Association between maternal education and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time in adolescents.

Background: Investigating socioeconomic variation in physical activity (PA) and sedentary time is important as it may represent a pathway by which socioeconomic position (SEP) leads to ill health. Findings on the association between children's SEP and objectively assessed PA and/or sedentary time are mixed, and few studies have included international samples.

Objective: Examine the associations between maternal education and adolescent's objectively assessed PA and sedentary time.

Individual, Social, and Environmental Correlates of Healthy and Unhealthy Eating.

Background: Few studies use comprehensive ecological approaches considering multilevel factors to understand correlates of healthy (and unhealthy) dietary intake. The aim of this study was to examine the association between individual, social, and environmental factors on composite measures of healthy and unhealthy dietary intake in adults.

Method: Participants (n = 565) of the Australian RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) project self-reported dietary intake, home food availability, and behavioral and perceived social and physical environmental influences on food choices.

Workplace Sitting Breaks Questionnaire (SITBRQ): an assessment of concurrent validity and test-retest reliability.

Background: Breaks in prolonged sitting may have beneficial cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal health outcomes. Desk-based work settings are an important environment to promote and support breaks in sitting time. However, few studies have reported the psychometric properties of self-report measures to assess the frequency and duration of breaks from sitting.

Bicycles gathering dust rather than raising dust--Prevalence and predictors of cycling among Australian schoolchildren.

Objectives: To examine social and physical environmental correlates of cycling regularly (i.e. at least once per week) among school-aged children.

Driving down daily step counts: the impact of being driven to school on physical activity and sedentary behavior.

This study investigated whether being driven to school was associated with lower weekday and weekend step counts, less active out-of-school leisure pursuits, and more sedentary behavior. Boys aged 10-13 years (n = 384) and girls aged 9-13 years (n = 500) attending 25 Australian primary schools wore a pedometer and completed a travel diary for one week. Parents and children completed surveys capturing leisure activity, screen time, and sociodemographics.

Direct and indirect associations between the family physical activity environment and sports participation among 10-12 year-old European children: testing the EnRG framework in the ENERGY project.

Background: Sport participation makes an important contribution to children's overall physical activity. Understanding influences on sports participation is important and the family environment is considered key, however few studies have explored the mechanisms by which the family environment influences children's sport participation. The purpose of this study was to examine whether attitude, perceived behavioural control, health belief and enjoyment mediate associations between the family environment and 10-12 year-old children's sports participation.

Cohort profile: the resilience for eating and activity despite inequality (READI) study.

The Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality (READI) cohort was established to address the following two key aims: to investigate the pathways (personal, social and structural) by which socio-economic disadvantage influences lifestyle choices associated with obesity risk (physical inactivity, poor dietary choices) and to explore mechanisms underlying 'resilience' to obesity risk in socio-economically disadvantaged women and children. A total of 4349 women aged 18-46 years and 685 children aged 5-12 years were recruited from 80 socio-economically disadvantaged urban and rural neighbourhoods of Victoria, Australia, and provided baseline (T1: 2007-08) measures of adiposity, physical activity, sedentary and dietary behaviours; socio-economic and demographic factors; and psychological, social and perceived environmental factors that might impact on obesity risk. Audits of the 80 neighbourhoods were undertaken at baseline to provide objective neighbourhood environmental data.

Do food and physical activity environments vary between disadvantaged urban and rural areas? Findings from the READI Study.

Issues Addressed: The presence or absence of amenities in local neighbourhood environments can either promote or restrict access to opportunities to engage in healthy and/or less healthy behaviours. Rurality is thought to constrain access to facilities and services. This study investigated whether the presence and density of environmental amenities related to physical activity and eating behaviours differs between socioeconomically disadvantaged urban and rural areas in Victoria, Australia.

Measurement of children's physical activity using a pedometer with a built-in memory.

Objectives: We evaluated the accuracy of the Accusplit AH120 pedometer (built-in memory) for recording step counts of children during treadmill walking against (1) observer counted steps and (2) concurrently measured steps using the previously validated Yamax Digiwalker SW-700 pedometer.

Design: This was a cross-sectional validation study performed under controlled settings.

Methods: Forty five 9-12-year-olds walked on treadmills at speeds of 42, 66 and 90m/min to simulate slow, moderate and fast walking wearing Accusplit and Yamax pedometers concurrently on their right hip.

Young and free? A study of independent mobility among urban and rural dwelling Australian children.

Objectives: To examine urban/rural differences in children's independent mobility; associations between mobility licences and children's independent mobility; and potential correlates of mobility licences.

Design: Cross-sectional study of 430 primary (48% boys; 72% urban) and 258 secondary schoolchildren (52% boys; 51.6% urban) and their parents.

How is active transport associated with children's and adolescents' physical activity over time?

Background: As few longitudinal studies have examined how active transport is associated with physical activity among children and adolescents over time, and how active transport tracks through childhood and adolescence, it is important to understand whether physically active children retain their activity patterns through adolescence. This study aimed to examine (a) tracking of active transport and of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) across childhood and adolescence in two age cohorts; and (b) associations between active transport and MVPA at three distinct time-points, over five years.

Methods: This longitudinal study of two cohorts aged 5-6 years (n = 134) and 10-12 years (n = 201) at baseline (T1), in Melbourne, Australia, gathered follow-up data at three (T2) and five years (T3).

On your bike! a cross-sectional study of the individual, social and environmental correlates of cycling to school.

Background: Active school transport (AST) has declined rapidly in recent decades. While many studies have examined walking, cycling to school has received very little attention. Correlates of cycling are likely to differ to those from walking and cycling enables AST from further distances.

Increasing children's physical activity: individual, social, and environmental factors associated with walking to and from school.

Background: Efforts to increase the prevalence of children's active school transport require evidence to inform the development of comprehensive interventions. This study used a multilevel ecological framework to investigate individual, social, and environmental factors associated with walking to and from school among elementary school-aged children, stratified by gender.

Method: Boys aged 10 to 13 years (n = 617) and girls aged 9 to 13 years (n = 681) attending 25 Australian primary schools located in high or low walkable neighborhoods completed a 1-week travel diary and a parent/child questionnaire on travel habits and attitudes.

Home and neighbourhood correlates of BMI among children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

A detailed understanding of the underlying drivers of obesity-risk behaviours is needed to inform prevention initiatives, particularly for individuals of low socioeconomic position who are at increased risk of unhealthy weight gain. However, few studies have concurrently considered factors in the home and local neighbourhood environments, and little research has examined determinants among children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The present study examined home, social and neighbourhood correlates of BMI (kg/m2) in children living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Associations between social ecological factors and self-reported short physical activity breaks during work hours among desk-based employees.

Objective: To examine the associations between potential social ecological correlates and self-reported short physical activity breaks during work hours (defined as any interruption in sitting time during a typical work hour) among a sample of employees who commonly sit for working tasks.

Methods: 801 employed adults aged 18-70 years from metropolitan Melbourne, Australia were surveyed in 2009 about their short physical activity breaks from sitting during work hours and potential social ecological correlates of this behaviour.

Results: Men reported significantly more short physical activity breaks per work hour than did women (2.

Love thy neighbour? Associations of social capital and crime with physical activity amongst women.

Using a multilevel study design, this study examined the associations between social characteristics of individuals and neighbourhoods and physical activity among women. Women (n = 1405) recruited from 45 Melbourne (Australia) neighbourhoods of varying socioeconomic disadvantage provided data on social factors and leisure-time: physical activity; walking; and walking in one's own neighbourhood. Individual level social factors were number of neighbours known and social participation.

Socioeconomic position and children's physical activity and sedentary behaviors: longitudinal findings from the CLAN study.

Background: This study aimed to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between socioeconomic position (SEP) and physical activity and sedentary behaviors amongst children and adolescents.

Methods: Maternal education was reported by parents of 184 5-6 year-old and 358 10-12 year-old children in 2001. In 2001 and 2004, physical activity was assessed by accelerometry.

Children's takeaway and fast-food intakes: associations with the neighbourhood food environment.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine associations between availability of outlets where takeaway or fast food could be purchased and consumption of takeaway or fast food among children.

Design: Cross-sectional. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding the frequency per week their child usually ate takeaway or fast foods.

Personal, social and environmental correlates of resilience to physical inactivity among women from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

While sex and socio-economic disparities in physical activity have been well documented, not all disadvantaged women are inactive. This study aimed to examine correlates of achieving recommended levels of physical activity among women of low socio-economic position. In 2005, a population-based sample of 291 women with low educational attainment provided survey data on leisure time physical activity (LTPA).

Neighbourhood fast food outlets and obesity in children and adults: the CLAN Study.

Objective: We examined associations between density of and proximity to fast food outlets and body weight in a sample of children (137 aged 8-9 years and 243 aged 13-15 years) and their parents (322 fathers and 362 mothers).

Methods: Children's measured and parents' self-reported heights and weights were used to calculate body mass index (BMI). Locations of major fast food outlets were geocoded.

Mismatch between perceived and objective measures of physical activity environments.

Objectives: This study investigated the correspondence between measures of physical activity facilities obtained through self-report and objective audits; and identified the socio-demographic, cognitive and behavioral characteristics of those who perceive their physical activity environment to be less supportive than objective measures indicate.

Methods: Self-report surveys were completed by 1540 women recruited from 45 neighborhoods in Melbourne, Australia. Women reported perceived access to physical activity facilities within 2 km from home, and also socio-demographic, cognitive and behavioral factors.

Neighborhood road environments and physical activity among youth: the CLAN study.

We examined associations between objective measures of the local road environment and physical activity (including active transport) among youth. There is little empirical evidence of the impact of the road environment on physical activity among children/adolescents in their neighborhoods. Most recent studies have examined perceptions rather than objective measures of the road environment.

Understanding environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity behaviors: where should we look and what should we count?

Research interest in the influence of environmental factors on nutrition and physical activity behaviors has surged internationally in recent years. This is evident from a rapidly expanding literature and facilitated by advances in methodological and analytical approaches to assessing multiple levels of influence on health behaviors. However, a number of conceptual challenges complicate research endeavours in this field.

Weight management and weight loss strategies of professional jockeys.

Jockeys are required to maintain very low body weight and precise weight control during competition. This study examined the weight loss and weight management strategies of professional horseracing jockeys in the state of Victoria, Australia. An anonymous, self-completed questionnaire was administered (55% response rate, n = 116).