scholarly journals Feasibility and Acceptability of a Culturally Tailored Website to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Physical Activity Levels in African American Mother-Child Dyads: Observational Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Chung ◽  
Barbara Wallace ◽  
Monica Stanton-Koko ◽  
Azizi Seixas ◽  
Girardin Jean-Louis

BACKGROUND African American youth (aged 8-14 years) do not adhere to national dietary and physical activity guidelines. Nonadherence to these recommendations contributes to disproportionate rates of obesity compared with their white counterparts. Culturally tailored electronic health (eHealth) solutions are needed to communicate nutrition and physical activity messages that resonate with this target population. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify the impact of exposure to a website hosting culturally tailored cartoons to inspire fruit and vegetable uptake and physical activity levels in African American mother-child dyads. METHODS Statistical analysis included paired sample t tests to evaluate knowledge gains, self-efficacy, and readiness to change. Adapted items from Prochaska’s Stages of Change toward the following 4 behaviors were assessed with pre- and posttest surveys: (1) fruit and vegetable selection on my plate, (2) meal preparation, (3) fruit and vegetable selection outside of home, and (4) physical activity. Open-ended comments on videos from mother-child dyads were used to determine user acceptance. Observations of repeated responses during content analysis informed coding and development of key themes. RESULTS A final sample size of 93 mother-child dyads completed the study. Mothers reported significant improvement from precontemplation or contemplation stages to preparation or action stages for (1) fruit and vegetable selection on her plate (P=.03), (2) meal preparation for her family (P=.01), (3) fruit and vegetable selection outside the home (P<.001), and (4) physical activity (P<.001). Significant improvements were found in knowledge, stage of change, and self-efficacy for the 4 target behaviors of interest (P<.001). Children’s open-ended commentary reported vicarious learning and positive character identification with brown-skinned cartoons exhibiting healthful food and exercise behaviors. Mothers commented on the lack of accessible produce in their neighborhoods not depicted in the cartoon videos. CONCLUSIONS Culturally adapted cartoons that incorporate tailored preferences by African American families, such as race or demography, may help increase adherence to target health behaviors when developing eHealth behavior solutions.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taotao Wang ◽  
Mengyuan Ren ◽  
Ying Shen ◽  
Xiaorou Zhu ◽  
Xing Zhang ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Physical inactivity is a risk factor for chronic noncommunicable diseases. Insufficient physical activity has become an important public health problem worldwide. As mobile apps have rapidly developed, physical activity apps have the potential to improve the level of physical activity among populations. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effect of physical activity apps on levels of physical activity among college students. METHODS A Web-based questionnaire was used to survey college students in Beijing from December 27, 2017, to January 5, 2018. According to a previous survey, 43% of college students using physical activity apps and 36% of those who never used such apps achieved the physical activity recommendations. In this study, the sample size was calculated to be 500. The questionnaire consisted of 5 parts: the use of physical activity apps, sports habits, social support, self-efficacy, and social demographic information. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships between the use of physical activity apps, self-efficacy, social support, and level of physical activity. RESULTS Of the 1245 participants, 384 college students (30.8%) used physical activity apps (in the past month). Of these 384 students, 191 (49.7%) gained new friends via the app. College students who were using physical activity apps had a higher level of physical activity and higher scores for social support and self-efficacy (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) than those who did not use such apps. The use of physical activity apps significantly affected the mediating effect of physical activity level through social support (beta=.126; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.001) and self-efficacy (beta=.294; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). Gender played an important role in app use, self-efficacy, and physical activity in the mediation model: male users spent more time on physical activity and had higher self-efficacy scores (<italic>P</italic>&lt;.001). CONCLUSIONS This study focused on college students in Beijing and found that the use of physical activity apps is associated with higher physical activity levels among these students. This effect is mainly through the mediation effect of social support and self-efficacy, rather than the direct effect of physical activity apps. The use of physical activity apps is associated with a higher social support level and higher self-efficacy score. Furthermore, a high social support level and high self-efficacy score are associated with higher physical activity levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifat Klein ◽  
Leonid Kalichman ◽  
Noy Chen ◽  
Sergio Susmallian

AbstractAfter breast cancer (BC) surgery, women may experience a physical decline. The effect of physical activity (PA) on the course of recovery after BC surgery has not yet been thoroughly examined. To analyze the impact of physical activity performed by women undergoing breast cancer surgery on measures of function, range of motion, and self-efficacy. A prospective study was carried out in 157 patients who underwent surgery for BC between October 2018 and April 2019, divided into four groups according to the intensity of PA with 6 months follow-up. 50 sedentary patients and 107 active patients were enrolled; the mean age was 52.6. Women who performed physical activity, moderate to vigorous, demonstrated lower function disabilities (QuickDASH 2.22) compared with inactivity or light physical activity (QuickDASH 7.0, p < 0.001), with better shoulder flexion (159.0° vs. 150.7°, p = 0.007) and abduction (159.5° vs. 152.2°, p = 0.008). Higher PA levels, displayed in higher self-efficacy reports (9.5 vs. 8.8, p = 0.002), and return to prior job status (0.005). The PA level does not influence pain at one, three and 6 months postoperatively (p = 0.278, p = 0.304 and p = 0.304 respectively). High PA levels increase the risk of axillary web syndrome (p = 0.041), although, it reduces the incidence of chronic pain (p = 0.007). Women who practice physical activity recover better from BC surgery than sedentary women. The higher the intensity and frequency of training, the better the results. Vigorous activity cause axillary web syndrome, despite, it has a beneficial effect on lowering the rate of chronic pain.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026921552199369
Author(s):  
Karl R Espernberger ◽  
Natalie A Fini ◽  
Casey L Peiris

Objectives: To determine the personal and social factors perceived to influence physical activity levels in stroke survivors. Data sources: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed and Embase) were searched from inception to November 2020, including reference and citation list searches. Study selection: The initial search yielded 1499 papers, with 14 included in the review. Included articles were peer-reviewed, qualitative studies, reporting on the perceived factors influencing physical activity levels of independently mobile community-dwelling adults, greater than 3 months post stroke. Data extraction: Data extracted included location, study aim, design, participant and recruitment information and how data were collected and analysed. Data synthesis: Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify meanings and patterns, generate codes and develop themes. Five main themes were identified: (i) Social networks are important influencers of physical activity; (ii) Participation in meaningful activities rather than ‘exercise’ is important; (iii) Self-efficacy promotes physical activity and physical activity enhances self-efficacy; (iv) Pre-stroke identity related to physical activity influences post-stroke physical activity; and (v) Formal programmes are important for those with low self-efficacy or a sedentary pre-stroke identity. Conclusions: Physical activity levels in stroke survivors are influenced by social activities and support, pre-stroke identity, self-efficacy levels and completion of activities that are meaningful to stroke survivors.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Reimers ◽  
Verena Heidenreich ◽  
Hans-Joachim Bittermann ◽  
Guido Knapp ◽  
Carl-Detlev Reimers

Abstract Background: Main symptoms of the restless legs syndrome (RLS) are sleep onset insomnia and difficulty to maintain sleep. Previous studies showed that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing RLS. However, the relationships of physical activity on sleep quality parameters in subjects suffering from RLS have not been investigated by applying accelerometry. Thus, the present study investigates the impact of physical activity during the day (7-12 h, 12-18 h, 18-23 h) on sleep quality in subject suffering from idiopathic RLS as well as their intensity and extent of physical activity by applying a real-time approach.Methods: In a sample of 47 participants suffering from idiopathic RLS, physical activity and sleep quality were captured over one week by using accelerometers. For data analysis physical activity levels and step counts during three periods of a day (morning, afternoon, evening) were correlated with sleep quality parameters of the following night.Results: In this observational study, significant correlations of physical activity with the sleep parameters were rarely confirmed (exception: negative correlation of steps in the morning with periodic leg movements in sleep and negative correlation of physical activity in the evening and total sleep period). However, the physical activity levels of the participants were unexpectedly high compared to population-level data and variance in physical activity was low. The average activity was 13,817 (SD=4,086) steps and 347 (SD=117) minutes of moderate physical activity per day in females and 10,636 (SD=3,748) steps and 269 (SD=69) minutes of moderate physical activity in males, respectively. However, the participants conducted no vigorous physical activity.Conclusions: To investigate the effects of daily physical activity and RLS symptoms interventional studies with different intensities of physical activities at different points of time during the day are needed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre-Charles Gauthier ◽  
Marie-Eve Mathieu

Introduction Taste is a key sensory modulator of eating behaviour and thus energy intake. The effects of acute exercise has recently been confirmed especially regarding sweet and salty tastes. Physical activity is a safe and effective countermeasure to certain types of chemosensory losses, especially in older populations. Knowing that taste can be impaired with increased adiposity, it is unknown if the adoption of an active lifestyle on a regular basis can mitigate such impairments. Methods Data were extracted from NHANES 2013-2014 database. Perception of salt and bitter tastes for Tongue Tip Test and Whole Mouth Test, physical activity levels over an 8-9-day period and adiposity were analyzed. Moderation analyses were used to study the impact of adiposity on taste perceptions, with physical activity level as the moderator. Results The 197 participants (130 males) included in this project had a mean+/-standard deviation age of 49.1+/-5.2 years, a mean body fat percentage of 31.7+/-7.6% and mean daily physical activity levels of 11 084+/-3531 Monitor-Independent Movement Summary unit (MIMS). The positive association between adiposity and both bitter Tongue Tip Test and overall result (salt+bitter) of Tongue Tip Test were moderated by the adoption of an active lifestyle, with better taste scores observed in individuals achieving higher physical activity levels. When moderation analysis were stratified by gender, the effect of physical activity was no longer significant. Perspectives This study is the first to evaluate the influence of an active lifestyle on the preservation of some taste perceptions across a wide range of adiposity levels. While differences in taste can be observed regarding body fat percentage, physical activity moderates that relation only when men and women are analysed together.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Uritani ◽  
Jessica Kasza ◽  
Penny K. Campbell ◽  
Ben Metcalf ◽  
Thorlene Egerton

Abstract Background:The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between psychological characteristics and physical activity levels, measured as the average number of steps per day, in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA).Methods: This study analysed baseline data from a randomized controlled trial (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry reference: ACTRN12612000308897). A total of 167 adults aged over 50 years, with knee pain rated as four or more on an 11-point numeric rating scale, and knee OA diagnosed using American College of Rheumatology clinical criteria, were recruited from the community (62 men and 105 women; mean age, 62.2 ± 7.5 years). The average number of steps per day over seven consecutive days was measured using an accelerometer-based device. Psychological characteristics evaluated were: depressive symptoms (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale), self-efficacy (Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale for pain and other symptoms), fear of movement (Brief Fear of Movement Scale for Osteoarthritis), and pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale). The association between the average number of steps per day and psychological characteristics was analyzed using a multiple linear regression analysis, with the average number of steps per day as the dependent variable, adjusting for each psychological characteristic separately, and age, sex, body mass index, and pain entered as covariates.Results: There was evidence that the amount of physical activity was associated with fear of movement (coefficient [B]: -117, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: -227 to -8) and with pain catastrophizing (B: -44, 95%CI: -86 to -1). The association with self-efficacy was similar (B:117, 95%CI: -12 to 246). However, the direction of the association with depressive symptoms was less clear (B: -59, 95%CI: -138 to 19).Conclusions: The results of this study revealed that the relationship was such that lower fear of movement and lower pain catastrophizing may be associated with more steps per day. It may be hypothesized that fear of moving and pain catastrophizing lead to activity avoidance and that strategies to improve these disease-related psychological aspects may be useful in enhancing physical activity participation, although this hypothesis is highly speculative and needs further testing given the cross-sectional design of this study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Chelsea E Moore ◽  
Costas Tsakirides ◽  
Zoe Rutherford ◽  
Michelle G Swainson ◽  
Karen M Birch ◽  
...  

Background/aims The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two 30-minute dietary education sessions, within cardiac rehabilitation, as a means to optimise nutrient and energy intakes. A secondary aim was to evaluate patients' habitual physical activity levels. Methods Thirty patients (males: n=24, 61.8±11.2 years; females: n=6, 66.7±8.5 years) attended a 6-week early outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme in the UK and received two 30-minute dietary education sessions emphasising Mediterranean diet principles. Energy intakes and nutrient intakes were measured through completion of 3-day food diaries in weeks one and six (before and after the dietary education sessions) to assess the impact of these sessions on nutrient intakes. At the same time-points, a sub-group (n=13) of patients had their physical activity levels assessed via accelerometery to assess the impact of the cardiac rehabilitation programme on physical activity. Results Estimated energy requirements at week one (1988±366 kcal d−1) were not matched by actual energy intakes (1785±561 kcal d−1) (P=0.047, d=−0.36). Energy intakes reduced to 1655±470 kcal d−1 at week six (P=0.66, d=−0.33) whereas estimated energy requirements increased as a function of increased activity (cardiac rehabilitation sessions). Nutrient intakes remained suboptimal, while no significant increases were observed in healthy fats and fibre, which are core elements of a Mediterranean diet. Statistically significant increases were not observed in physical activity; however, patients decreased sedentary time by 11±12% in week six compared with week one (P=0.009; d=−0.54). Conclusions The present study findings suggest that two 30-minute dietary education sessions did not positively influence energy intakes and nutrient intakes, while habitual physical activity levels were not significantly increased as a result of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. Future research should explore means of optimising nutrition and habitual physical activity within UK cardiac rehabilitation.


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