Background: The physical inactivity pandemic not only has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of children and youth, but it is also a key contributor to the non-communicable disease (NCD) burden, particularly among low- and middle-income countries. The widespread effects of climate change, ranging from extreme weather events to worsening air quality, are exacerbating the physical inactivity pandemic, highlighting the need to undertake holistic interventions to address environmental barriers while promoting physical activity. Despite the potential benefits of active school transportation (AST) on physical activity and the environment, no study has examined the intersection between perceptions of AST, environmental perceptions, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among children and youth in India from a child and youth perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The global impact of climate change ranges from intense heatwaves to extreme weather events that endanger entire ecosystems and people's way of life. Adverse climate change events place undue stress on food and health systems, with consequences for human food security and mental health status. Ubiquitous digital devices, such as smartphones, have the potential to manage existing and emerging climate-related crises, given their ability to enable rapid response, instant communication, and knowledge sharing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhysical inactivity is one of the four key preventable risk factors, along with unhealthy diet, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption, underlying most noncommunicable diseases. Promoting physical activity is particularly important among children and youth, whose active living behaviours often track into adulthood. Incorporating yoga, an ancient practice that originated in India, can be a culturally-appropriate strategy to promote physical activity in India.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of physical inactivity as a contributor to non-communicable disease risk in children and youth is widely recognized. Air pollution and the built environment can limit participation in physical activity and exacerbate non-communicable disease risk; however, the relationships between perceptions of air pollution, built environment, and health behaviours are not fully understood, particularly among children and youth in low and middle-income countries. Currently, there are no studies capturing how child and youth perceptions of air pollution and built environment are associated with physical activity in India, thus, this study investigated the association between perceived air pollution and built environment on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels of Indian children and youth.
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