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Background: Socioeconomic characteristics of locations where physical activity equipment is installed may affect the activity level of users. The purpose of this study was to verify patterns of use and physical activity levels in fitness zones installed in low- and high-income neighborhoods in the city of Curitiba, Brazil. Methods: Over 1200 observations were conducted in 20 fitness zones in the city of Curitiba, Brazil. Data were collected during the months of November and December 2012, in 4 periods of the day (8 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, and 5 PM), on 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days. Results: A total of 2232 people were observed in the fitness zones. Age group, level of physical activity in the area, use of fitness zones during weekend days, and occupation of spaces were significantly associated with neighborhood income. Moreover, users of fitness zones located in high-income neighborhoods showed higher odds ratio (OR = 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.46–2.07) of moderate to vigorous physical activity than light or sedentary activities, regardless of gender or day of the week. Conclusions: The sole presence of equipment does not seem to favor the use of fitness zones in low-income neighborhoods. Future studies should investigate intrinsic factors for the use of fitness zones for physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study tested if the timing of meals, physical activity, light exposure, and sleep cluster within individuals and are associated with body mass index (BMI) in a sample of free-living adults (N = 125). Methods: Data were collected between November 2015 and March 2016 at the University of California, San Diego, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Washington University in St Louis. Height and weight were measured, and BMI (kg/m2) was calculated. Sleep timing was estimated using actigraphy, and timing of meals, physical activity, and light exposure were self-reported using a smartphone application. General linear models estimated the mean BMI across time categories of behaviors, adjusting for covariates. A latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of timing variables that clustered within individuals and test for associations between identified patterns and BMI. Results: Later exposure to outdoor light was associated with a lower BMI (P trend <.01). The timing of other behaviors was not independently associated with BMI. The latent class analysis identified 2 distinct groups related to behavioral timing, reflecting an "early bird" and "night owl" phenotype. These phenotypes were not associated with BMI (P >.05). Conclusion: Timing of exposures to light, meals, sleep, and physical activity were not strongly associated with BMI in this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Physical Activity Research Center developed a research agenda that addresses youth physical activity (PA) and healthy weight, and aligns with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health. This paper summarizes prioritized research studies with a focus on youth at higher risk for inactive lifestyles and childhood obesity in urban and rural communities. Methods: Systematic literature reviews, a survey, and discussions with practitioners and researchers provided guidance on research questions to build evidence and inform effective strategies to promote healthy weight and PA in youth across race, cultural, and economic groups. Results: The research team developed a matrix of potential research questions, identified priority questions, and designed targeted studies to address some of the priority questions and inform advocacy efforts. The studies selected examine strategies advocating for activity-friendly communities, Play Streets, park use, and PA of youth in the summer. A broader set of research priorities for youth PA is proposed. Conclusion: Establishing the Physical Activity Research Center research agenda identified important initial and future research studies to promote and ensure healthy weight and healthy levels of PA for at-risk youth. Results will be disseminated with the goal of promoting equitable access to PA for youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public parks hold promise for promoting population-level PA, but studies show a significant portion of park use is sedentary. Past research has documented the effectiveness of message-based strategies for influencing diverse behaviors in park settings and for increasing PA in nonpark contexts. Therefore, to inform message-based interventions (eg, point-ofdecision prompts) to increase park-based PA, the purpose of this study was to elicit insights about key attitudes, perceived norms, and personal agency that affect park use and park-based PA in low-income urban neighborhoods. Methods: This study used 6 focus groups with youth and adults (n = 41) from low-income urban areas in Kansas City, MO, to examine perceptions of key attitudinal outcomes and motivations, perceived norms, key referents, and personal agency facilitators and constraints that affect park use and park-based PA. Results: Participant attitudes reflected the importance of parks for mental and physical health, with social interaction and solitude cited as key motivations. Of 10 themes regarding perceived norms, influential others reflected participants' ethnic makeup but little consensus emerged among groups. Social and safety themes were cited as both facilitators and constraints, along with park offerings and setting. Conclusions: Information about attitudes, perceived norms, and personal agency can increase understanding of theoretically derived factors that influence park-based PA and help park and health professionals create communication strategies to promote PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the interconnectedness among dimensions of wellness to understand the lived experience of female collegiate athletes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with upperclassmen female college athletes (n=20) to explore their perceptions about the college athlete experience impacting their holistic well-being and their utilization of supportive resources within the institution's athletic department. Using the Indivisible Self Model of Wellness as a framework, the overarching themes were all factors that negatively affected their well-being, including pressure to perform, coach-athlete verbal communication issues, and freshman year blues. When participants experienced these challenges, the resources they found most supportive included athletic trainers and sports psychologists, both of whom helped them cope with the demands of the college athlete lifestyle. These findings have important implications for practitioners working with female collegiate athletes, in addition to designing future interventions to better meet the wellness needs of female collegiate athletes, thus enhancing the overall college athlete experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ciclovía, or open streets concept, is a community-level physical activity (PA) promotion strategy where streets are closed to motorized traffic and open for individuals to engage in PA. This paper presents an overview of such initiatives in the United States (US) to understand their potential in PA promotion, comparing event and city characteristics. Methods: We searched ciclovía and open streets initiatives held in 2011 in the US using internet searches, publication databases, social media, and personal contacts. We extracted data on the each initiative's frequency, route length, attendance, evaluation procedures, and sociodemographic characteristics of host cities. Results: Our search yielded 47 US cities with open streets in 2011. Cities were diverse in sociodemographic characteristics. Route lengths ranged from a few blocks to 51 miles and event frequency ranged from annual to monthly. Reporting number of participants for events was sporadic. Few events conducted formal evaluations. Conclusion: The number of US cities hosting open streets is increasing. The sociodemographics of the host cities suggest a potential to increase physical activity in populations at risk for developing chronic diseases through these initiatives. However, further evaluation is required. Identifying successful promotion and evaluation tactics would boost the health promotion potential of these initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parks benefit communities by supporting the physical, mental, and social health of their residents. This is especially important in urban areas, where parks provide essential access to green space, and especially among low-income populations who may lack alternative venues for outdoor recreation. However, although urban parks may ostensibly be accessible, their use can be influenced by factors including perceptions and realities of safety. This qualitative study explored the issue of safety as it relates to park use and park-based physical activity from six focus groups with 41 total participants in urban Kansas City, Missouri. As a facilitator to safety, participants described social interactions and structural environment factors. Safety constraints emerged along five main themes: violence, concerning behavior, lack of maintenance, lack of lighting, and traffic/busy roads. This study adds to the literature establishing safety as a complex and multidimensional factor influencing park usage and physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of the work environment in determining physical activity gained within and around the workplace. With most adults spending more than half of their waking day at work, the workplace is a promising venue for promoting physical activity. We used a sample of 147 employed women—median age = 53 years old; 42% meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) physical activity recommendations—wearing a GPS device and accelerometer on the hip for 7 days to assess location and physical activity at minute-level epochs. We analyzed the association between geographic information systems (GIS) measures of walkability and greenness around the workplace and the amount of physical activity gained while in the work neighborhood. Our results showed that working in high walkable environments was associated with higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity while at work, and with higher moderate to vigorous physical activity gained within the work neighborhood. Increasing walkability levels around workplaces can contribute to increasing physical activity of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeitgebers such as light, eating and physical activity provide input to the circadian clock. Chronic circadian misalignment is associated with significant adverse health effects. An improved understanding of the impact of the timing of zeitgebers on the stability of 24-hour rest-activity rhythm in free-living settings may identify behavioural and environmental intervention targets. A total of 133 healthy adults, aged 21-60 years, wore a wrist actigraph for 7 consecutive days. We applied a non-parametric analysis to activity counts to derive rest-activity patterns. We administered a questionnaire through a smartphone app to collect self-reported timing of light exposure, eating episodes and physical activity. To assess the relationship between timing exposures (first and last exposure to outdoor light, first exposure to indoor light, last eating episode, first eating episode, morning physical activity proportion, evening physical activity proportion) and rest-activity or sleep outcomes (bedtimes, total sleep time, inter-daily stability, intra-daily variability, L5 and M10 midpoint), we first calculated Spearman correlations, using the false discovery rate method to control for multiple comparisons. From those significant associations, we then fit regression models adjusting for age, sex, race, household income, education level, study site, body mass index, as well as physical activity. Finally, we tested for interaction between chronotype and each timing-related exposure and stratified the analysis by morning type. All zeitgebers, except for evening physical activity proportion, were correlated with at least four of the seven sleep and rest-activity outcomes. In adjusted analysis, later timing of first (after 6:30 to 7:45 AM versus earlier) and last exposure to indoor light (after 11:00 PM versus earlier) and first (after 7:45-9:45 AM versus earlier) and last eating episode (after 8:00-09:00 PM versus earlier) were associated with a shift of 0.60-1.39 hours to later bedtimes, M10 and L5 midpoints (i.e. timing of peak activities or inactivities). Later timing of first exposure to outdoor light (after 09:30 AM versus earlier) was also associated with 0.51 (95% CI: 0.19 to 0.83) hours longer total sleep time. Higher morning physical activity proportion (> 33%) was associated with 0.95 (95% CI: −1.38 to −0.53) hours earlier in-bed time and 0.69 (95% CI: −1.14 to −0.24) hours earlier out-of-bed time, 0.92 (95% CI: −1.41 to −0.42) hours earlier M10 and 0.96 (95% CI: −1.42 to −0.49) min earlier L5 midpoint. The results did not change substantially with further adjustment for total activity. There was a significant interaction between morning chronotype and first eating episode with rest-activity patterns (p < 0.05), with first eating episode associating with timing of activities only in non-morning type adults. Timing of zeitgebers was associated with sleep and rest-activity patterns, including bedtimes, L5 and M10 midpoint. Future research should evaluate the impact of manipulating zeitgebers on both circadian rhythms and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]