Get BusActive!: Protocol of a single-blinded randomised controlled trial incentivising public transport use for physical activity gain among young people and adults.

Background: Population level physical activity generally does not meet recommended targets. Compared with private motor vehicle users, public transport users tend to be more physically active and financial incentives may encourage more public transport use, but these relationships are under-investigated. This paper describes the protocol of a randomised controlled trial that aimed to determine the effect of financially incentivising public transport use on physical activity in a regional Australian setting.

Is public transport a promising strategy for increasing physical activity? Evidence from a study of objectively measured public transport use and physical activity.

Background: Greater public transport use has been linked to higher physical activity levels. However, neither the amount of physical activity associated with each daily public transport trip performed, nor the potential total physical activity gain associated with an increase in trips/day, has been determined. Using objective measures, we aimed to quantify the association between public transport use, physical activity and sedentary time.

Free bus fares, bus use and physical activity: An exploratory cross-sectional study.

Issue Addressed: Public transport (PT) users often accumulate more physical activity (PA) than private motor vehicle users and financial incentives may increase PT use. Responding to rising petrol prices, from 28 March to 1 May 2022, the Tasmanian government made public bus use fare-free. This exploratory study examined the perceived impact of fare-free buses on bus use and PA.

trips4health: a single-blinded randomised controlled trial incentivising adult public transport use for physical activity gain.

Background: Public transport users tend to accumulate more physical activity than non-users; however, whether physical activity is increased by financially incentivising public transport use is unknown. The trips4health study aimed to determine the impact of an incentive-based public transport intervention on physical activity.

Methods: A single-blinded randomised control trial of a 16-week incentive-based intervention involved Australian adults who were infrequent bus users (≥ 18 years; used bus ≤ 2 times/week) split equally into intervention and control groups.

The importance of family support to engage and retain girls in male dominated action sports. A qualitative study of young people's perspectives.

Issue Addressed: Social support is positively correlated with physical activity (PA), especially amongst girls, but is underexplored in male-dominated action sports (e.g., mountain biking, skateboarding and surfing).

Is greater public transport use associated with higher levels of physical activity in a regional setting? Findings from a pilot study.

Background: Public transport users often accumulate more physical activity than motor vehicle users, but most studies have been conducted in large metropolitan areas with multiple public transport options with limited knowledge of the relationship in regional and rural areas. In a regional city, this pilot study aimed to (1) test the feasibility of preliminary hypotheses to inform future research, (2) test the utility of survey items, and (3) establish stakeholder engagement.

Methods: Data were collected via a cross-sectional online survey of 743 Tasmanian adults.

Childhood factors related to diverging body mass index trajectories from childhood into mid-adulthood: A mixed methods study.

Body mass index (BMI) trajectories that improve over the lifecourse result in better cardiometabolic profiles, but only a small proportion of children of an unhealthy weight show improving BMI trajectories. This study aimed to examine the childhood factors related to diverging BMI trajectories from childhood into adulthood using data from the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health study. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used.

Cluster patterns of behavioural risk factors among children: Longitudinal associations with adult cardio-metabolic risk factors.

Much of what is known about childhood clusters of cardiovascular disease behavioural risk factors (RFs) comes from cross-sectional studies, providing little insight into the long-term health impacts of different behavioural cluster profiles. This study aimed to establish the longitudinal relationship between cluster patterns of childhood behavioural RFs and adult cardio-metabolic RFs. Data were from an Australian prospective cohort study of 1265 participants measured in 1985 (ages 9-15 yrs), and in 2004-06 (ages 26-36 yrs).

Acceptability and perceived feasibility of strategies to increase public transport use for physical activity gain - A mixed methods study.

Issue Addressed: Public transport (PT) users typically accumulate more physical activity (PA) than motor vehicle users. This mixed methods study aimed to determine acceptability and perceived effectiveness of strategies to increase bus use for PA gain in a regional Australian setting.

Methods: In a 2017 online survey, Tasmanian adults (n = 1091) rated the likelihood of increasing their bus use according to ten hypothetical strategies (fare-, incentives-, information- or infrastructure-based).

Longitudinal associations between TV viewing and BMI not explained by the 'mindless eating' or 'physical activity displacement' hypotheses among adults.

Background: The mechanisms explaining the positive relationship between television (TV) viewing and body mass index (BMI) are unclear. 'Mindless eating' and 'physical activity displacement' theories have been suggested, but have not been tested longitudinally among young adults. This study aimed to determine whether longitudinal associations between young adults' TV viewing and BMI are explained by changes in TV-related food and beverage consumption (FBC) and/or leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) over 5 years among young adults.

Accumulated exposure to rural areas of residence over the life course is associated with overweight and obesity in adulthood: a 25-year prospective cohort study.

Purpose: This prospective cohort study investigated whether body mass index (BMI) and weight status in mid-adulthood were predicted by trajectories of urban-rural residence from childhood to adulthood.

Methods: Participants aged 7-15 years in 1985 (n = 8498) were followed up in 2004-2006 (n = 3999, aged 26-36 years) and 2009-2011 (n = 3049, aged 31-41 years). Area of residence (AOR) was classified as urban or rural at each time point.

Lifestyle behaviours associated with 5-year weight gain in a prospective cohort of Australian adults aged 26-36 years at baseline.

Background: Whether not meeting common guidelines for lifestyle behaviours is associated with weight gain is uncertain. This study examined whether 5-year weight gain was predicted by not meeting guidelines for: breakfast consumption (eating between 6 and 9 am), takeaway food consumption (<2 times/week), television viewing (<2 h/day) and daily steps (≥10,000 steps/day).

Methods: One thousand one hundred and fifty-five Australian participants (43% men, 26-36 years) completed questionnaires and wore a pedometer at baseline (2004-06) and follow-up (2009-11).

Three-year change in diet quality and associated changes in BMI among schoolchildren living in socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Findings from research that has assessed the influence of dietary factors on child obesity have been equivocal. In the present study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that a positive change in diet quality is associated with favourable changes in BMI z-scores (zBMI) in schoolchildren from low socio-economic backgrounds and to examine whether this effect is modified by BMI category at baseline. The present study utilised data from a subsample (n 216) of the Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality study, a longitudinal cohort study with data collected in 2007-8 (T1) and 2010-11 (T2) in socio-economically disadvantaged women and children (5-12 years at T1).

Young adult perceptions of Australia's physical activity recommendations for adults.

Issues Addressed: Physical activity recommendations for adults worldwide advise participation in moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking, on most days of the week. Younger adults report the lowest prevalence of walking. This mixed-methods study explores the salience of Australia's activity recommendations around moderate-intensity physical activity, particularly walking, for young Australian adults.

Health, behavioral, cognitive, and social correlates of breakfast skipping among women living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Breakfast skipping is a potentially modifiable behavior that has negative effects on health and is socioeconomically patterned. This study aimed to examine the intrapersonal (health, behavioral, and cognitive) and social factors associated with breakfast skipping. Nonpregnant women (n = 4123) aged 18-45 y from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout Victoria, Australia, completed a postal questionnaire.

Is a perceived supportive physical environment important for self-reported leisure time physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged women with poor psychosocial characteristics? An observational study.

Background: Over the past decade, studies and public health interventions that target the physical environment as an avenue for promoting physical activity have increased in number. While it appears that a supportive physical environment has a role to play in promoting physical activity, social-ecological models emphasise the importance of considering other multiple levels of influence on behaviour, including individual (e.g.

Exercise-induced hypertension, cardiovascular events, and mortality in patients undergoing exercise stress testing: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The prognostic relevance of a hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) is ill-defined in individuals undergoing exercise stress testing. The study described here was intended to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature to determine the value of exercise-related blood pressure (BP) (independent of office BP) for predicting cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality.

Methods: Online databases were searched for published longitudinal studies reporting exercise-related BP and CV events and mortality rates.

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.

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.

Correlates of pedometer-measured and self-reported physical activity among young Australian adults.

Accurately quantifying physical activity is important for investigating relations with potential correlates, but past studies have mostly relied on self-report measures, which may be susceptible to error and biases, limiting interpretability. This study aimed to examine correlates of pedometer-determined physical activity and compare them with correlates of self-reported physical activity. Cross-sectional data were taken from 2017 Australian adults (aged 26-36 years) who were involved in the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health follow-up study during 2004-2006.

Factors affecting the stability of blood lipid and lipoprotein levels from youth to adulthood: evidence from the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study.

Objective: To examine the effect of lifestyle changes on the stability of blood lipid and lipoprotein levels from youth to adulthood.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Australia.

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.

Physical activity correlates in young women with depressive symptoms: a qualitative study.

Background: Young women are at high risk for developing depression and participation in physical activity may prevent or treat the disorder. However, the influences on physical activity behaviors of young women with depression are not well understood. The aim of this study was to gather in-depth information about the correlates of physical activity among young women with and without depressive symptoms.

Socioeconomic position and the tracking of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness from childhood to adulthood.

This study examined the influence of childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and social mobility on activity and fitness tracking from childhood into adulthood. In a prospective cohort of 2,185 Australian adults (aged 26-36 years), first examined in 1985 (at ages 7-15 years), self-reported physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness (subsample only) were measured. SEP measures included retrospectively reported parental education (baseline) and own education (follow-up).

Cardiometabolic risk in younger and older adults across an index of ambulatory activity.

Background: Pedometers are increasingly being used to assess population levels of physical activity and as motivational tools for individuals to increase their physical activity. To maximize their utility, a framework for classifying pedometer-determined activity into meaningful health-related categories is needed.

Purpose: This study investigated whether a pedometer step index proposed by Tudor-Locke and Bassett can effectively group younger and older adults according to cardiometabolic health status.