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Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have reduced opportunities for engaging in physical activity (PA) and increased sedentary behavior (SB) among workers. However, most previous studies used self-reported assessments. This study aimed to examine the changes in accelerometer-measured PA and SB from before to after COVID-19 outbreak among Japanese workers., Methods: This 1-year longitudinal study used data from the annual health check-ups of workers who lived in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Baseline and follow-up data were collected from June to November of 2019 and June to November of 2020, respectively. Participants were asked to wear the accelerometer on their hip during awake hours for at least 10 days in both the surveys. Before the analysis, considering the difference in wearing time, time spent in PA and SB were converted to the percentage of wearing time. To investigate the changes in PA or SB from before to during COVID-19 outbreak, paired t-tests were performed., Results: Of the 757 eligible participants, 536 were included in the analysis (70.8%). Participants' mean age was 53.3 years, 69.6% were female, and most were full-time employees. Time spent in PA decreased, regardless of weekdays or weekends, although changes on the weekends were not significant. Conversely, time spent in SB increased on both weekdays and weekends in 2020. These changes corresponded to approximately 10 minutes per day decrease in PA and increase in SB., Conclusion: Objectively measured PA decreased and SB increased by approximately 10 minutes per day after the COVID-19 outbreak among Japanese workers.

Background: Although social group engagement (SGE) has been suggested to affect physical activity (PA) in older age, the longitudinal relationship between these variables is unclear. This study used 2-year panel data to investigate the link between changes in SGE and changes in PA among community-dwelling older adults., Methods: This study was a 2-year community-based longitudinal study enrolling older adults living in a rural municipality in Japan. The subjects were all residents in the study area aged ≥ 65 at the baseline. Mail surveys were administered in 2016 and 2018. The 3688 subjects responding to both surveys were included in the analyses. PA was evaluated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and weekly time and metabolic equivalent were computed. SGE was assessed in each wave and classified as consistent engagement (engagement reported in both surveys), new engagement (non-engagement at baseline and engagement at follow-up), leaving the group (engagement at baseline and non-engagement at follow-up), and consistent non-engagement (non-engagement in both surveys). Analysis of covariance was performed to examine the associations of changes in SGE with changes in PA., Results: Compared with those with consistent non-engagement, who showed declines in every PA category, subjects with consistent engagement or new engagement showed significantly smaller changes in total PA, moderate-intensity PA, and brisk walking. Leaving the group (vs. consistent non-engagement) was associated with maintaining moderate-intensity PA., Conclusions: SGE helps to suppress the age-associated decline in PA in older age, with new engagement and continuous engagement, especially, mitigating decreasing PA., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of a community-wide walking intervention (involving walking maps and events) on older residents' walking and environmental perceptions. Method: In this nonrandomized quasi-panel study, older adults living in an intervention and control site were recruited at baseline and follow-up. All households in the intervention site received maps and were invited to participate in a walking event monthly. The intervention lasted for 21 months. The outcomes were walking frequency, duration, and perceptions of local environments. Results: We did not find a significant improvement in walking frequency or duration in the intervention site relative to the control site. However, there was a significant increase in the awareness of others being active and a marginal increase in the perception of aesthetics in the intervention site. Discussion: The increased awareness of others being active may be a positive step in the stages of change toward engagement in physical activity.

It has been reported that office environment is an important determinant of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in office workers. However, the effect of changes in office environment (office renovation) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine PA, SB, and space utilization changes among office workers in response to office renovation. This study was a natural experiment at three offices of a single company in Tokyo, Japan. The participants were, 13 workers from one office in the renovation group (mean age: 37.9 ± 10.8 years, percentage of females: 23.1%) and 29 from two offices in the control group (mean age: 42.3 ± 11.2 years, percentage of females: 31.0%). In the renovation, introduction of activity-based working (ABW) and installation of height-adjustable desks (HAD) were adopted. The ABW office was designed to provide various shared workstations, enabling the workers to choose workstations depending on their task or mood. Accelerometer measurement and object detection method using artificial intelligence (AI) technology for video images were used to assess behavior and space utilization before and after the renovation. Two weeks after the renovation, significant improvements in SB (pre- to post-renovation improvements: 346.8 ± 28.6 to 321.2 ± 17.8 min/working-hours) and PA (total PA: 173.2 ± 28.6 to 198.8 ± 17.8 min/working-hours; and light-intensity PA: 130.4 ± 27.1 to 150.7 ± 31.0 min/working-hours) were observed. In addition, the results of the object detection analysis showed that the central aisle of the office and shared HAD workstations near the entrance or window were utilized more frequently than the other spaces. This study suggested that office renovation could improve SB and PA immediately after the renovation. Moreover, utilized spaces and HAD workstations could play an important role to enhance employees' activity in an ABW office.

This study aimed to examine when and how physical activity (PA) influences gestational weight gain (GWG) and infant birthweight (BW) by considering the PA's total volume, timing, intensity, and type, controlling for the influence of energy intake. A total of 1272 participants in different stages of pregnancy were recruited from hospital. The associations between PA and GWG or BW in the latter half of pregnancy were significant. Women with the highest PA volume in the third trimester had significantly lower risks of inadequate and excessive GWG by 69% (OR = 0.31, 95%CI: 0.10-0.91) and 67% (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.12-0.91), respectively, compared to women in the lowest quartile. Women who achieved the recommended moderate intensity of PA during their second and third trimesters, independent of total volume of PA, had infants with significantly lower BWs compared to those who did not (β = -0.15, SE = 66.33, p = 0.04; β = -0.20, SE = 64.54, p = 0.01, respectively). Therefore, the effects of total volume and intensity of PA on GWG and BW were different. Interventions to prevent inappropriate GWG and macrosomia may need to set different priorities and timing regarding total volume or intensity of PA., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background: Physical activity (PA) and dietary intake are important modifiable factors associated with health outcomes. However, Chinese pregnant women's PA and dietary intake are only vaguely understood. The aim of this study was to reveal the characteristics of PA and dietary intake of Chinese women in different trimesters as well as the associations between PA and dietary intake., Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study. PA, dietary intake, and demographics of 1077 Chinese pregnant women were measured. The Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test, multiple logistic regression, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis., Results: About 57.1% of the participants met the international guideline for PA. Household activity and occupational activity contributed the most to the total PA, while sports/exercise contributed little. The mean energy intake of the participants was 2008 ± 748.0 kcal. Most participants had normal energy intake, but they obtained excessive energy from fat (mean = 41.7 ± 8.7%). PA was not found to be significantly associated with dietary intake. Further, the participants who were unemployed during pregnancy (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55-0.95; p < 0.05) or had no exercise habits before pregnancy (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.47-0.80; p < 0.01) were less likely to meet the PA guideline. The participants in the third trimester (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.03-1.99; p < 0.05) were more likely to meet the PA guideline compared to those in the first trimester. The older participants (> 30 years) showed higher dietary intake than the younger (< 25 years) participants (p < 0.01)., Conclusions: The total PA of Chinese women during pregnancy mostly consists of household and occupational activities, but little sports/exercise. Starting exercise before pregnancy may help women achieve adequate PA during pregnancy. Moreover, these women consumed an excessive amount of fat and their diet intake varies by age.

Background: Considering that building a sports facility is a major investment to promote population health, it is important to understand whether it is effective in increasing the level of physical activity (PA) in the community. This study examined the impact of building a new multipurpose exercise facility on community-level PA in Japan., Methods: This non-randomised panel study compared two sites: an intervention site where a new exercise facility was built (opened after baseline data collection) and a control site where there was no such additional exercise facility. From each site, 3200 adult residents (aged 30-74 years) were randomly selected at baseline (2013) and at follow-up (2015). The number of participants retained for analysis was 845 at baseline and 924 at follow-up for the intervention site, and 821 at baseline and 1018 at follow-up for the control site. The outcomes were participants' self-reported PA, perceived availability of PA facilities, awareness of others being active, and willingness to engage in PA. We examined the interaction terms between the sites and time of measurement in regression analyses to examine whether the magnitude of change from baseline to follow-up differed between the two sites., Results: The changes in the proportion of participants meeting the PA guideline and those engaging in moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA were not significantly different between the intervention and control sites. The intervention site had a greater increase in the proportion of participants who were aware of PA facilities from baseline to follow-up than in the control site. The odds ratio for awareness of others being active approached significance, suggesting that there was a tendency at the intervention site towards a greater increase in the proportion of participants who noticed physically active people., Conclusions: This study did not find community-level increases in PA after the construction of the exercise facility. However, a significant improvement in the awareness of PA facilities was observed in the intervention site. A sustained community-level effort to promote PA, possibly including social components, and a further tracking of residents' PA are needed to take a full advantage of the new exercise facility and to assess its long-term impact., Trial Registration: UMIN-CTR UMIN000034116 (retrospectively registered: 13 September 2018).

Subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) might be a meaningful indicator of dementia onset or mild cognitive impairment, and identifying the related factors of SCC could contribute to preventing these diseases. However, the relationship between SCC and lifestyle factors remains largely unproven. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of type of sedentary behavior, physical activity, or their combination with SCC among community-dwelling older adults. In 2016, 6677 community-living elderly were recruited to participate in a survey investigating cognition, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. In total, 5328 participants responded to the questionnaire (79.8% valid response rate). SCC was assessed using the National Functional Survey Questionnaire (Kihon checklist). The relationships between SCC and physical activity, sedentary behavior (reading books or newspapers, and television viewing), or combined physical activity and sedentary behavior were examined via multiple logistic regression analysis. The analysis revealed that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (≥150 min/week) was significantly related with a lower risk of SCC (odds ratio [OR] = 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74-0.97), and that reading behavior showed a dose-response relationship with SCC (OR for 10-20 min/day = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.53-0.75; OR for 20-30 min/day = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.49-0.71; OR for ≥30 min/day = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.39-0.57). In addition, among those reporting high physical activity and ≥30 min/day for reading time, the OR for SCC was 0.40 (95% CI = 0.32-0.50) compared with the combined group reporting lower physical activity and non-readers. The present study shows that increased physical activity and reading time may be related to a reduced risk for SCC among community-dwelling older adults.

Objectives　Promoting physical activity is a key public health issue. Incentive programs have attracted attention as a technique for promoting physical activity. For the use of effective incentives, there is a need to clarify the most effective incentive program conditions for the promotion of physical activity. Therefore, the present study used the conjoint analysis to examine the effective incentive program conditions for strengthening the motivation to increase physical activity.Methods　Data on 1,998 subjects (aged 40-74) were analyzed. The main variables in this study were physical activity (IPAQ-Short Form) and the strengthening of motivation to increase physical activity. The incentive programs that were implemented, comprised four factors: 1) cash equivalents (1,000 yen, 2,000 yen, and 3,000 yen); 2) duration between increase in physical activity and receipt of the incentive (1, 2, or 3 months); 3) method to record the physical activity (recording sheet, recording website, and automatic pedometer recording); and 4) lottery (yes or no). Eleven incentive programs were created, which was the minimum number required for comparison of these factors and levels. The average importance of each of the four factors was calculated to compare their contributions to the strengthening of the motivation to increase physical activity. The utility of each level was also calculated to compare their contributions to the strengthening of motivation. All statistics were stratified by age (≤65 years and 65+ years) and physical activity (<150 min/week, 150+ min/week) for additional analysis.Results　Cash incentives and the lottery ranked equally on average importance, followed by duration and recording methods. Utility was higher for each factor, as follows: 1) more valuable cash incentives, 2) shorter duration, 3) automatic pedometer recording, and 4) no lottery. There was no notable difference in the average importance and utility of age and physical activity.Conclusions　The results of this study suggest that no lottery and more valuable incentives were important for improving the effectiveness of incentive programs in increasing physical activity. Moreover, these two factors would be important regardless of age and physical activity levels. Further intervention studies on incentive programs for increasing physical activity considering the present results are needed.

Objectives The objectives of the present study were to translate the English version of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire into Chinese (PPAQ-C) and to determine its reliability and validity for use by pregnant Chinese women. Methods The study included 224 pregnant women during their first, second, or third trimesters of pregnancy who completed the PPAQ-C on their first visit and wore a uniaxial accelerometer (Lifecorder; Suzuken Co. Ltd) for 7 days. One week after the first visit, we collected the data from the uniaxial accelerometer records, and the women were asked to complete the PPAQ-C again. Results We used intraclass correlation coefficients to determine the reliability of the PPAQ-C. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.77 for total activity (light and above), 0.76 for sedentary activity, 0.75 for light activity, 0.59 for moderate activity, and 0.28 for vigorous activity. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.74 for "household and caregiving", 0.75 for "occupational" activities, and 0.34 for "sports/exercise". Validity between the PPAQ-C and accelerometer data was determined by Spearman correlation coefficients. Although there were no significant correlations for moderate activity (r = 0.19, P > 0.05) or vigorous activity (r = 0.15, P > 0.05), there were significant correlations for total activity [light and above; r = 0.35, P < 0.01)] and for light activity (r = 0.33, P < 0.01). Conclusions for Practice The PPAQ-C is reliable and moderately accurate for measuring physical activity in pregnant Chinese women.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the association between socioeconomic position and the domains of physical activity connected with work, travel, and recreation in Japanese adults., Methods: A total of 3269 subjects, 1651 men (mean ± standard deviation; 44.2 ± 8.1 years) and 1618 women (44.1 ± 8.1 years), responded to an Internet-based cross-sectional survey. Data on socioeconomic (household income, educational level) and demographic variables (age, size of household, and household motor vehicles) were obtained. To examine the associations between socioeconomic position and physical activity, logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) for "active" domains of physical activity., Results: Men with a household income of ≥ 7 million yen had significantly lower work-related physical activity than the lowest income group (OR 0.51; 95 % CI, 0.35-0.75), but significantly greater travel-related (OR 1.37; 1.02-1.85), recreational (OR 2.00; 1.46-2.73) and total physical activity (OR 1.56; 1.17-2.08). Women with a household income of ≥ 7 million yen had significantly greater recreational physical activity (OR 1.43; 1.01-2.04) than the lowest income group. Their total physical activity was borderline significant, with slightly more activity in the high-income group (OR 1.36; 1.00-1.84), but no significant differences for work- and travel-related physical activity. Men with higher educational level (4-year college or higher degree) had significantly lower work-related (OR 0.62; 0.46-0.82), and greater travel-related physical activity (OR 1.33; 1.04-1.71) than the lowest educated group, but there were no significant differences in recreational and total physical activity. Women with a 4-year college or higher degree had significantly greater travel-related physical activity than the lowest educated group (OR 1.49; 1.12-1.97), but there were no significant differences in any other physical activity. There was no relation between working full time and physical activity in men, but women working full-time have significantly lower and not higher travel related physical activity. (OR 0.75; 0.59-0.96)., Conclusions: This study suggests that lower socioeconomic position is associated with more work-related physical activity, and less travel-related, recreational and total physical activity, and that this was more pronounced in men than in women.

Objective: The study was a non-randomized, parallel-group comparison to evaluate the efficacy of a community-based weight reduction program with exercise and diet modification for overweight adults using existing community health services., Methods: The study population consisted of 1,115 community-dwelling people who underwent annual health checkups in 2002 and were screened by exclusion criteria (age> 65, body mass index (BMI) < 24.2). They received a mail request to select one of two courses; a usual single-session health instruction course (control group) or a 9-month weight management course (intervention group). Forty six patients registered in the intervention group, and fifty patients in the control group. The analyzed sample consisted of 76 participants (9 males and 67 females) excluding dropouts from November 2002 to July 2003. Intervention included monthly classes (2 hours per class, 9 classes) consisting of an individual support program for behavioral change and a community support program for continuation after the class. The control group participants received conventional instructions based on their health status., Results: No significant inter-group differences were observed at baseline, except in age and height of females. The mean BMI decreased from 27.2 (SD = 2.8) kg m(-2) to 25.3(3.1) kg m(-2) in the intervention group, and 26.4 (1.7) kg m(-2) to 26.1(1.7) kg m(-2) in the control group. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant time and group interaction adjusted for gender and age. The proportion showing maintenance and action in stage of exercise behavior increased in the intervention group (31% to 60%), but remained stable in the control group (45% to 48%) . The proportion showing maintenance and action in stage of diet behavior increased in the intervention group (24% to 80%), but remained stable in the control group (29% to 26%)., Conclusion: Community-based weight reduction programs may be effective to facilitate change in exercise and diet behavior for body weight reduction in overweight adults.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Life Style Modification Program for Physical Activity and Diet (LiSM-PAN) in comparison to a conventional healthcare program., Method: Subjects with risk factor(s) for chronic disease were allocated as a cluster to the LiSM group (n=92) or the Control group (n=85). The LiSM-PAN program consisted of counseling plus social and environment support, and the Control program consisted of written feedback for changing physical activity and dietary practice. Intervention was conducted for 6 months during 2001-2002 and with data analysis during 2003-2004 in Tokyo, Japan. The main outcomes were leisure time exercise energy expenditure (L.E.E.E.), maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), dietary habits, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood glucose, and lipid parameters., Results: The LiSM group showed a significantly greater increase in L.E.E.E. than the Control group at the end of the intervention (mean inter-group difference: 400.6 kcal/week, 95% CI: 126.1, 675.0 kcal/week). No significant mean inter-group differences were observed in dietary habits. The LiSM group showed significantly greater decreases in BMI, systolic blood pressure, and LDL-cholesterol than the Control group., Conclusion: The LiSM-PAN program produced greater positive changes in L.E.E.E., dietary habits, and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in high-risk middle-aged male workers compared to the Control program.

Objective: the effects of regular exercise over 5 years on mortality and ADL impairment were evaluated in elderly people., Design: intervention study., Setting: Tsuru City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan., Methods: the subjects of this study were 245 elderly people living at home. Of these individuals, 155 (56 males aged 76.5+/-4.2 years at the baseline level; 99 females aged 76.2+/-4.8 years) who voluntarily participated in our original health-promoting programme were regarded as an intervention group. The remaining 90 (29 males aged 77.6+/-5.2 years at the baseline level; 61 females aged 77.3+/-5.1 years) were regarded as a control group. The programme was a 5-year intervention consisting of collective sessions given six times a year every 2 months. The intervention was a combination of an exercise programme based on theories of exercise physiology and a support programme based on health education theories. The relative risks of death and ADL impairment adjusted for age, presence or absence of cardiovascular or musculo-skeletal disorders, and functional fitness level at the baseline were calculated using logistic regression analysis., Results: the rates of participant compliance per year were 67.7% in the first year of the intervention period and gradually decreased thereafter to 43.9% in the last year. Amongst female subjects the percentage of those who exercised habitually at the end of the study period was the same as that in the baseline in the intervention group but was significantly lower at the end of the study in the control group (chi2 = 10.576, P < 0.01). The relative risk of death in the intervention group was 1.0 (95% CI 0.22-4.51) amongst the males and 0.16 (95% CI 0.03-0.81) amongst the females. Relative risk of ADL impairment was 0.22 (95% CI 0.03-1.42) amongst the males and 0.36 (95% CI 0.13-1.02) amongst the females., Conclusion: These findings suggest that the improved mortality and state of independence in the female portion of the intervention group occurred as a result of increased physical exercise levels in daily life. However, validation of our results must await research that employs a randomized control trial to avoid various biases and confounding factors between the intervention and the control groups.