Reliability, Objectivity, Validity and Reference Levels of the Austrian Balance Check (ABC)-A Novel Balance Field Test for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults to Assess Static Balance.

Balance is a relevant indicator of physical fitness and correlates with intellectual abilities. Due to limited resources, however, balance tests are underrepresented in fitness checks. To develop an effective field test to assess static balance with minimal cost, little spatial requirement and short testing time, a cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in three different school types (primary school, secondary school, and high school) and the reliability, objectivity and validity of the novel Austrian Balance Check (ABC) were assessed, with the generation of age- and gender-specific reference values.

Effect of a physical activity and healthy eating lifestyle intervention in pregnancy on fetal growth trajectories: The DALI randomised controlled trial.

Background: Obesity during pregnancy is related to fetal overgrowth. Effective interventions that can mitigate this risk are needed.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of a lifestyle intervention for pregnant women with obesity on fetal growth trajectories.

Reliability, Objectivity, Validity, and Reference Levels of the Austrian Pole Climbing Test (APCT)-A Novel Monitoring Tool for Assessing General Fitness in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults.

Climbing is an activity involving many major muscle groups and, therefore, it is suitable for assessing general physical fitness. The Austrian pole climbing test (APCT) was developed as a reliable and valid test for the assessment of general fitness levels in children, adolescents, and young adults. In this cross-sectional pilot study, 677 participants (aged 6 to 19 years) were assessed via the APCT.

Associations of smart device apps with and without a perceived self-efficacy component in a physical activity context with BMI.

Smart device apps can be used to promote physical activity, decrease sedentariness, or increase self-efficacy to get active in college students, possibly reducing their obesity risk. This study assessed associations of college students' smart device use with body mass index (BMI), expecting associations between physical activity parameters and self-efficacy with BMI, moderated by app type. In an online survey, app data of a week from student's devices, weight, height, physical activity, and self-efficacy to get active were collected from 120 students.

Pancreas agenesis and fetal growth: a semi-quantitative analysis.

Pancreas agenesis is a rare condition underlying a variant of permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus. Neonates with this condition are born small for gestational age, but less is known about which components of growth are impacted, the timing of the growth restriction and potential sex differences. Our objective was to assess in which periods in gestation complete pancreas agenesis restricts fetal growth and possible sex differences in susceptibility.

Prenatal Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) in the Context of BMI, Gestational Weight Gain, and Lipid Profile-An Association Study in Pregnant Women with Overweight or Obesity.

Background: Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are bioactive glycans first detected in human milk. Their presence in maternal blood during pregnancy suggests systemic functions. Dynamics and associations of the most abundant prenatal HMOs in relation to maternal BMI and serum lipids in a cohort of 87 pregnant women with either overweight or obesity are studied.

Development of the Perceived Physical Literacy Questionnaire (PPLQ) for the adult population.

Background/objective: In physical literacy (PL) research, instruments for the adult population covering all relevant domians are currently lacking in German language. Therefore, the Perceived Physical Literacy Questionnaire (PPLQ) was developed as an assessment instrument of PL for the adult population. The purpose of this study is to describe the multistage development process leading to the aim to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PPLQ.

Effects of a daily physical activity intervention on the health-related fitness status of primary school children: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

An important barrier for a nationwide implementation of a daily physical activity (PA) at primary schools is the lack of spatial and human resources. Therefore, we developed a PA intervention that can be implemented without additional spatial resources or changes in school curricula. In the intervention group, children received a daily PA unit consisting of physical education lessons and simultaneous academic content over a 9-month period.

Automated stereological image analysis approach of the human placenta: Surface areas and vascularization.

Detecting and quantifying surface densities of placental villi and their vasculature adds important information on the development of the placenta under different exposures and pathological conditions. Today, a larger number of samples and tissue areas can be examined using automated Artificial Intelligence-based approaches. Although each image series calls for a particular approach, sharing the methods will help in facilitating reproducibility and comparability.

Physical activity and sedentary time across pregnancy and associations with neonatal weight, adiposity and cord blood parameters: a secondary analysis of the DALI study.

Background/objectives: Obesity during pregnancy is associated with neonatal adiposity, which is a risk factor for childhood obesity. Maternal physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours during pregnancy might modify this risk. We therefore studied associations between maternal PA and sedentary time (ST) during pregnancy and neonatal anthropometry and cord blood parameters and investigated whether associations differed by offspring sex.

I-PREGNO - prevention of unhealthy weight gain and psychosocial stress in families during pregnancy and postpartum using an mHealth enhanced intervention: a study protocol of two cluster randomized controlled trials.

Background: The transition to parenthood represents a critical life period with psychosocial, and behavioral changes and challenges for parents. This often increases stress and leads to unhealthy weight gain in families, especially in psychosocially burdened families. Although universal and selective prevention programs are offered to families, specific support often fails to reach psychosocially burdened families.

Is the Biphasic Effect of Diabetes and Obesity on Fetal Growth a Risk Factor for Childhood Obesity?

In pregnancies of women with obesity or diabetes, neonates are often overgrown. Thus, the pregnancy period in these women offers a window of opportunity to reduce childhood obesity by preventing neonatal overgrowth. However, the focus has been almost exclusively on growth in late pregnancy.

The Association of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Maternal and Cord Blood Anti-Oxidative Capacity and HDL Functionality: Findings of DALI Study.

Obesity is one of the most common health issues in pregnancy with short and long-term consequences for both mother and her offspring. Promoting moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and decreasing sedentary time (ST) could have a positive impact on weight and obesity management, and therefore adiposity-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and atherogenesis. However, the effects of MVPA and ST on anti-oxidative and anti-atherogenic markers in pregnancy have not been studied to date.

Obesity Affects Maternal and Neonatal HDL Metabolism and Function.

Pregravid obesity is one of the major risk factors for pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and an increased risk of cardiovascular events in children of affected mothers. However, the biological mechanisms that underpin these adverse outcomes are not well understood. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are antiatherogenic by promoting the efflux of cholesterol from macrophages and by suppression of inflammation.

Effects of Wearing FFP2 Masks on SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rates in Classrooms.

In this retrospective cohort study involving 614 secondary school students, the likelihood of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 in schools with different focus (sports focus vs. general branch; the only difference in the sports focus school was that PE was allowed at all times without restrictions) and different prevailing restrictions were compared. A significantly higher likelihood of infection with SARS-CoV-2 was found in sports classes during the period with a strict FFP-2 mask requirement compared to general branch classes (for Delta from November 2021 to December 2021, and for Omicron from January 2022 to February 2022).

Secular trend for increasing birthweight in offspring of pregnant women with type 1 diabetes: is improved placentation the reason?

Despite enormous progress in managing blood glucose levels, pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes still carries risks for the growing fetus. While, previously, fetal undergrowth was not uncommon in these women, with improved maternal glycaemic control we now see an increased prevalence of fetal overgrowth. Besides short-term implications, offspring of women with type 1 diabetes are more likely to become obese and to develop diabetes and features of the metabolic syndrome.

Vitamin D3 Supplementation in Overweight/Obese Pregnant Women: No Effects on the Maternal or Fetal Lipid Profile and Body Fat Distribution-A Secondary Analysis of the Multicentric, Randomized, Controlled Vitamin D and Lifestyle for Gestational Diabetes Prevention Trial (DALI).

Vitamin D deficiency is a common finding in overweight/obese pregnant women and is associated with increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcome. Both maternal vitamin D deficiency and maternal obesity contribute to metabolic derangements in pregnancy. We aimed to assess the effects of vitamin D3 supplementation in pregnancy versus placebo on maternal and fetal lipids.

How Middle and High School Students Wear Their Face Masks in Classrooms and School Buildings.

In addition to other mitigation measures, face masks have been used in schools worldwide as a precondition for allowing school attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The quality and habits of mask wearing have, however, not been evaluated thus far, leaving uncertainty about the efficacy of this measure. It was the aim of this study to assess the accuracy of face mask wearing by children and adolescents in different school situations.

The Weak Relationship between Vitamin D Compounds and Glucose Homeostasis Measures in Pregnant Women with Obesity: An Exploratory Sub-Analysis of the DALI Study.

Studies on the relationship between vitamin D (VitD) and glucose homeostasis usually consider either total VitD or 25OHD3 but not 25OHD2 and epimers. We aimed to evaluate the cross-sectional association of VitD compounds with glucose homeostasis measurements in pregnant women with overweight/obesity participating in the Vitamin D And Lifestyle Intervention for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Prevention study. Methods: The analysis included 912 women.

Triple careers of athletes: exploring the challenges of planning a pregnancy among female elite athletes using semi-structured interviews.

Background: The challenging factors that elite athletes perceive for combining their sportive career with planning a pregnancy and motherhood need to be identified in order to develop supportive measures. Therefore, this phenomenological qualitative study aimed to explore challenges associated with planning a pregnancy among female, non-pregnant elite athletes.

Methods: Semi-structured skype-interviews were performed among female elite athletes (athletes competing on national or international level) aged 28 years or older.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Pregnancy: An Exploratory Study on Oxidative Stress Markers in the Placenta of Women with Obesity.

Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and reduced sedentary time (ST) improve maternal glucose metabolism in pregnancy. More MVPA and less ST outside pregnancy increase antioxidant capacity, hence, are beneficial in preventing oxidative stress. The placenta is the first line of defense for the fetus from an adverse maternal environment, including oxidative stress.

Change in BMI and Fitness among Primary School Children in Austria: A 24-Month Follow-Up Study of 303 Children Measured before and during the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic not only impacted the health of school children directly through SARS-CoV-2 infections, but the associated closures of schools and sports facilities also resulted in long-term negative side effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of COVID-19-related mitigation measures on the health and fitness status of primary school children in Austria. A total of 303 primary school children participated in the longitudinal study.