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BackgroundCardiac rehabilitation participants are encouraged to meet physical activity guidelines to reduce the risk of repeat cardiac events. However, previous studies have found that physical activity levels are low and sedentary behavior is high, both during and after cardiac rehabilitation. There is potential for smartphone apps to be effective in reducing sedentary behavior, although among the few studies that have investigated smartphone apps in cardiac rehabilitation, none targeted sedentary behavior. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a behavioral smartphone app (Vire) and a web-based behavior change program (ToDo-CR) to decrease sedentary behavior in cardiac rehabilitation participants. MethodsUsing a single-center, pre-post design, participants were recruited by nursing staff on admission to cardiac rehabilitation. All eligible participants installed the Vire app, were given a Fitbit Flex, and received the 6-week ToDo-CR program while attending cardiac rehabilitation. The ToDo-CR program uses personalized analytics to interpret important behavioral aspects (physical activity, variety, and social opportunity) and real-time information for generating and suggesting context-specific actionable microbehavioral alternatives (Do’s). Do’s were delivered via the app, with participants receiving 14 to 19 Do’s during the 6-week intervention period. Outcome measures were collected at 0, 6, and 16 weeks. The assessors were not blinded. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment and follow-up rates, resource requirements, app usability (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 [UTAUT2] questionnaire), and objectively measured daily minutes of sedentary behavior (ActiGraph) for sample size estimation. Secondary outcomes included functional aerobic capacity (6-min walk test), quality of life (MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire), BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure. ResultsBetween January and May 2019, 20 participants were recruited consecutively. One-third of people who commenced cardiac rehabilitation were eligible to participate. Other than declining to take part in the study (15/40, 38%), not having a smartphone was a major reason for exclusion (11/40, 28%). Those excluded without a smartphone were significantly older than participants with a smartphone (mean difference 20 [SD 5] years; P

BackgroundThe number of pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m2 or more is increasing, which has important implications for antenatal care. Various resource-intensive interventions have attempted to assist women in managing their weight gain during pregnancy with limited success. A mobile phone app has been proposed as a convenient and cost-effective alternative to face-to-face interventions. ObjectiveThis paper describes the process of developing and pilot testing the Eating4Two app, which aims to provide women with a simple gestational weight gain (GWG) calculator, general dietary information, and the motivation to achieve a healthy weight gain during pregnancy. MethodsThe project involved the development of app components, including a graphing function that allows the user to record their weight throughout the pregnancy and to receive real-time feedback on weight gain progress and general information on antenatal nutrition. Stakeholder consultation was used to inform development. The app was pilot tested with 10 pregnant women using a mixed method approach via an online survey, 2 focus groups, and 1 individual interview. ResultsThe Eating4Two app took 7 months to develop and evaluate. It involved several disciplines--including nutrition and dietetics, midwifery, public health, and information technology--at the University of Canberra. Participants found the Eating4Two app to be a motivational tool but would have liked scales or other markers on the graph that demonstrated exact weight gain. They also liked the nutrition information; however, many felt it should be formatted in a more user friendly way. ConclusionsThe Eating4Two app was viewed by participants in our study as an innovative support system to help motivate healthy behaviors during pregnancy and as a credible resource for accessing nutrition-focused information. The feedback provided by participants will assist with refining the current prototype for use in a clinical intervention trial.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, and accounted for nearly 31% of all deaths in Australia in 2011. The primary health care sector is at the frontline for addressing CVD, however, an evidence-to-practice gap exists in CVD risk assessment and management. General practice plays a key role in CVD risk assessment and management, but this sector cannot provide ongoing lifestyle change support in isolation. Community-based lifestyle modification services and programs provided outside the general practice setting have a key role in supporting and sustaining health behavior change. Fostering linkages between the health sector and community-based lifestyle services, and creating sustainable systems that support these sectors is important. ObjectiveThe objective of the study Model for Prevention (MoFoP) is to take a case study approach to examine a CVD risk reduction intervention in primary health care, with the aim of identifying the key elements required for an effective and sustainable approach to coordinate CVD risk reduction across the health and community sectors. These elements will be used to consider a new systems-based model for the prevention of CVD that informs future practice. MethodsThe MoFoP study will use a mixed methods approach, comprising two complementary research elements: (1) a case study, and (2) a pre/post quasi-experimental design. The case study will consider the organizations and systems involved in a CVD risk reduction intervention as a single case. The pre/post experimental design will be used for HeartLink, the intervention being tested, where a single cohort of patients between 45 and 74 years of age (or between 35 and 74 years of age if Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) considered to be at high risk for a CVD event will be recruited through general practice, provided with enhanced usual care and additional health behavior change support. A range of quantitative and qualitative data will be collected. This will include individual health and well being data collected at baseline and again at 12 months for HeartLink participants, and systems related data collected over the period of the intervention to inform the case study. ResultsThe intervention is currently underway, with results expected in late 2015. ConclusionsGaining a better understanding of CVD prevention in primary health care requires a research approach that can capture and express its complexity. The MoFoP study aims to identify the key elements for effective CVD prevention across the health and community sectors, and to develop a model to better inform policy and practice in this key health priority area for Australia.

The study's main aim was to examine whether adults' accelerometer-based physical activity and sedentary time mediated the associations of neighbourhood physical environmental perceptions with body mass index (BMI) and weight status across 10 high- and middle-income countries. Data from the IPEN Adult study, an observational multi-country study (n = 5712) were used. Results showed that sedentary time was a non-significant or inconsistent mediator in all models. MVPA mediated the associations of street connectivity, land use mix-diversity, infrastructure/safety for walking and aesthetics with BMI in single models. In the multiple model, MVPA only fully mediated the relation between land use mix-diversity and BMI. This finding was replicated in the models with weight status as outcome. MVPA partially mediated associations of composite environmental variables with weight status. So, although MVPA mediated some associations, future comprehensive studies are needed to determine other mechanisms that could explain the relation between the physical environment and weight outcomes. Food intake, food accessibility and the home environment may be important variables to consider. Based on the consistency of results across study sites, global advocacy for policies supporting more walkable neighbourhoods should seek to optimize land-use-mix when designing and re-designing cities or towns.

BackgroundLeisure-time and transport activity domains are studied most often because they are considered more amenable to intervention, but to date evidence on these domains is limited. The aim of the present study was to examine patterns of socio-demographic correlates of adults' leisure-time and transport physical activity and how these associations varied across 17 cities in 12 countries.MethodsParticipants (N = 13,745) aged 18-66 years in the IPEN Adult study and with complete data on socio-demographic and self-reported physical activity characteristics were included. Participants reported frequency and duration of leisure-time and transport activities in the last 7 days using the self-administered International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form. Six physical activity outcomes were examined in relation with age, education, and sex, and analyses explored variations by city and curvilinear associations.ResultsSex had the most consistent results, with five of six physical activity outcomes showing females were less active than males. Age had the most complex associations with self-report transport and leisure-time physical activity. Compared to older people, younger adults were less likely to engage in transport physical activity, but among those who did, younger people were likely to engage in more active minutes. Curvilinear associations were found between age and all three leisure-time physical activity outcomes, with the youngest and the oldest being more active. Positive associations with education were found for leisure-time physical activity only. There were significant interactions of city with sex and education for multiple physical activity outcomes.ConclusionsAlthough socio-demographic correlates of physical activity are widely studied, the present results provide new information. City-specific findings suggest there will be value in conducting more detailed case studies. The curvilinear associations of age with leisure-time physical activity as well as significant interactions of leisure-time activity with sex and education should be further investigated. The findings of lower leisure-time physical activity among females as well as people with low education suggest that greater and continued efforts in physical activity policies and programs tailored to these high-risk groups are needed internationally.

BackgroundTo more accurately quantify the potential impact of the neighbourhood environment on adults' physical activity (PA), it is important to compare environment-PA associations between periods of the day or week when adults are more versus less likely to be in their neighbourhood and utilise its PA resources. We examined whether, among adults from 10 countries, associations between objectively-assessed neighbourhood environment attributes and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) varied by time of the day and day of the week. The secondary aim was to examine whether such associations varied by employment status, gender and city.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 6,712 adults from 14 cities across 10 countries with ≥1 day of valid accelerometer-assessed MVPA and complete information on socio-demographic and objectively-assessed environmental characteristics within 0.5 and 1 km street-network buffers around the home. Accelerometer measures (MVPA min/h) were created for six time periods from early morning until late evening/night, for weekdays and weekend days separately. Associations were estimated using generalized additive mixed models.ResultsTime of the day, day of week, gender and employment status were significant moderators of environment-MVPA associations. Land use mix was positively associated with MVPA in women who were employed and in men irrespective of their employment status. The positive associations between MVPA and net residential density, intersection density and land use mix were stronger in the mornings of weekdays and the afternoon/evening periods of both weekdays and weekend days. Associations between number of parks and MVPA were stronger in the mornings and afternoon/evenings irrespective of day of the week. Public transport density showed consistent positive associations with MVPA during weekends, while stronger effects on weekdays were observed in the morning and early evenings.ConclusionsThis study suggests that space and time constraints in adults' daily activities are important factors that determine the impact of neighbourhood attributes on PA. Consideration of time-specific associations is important to better characterise the magnitude of the effects of the neighbourhood environment on PA. Future research will need to examine the contribution of built environment characteristics of areas surrounding other types of daily life centres (e.g., workplaces) to explaining adults' PA at specific times of the day.

Older people in residential aged care are susceptible to acute illness or injury which may necessitate an ambulance call out, assessment/treatment by a paramedic and transfer to a hospital emergency department. Understanding the case mix of residential aged care ambulance attendances is important for prevention strategies and for planning services. A retrospective observational closed cohort study was designed to investigate the characteristics of emergency ambulance call outs to 15 residential aged care sites in the Australian Capital Territory over a 12-month period. Data were collected from the local ambulance service and the aged care sites. Case load data were analysed to determine rates, clinical characteristics, ambulance attendance outcomes and the temporal distribution of call outs. A Poisson regression model was developed to investigate demographic, morbidity and medication-related risk factors associated with the number of ambulance call outs per resident. Annual ambulance call out costs were estimated. There were 1,275 residents, with 396 (31.1%) requiring at least one ambulance call out over 12 months. Of 669 ambulance attendances, the majority (87.0%) were transported to emergency departments. Trauma (23.9%), pain (16.9%) and infections (9.4%) were the most common primary assessments by the ambulance attendees. Cases/day were similar throughout the year and on weekdays compared to weekends/public holidays. The main predictors of ambulance call out were multi-morbidity, taking regular anticholinergic medicines, being male and younger age. Estimated costs of ambulance call outs/year were $475/resident and $40,375/residential aged care site. The most frequent primary assessments (trauma, pain, infections) may constitute priorities for developing prevention strategies and for treatment initiatives within residential aged care. Strategies to reduce anticholinergic medication prescribing may also be a potential intervention to decrease ambulance call outs and hospital emergency department demand. The ambulance usage data from this study may be useful to compare with future datasets to measure the impact of the introduction of new services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionPrevalence of walking and cycling for transport is low and varies greatly across countries. Few studies have examined neighborhood perceptions related to walking and cycling for transport in different countries. Therefore, it is challenging to prioritize appropriate built-environment interventions.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the strength and shape of the relationship between adults' neighborhood perceptions and walking and cycling for transport across diverse environments.MethodsAs part of the International Physical activity and Environment Network (IPEN) adult project, self-reported data were taken from 13,745 adults (18-65 years) living in physically and socially diverse neighborhoods in 17 cities across 12 countries. Neighborhood perceptions were measured using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale, and walking and cycling for transport were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form. Generalized additive mixed models were used to model walking or cycling for transport during the last seven days with neighborhood perceptions. Interactions by city were explored.ResultsWalking-for-transport outcomes were significantly associated with perceived residential density, land use mix-access, street connectivity, aesthetics, and safety. Any cycling for transport was significantly related to perceived land use mix-access, street connectivity, infrastructure, aesthetics, safety, and perceived distance to destinations. Between-city differences existed for some attributes in relation to walking or cycling for transport.ConclusionsMany perceived environmental attributes supported both cycling and walking; however, highly walkable environments may not support cycling for transport. People appear to walk for transport despite safety concerns. These findings can guide the implementation of global health strategies.

BackgroundEcological models of health behaviour are an important conceptual framework to address the multiple correlates of obesity. Several single-country studies previously examined the relationship between the built environment and obesity in adults, but results are very diverse. An important reason for these mixed results is the limited variability in built environments in these single-country studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine associations between perceived neighbourhood built environmental attributes and BMI/weight status in a multi-country study including 12 environmentally and culturally diverse countries.MethodsA multi-site cross-sectional study was conducted in 17 cities (study sites) across 12 countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and USA). Participants (n = 14222, 18-66 years) self-reported perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes. Height and weight were self-reported in eight countries, and measured in person in four countries.ResultsThree environmental attributes were associated with BMI or weight status in pooled data from 12 countries. Safety from traffic was the most robust correlate, suggesting that creating safe routes for walking/cycling by reducing the speed and volume of traffic might have a positive impact upon weight status/BMI across various geographical locations. Close proximity to several local destinations was associated with BMI across all countries, suggesting compact neighbourhoods with more places to walk related to lower BMI. Safety from crime showed a curvilinear relationship with BMI, with especially poor crime safety being related to higher BMI.ConclusionsEnvironmental interventions involving these three attributes appear to have international relevance and focusing on these might have implications for tackling overweight/obesity.

Abstract Background The IPEN (International Physical Activity and Environment Network) Adult project seeks to conduct pooled analyses of associations of perceived neighborhood environment, as measured by the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and its abbreviated version (NEWS-A), with physical activity using data from 12 countries. As IPEN countries used adapted versions of the NEWS/NEWS-A, this paper aimed to develop scoring protocols that maximize cross-country comparability in responses. This information is also highly relevant to non-IPEN studies employing the NEWS/NEWS-A, which is one of the most popular measures of perceived environment globally. Methods The following countries participated in the IPEN Adult study: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Participants (N = 14,305) were recruited from neighborhoods varying in walkability and socio-economic status. Countries collected data on the perceived environment using a self- or interviewer-administered version of the NEWS/NEWS-A. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to derive comparable country-specific measurement models of the NEWS/NEWS-A. The level of correspondence between standard and alternative versions of the NEWS/NEWS-A factor-analyzable subscales was determined by estimating the correlations and mean standardized difference (Cohen’s d) between them using data from countries that had included items from both standard and alternative versions of the subscales. Results Final country-specific measurement models of the NEWS/NEWS-A provided acceptable levels of fit to the data and shared the same factorial structure with six latent factors and two single items. The correspondence between the standard and alternative versions of subscales of Land use mix – access, Infrastructure and safety for walking/cycling, and Aesthetics was high. The Brazilian version of the Traffic safety subscale was highly, while the Australian and Belgian versions were marginally, comparable to the standard version. Single-item versions of the Street connectivity subscale used in Australia and Belgium showed marginally acceptable correspondence to the standard version. Conclusions We have proposed country-specific modifications to the original scoring protocol of the NEWS/NEWS-A that enhance inter-country comparability. These modifications have yielded sufficiently equivalent measurement models of the NEWS/NEWS-A. Some inter-country discrepancies remain. These need to be considered when interpreting findings from different countries.