited clubs, coaches and men to EuroFIT though the draw of the football club seemed stronger in the UK and Portugal. Advertising that emphasized getting fitter, club-based deliveries, and not 'standing out' worked and attendance and fidelity were good, so that coaches in all countries were able to deliver EuroFIT flexibly as intended. Coaches in all 15 clubs facilitated the use of behaviour change techniques and interaction between men, which together enhanced motivation. Participants found it harder to change sedentary time than physical activity and diet. Fitting changes into daily routines, planning for setbacks and recognising the personal benefit of behaviour change were important to maintain changes. Bespoke technologies were valued, but technological hitches frustrated participants. Conclusion: EuroFIT was delivered as planned by trained club coaches working flexibly in all countries. It worked as expected to attract men and support initiation and maintenance of changes in physical activity and diet but the use of bespoke, unstable, technologies was frustrating. Future deliveries should eliminate the focus on sedentary time and should use only proven technologies to support self-monitoring and social interaction. Trial registration: ISRCTN81935608, registered 16/06/2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fundamental motor skills (FMSs) are crucial for children's health and comprehensive development. Obese children often encounter a considerable challenge in the development of FMSs. School-family blended PA programs are considered a potentially effective approach to improve FMSs and health-related outcomes among obese children, however, empirical evidence is still limited. Therefore, this paper aims to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a 24-week school-family blended multi-component PA intervention program for promoting FMSs and health among Chinese obese children, namely the Fundamental Motor Skills Promotion Program for Obese Children (FMSPPOC) employing behavioral change techniques (BCTs) and building on the Multi-Process Action Control (M-PAC) framework as well as using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework for improving and evaluating the program. Methods: Using a cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT), 168 Chinese obese children (8–12 years) from 24 classes of six primary schools will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups by a cluster randomization, including a 24-week FMSPPOC intervention group and a non-treatment waiting-list control group. The FMSPPOC program includes a 12-week initiation phase and a 12-week maintenance phase. School-based PA training sessions (2 sessions/week, 90 min each session) and family-based PA assignments (at least three times per week, 30 min each time) will be implemented in the initiation phase (semester time), while three 60-min offline workshops and three 60-min online webinars will be conducted in the maintenance phase (summer holiday). The implementation evaluation will be undertaken according to the RE-AIM framework. For intervention effectiveness evaluation, primary outcome (FMSs: gross motor skills, manual dexterity and balance) and secondary outcomes (health behaviors, physical fitness, perceived motor competence, perceived well-being, M-PAC components, anthropometric and body composition measures) will be collected at four time-points: at baseline, 12-week mid-intervention, 24-week post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up occasions. Discussion: The FMSPPOC program will provide new insights into the design, implementation, and evaluation of FMSs promotion among obese children. The research findings will also supplement empirical evidence, understanding of potential mechanisms, and practical experience for future research, health services, and policymaking. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry; ChiCTR2200066143; 25 Nov 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Engaging in regular physical activity requires continued complex decision-making in varied and dynamic individual, social and structural contexts. Widespread shortfalls of physical activity interventions suggests the complex underlying mechanisms of change are not yet fully understood. More insightful process evaluations are needed to design and implement more effective approaches. This paper describes the protocol for a process evaluation of the JU:MP programme, a whole systems approach to increasing physical activity in children and young people aged 5-14 years in North Bradford, UK.Methods: This process evaluation, underpinned by realist philosophy, aims to understand the development and implementation of the JU:MP programme and the mechanisms by which JU:MP influences physical activity in children and young people. It also aims to explore behaviour change across wider policy, strategy and neighbourhood systems. A mixed method data collection approach will include semi-structured interview, observation, documentary analysis, surveys, and participatory evaluation methods including reflections and ripple effect mapping.Discussion: This protocol offers an innovative approach on the use of process evaluation feeding into an iterative programme intended to generate evidence-based practice and deliver practice-based evidence. This paper advances knowledge regarding the development of process evaluations for evaluating systems interventions, and emphasises the importance of process evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowing what facilitates and hinders physical activity behaviour across domains (leisure, travel, work or education, and household) is central for the development of actions for more active lifestyles. Thus, the aim of this systematic review of reviews was to summarize the evidence on barriers and facilitators of domain-specific physical activity.Methods: We included systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis that investigated the association between modifiable barriers and facilitators and levels of domain-specific physical activity. Reviews published until September 2020 were retrieved from PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, Regional Library of Medicine (BIREME), and PsycNET, and from the reference list of selected articles. Each review was screened by two independent reviewers for eligibility. Data extracted from selected papers included methodological aspects (number of primary studies, study designs, and age groups); physical activity domains and barriers and facilitators investigated; and direction of association. For each pair of barrier/facilitator and domain-specific physical activity, we recorded the number of positive, negative, and null associations reported across reviews. Quality assessment of each systematic review was performed using the AMSTAR-2 tool.Results: Forty-four systematic reviews were selected. The evidence base was largest for leisure-time followed by travel-related physical activity. A very small number of reviews included physical activity in work, educational and domestic settings. Across all physical activity domains, factors related to the built environment were more abundant in the reviews than intra and interpersonal factors. Very consistent positive associations were observed between a range of intrapersonal factors and leisure-time physical activity, as well as moderately consistent evidence of positive association for general social support and support from family members. Evidence of moderate consistency was found for the positive association between transport-related physical activity and positive beliefs about consequences, walkability, and existence of facilities that support active travel. Evidence on barriers and facilitators for physical activity at work, educational, and domestic settings was limited in volume and consistency.Conclusions: Efforts and resources are required to diversify and strength the evidence base on barriers and facilitators of domain-specific physical activity, as it is still limited and biased towards the leisure domain and built environment factors.Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42020209710. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The adoption of a healthy lifestyle plays a crucial role for the health and well-being of health care professionals. Previous e- and mHealth interventions relied on deliberative psychological processes (e.g., intention, planning) to target lifestyle changes, while revealing mixed efficacy. The additional potential of non-deliberative, automatic processes (i.e., habits) for behavior change has been understudied in interventions so far. The Habit Coach mHealth intervention combines deliberative and non-deliberative processes to support health care professionals in forming healthy physical activity, nutrition and mindfulness habits in daily life. The aim of this paper is to outline the study protocol including a detailed description of the mHealth intervention, evaluation plan, and study design. The purpose of this trial is to understand healthy habit formation in health care professionals over time.Methods: A one-arm, multicenter mHealth intervention study will be conducted. Behavioral and psychosocial predictors will be collected via within-app questionnaires across a 100-day period at baseline, post, as well as at weekly assessments. To understand habit formation across time, linear mixed models will be used.Discussion: This trial aims to unravel the role of motivational and volitional determinants for healthy habit formation across multiple health behaviors in health care professionals embedded in a mHealth intervention.Trial Registration: This trial is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS-ID DRKS00027156. Date of registration 17 November 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic disease is the leading cause of premature death globally, and many of these deaths are preventable by modifying some key behavioural and metabolic risk factors. This study examines changes in health behaviours among men and women at risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease (CVD) who participated in a 6-month lifestyle intervention called the My health for life program.Methods: The My health for life program is a Queensland Government-funded multi-component program designed to reduce chronic disease risk factors amongst at-risk adults in Queensland, Australia. The intervention comprises six sessions over a 6-month period, delivered by a trained facilitator or telephone health coach. The analysis presented in this paper stems from 9,372 participants who participated in the program between July 2017 and December 2019. Primary outcomes included fruit and vegetable intake, consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and take-away, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and physical activity. Variables were summed to form a single Healthy Lifestyle Index (HLI) ranging from 0 to 13, with higher scores denoting healthier behaviours. Longitudinal associations between lifestyle indices, program characteristics and socio-demographic characteristics were assessed using Gaussian Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models with an identity link and robust standard errors.Results: Improvements in HLI scores were noted between baseline (Md = 8.8; IQR = 7.0, 10.0) and 26-weeks (Md = 10.0; IQR = 9.0, 11.0) which corresponded with increases in fruit and vegetable consumption and decreases in takeaway frequency (p < .001 for all) but not risky alcohol intake. Modelling showed higher average HLI among those aged 45 or older (β = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.90, 1.10, p < .001) with vocational educational qualifications (certificate/diploma: β = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.14, 0.50, p < .001; bachelor/post-graduate degree β = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.61, 0.98, p < .001) while being male, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, or not currently working conferred lower average HLI scores (p < .001 for all).Conclusions: While participants showed improvements in dietary indicators, changes in alcohol consumption and physical activity were less amenable to the program. Additional research is needed to help understand the multi-level barriers and facilitators of behaviour change in this context to further tailor the intervention for priority groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals' access to sport and physical activity has been hampered due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. In Australia participation in community sport was cancelled during lockdowns. There is limited research on the impact of sport participation restrictions on the health and wellbeing of adults.AimThe aim of this study was to investigate the perceived health and wellbeing of a sample of predominantly active Australian adults, both during COVID-19 and in comparison with one year earlier (pre COVID-19).MethodsA survey was conducted during the first COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns in Australia in May-June 2020. It was distributed by national and state sporting organisations and through researchers' social media accounts. This particular paper focuses on adults aged 18-59 years. The survey collected information on participant demographics, the sport and physical activity patterns pre- COVID-19, and health and wellbeing outcomes during COVID-19 lockdown and compared to one year earlier. The health measures were cross-tabulated against the demographic and sport and physical activity variables, and group profiles compared with chi-square tests. Scales were derived from three wellbeing questions, and group differences were analysed by t-tests and F-tests.ResultsThe survey sample included 1279 men and 868 women aged 18-59 years. Most (67%) resided in metropolitan cities. The great majority (83%) were sport participants. During COVID-19 lockdown men were significantly more likely than women to report worse or much worse general (p = 0.014), physical (p = 0.015) and mental health (p = 0.038) and lower life satisfaction (p = 0.016). The inactive adults were significantly more likely to report poorer general health (p = 0.001) and physical health (p = 0.001) compared to active adults. The younger age cohort (18-29 years) were significantly more likely to report poorer general wellbeing (p < 0.001), and lower life satisfaction (p < 0.001) compared to the older age groups.ConclusionIt seems that the absence of playing competitive sport and training with friends, teams and within clubs has severely impacted males and younger adults in particular. Sports clubs provide an important setting for individuals' health and wellbeing which is why clubs require the capacity to deliver sport and individuals may need to regain the motivation to return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite prison settings presenting opportunities for healthy eating and regular exercise, many incarcerated men supplement prison food with unhealthy snacks and drinks, and are less likely to achieve recommended physical activity guidelines than non-incarcerated men. This paper describes the co-development with prison staff of a healthy lifestyle intervention for delivery to incarcerated men, and feasibility testing of its delivery through prison physical education departments.Methods: The starting point for intervention development was Football Fans in Training (FFIT), an evidence-based intervention successful in engaging men and supporting them to lose weight, make positive lifestyle changes and maintain these long term. We iteratively tested and adapted FFIT for delivery in prison gym facilities through a four Phase pilot and optimisation study. Methods used to evaluate each phase included: observations of session deliveries; semi-structured interviews with participants; and a focus group/semi-structured interviews with prison Physical Education Instructors (PEIs) who delivered the programme. Data were analysed thematically using the Framework approach. Findings from each phase informed development of the optimised programme.Results: We iteratively co-developed a healthy lifestyle intervention (known as Fit for LIFE) tailored to the needs of incarcerated men and prison operational constraints. Fit for LIFE comprises elements specifically designed to address common barriers to a healthy lifestyle within prison, including: discussion of healthiest available food choices; trying out different physical activity options in the prison gym; and strategies (such as in-cell workouts) for dealing with prolonged time in cells at evenings/weekends. Weight loss was not always the most valued outcome. Instead, participants cited a wide range of behavioural, physical and mental health improvements as important to them, and were more motivated if they could focus on identifying and achieving personally relevant objectives.Conclusions: Fit for LIFE is a 10-week, group-based healthy lifestyle programme tailored for delivery to incarcerated men in prison gymnasia. Weekly 90-min sessions include informative and interactive 'classroom' activities followed by a practical physical activity training session, often with group activities. Fit for LIFE aims to help incarcerated men to: increase physical activity; reduce sedentary time; eat more healthily; and start and maintain using prison gym facilities with confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meeting physical activity and screen time guidelines has been associated with improved health in children. Research has shown that lifestyle behaviours happen in combination and can be tracked into later life. Thus, a complex approach is needed to identify the effects of physical activity and screen time altogether. This study aims to identify clusters of both behaviours in a cohort of Irish 3-year-old children (n = 8833) and determine the association with sociodemographic characteristics and behaviours at age 5 and 7-8.Methods: Data from the "Growing Up in Ireland" study collected between 2010 and 2016 was used in this study. Two-step cluster analysis was used to understand how physical activity and recreational screen time behaviours group together among 3-year-old children. Binary logistic regressions were conducted to examine if cluster placement at age 3 determined physical activity and recreational screen time behaviours at age 5 and 7-8 years, while controlling for gender of child, gender, age and employment status of the primary caregiver.Results: Six clusters were identified in 9771 (49.3% female) 3-year-old children with the majority falling into a "High Active & Mixed Screen Time" (23.2%). Those in the "High Active & Mixed Screen Time" cluster at age 3 were more likely to engage in all physical activities reported at age 5 (p < 0.01) and age 7-8 (p < 0.01) when compared to a "Low Active & Screen Time Exceed" cluster. Children categorised in a "Moderate Active & Screen Time Below" and "Moderate Active & Screen Time Exceed" were more likely to engage in the same physical activities at age 5 and 7-8 (p < 0.05 - p < 0.01). However, children in the latter cluster were also more likely (p < 0.05) to play on a computer or tablet device.Conclusions: This paper highlights the importance of establishing positive health-related behaviours during early childhood, as this predicts future engagement in health-promoting activities. Regardless of screen time level, being part of a cluster with moderate or high levels of physical activity positively influences a child's future physical activity at age 5 and again at age 7 -8 years. The multiple layers of influence on a child's development should be leveraged to support the adoption of health-enhancing behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health (MH) difficulties are on the increase among children and young people (CYP). Evidence has shown that educational settings contain both risk and protective factors for MH. This review investigated which structural and cultural factors and interventions within educational settings promote positive MH and prevent poor MH in 4-18 year olds. Searches were conducted in PsychINFO, Embase, ERIC, ASSIA and British Education Index, and reference lists from key studies and relevant systematic reviews were hand-searched. Intervention, cohort, and qualitative studies were included. Of the 62 included papers, 36 examined cultural factors (30 social/relational and six value-related) while 12 studies examined structural factors (eight organisational and four physical) and 14 studies examined multiple factors. There was strong evidence for the impact of positive classroom management techniques, access to physical activity, and peer mentoring on student MH. Studies examining the impact of positive school culture, teacher training in MH and parent involvement in school MH activities also found predominantly positive results for student MH, albeit the evidence was of lower quality or from a low number of studies. Few studies explicitly examined the impact of interventions on MH inequalities; those that did indicated limited if any reduction to inequalities. A very small number of studies suggested that interventions targeting those at risk of poor MH due to socioeconomic factors could successfully improve wellbeing and reduce depression, anxiety and behavioural problems. Studies exploring the effect of management and leadership strategies within schools, policies, and aspects of the physical environment other than green space were scarce or absent in the literature. This review highlights the need to consider the ways in which educational settings are organised, the culture that is created and the physical space in order to improve the MH of CYP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Walkability is a popular term used to describe aspects of the built and social environment that have important population-level impacts on physical activity, energy balance, and health. Although the term is widely used by researchers, practitioners, and the general public, and multiple operational definitions and walkability measurement tools exist, there are is no agreed-upon conceptual definition of walkability.Method: To address this gap, researchers from Memorial University of Newfoundland hosted "The Future of Walkability Measures Workshop" in association with researchers from the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) in November 2017. During the workshop, trainees, researchers, and practitioners worked together in small groups to iteratively develop and reach consensus about a conceptual definition and name for walkability. The objective of this paper was to discuss and propose a conceptual definition of walkability and related concepts.Results: In discussions during the workshop, it became clear that the term walkability leads to a narrow conception of the environmental features associated with health as it inherently focuses on walking. As a result, we suggest that the term Active Living Environments, as has been previously proposed in the literature, are more appropriate. We define Active Living Environments (ALEs) as the emergent natural, built, and social properties of neighbourhoods that promote physical activity and health and allow for equitable access to health-enhancing resources.Conclusions: We believe that this broader conceptualization allows for a more comprehensive understanding of how built, natural, and social environments can contribute to improved health for all members of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strengthening pre-adolescents knowledge and skills through an age- and culturally-appropriate intervention could prevent health issues later in life. Early interventions could influence the trajectory of future risky behaviour, and may influence health behaviour amongst their parents. The CIrCLE of Life Initiative was developed to address HIV and obesity. We evaluated whether the combined intervention increased knowledge, enhanced skills, and/or promoted healthy behaviour among students (9-12 years old) and their parents.Methods: The study was conducted from May to December 2018. Trained educators delivered 30-min lessons over ten consecutive weeks with 537 Grade 6 students at five government-run schools, in a district, in South Africa. Schools were purposively selected based on socioeconomic status and urban-rural classification. Students communicated with parents through shared homework activities. A pretest-posttest study design was used, with a 3-month follow up. Both groups completed self-administered paper-based questionnaires. A score of subscales was used in analysis. The pretest and posttest scores were compared for students and parents using a dependent t-test. Differences in outcomes by school quintile were compared using one-way ANOVA.Results: Response rates were high for both students (80.6%) and their parents (83.4%). Statistically significant differences were observed in HIV knowledge in students pretest (mean 8.04, SD 3.10) and posttest scores (mean 10.1, SD 2.70; p < 0.01), and their parents (mean 10.32, SD 2.80 vs 11.0, SD 2.50; p < 0.01). For both students and parents, pre- and post-test obesity awareness mean scores were similar, 1.93, SD 0.92 and 2.78, SD 0.57; p < 0.01, for students; and 2.47, SD 0.82 and 2.81, SD 0.54; p < 0.01, for parents. In the posttest, statistically significant changes were also observed in both groups, enhancing skills in measuring body mass index and pulse rate, and interpreting food labels. Students had a high intention to share gained knowledge with parents who had a high intention to receive it (89.4 and 89.5%, respectively).Conclusion: The intervention increased knowledge about HIV and obesity-related awareness, and it enhanced skills in selected outcomes among pre-adolescents and parents. Accurate messages and enhanced communication skills could support inter-generational knowledge transfer.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04307966 retrospectively registered on 12 March 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Open streets events, where roads are temporarily closed to motorized vehicles, can provide safe spaces for physical activity (PA) and become sustainable community infrastructure. Since 2016, we have collaborated with a rural community to implement an open streets event, named ciclovía. In 2019, ciclovía was adopted as a community-wide program. This paper describes the process of building and progressing a ciclovía from a research intervention to a community-adopted program and participation of a rural community in ciclovía.Methods: We used community-based participatory research to foster bidirectional learning on how to optimize the content and implementation of ciclovía to be feasible and acceptable for rural communities. The community-academic partnership focused on: 1) understanding the science of ciclovía; 2) learning the implementation process; 3) creating tools to facilitate planning, implementation, and evaluation of ciclovía; and 4) developing transition steps from a research intervention to a community-adopted program.Results: The progression of the research intervention to community adoption spanned 2 years. First, the partnership met quarterly to discuss the science of ciclovía, its utility, and its adaptation for rural communities. Second, the partnership studied processes that facilitated ciclovía implementation. Third, the partnership created the ciclovía planning guide and tools for communities to establish their own ciclovía. The guide included forming a planning committee, setting meeting and communication plans, marketing and promotion, and selecting evaluation tools. Fourth, the transition steps from research intervention to community adoption included creating roles and responsibilities, implementing ciclovía using the planning guide, and convening listening sessions for improvement on implementation. Community attendance at ciclovía doubled from 189 individuals (126 children and 63 adults) when it was a research intervention to 394 individuals (277 children and 117 adults) when it was a community program.Conclusions: The progression from a research intervention to a community-adopted program encompasses multiple steps that involve bidirectional learning and partnership with the community. Lessons learned from this study are integrated into a disseminatable ciclovía planning guide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most studies of associations between parental support behaviours for physical activity (PA) and children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) have been conducted in developed countries, and they have focused on maternal or parental support behaviours. Children's MVPA time (i.e., weekdays vs. weekends) has not been adequately differentiated. This paper investigated the associations of paternal and maternal support behaviours for PA with the proportion of children who met the MVPA recommendations on weekdays and weekends in China.Methods: Cross-sectional data of 517 father-child dyads and 1422 mother-child dyads were analysed. The children recorded PA diaries on 7 consecutive days to assess their MVPA time. The father or mother completed a questionnaire concerning their support for children's PA. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the independent effects of paternal and maternal support behaviours for PA on whether children met the MVPA recommendations for weekdays, weekends, and the whole week.Results: Significantly fewer children met the MVPA recommendations on weekends (37.8%) than on weekdays (62.8%). Higher paternal (odds ratio [OR] = 1.098, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.009-1.195) and maternal (OR = 1.076, 95% CI: 1.021-1.134) total support behaviour scores were associated with higher odds of children meeting the MVPA recommendations on weekends, after controlling for covariates. Paternal PA knowledge-sharing with the child was positively associated with children meeting the MVPA recommendations on weekends (OR = 1.319, 95% CI: 1.055-1.649); it tended to be associated with children meeting the MVPA recommendations on weekdays and throughout the week, although these associations were not statistically significant. Maternal reservation of PA time for the child was positively associated with a higher likelihood of children meeting the MVPA recommendations on weekdays (OR = 1.160, 95% CI: 1.025-1.313), weekends (OR = 1.241, 95% CI: 1.097-1.403), and throughout the week (OR = 1.214, 95% CI: 1.076-1.369).Conclusions: Paternal and maternal support behaviours for PA should be enhanced on weekends to increase children's MVPA. Fathers should share PA knowledge with children and mothers should reserve PA time for children every day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public health measures such as physical distancing and work-from-home initiatives have been implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19. These measures may also be associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, which could be particularly problematic for those already at highest risk for losing years of healthy life due to chronic disease (i.e., 30-59-year-olds). The purpose of this paper is two-fold: (1) to provide an overview of Ontario adults' health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and dietary intake), mental health, and well-being during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-July 2020); and (2) to explore the difference between physical activity and various health behaviors (i.e., well-being, mental health, and dietary intake).Methods: As a part of a larger, longitudinal study, participants completed an online survey that included demographic information, the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, Starting the Conversation, the Mental Health Inventory, and the Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult. Data analyses involved computing measures of central tendency and dispersion for demographic characteristics and tools followed by descriptive statistics. Separate independent t-tests were conducted to investigate the difference between physical activity status and well-being, mental health, and dietary intake.Results: A total of 2157 Ontarians completed an online survey. Descriptive statistics indicated that respondents met physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines, reported double the amount of recommended recreational screen time, practiced moderately healthy dietary behaviors, experienced mental health problems, and scored below "normal" in some well-being domains.Conclusion: As the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is currently unknown, its associated restrictions and society changes may influence adults' behaviors in both the short- and longer-term. As such, our findings might provide immediate insight into the development of timely and evidence-informed health promotion and disease prevention strategies for Canadians, which could support adults' health behaviors, mental health, and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and other, future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The strategy of successful ageing is an important means to deal with the challenges of the current ageing society. This paper aims to explore the effects of different intensities of physical activity on the successful ageing of the elderly.Methods: Our data were from wave 4 of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS), involving 9026 residents aged 60 years and older. The intensity of physical activity was divided into three levels: vigorous, moderate and mild. The concept of successful ageing adopted a four-dimensional model of life satisfaction added to the theoretical model of Rowe and Kahn's. Propensity score matching (PSM) with controlling nine confounding factors were used to analyse the effects of different intensities of physical activity.Results: The percentage of successful ageing was 1.88% among all subjects. Among them, 30.26, 29.57 and 29.40% of the elderly often participated in vigorous, moderate and mild physical activity, respectively. The results of PSM showed that participation in moderate activity increased the probability of successful ageing of the elderly by 0.76-0.78% (P < 0.001), while participation in vigorous and mild physical activity had no significant effect on successful ageing (P > 0.05). Moderate physical activity had statistically significant effects on four components of successful aging, including major disease, physical function, life satisfaction, and social participation (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Moderate-intensity physical activity was most beneficial to the successful ageing of the elderly and should be promoted in the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]