The null need not be nil: Clarifying the parallel arbitrariness of difference testing and equivalence testing.

In every statistical analysis, a critical step is to determine the smallest effect size of interest, namely, the arbitrary dividing line between meaningful and negligible results. Different tests address this in different ways, and the contrasting approaches can sometimes lead to confusion. We discuss a key example of such confusion, whereby equivalence testing is perceived to be more arbitrary than difference testing.

Study protocol: process and outcome evaluation of the Walk with Ease program for fall prevention.

Background: Falls are the leading cause of injury related morbidity and mortality in older adults. Primary and secondary prevention strategies that address modifiable risk factors are critically important to reduce the number of falls and fall related injuries. A number of evidence-based fall prevention programs are available, but few offer potential for broad dissemination and public health impact due to implementation barriers, such as a need for trained program leaders and clinicians.

Evaluating the feasibility and utility of telephonic motivational interviewing in older adults.

Unlabelled: Older adults face unique barriers and challenges related to physical activity (PA) participation. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a commonly used health coaching strategy to support behavior change that holds potential for older adults. Previous research on MI strategies has focused primarily on face-to-face delivery, limiting insights regarding virtual programs.

Home environment factors associated with child BMI changes during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The influence of home obesogenic environments, as assessed by the validated Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) tool, and child obesity during the COVID pandemic were evaluated using electronic health records in this retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Historical data on BMI and the FNPA screening tool were obtained from annual well-child visits within the Geisinger Health System. The study examined youth ages 2-17 that had a BMI record and an FNPA assessment prior to the pandemic (BMI 3/1/19-2/29/20), 1 BMI record 3 months into the pandemic (6/1/20-12/31/20) and 1 BMI in the second year of the pandemic (1/1/21-12/31/21).

Jerks are Useful: Extracting pulse rate from wrist-placed accelerometry jerk during sleep in children.

Study Objectives: Evaluate wrist-placed accelerometry predicted heartrate compared to electrocardiogram (ECG) heartrate in children during sleep.

Methods: Children (n=82, 61% male, 43.9% Black) wore a wrist-placed Apple Watch Series 7 (AWS7) and ActiGraph GT9X during a polysomnogram.

Comparison of raw accelerometry data from ActiGraph, Apple Watch, Garmin, and Fitbit using a mechanical shaker table.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the raw accelerometry output from research-grade and consumer wearable devices compared to accelerations produced by a mechanical shaker table. Raw accelerometry data from a total of 40 devices (i.e.

Sociodemographic influences on youth sport participation and physical activity among children living within concentrated Hispanic/Latino rural communities.

Introduction: Lack of physical activity (PA) among children living in rural communities is a documented public health problem. Although studies have examined community conditions defined by a rural-urban dichotomy, few have investigated rural community conditions with a concentration of Hispanic/Latino people. This cross-sectional study examined sociodemographic characteristics associated with youth sport (YS) participation and daily PA among children living within concentrated Hispanic/Latino rural U.

Estimating Physical Activity and Sleep using the Combination of Movement and Heart Rate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to quantify the difference in physical activity and sleep estimates assessed via 1) movement, 2) heart rate (HR), or 3) the combination of movement and HR (MOVE+HR) compared to criterion indicators of the outcomes. Searches in four electronic databases were executed September 21-24 of 2021. Weighted mean was calculated from standardized group-level estimates of mean percent error (MPE) and mean absolute percent error (MAPE) of the proxy signal compared to the criterion measurement method for physical activity, HR, or sleep.

An observational pilot evaluation of the Walk with Ease program for reducing fall risk among older adults.

Background: Physical activity is an effective method of reducing fall risk among older adults. Previous evaluations of the six-week Walk with Ease (WWE) program have documented benefits to functional outcomes, but the potential effects on reducing fall risk have not been evaluated. This pilot study evaluates outcomes of a community delivered WWE program for potential suitability as a fall risk reduction program.

Criterion validity of wrist accelerometry for assessing energy intake via the intake-balance technique.

Background: Intake-balance assessments measure energy intake (EI) by summing energy expenditure (EE) with concurrent change in energy storage (ΔES). Prior work has not examined the validity of such calculations when EE is estimated via open-source techniques for research-grade accelerometry devices. The purpose of this study was to test the criterion validity of accelerometry-based intake-balance methods for a wrist-worn ActiGraph device.

A Device Agnostic Approach to Predict Children's Activity from Consumer Wearable Accelerometer Data: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Introduction: This study examined the potential of a device agnostic approach for predicting physical activity from consumer wearable accelerometry compared with a research-grade accelerometry.

Methods: Seventy-five 5- to 12-year-olds (58% male, 63% White) participated in a 60-min protocol. Children wore wrist-placed consumer wearables (Apple Watch Series 7 and Garmin Vivoactive 4) and a research-grade device (ActiGraph GT9X) concurrently with an indirect calorimeter (COSMED K5).

Evaluation of a device-agnostic approach to predict sleep from raw accelerometry data collected by Apple Watch Series 7, Garmin Vivoactive 4, and ActiGraph GT9X Link in children with sleep disruptions.

Goal And Aims: Evaluate the performance of a sleep scoring algorithm applied to raw accelerometry data collected from research-grade and consumer wearable actigraphy devices against polysomnography.

Focus Method/technology: Automatic sleep/wake classification using the Sadeh algorithm applied to raw accelerometry data from ActiGraph GT9X Link, Apple Watch Series 7, and Garmin Vivoactive 4.

Reference Method/technology: Standard manual PSG sleep scoring.

Evaluation of a Large-Scale School Wellness Intervention Through the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): Implications for Dissemination and Sustainability.

Background: Numerous studies have tested school-based interventions promoting healthy behaviors in youth, but few have integrated dissemination and implementation (D&I) frameworks. Using D&I frameworks can inform if and how an evidence-based intervention is implemented and maintained and provide strategies to address contextual barriers. Such application is necessary to understand how and why interventions are sustained over time.

Contextualizing Adolescent Female Physical Activity Behavior: A Descriptive Study.

Physical activity (PA) behavior tends to decline as youth get older, especially in female adolescents. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of female adolescent moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) behavior. Baseline MVPA data was collected during year one of a female-specific PA related program.

Equating NHANES Monitor-Based Physical Activity to Self-Reported Methods to Enhance Ongoing Surveillance Efforts.

Purpose: Harmonization of assessment methods represents an ongoing challenge in physical activity research. Previous research has demonstrated the utility of calibration approaches to enhance agreement between measures of physical activity. The present study utilizes a calibration methodology to add behavioral context from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), an established report-based measure, to enhance interpretations of monitor-based data scored using the novel Monitor Independent Movement Summary (MIMS) methodology.

Comparing enhancements to well-child visits in the prevention of obesity: ENCIRCLE cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: Obesity disproportionally impacts rural, lower-income children in the United States. Primary care providers are well-positioned to engage parents in early obesity prevention, yet there is a lack of evidence regarding the most effective care delivery models. The ENCIRCLE study, a pragmatic cluster-randomized controlled trial, will respond to this gap by testing the comparative effectiveness of standard care well-child visits (WCV) versus two enhancements: adding a patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure (PRO WCV) and PRO WCV plus Food Care (telehealth coaching and a grocery store tour).

COVID-19 pandemic and changes in children's physical activity in a rural US community: a mixed methods study.

Objectives: To examine differences in rural community children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and participation in out-of-school activities from fall 2019 to fall 2020 and explore enacted PA opportunity modifications post initial COVID-19 disruption.

Design: Mixed methods study using the validated Youth Activity Profile (YAP), administrator reports and stakeholder surveys and semistructured interviews.

Setting: Children and community stakeholders from one rural US Great Plains community in the state of Nebraska were recruited.

Family-Based Telehealth Initiative to Improve Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children With Obesity and Its Utility During COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Evaluation.

Guidelines recommend primary care providers refer children with obesity to behavioral interventions, but given limited program availability, access, and parental engagement, referrals remain rare. We developed telehealth coaching interventions for families whose children received care at a health system in Pennsylvania, United States in 2019-2020. Intervention referrals were facilitated by the pediatrician and/or project team for 6-12-year-old children with obesity following well-child visits.

Accuracy and Precision of Energy Expenditure, Heart Rate, and Steps Measured by Combined-Sensing Fitbits Against Reference Measures: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Although it is widely recognized that physical activity is an important determinant of health, assessing this complex behavior is a considerable challenge.

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine, quantify, and report the current state of evidence for the validity of energy expenditure, heart rate, and steps measured by recent combined-sensing Fitbits.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and Bland-Altman meta-analysis of validation studies of combined-sensing Fitbits against reference measures of energy expenditure, heart rate, and steps.

A protocol for coordinating rural community stakeholders to implement whole-of-community youth physical activity surveillance through school systems.

Accurate and effective local data collection systems are needed to inform community change on youth health behaviors such as physical activity (PA). Systematic methods are particularly important for understanding PA behaviors that may be influenced by individual, interpersonal, organizational, and regional factors. The purpose of this study was to describe a protocol for coordinating community stakeholders to implement an online youth PA surveillance instrument.

Association with Temperature Variability and Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep in a Free-Living Population.

The present study examines the temperature variability in physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep in a free-living population. A representative sample of 1235 adults (ages 21-70) from Iowa, U.S.

A cluster-randomized trial comparing two SWITCH implementation support strategies for school wellness intervention effectiveness.

Background: The School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health (SWITCH) intervention has demonstrated feasibility as an implementation approach to help schools facilitate changes in students' physical activity (PA), sedentary screen time (SST), and dietary intake (DI). This study evaluated the comparative effectiveness of enhanced (individualized) implementation and standard (group-based) implementation.

Methods: Twenty-two Iowa elementary schools participated, with each receiving standardized training (wellness conference and webinars).

Parent Preferences for Physical Activity in Before and After School Programs in Rural and Suburban Communities: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine and compare parent preferences of before and after school physical activity program components in rural and suburban elementary schools.

Methods: A discrete choice experiment was conducted to measure parent preferences for components of before/after school programs. A total of 183 parents (age = 37.

Commercial Devices Provide Estimates of Energy Balance with Varying Degrees of Validity in Free-Living Adults.

Background: The challenges of accurate estimation of energy intake (EI) are well-documented, with self-reported values 12%-20% below expected values. New approaches rely on gold-standard assessments of the other components of energy balance, energy expenditure (EE) and energy storage (ES), to estimate EI.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity, repeatability, and measurement error of consumer devices when estimating energy balance in a free-living population.

Parent and Child Perceptions of Barriers to Active School Commuting.

Background: Active commuting (AC) to and from school can contribute to physical activity, although it has recently seen a global decline. The purpose of this study was to examine the agreement between parent and child perceptions of barriers to school AC.

Methods: Participants were parents (N = 152, M  = 40.