In a feasibility study from University of Hawaii anthropometric and fitness measures were taken at baseline and 12 weeks later for 68 students in 2 schools. A significant decrease in skinfold thicknesses and increase in distance covered in the 3-minute walk-run test were found. Incorporating daily physical activity into afterschool programs is feasible and effective, but teacher interest is critical, and the nonmandatory nature of this venue may limit children’s participation.
Archive for category Physical Activity
An independent study at the University of Cumbria in the US found that nine in every ten youngsters want to play video games at the same time as exercising. The games reduce the boredom of exercise. Fifty children aged 11 and 12 were asked to use exercise equipment combined with video games provided by a company called Gamercize. The children could play their games only while they maintained movement on the fitness machines. If they stopped exercising, the games paused.
A general overview is provided of two primary categories of objective monitors: pedometers and accelerometers. The desired outcome measure will determine the specific instrument category, options, and features from which the ultimate instrument choice is made. Other considerations include evidence of validity and reliability, cost, computer interface and download options, memory capacity, data aggregation and storage methods, and general participant and researcher burden associated with instrument use. There is no single objective PA assessment instrument that is appropriate for all situations, populations, and research questions.
The current consensus is that the minimum amount of physical activity needed to improve and maintain good health is 30 min moderate-intensity activity/d on >/=5 d/week. The evidence supporting this consensus is based on predominantly observational evidence that performing regular aerobic (endurance)-type physical activity is associated with reduced morbidity and premature mortality from CVD, CHD, stroke and colo-rectal cancer. The exact dose needed to improve health and the slope of the dose-response gradient between physical activity and mortality for various diseases are not known, and one major limitation of the existing evidence is the lack of objective measurement of physical activity. Limited evidence indicates that a much higher dose of activity (45-90 min each day on >/=5 d/week) may be needed to prevent overweight and obesity and to avoid weight regain in previously overweight and obese individuals.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults get at least minimum physical activity, according to new, less strict guidelines announced last October. Under the older guidelines, fewer than half of adult Americans would have been “physically active,” the CDC calculates. What an ‘easy’ intervention ;-)
The validity and reliability of an instrument to assess children’s outdoor play in various locations
Nov 27
The aim of this study was to develop and test the reliability and validity of survey items that examine the frequency with which primary school-aged children play in particular outdoor locations. Parents reported the number of days their child spent playing in specified outdoor locations (i.e., yard at home, own street/court/footpath, and park/playground). Results suggest that the survey was generally a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the frequency with which children play in particular locations especially at home or in the street.
Open-ended interviews of 76 obese Australians. Participants’ blamed themselves for being unable to maintain their weight loss or ‘stick’ to diets. Whilst diets did not result in sustained weight loss, two thirds of participants felt that dieting was an effective way to lose weight. Few had used, or were motivated to participate in physical activity.
Soon, your cell phone may be able to help you maintain your exercise routine and keep the pounds off over winter months, without your having to lift a finger to keep track. Researchers at the University of Washington and Intel have created two new cell phone applications, dubbed UbiFit and UbiGreen, to automatically track workouts and green transportation. The programs display motivational pictures on the phone’s background screen that change the more the user works out or uses eco-friendly means of transportation.
Boyd Swinburn published his view on obesogenic environments, especially the food environment. This constitutes a “market failure,” signaling the need for government interventions with policies, programs, and social marketing. Food marketing to children is a central policy issue for governments to address, and comprehensive regulations are needed to provide substantive protection for children. The 2 major challenges are to ensure substantial funding to promote healthy weights can be scaled up to a national level and to ensure that policies are in place to support these efforts. The social and cultural shifts that support healthy eating and physical activity occur differentially. A positive public health approach encompassing environmental, regulatory, sociocultural, and educational strategies offer the best chance of reducing obesity.
The stimulation of daily physical activity using exercise counselling and a pedometer over 10 weeks leads to a significant decrease in fatigue in adult Dutch survivors of childhood cancer, and this improvement lasts for at least 36 weeks.