Bouts of physical activity lasting > or = 10 minutes may be a more time-efficient strategy to decrease body mass index and waist circumference.
Archive for category Physical Activity
This qualitative study from North Carolina provide insight into key areas of concern for parents regarding the nutrition and activity environment of child-care centers. This information may be used to create or modify interventions or policies and to help motivate parents to become advocates for change in child care. Out of 508 parents 27% rated meals quality as excellent. And 42% meals rated them as good. The majority of parents categorized the quality of physical activity at the center as excellent (36%) or good (46%), and suggested more structured, outdoor activities for children.
This is a paper on methods without any results. They have a nice way to test kids fitness (Flamingo balance; Plate tapping; Sit and reach; Standing broad jump; Hand-grip; Sit-ups; Bent-arm hang; 10 × 5 m shuttle run; 20 m shuttle run). Paper was published in July 2008.
UK cardiology specialists asked makers of pacemakers about electromagnetic interference between their devices and the Wii computer console. The results were published in BMJ.
Children are receiving inconsistent health messages at sporting venues, with healthy lifestyles being promoted through sports participation, but unhealthy dietary choices being provided at sports canteens. This is based on a telephone survey conducted on parents of children aged 5-17 years in NSW, Australia.
Two days ago the 2007-report on Healthly lifestyles: knowledge, attitudes and behaviour was released.
Powerful choices
Dec 18
American Cancer Society started a new series of video podcasts to encurrage PA and healthy eating. Find them on youtube. A new three- to five-minute episode will be available on the second Monday of each month.
Obesity is the most common chronic disease of childhood. Data from 100 children in Baltimore, Maryland. The mean age of our population was 11.8 years and 56% were overweight (body mass index>85 percentile). Most (96%) knew how to ride a bike and 80% reported owning a bike. Children who rode a bike just once a week or less were the most likely to be overweight. This association was stronger than for all other dietary and activity practices. Riding a bicycle at least 2 or more days during the week is associated with a decreased likelihood of being overweight during childhood.
University of Illinois receives $16 million US$ to study impact of environment on kids’ health
Dec 16
The ImpacTeen project got the grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study policy and environmental factors that influence youth behaviors related to nutrition, physical activity, obesity and tobacco use. In some communities, researchers will look at what opportunities are available to kids for physical activity — such as walking/biking paths, bike racks, parks, sidewalks, recreation facilities and dance studios — and what characteristics of the built environment may promote or serve as barriers to activity among kids. The availability — or lack of availability — of healthy food options in communities will also be identified. Policy makers at all levels — at the federal level, state level, local level, in schools and other organizations — will be involved in this effort.
Urban 8th- and 11th-grade students reported the lowest prevalence of PA. Suburban or rural schools were significantly more likely than their urban counterparts to report higher school-based sports team participation in 8th graders; higher vigorous PA and strengthening exercise in 11th-grade boys; and higher physical education attendance in 4th and 11th graders. The researchers observed few significant geographic differences in prevalence of television watching and video game playing.