scholarly journals The Impact of sedentary behavior on health and the need for physical activity in children and adolescents

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirela DAMIAN ◽  
Antoanela OLTEAN ◽  
Cosmin DAMIAN

Children and adolescents do not practice enough physical activity or have too much unbalanced nutrition, and the consequence of these unhealthy and bad habits is overweight that can lead to obesity, impairment of health and, implicitly, the quality of life.The objective of the study is to summarize the evidence of published literature on the impact of sedentary lifestyle on the health of children and adolescents, the benefits of regular physical activity, as well as recommendations for their correct performance.Results: All researched works combines regular physical activity with important health benefits. Children and adolescents aged 5-18 must be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day, with intense physical exercise being associated with the majority of authors with a better physical condition and well-being. The physical activity program should include exercises that address all fitness components: cardiorespiratory capacity, muscle strength / fitness, flexibility and body composition.Conclusions: Some action is needed to promote a healthy lifestyle and increase physical activity to at least 60 minutes a day, in order to reduce the sedentary behavior among children and adolescents due to excessive use of the Internet, social networks or audiovisual media. Implementation and support of programs to promote physical activity among them is necessary, given the increasing number of overweight and obese persons.

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren C. Bates ◽  
Gabriel Zieff ◽  
Kathleen Stanford ◽  
Justin B. Moore ◽  
Zachary Y. Kerr ◽  
...  

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, social restrictions to contain the spread of the virus have disrupted behaviors across the 24-h day including physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep among children (5–12 years old) and adolescents (13–17 years old). Preliminary evidence reports significant decreases in physical activity, increases in sedentary behavior, and disrupted sleep schedules/sleep quality in children and adolescents. This commentary discusses the impact of COVID-19-related restrictions on behaviors across the 24-h day in children and adolescents. Furthermore, we suggest recommendations through the lens of a socio-ecological model to provide strategies for lasting behavior change to insure the health and well-being of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Author(s):  
Emanuele Monda ◽  
◽  
Adelaide Fusco ◽  
Alessandro Della Corte ◽  
Martina Caiazza ◽  
...  

AbstractPatients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) have an increased risk of aortic dilation and aortic dissection or rupture. The impact of physical training on the natural course of aortopathy in BAV patients remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of regular physical activity on aortic diameters in a consecutive cohort of paediatric patients with BAV. Consecutive paediatric BAV patients were evaluated and categorized into two groups: physically active and sedentary subjects. Only the subjects with a complete 2-year follow-up were included in the study. To evaluate the potential impact of physical activity on aortic size, aortic diameters were measured at the sinus of Valsalva and mid-ascending aorta using echocardiography. We defined aortic diameter progression the increase of aortic diameter ≥ 10% from baseline. Among 90 BAV patients (11.5 ± 3.4 years of age, 77% males), 53 (59%) were physically active subjects. Compared to sedentary, physically active subjects were not significantly more likely to have > 10% increase in sinus of Valsalva (13% vs. 8%, p-value = 0.45) or mid-ascending aorta diameter (9% vs. 13%, p-value = 0.55) at 2 years follow-up, both in subjects with sinus of Valsalva diameter progression (3.7 ± 1.0 mm vs. 3.5 ± 0.8 mm, p-value = 0.67) and in those with ascending aorta diameter progression (3.0 ± 0.8 mm vs. 3.2 ± 1.3 mm, p-value = 0.83). In our paediatric cohort of BAV patients, the prevalence and the degree of aortic diameter progression was not significantly different between physically active and sedentary subjects, suggesting that aortic dilation is unrelated to regular physical activity over a 2-year period.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarahjane Belton ◽  
Paul Prior ◽  
Eric Wickel ◽  
Catherine Woods

Extra-curricular physical activity (ECPA) may have an important role to play in the health and well-being of adolescents, but the actual benefits are relatively unknown. This study examined ECPA participation amongst adolescent males (age 12–15 years) from disadvantaged backgrounds, and evaluated its impact on overall physical activity (PA) accumulation and psychological well-being. At three time points over a single academic year, participants from four schools ( n = 174) wore a pedometer for seven days and completed a questionnaire assessing habitual PA, frequency of ECPA participation, barriers to ECPA participation and seven psychosocial subscales. An average year-long score was calculated for each participant, for each variable. Across seasons, 84% of participants reported regular (≥ twice a week) or occasional (once a week) participation in ECPA. Those reporting regular participation in ECPA were significantly ( p < .01) more active (steps/day) and scored higher ( p < .01) on each psychosocial subscale. Results of multinomial regression analysis showed that perceived physical competence ( p < .001) had a significant main effect on ECPA participation. Our study results indicate that students from disadvantaged backgrounds whom participate in ECPA at least once a week are significantly more physically active and have a higher level of psychological well-being than those who never participate.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie J. Silfee ◽  
Christina F. Haughton ◽  
Stephenie C. Lemon ◽  
Vilma Lora ◽  
Milagros C. Rosal

<p class="Pa7"><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine the relationships be­tween spirituality and physical activity and sedentary behavior in a sample of Latino adults in Massachusetts.</p><p class="Pa7"><strong>Design: </strong>This is a cross-sectional analysis of the Lawrence Health and Well Being Study; a study that was conducted among patients at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Cen­ter (GLFHC) in Lawrence, Massachusetts.</p><p class="Pa7"><strong>Participants: </strong>602 Latino or Hispanic adults aged 21 to 85 years completed the study.</p><p class="Pa7"><strong>Results: </strong>There was a significant nega­tive relationship between spirituality and sedentary behavior (β= -.12, p = .004). Although not statistically significant, higher spirituality was associated with increased odds of engaging in physical activity. There were no significant associations between spirituality and physical activity among men or women. Men with greater spirituality were significantly less sedentary (β = -.17, P = .005). There was no relationship between sedentary behavior and spirituality among women.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study found that indi­viduals who are more spiritual are also less sedentary, and this association was stronger in men than women. Findings provide insight for developing future interventions to promote activity in this high-risk popula­tion, which has been greatly understudied. Future research endeavors should consider investigating the impact of spirituality-based messages to reduce sedentary behavior among Latinos.</p><p><em>Ethn Dis. </em>2017;27(1):3-10; doi:10.18865/ed.27.1.3.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Banville ◽  
Pamela Hodges Kulinna ◽  
Ben Dyson ◽  
Michalis Stylianou ◽  
Rachel Colby ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to identify students’ perspectives of the role of healthy behaviours in their well-being and school success. Since a number of studies focused on establishing the link between healthy behaviours and learning have relied on quantitative measures, it was deemed important to provide a different perspective on the topic and give students a voice. Participants were 50 Aotearoa/New Zealand nine- and 10-year-old students of various ethnic backgrounds from two elementary schools. Using situated learning theory to determine the impact a school environment that promotes physical activity has on students’ perspectives, four categories were drawn from student focus-group interviews: (1) opportunities to be active, (2) roles of physical activity, (3) students’ misconceptions of health concepts, and (4) students’ support for health education and physical education at their schools. Students in this study were afforded multiple opportunities to be physically active and acknowledged the benefits these bouts of activities gave them while differentiating the types of opportunities and value they gained from them. Within their community of practice, students were sometimes ‘full’ participants as their knowledge was fully constructed, and sometimes ‘peripheral’ participants, needing more time, active engagement and content knowledge to better grasp some concepts. Little health education content knowledge was provided to classroom teachers, which might have caused some of the misconceptions held by students related to the impact of physical activity and nutrition on their brain function.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamile Marchi ◽  
Nina Johansson ◽  
Anna Sarkadi ◽  
Georgina Warner

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is primarily a crisis that affects people's physical health. However, it is well-known from previous epidemics and pandemics that there are other indirect negative impacts on mental health, among others. The purpose of this scoping review was to explore and summarise primary empirical research evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic and societal infection control measures have impacted children and adolescents' mental health.Methods: A literature search was conducted in five scientific databases: PubMed, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINHAL, and Social Science Premium Collection. The search string was designed using the Population (0–18 years), Exposure (COVID-19), Outcomes (mental health) framework. Mental health was defined broadly, covering mental well-being to mental disorders and psychiatric conditions.Results: Fifty-nine studies were included in the scoping review. Of these, 44 were cross-sectional and 15 were longitudinal studies. Most studies reported negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child and adolescent mental health outcomes, yet the evidence was mixed. This was also the case for studies investigating societal control measures. Strong resilience, positive emotion regulation, physical activity, parental self-efficacy, family functioning and emotional regulation, and social support were reported as protective factors. On the contrary, emotional reactivity and experiential avoidance, exposure to excessive information, COVID-19 school concerns, presence of COVID-19 cases in the community, parental mental health problems, and high internet, social media and video game use were all identified as potentially harmful factors.Conclusions: Due to the methodological heterogeneity of the studies and geographical variation, it is challenging to draw definitive conclusions about the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents. However, the existing body of research gives some insight to how parents, clinicians and policy makers can take action to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and control measures. Interventions to promote physical activity and reduce screen time among children and adolescents are recommended, as well as parenting support programs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yessica Abigail Tronco Hernández ◽  
Fabio Parente ◽  
Mark A Faghy ◽  
Clare M P Roscoe ◽  
Frances A Maratos

BACKGROUND Lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the living and working habits of millions of people, with potentially important implications for their physical, mental, and social well-being. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on remote workers who were not directly affected by COVID-19. METHODS This was a correlational cross-sectional study (with an additional qualitative component) of 184 remote workers surveyed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. Standard measures of mental health (Kessler-6 Distress Scale), productivity (Brief Instrument to Assess Workers’ Productivity During a Working Day), and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) were used, and respondents were further surveyed on changes to their dietary, exercise, smoking, drinking, and socialization habits to produce a well-being change index. RESULTS The results revealed associations between sedentary behavior and poorer mental health (<i>τ</i><sub>b</sub>=0.14) and between poorer mental health and low work productivity (<i>τ</i><sub>b</sub>=–0.39). However, both positive and negative lifestyle changes were reported; a self-reported increase in well-being (with respect to diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, and socialization) since the start of the pandemic was associated with both better mental health (<i>τ</i><sub>b</sub>=–0.14) and better work productivity (<i>τ</i><sub>b</sub>=0.14). Of note, among respondents without a mental health diagnosis (137/184, 74.4%), we observed rates of moderate (76/137, 55.5%) and severe (17/137, 12.4%) psychological distress, which were markedly higher than those reported in large prepandemic studies; moreover, 70.1% (129/184) of our respondents reported more sedentary behavior, 41% (69/168) increased their alcohol consumption, and 38.6% (71/184) increased their overall food intake. However, 46% (75/163), 44.8% (39/87) and 51.8% (57/110) of respondents reported spending more time walking and engaging in more moderate and vigorous exercise, respectively. Qualitative analysis revealed many positive adaptations to lockdowns (eg, decreased commuting expenses, flexibility) but also a number of structural obstacles to remote working (eg, lack of support and high expectations from employers, childcare duties). CONCLUSIONS These findings may be of practical importance for policy makers and employers in a world in which work involves long-term remote or hybrid employment arrangements; strategies to promote more sustainable remote working are discussed.


2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva-Carin Lindgren ◽  
Ulla Tebelius ◽  
Bengt Fridlund

Sport participation or regular physical activity is often seen as a factor, which leads to better health and well being. Sport also has a social function, as most of the activities are performed together with other people. However, while club sports in Sweden have a stimulating effect on young men, there is a risk that they do not provide enough scope for young women. In particular, early specialization and a high level of seriousness do not suit all young sportswomen. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical understanding of the ways in which sport has influenced young women’s lifestyles in terms of their attitudes to physical activity in adult life. The data were collected using strategic interviews and analyzed using the grounded theory method. Based upon the results, young women’s physically active lifestyles varied depending on how they valued their sport in combination with how they handled their sport. Sport was regarded as having a positive effect on health and well being. This led to the young women studied intending to pursue a physically active lifestyle also in adult life. They enjoyed participating in sport, but not particularly sport with a high level of seriousness or a high level of vigor, which is what characterizes most club sports today.


2020 ◽  
pp. 135245852096909
Author(s):  
Brian M Lozinski ◽  
V Wee Yong

While people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) historically were advised to avoid physical activity to reduce symptoms such as fatigue, they are now encouraged to remain active and to enlist in programs of exercise. However, despite an extensive current literature that exercise not only increases physical well-being but also their cognition and mental health, many PwMS are not meeting recommended levels of exercise. Here, we emphasize the impact and mechanisms of exercise on functional and structural changes to the brain, including improved connectome, neuroprotection, neurogenesis, oligodendrogenesis, and remyelination. We review evidence from animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) that exercise protects and repairs the brain, and provide supportive data from clinical studies of PwMS. We introduce the concept of MedXercise, where exercise provides a brain milieu particularly conducive for a brain regenerative medication to act upon. The emphasis on exercise improving brain functions and repair should incentivize PwMS to remain physically active.


Author(s):  
Carl P. Nienhuis ◽  
Iris A. Lesser

Background: A global pandemic caused by COVID-19 resulted in restrictions to daily living for Canadians, including social distancing and closure of recreation facilities and provincial parks. Methods: The objective of this study was to assess whether sex differences exist in physical activity and well-being since COVID-19 and to explore how barriers or facilitators to physical activity may explain these differences. Chi-square tests, independent t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were conducted to evaluate data provided by 1098 Canadians—215 men and 871 women. Results: Women were significantly less physically active than men and reported more barriers and fewer facilitators to physical activity and experienced significantly more generalized anxiety than men. Women who were engaged in less physical activity due to COVID-19 reported significantly lower mental health scores, lower social, emotional and psychological well-being, and significantly higher generalized anxiety, while women who engaged in more physical activity had improved mental health scores. Conclusions: Given the challenges that women uniquely face due to restrictions, it is imperative to advocate and provide environmental opportunity and support for physical activity to reduce the mental duress women may be experiencing. Specific physical activity programming that is inclusive of lifestyle physical activity and can engage children is encouraged.


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