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Background: eHealth applications can support early mobilization and physical activity (PA) after surgery. This systematic review provides an overview of eHealth services to enhance or record PA after visceral surgery interventions. Methods: Two electronic databases (MEDLINE PubMed and Web of Science) were systematically searched (November 2023). Articles were considered eligible if they were controlled trials and described digital devices used to promote PA after visceral surgery. The Cochrane risk of bias (RoB-2) tool was used to determine the methodological quality of studies. Results: A total of nine randomized controlled studies (RCT) were included in this systematic review. The studies differed with respect to the interventions, surgical indications and evaluation variables. The risk of bias of the individual studies was moderate. The six studies using activity trackers (AT) predominantly showed insignificant improvements in the postoperative step count. The more complex fitness applications could partially reveal significant advantages compared to the control groups and the home-based online training also showed a significant increase in functional capacity. Conclusion: Activity tracking alone has so far failed to show clinically relevant effects. In contrast, the more complex eHealth applications revealed advantages compared to usual postoperative care. More high-quality studies are needed for evidence-based recommendations for eHealth services in conjunction with visceral surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Little is known about the changes and the factors in physical activity as following total hip arthroplasty (THA). There are potential discrepancies between subjective and objective measurements of physical activity. Thus, our porpose is to compare objective and subjective measurements of activity levels in patients undergoing THA preoperatively, three months and one year following surgery, and investigated the factors that predicts the objective activity level after THA. Methods: This prospective observational study included 42 patients with unilateral symptomatic hip osteoarthritis who underwent THA. The objective activity level (step counts, sit-to-stands, and upright time) by using a tri-axial accelerometer, PRO (Oxford hip score; OHS and University of California, Los Angeles activity score; UCLA score), and muscle volume around the hip joint by using preoperative computed tomography were measured. Results: The number of steps, OHS, and UCLA score before, at three months, and one year after THA averaged 5092, 6532, and 6545 steps, 30.3, 43.0, and 44.2 points, and 3.4, 4.8, and 4.6 points, respectively, with significant postoperative increases (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between three months and one year postoperatively. In multivariate analysis, younger age and higher preoperative contralateral gluteal medius volume were the predictors of higher postoperative step counts (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Physical activity, including step counts, OHS, and UCLA score increased significantly until three months after unilateral THA. Early surgical intervention before contralateral muscle declines and preoperative rehabilitation including contralateral side may additionally improve postoperative activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Established health-related quality of life scores do not consider both subjective and objective indices of health. We propose the subjective and objective quality of life score (SOQOL) for the comprehensive assessment of health-related quality of life and aim to provide normative population data. The SOQOL is compatible with smartphone applications, allowing widespread use on a global scale. Methods: Normative SOQOL population data was sourced from pre-existing datasets on the EQ-5D-5L, daily step count, and walking speed. Normative values were calculated using weighted grand means. We trialled the SOQOL in a group of five patients presenting to a spinal neurosurgery clinic. Results: SOQOL scores decreased with age, and women had lower scores in every age group. In our case series, the spine patients with the biggest SOQOL deficit compared to age- and sex-matched population averages were found to be surgical while the rest were non-surgical. Conclusions: The SOQOL shows promise as a simple and effective scoring tool that is compatible with smartphones, potentially useful for screening in primary and specialized care settings, and for assessment following healthcare interventions. This study, however, is preliminary, and the findings are primarily suggestive. They underline the necessity for future, more comprehensive studies to validate and expand upon these initial observations. The conclusion of both this abstract and the full paper will clearly state these limitations and the preliminary nature of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maladaptive exercise (i.e., exercise that compensates for binge eating or is used to avoid negative consequences of not exercising-like weight gain) is a common eating disorder (ED) behavior, yet, some individuals with EDs only engage in adaptive exercise. CBT for EDs targets reducing maladaptive exercise but does not address adaptive exercise. Thus, research is limited on how adaptive and maladaptive exercise are impacted during CBT for EDs. The current study examined how assessor-rated adaptive and maladaptive exercise and objectively measured physical activity changed over a 12-week CBT treatment among adults with transdiagnostic binge eating and restrictive eating that did and did not engage in maladaptive exercise at the start of treatment (n = 13 non-maladaptive exercise group, n = 17 maladaptive exercise group). The overall amount of adaptive and maladaptive exercise was measured via the Eating Disorder Examination Interview and objectively measured physical activity (e.g., step count, minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]) was measured via a wrist-worn fitness tracker. Throughout treatment, the overall amount of adaptive exercise did not significantly change for both groups, but the overall amount of maladaptive exercise significantly decreased in the maladaptive exercise group. Step count did not significantly change for both groups, but minutes of MVPA significantly increased over treatment for the non-maladaptive exercise group. Increases in step count and minutes of MVPA were not associated with ED symptom changes in either group. These results enhance an understanding of exercise changes during transdiagnostic CBT-based ED treatment for individuals with varying baseline exercise profiles. Level of evidence: Level 1, randomized controlled trial [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various arrangements of both physical structures and contingent adult attention have been shown to increase physical activity. As well, previous research has demonstrated that antecedent physical activity during leisure time leads to subsequent on-task behavior in classroom settings (Luke et al., 2014). This relation between activity and academic performance suggests that identifying methods for increasing physical activity exhibited by students has academic relevance. The present study conducted two related, concurrent experiments. Experiment 1 replicated previous research showing social attention increased students’ physical activity. Given the increases in physical activity observed by the participants from Experiment 1, Experiment 2 evaluated whether that increased physical activity corresponded with increased on-task behavior during subsequent academic instruction time. Results indicated that, as with previous research findings, participants engaged in higher levels of physical activity relative to baseline when social attention was provided. However, increased physical activity did not correspond with increased subsequent on-task behavior. Results are discussed with respect to their implications for movement, academic performance, and relation to previous findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable devices represent one of the most popular trends in health and fitness. Rapid advances in wearable technology present a dizzying display of possible functions: from thermometers and barometers, magnetometers and accelerometers, to oximeters and calorimeters. Consumers and practitioners utilize wearable devices to track outcomes, such as energy expenditure, training load, step count, and heart rate. While some rely on these devices in tandem with more established tools, others lean on wearable technology for health-related outcomes, such as heart rhythm analysis, peripheral oxygen saturation, sleep quality, and caloric expenditure. Given the increasing popularity of wearable devices for both recreation and health initiatives, understanding the strengths and limitations of these technologies is increasingly relevant. Need exists for continued evaluation of the efficacy of wearable devices to accurately and reliably measure purported outcomes. The purposes of this review are (1) to assess the current state of wearable devices using recent research on validity and reliability, (2) to describe existing gaps between physiology and technology, and (3) to offer expert interpretation for the lay and professional audience on how best to approach wearable technology and employ it in the pursuit of health and fitness. Current literature demonstrates inconsistent validity and reliability for various metrics, with algorithms not publicly available or lacking high-quality validation studies. Advancements in wearable technology should consider standardizing validation metrics, providing transparency in used algorithms, and improving how technology can be tailored to individuals. Until then, it is prudent to exercise caution when interpreting metrics reported from consumer-wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalizing gameful applications is essential to account for interpersonal differences in the perception of gameful design elements. Considering that an increasing number of people lead sedentary lifestyles, using personalized gameful applications to encourage physical activity is a particularly relevant domain. In this article, we investigate behavior change intentions and Hexad user types as factors to personalize gameful fitness applications. We first explored the potential of these two factors by analyzing differences in the perceived persuasiveness of gameful design elements using a storyboards-based online study ( N = 178 ). Our results show several significant effects regarding both factors and thus support the usefulness of them in explaining perceptual differences. Based on these findings, we implemented "Endless Universe," a personalized gameful application encouraging physical activity on a treadmill. We used the system in a laboratory study ( N = 20 ) to study actual effects of personalization on the users' performance, enjoyment and affective experiences. While we did not find effects on the immediate performance of users, positive effects on user experience-related measures were found. The results of this study support the relevance of behavior change intentions and Hexad user types for personalizing gameful fitness systems further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of exercise have been well known for years. Most people know that they should do more exercise, but they seldom make exercise a top priority. Regular exercise is generally the most important lifestyle change people can make to improve their health, but it is hard for people to sustain a regular exercise program. On the other hand, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, which combine different sensors and information technologies, have developed rapidly over recent years. IoT-based applications for exercise have been examined in recent literature. However, most IoT-based applications focus on the needs of exercisers and ignore the needs of trainers and the relationship between the system usage and the incidence of regular exercise compliance is rarely studied. This study implements an IoT-based exercise improvement system that both exercisers and trainers can use to increase exercisers' physical fitness. To test the system, 221 students were recruited from a university and their exercise data were collected and analyzed. The results showed that use of an IoT-based exercise improvement system helped regular exercisers maintain their exercise pattern and non-regular exercisers improve their exercise performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the relationship between objectively measured physical activity (PA) and the gut microbiome among community-dwelling older men. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) cohort participants at Visit 4 (2014-16). Participants: Eligible men (n=373, mean age 84 y) included participants with 5-day activity assessment with at least 90% wear time and analyzed stool samples. Measurements: PA was measured with the SenseWear Pro3 Armband and stool samples analyzed for 16S v4 rRNA marker genes using Illumina MiSeq technology. Armband data together with sex, height, and weight were used to estimate total steps, total energy expenditure, and level of activity. 16S data was analyzed using standard UPARSE workflow. Shannon and Inverse Simpson indices were measures of (within-participant) α-diversity. Weighted and unweighted Unifrac were measures of (between-participant) β-diversity. We used linear regression analysis, principal coordinate analysis, zero-inflated Gaussian models to assess association between PA and α-diversity, β-diversity, and specific taxa, respectively, with adjustments for age, race, BMI, clinical center, library size, and number of chronic conditions. Results: PA was not associated with α-diversity. There was a slight association between PA and β-diversity (in particular the second principal coordinate). Compared to those who were less active, those who had higher step counts had higher relative abundance of Cetobacterium and lower relative abundance of taxa from the genera Coprobacillus, Adlercreutzia, Erysipelotrichaceae CC-115 after multivariable adjustment including age, BMI, and chronic conditions. There was no consistent pattern by phylum. Conclusion: There was a modest association between levels of PA and specific gut microbes among community-dwelling older men. The observed associations are consistent with the hypothesis that underlying health status and composition of the host microbiome are related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the most common use of this type of transformer is around oilburning equipment and is the ignition transformer, and this transformer is similar in construction to the step-down with its iron core and windings, but instead of lowering the power output it increases it.

Physical activity is an essential component for lifelong wellness and the quality of life. Over the past years, childhood obesity has dramatically increased. Data supports that young children are adopting sedentary behaviors within and outside of school hours that may contribute to obesity and other health-related diseases. This paper provides early childhood practitioners with an overview of physical activity recommendations for young children between the ages of three to five and cost-effective means to assess physical activity through step count pedometers. Finally, some pedometer activities are provided along with a description of the children’s reactions and behaviors to the integration of pedometers. Both the activities and pedometer appear to be easily incorporated into any classroom or recess settings to get your children moving and active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the hypothesis that a low level of regular daily physical activity in elderly individuals would be associated with a clinically significant degree of sarcopenia. Subjects were 78 male and 97 female free-living Japanese, aged 65-84 years. A pedometer/accelerometer measured continuously the number of steps taken and the intensity of activity 24 h/day for 1 year. A whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry scan assessed skeletal muscle mass in the upper and lower extremities at the end of the year. Sarcopenia was defined as a muscle mass/height(2) value >1 SD below the mean for healthy young Japanese. Linear and exponential regressions showed that after controlling data for age and/or sex, muscle mass was associated with physical activity, more closely for the legs than for the arms, and for duration of moderate activity (>3 METs) than for step count. Muscle mass increased progressively with daily activity, although when data were categorized into quartiles, muscle mass was not significantly greater in men and women who exceeded, respectively, 8,000 and 6,900 steps/day and/or 22 and 19 min/day at >3 METs. All participants meeting such criteria exceeded our sarcopenia threshold. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regressions predicted that individuals who walked <5,300 steps/day and/or spent <15 min/day at >3 METs were, respectively, 2.00-2.66 and/or 2.03-4.55 times more likely to show sarcopenia than those who walked >7,800 steps/day and/or spent >23 min/day at >3 METs. Our hypothesis was proven correct: seniors who walked at least 7,000-8,000 steps/day and/or spent 15-20 min/day at an intensity of >3 METs were likely to have a muscle mass above the sarcopenia threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objectives were to test the hypothesis that the habitual physical activity of elderly individuals is associated with less arterial stiffening, to explore characteristics of any dose/response relationship, and to determine those segments of the arterial tree where associations are most apparent. Participants (89 men and 109 women, aged 65-84) wore a pedometer/accelerometer continuously for 1 year. The daily step count and the duration of moderate-intensity activity (>3 metabolic equivalents, METs) were recorded. At year's end, an automatic waveform analyzer determined the pulse wave velocity between five recording sites: the aortic root, and the carotid, brachial, femoral and tibial arteries. After appropriate adjustments for sex, age, and mean arterial pressure, overall (delta brachio-tibial "velocity") and central arterial stiffness (cardio-femoral velocity) showed small but statistically significant negative correlations with daily step count and the duration of activity >3 METs. Cardio-carotid velocity was also associated with step count. In contrast, cardio-brachial and femoro-tibial velocities were not significantly related to either estimate of habitual activity. Cardio-femoral and delta brachio-tibial velocities were significantly lower in physically active individuals, apparently reaching a minimum in subjects who exceeded counts of about 6,600 steps/day and/or exercised for more than 16 min/day at an intensity >3 METs. The data support our hypothesis, showing weak but statistically significant associations between habitual physical activity and pulse wave assessments of arterial stiffness in elderly adults. Further studies are recommended to test the causality of these associations and to explore why relationships seem more marked for central than for peripheral arterial segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined relationships between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and objective assessments of habitual physical activity in older adults, focusing on interactions between the amount and intensity of activity. Subjects were healthy Japanese aged 65–85 years (74 men and 109 women). Pedometer/accelerometers measured their step counts and the intensity of physical activity in metabolic equivalents (METs) continuously 24 h per day for 1 year. Each individual’s final HRQOL was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) instrument. The daily step count and the daily duration of physical activity at an intensity >3 METs were quite closely correlated (quadratic r2 = 0.93, P < 0.05). After controlling for age, sex, and daily step count, the overall SF-36 score and four constituent dimensions (physical functioning, freedom from pain, vitality, and mental health) were all significantly higher in individuals spending >25% of their total activity at an intensity >3 METs. However, engagement in activity >3 METs was not significantly associated with the remaining SF-36 components (physical limitations, general health, social functioning, and emotional limitations). Associations between moderate-intensity physical activity and HRQOL in older adults merit further evaluation by prospective studies and/or randomized controlled trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:Assessing energy expenditure (EE) is important for the control of obesity. Daily step counts have become popular and constitute one practical technique for evaluating the physical activity (PA) in large population studies. However, information on the capacity of pedometers to track EE in free-living conditions remains scanty.Subjects and methods:The 24-h EE of 71 healthy adults was measured by indirect calorimetry in a large respiratory chamber. Two accelerometers were attached to the waist, one for counting the total daily steps (ACCSTEP) and another for measuring the anteroposterior whole body acceleration calculated as the root mean square of the acceleration signal at every second (ACCRMS).Results:The ACCSTEP was not associated with PA-related EE (PAEE) or 24-h EE. Body weight (BW) was the main determinant of both the values (explaining 30 and 75% of the variance, respectively). Approximately 8% (P<0.001) of the variance in PAEE was attributed to the ACCRMS after BW was accounted for, whereas the ACCSTEP did not explain any additional variance. A multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that BW, height and ACCRMS were highly significant determinants of 24-h EE and accounted for as much as 83% of the total variance.Conclusions:Recording the number of steps per day does not provide accurate information on EE, and at best is only a crude predictor of the general PA in terms of displacement. In contrast, accelerometry signals are considered to be a more meaningful factor in the assessment of EE rather than step counts under sedentary conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined associations between bone health and the quantity and quality of habitual physical activity in a cohort of 172 free-living Japanese aged 65–83 years (76 men, 96 women). The number of steps taken and the intensity of physical activity were measured every 4 s throughout each 24-h period for 1 year, using a specially adapted accelerometer that distinguished up to 11 levels of physical activity (expressed in metabolic equivalents, METs). At the end of the year, a quantitative ultrasonic technique assessed each participant’s osteosonic index (OSI, reflecting bone stiffness in the calcaneus). The data were significantly described by linear and exponential regression models which showed that in both sexes the OSI score increased with increasing daily physical activity, up to the observed maximum values of approximately 14,000 steps/day and 50 min/day at an intensity >3 METs. However, when data were categorized into quartiles of physical activity, OSI scores were not significantly greater in persons exceeding recommended minimum standards of habitual physical activity (corresponding to counts of around 6,900 and 6,800 steps/day and durations >3 METs of around 18 and 16 min/day in men and women, respectively). All who met such criteria (with the exception of a few women) had OSI scores above the threshold for a clinical diagnosis of osteoporosis. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses predicted that men and especially women who engaged in <6,800 steps/day and <16 min/day of moderate-intensity physical activity were, respectively, 4.9–8.4 and 2.2–3.5 times more likely to sustain fractures than those participating in >8,200 steps/day and >25 min/day of activity >3 METs. Causation cannot be inferred from a cross-sectional study. Nevertheless, we suggest that from the viewpoint of bone health, elderly people should be encouraged to engage in low- and moderate-intensity habitual physical activity, taking >7,000 steps/day with a duration >15 min/day at >3 METs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Regular physical activity (PA) in children is essential for their development and prevention of overweight and obesity. Little is known about the effect of day-to-day variations in weather conditions on PA levels in school-aged children, particularly with regard to school compared to non-school days and girls compared to boys., Methods: Daily step count (7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.) from 972 grade 5 students aged 10-11 years from 60 schools across Alberta, Canada, was collected using time-stamped pedometers (minimum wear time of two school and one non-school days) during March-June 2013. Time-matched weather conditions (actual and feels-like temperature, cloud coverage, and precipitation amount) were obtained from local weather stations in Alberta during the same period. Multilevel mixed-effect regression models were used to estimate the effect of each weather condition on daily step count., Results: A 1 °C increase in feels-like temperature was associated with 26 more steps/day (p < 0.05), while 1-unit increase in cloud coverage was associated with 61 fewer steps/day (p < 0.01). Compared to no precipitation, heavy precipitation (> 5 mm/day) was associated with 1022 fewer steps/day (p < 0.01). Students' PA levels were associated with weather conditions more on non-school vs. school days and more among girls vs. boys., Conclusion: Results suggest that daily weather conditions can affect PA in school children, particularly outside school hours, and should be considered when evaluating PA levels or designing interventions to promote PA in children. Findings provide support for increased investment toward creating weather-appropriate physical activity opportunities for wet and colder days to prevent PA decline in children during inclement weather conditions.