Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act
August 2024
Background: In Europe, physical activity levels tend to be lower in ethnic minority groups than the general population. Interventions and policies based on research examining isolated determinants of physical activity have had limited success in increasing physical activity levels. This study used systems dynamics theory and the capability approach theoretical framework to develop a conceptual model of how individual characteristics, institutional and physical environments and the migration context may interact to promote or hinder physical activity in ethnic minority groups living in Europe.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Move for Life (MFL) is a theory-informed intervention that was developed to augment established physical activity (PA) programmes and enable inactive adults aged 50 years and older to be more active. This study examined the feasibility of MFL and sought to provide evidence of its potential for improving PA and associated health outcomes.
Methods: A 3-arm cluster randomised feasibility trial compared MFL intervention, usual provision (UP) and control (CON) groups at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1, at 8, 10 or 12- weeks) and 6-month follow up (T2).
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act
February 2023
Background: Current literature reports a gap between development of effective interventions to promote physical activity and the systematic uptake into real-world settings. Factors relating to implementation and scale-up of physical activity interventions have been examined, however the perspectives of multiple stakeholders from different domains are not well researched. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived factors related to physical activity intervention implementation and scale-up in different domains from different stakeholders on the island of Ireland.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The 'MED-WELL' programme is a combined exercise and educational intervention designed to promote well-being among medical students and educate students about prescribing exercise as medicine in clinical practice. Due to COVID-19 public health restrictions of social distancing the 'MED-WELL' programme was offered online instead of in-person in 2021. The aim of this study is to compare the experiences of participants in the 'MED-WELL' programme online to those that previously participated in the same programme in-person to understand the student experience and optimize programme delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhysical activity (PA) promotion is a complex challenge, with the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) endorsing a systems approach and recommending countries assess existing areas of progress which can be strengthened. This paper reports a process facilitating a systems approach for identifying current good practice and gaps for promoting PA in Ireland. Elements of participatory action research were enabled through 3 stages: (1) aligning examples of actions from Irish policy documents (n = 3) to the GAPPA, (2) workshop with stakeholders across multiple sectors, and (3) review of outputs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: This study compared accelerometer-measured physical activity (PA) patterns in adolescents living in diverse urban and rural areas of Otago, New Zealand.
Method: Participants (n=377; age: 14.9±1.
This manuscript describes the rationale and protocol of a school-based randomized controlled trial called "Cycling and Walk to School" (PACO, by its Spanish acronym) that aims to promote cycling to and from school and physical activity (PA) in adolescents. This study will examine the effects of this intervention in cycling and active commuting to and from school (ACS), PA and several ACS-related factors based on self-determination theory (SDT) and a social-ecological model (SEM). A total of 360 adolescents attending six high schools (three experimental and three control) from three Spanish cities will participate in this randomized controlled trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite the well-established health benefits of physical activity (PA) for young people (aged 4-19 years), most do not meet PA guidelines. Policies that support PA in schools may be promising, but their impact on PA behavior is poorly understood. The aim of this systematic review was to ascertain the level and type of evidence reported in the international scientific literature for policies within the school setting that contribute directly or indirectly to increasing PA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite calls in the literature, little is known about how dimensions of a social and task nature relate to each other in school and out-of-school learning environments. This study explored whether interpersonal and task dimensions of the youth sport environment, as perceived by young people, are related, and, if so, how they are related. We used data from 310 adolescent sport participants from eastern Canada ( = 14.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Medical School programme workloads challenge the physical and mental health of students particularly in compressed graduate entry programmes. There is evidence that physical activity (PA) can improve holistic care and help maintain wellness among medical students. We tested the feasibility of introducing an exercise programme to the medical school curriculum which would educate and promote health and well-being among its students.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: Socioeconomically disadvantaged adults have lower engagement in leisure-time physical activity than those who are more affluent. Identification of correlates of physical activity can inform the design of effective interventions. The aim of this systematic review was to identify consistent correlates of unspecified physical activity and leisure-time physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: During a 24-h day, each given period is spent in either sedentary behaviour, sleeping, light physical activity (LPA), or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). In epidemiological research most studies have traditionally analysed the associations of these behaviours in isolation from each other; that is, without taking into account the displacement of time spent in the remaining behaviours. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in exploring how all the behaviours across the energy expenditure spectrum influence health outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: People from socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups are less likely to be physically active and more likely to experience adverse health outcomes than those who are less disadvantaged. In this umbrella review we examined across all age groups, (1) the effectiveness of interventions to improve physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, (2) the characteristics of effective interventions, and (3) directions for future research.
Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus were searched up to May 2017 to identify systematic reviews reporting physical activity interventions in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations or sub-groups.
Objectives: Healthy lifestyle habits set the stage for healthy behaviors in adulthood. We examined clustering of health behaviors (physical activity [PA], screen time, fruit and vegetable [F&V] intake) and weight status in New Zealand adolescents.
Methods: Adolescents from Dunedin, New Zealand (N = 1300; 49.
Objective: To examine the effects of a school-based intervention called Sigue la Huella (Follow the Footstep) on adolescents' daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
Method: This quasi-experimental, cohort study took place in four secondary schools in Huesca (Spain) during the 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 academic years (students aged 12-15 years). Two schools were assigned to the experimental condition (n=368) and two schools to the control condition (n=314).
Background: Reduced time dedicated to physical education and free play in recent decades emphasizes the need to promote opportunities for sport participation in adolescents in order to increase physical activity levels. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of sociodemographic and biological characteristics, behavioural patterns, and school-related and sport-specific variables with time spent participating in sport.
Methods: A total of 1837 secondary school students (age: 14.
Background: While the importance of individual and school factors as correlates of overall youth physical activity has been demonstrated by previous research, less is known about the relationship of these factors with specific patterns of physical activity during adolescence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the association of selected individual and school factors with patterns of physical activity based on a sum index of physical activity in a population-based sample of Spanish adolescents.
Methods: One thousand and eighty-four students aged 12 to 17 years completed a self-report survey once during school hours.