Physical Fitness Surveillance and Monitoring Systems Inventory for Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review with a Global Perspective.

Surveillance of health-related physical fitness can improve decision-making and intervention strategies promoting health for children and adolescents. However, no study has comprehensively analyzed surveillance/monitoring systems for physical fitness globally. This review sought to address this gap by identifying: (1) national-level surveillance/monitoring systems for physical fitness among children and adolescents globally, (2) the main barriers and challenges to implementing surveillance/monitoring systems, and (3) governmental actions related to existing surveillance/monitoring systems. We used a scoping review to search, obtain, group, summarize, and analyze available evidence. Our review involved three stages: (1) identification of surveillance systems through a systematic literature review, with complementary search of the grey literature (e.g., reference lists, Google Scholar, webpages, recommendations), (2) systematic consultation with relevant experts using a Delphi method to confirm/add systems and to gather and analyze information on the barriers and challenges to implementing systems, and (3) Web searches for public documents on government sites and surveillance/monitoring system pages, and direct internet searches to identify relevant governmental actions related to surveillance systems. A total of 15 fitness surveillance/monitoring systems met our inclusion criteria. Experts identified a lack of government support and funding, and the low priority of fitness on the public health agenda as the main barriers/challenges to implementation. Several governmental actions related to surveillance systems were identified, including policies, strategies, programs, and guidelines. We propose a Global Observatory of Physical Fitness to help address these issues.

Is family meal frequency associated with obesity in children and adolescents? A cross-sectional study including 155 451 participants from 43 countries.

OBJECTIVE: This study tried to examine the association between the frequency of family meals and excess weight using large and representative samples of children and adolescents from 43 countries. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC), which included nationally representative samples of children and adolescents aged 10-17 years, involving a total of 155 451 participants (mean age = 13.6 years; standard deviation [SD] = 1.6; 51.4% girls). Family meal frequency was gauged through the following question: 'How frequently do you and your family typically share meals?' The possible responses were: 'never', 'less often', 'approximately once a week', 'most days' and 'every day'. The body weight and height of the participants were self-reported and utilized to calculate body mass index (BMI). Subsequently, BMI z-scores were computed based on the International Obesity Task Force criteria, and the prevalence of excess weight was defined as +1.31 SD for boys and + 1.24 SD for girls, with obesity defined as +2.29 SD for boys and + 2.19 SD for girls. Generalized linear mixed models were conducted to examine the associations between the frequency of family meals and excess weight or obesity. RESULTS: The lowest predicted probabilities of having excess weight and obesity were observed for those participants who had family meals every day (excess weight: 34.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 31.4%-37.5%; obesity: 10.8%, 95% CI 9.0%-13.0%). CONCLUSIONS: A higher frequency of family meals is associated with lower odds of having excess weight and obesity in children and adolescents.

Sleep Disorders and Subjective Well-Being in Portuguese Adults: Evidence from a Representative Study.

Objective The quality and quantity of sleep affect people's well-being, as chronic sleep disorders are associated with social, physical, and psychological problems, as well as low self-reported life satisfaction. The present cross-sectional study examined the associations of sleep disorders with self-reported life satisfaction in Portuguese adults. Materials and Methods Data from a representative sample of the Portuguese population (14,341 participants, aged ≥ 18 years) extracted from the Sixth Portuguese National Health Survey was analyzed. Data on subjective well-being and sleep disorders was collected through a questionnaire, and multivariable regression models were performed to examine the associations between these variables, adjusted for potential confounders such as age, gender, level of schooling, degree of urbanization, and family income. Results Sleep disorders were negatively associated with self-reported life satisfaction. Having at least one sleep disturbance in the last two weeks was significantly associated with a 3-point decrease in life satisfaction: ß = -3.0 (95% confidence interval = -3.2--2.7). Discussion Among Portuguese adults, sleep disorders were associated with a decline in life satisfaction. The present study provides new evidence from a representative sample to support the promotion of good sleep hygiene intervention programs.

Top 10 needs of Ukraine's Olympic sports in hostile conditions: a Delphi study.

Following the tragic events surrounding the war in Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022, Russian troops have been destroying many Olympic sports infrastructures and athletes and Olympic sports professionals are suffering serious consequences, and sports talents are being lost. Therefore, this Delphi study aimed to identify the most important needs of Ukraine's Olympic sports in hostile conditions. It sought to formulate priority areas crucial for support during and after the war period, aimed at safeguarding the career prospects of Ukrainian athletes. The study further aimed to identify well-informed priorities for developing Ukraine's Olympic sports. These priorities, once discerned, can be advocated for promotion and prioritisation in present and future agendas, thereby shaping the course of international support and ensuring the preservation of Ukrainian athletes' career prospects. A three-round Delphi study was conducted with 42 participants who had expertise as coaches, athletes and researchers (PhD, professor) in sports science. There was a strong panellist agreement on the needs of Ukraine's Olympic sports in the identified hostile conditions. The list of the final top 10 needs included: (1) 'Develop and maintain the athlete's fitness level'; (2) 'Implementation of a better recovery system for athletes'; and (3) 'To ensure a safe training place for athletes'. The needs identified in this study are of tremendous value and guide efforts to Ukraine's sports talents during wartime and, as a result, will guide the international institutions to direct appropriate aid and international support.

Sleep duration and cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents: Longitudinal analysis from the LabMed study.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate longitudinal associations between sleep duration and cardiorespiratory fitness, in adolescents. METHODS: Sleep duration was self-reported and cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the 20 m shuttle run test, both at baseline and follow-up (2-year follow-up). Participants were 734 Northern Portuguese adolescents (349 girls), aged 14.6 ± 1.8 years, from the LabMed study. RESULTS: Significant decreases were found between baseline and follow-up for sleep duration, whereas for cardiorespiratory fitness there was an increase. Adolescents with short sleep duration at baseline had lower cardiorespiratory fitness at follow-up, comparing to those meeting the sleep guidelines (odds ratio [OR] = 0.506, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.326-0.785; p = .002 for whole week; OR = 0.597, 95% CI: 0.407-0.875; p = .008 for weekdays). Girls who were short sleepers at baseline had lower odds of having a healthy cardiorespiratory fitness at follow-up, comparing to those meeting the sleep guidelines (OR = 0.311, 95% CI: 0.158-0.613; p < .001 for whole week; OR = 0.469, 95% CI: 0.262-0.838; p = .011 for weekdays). No significant associations between sleep duration and cardiorespiratory fitness were found for boys. DISCUSSION: There was a significant longitudinal association between short sleep duration and lower cardiorespiratory fitness levels, particularly in girls. Future interventions targeting adolescents' sleep duration should acknowledge behavioral differences between genders, as well as different behaviors adopted by boys ang girls, specifically on weekends.

Stress Management in Healthcare Organizations: The Nigerian Context.

Occupational psychosocial stress can increase the risk of several cardiometabolic diseases. Healthcare workers worldwide experience exceptionally high levels of occupational stress, leading to serious individual, organizational, and societal problems. This narrative review seeks to provide information about the overall consequences of having over-stressed healthcare workers and ascertain how it eventually holds back the advancement of healthcare. In addition, we present a review of the concept, study, and theories related to stress management in order to deeply understand this issue, providing a theoretical perspective of stress management and the subtle concepts of stress, stress management, healthcare structure, and organization in Nigeria. The current literature has shown that Nigerian healthcare workers are more stressed due to long working hours, caregiving responsibilities, and psychological contact with patients. Healthcare workers are more likely to experience stress and burnout than other professions. The level of stress in the healthcare sector has garnered a lot of attention in this regard because of the negative impact of stress on both staff and patients. However, health policies and better working conditions need to be adopted. Collaborative efforts from policymakers, healthcare institutions, and other stakeholders are necessary to prioritize the well-being and productivity of healthcare professionals in the journey toward a more robust and equitable healthcare system.

Top 10 International Priorities for Physical Fitness Research and Surveillance Among Children and Adolescents: A Twin-Panel Delphi Study.

BACKGROUND: The measurement of physical fitness has a history that dates back nearly 200 years. Recently, there has been an increase in international research and surveillance on physical fitness creating a need for setting international priorities that could help guide future efforts. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to produce a list of the top 10 international priorities for research and surveillance on physical fitness among children and adolescents. METHODS: Using a twin-panel Delphi method, two independent panels consisting of 46 international experts were identified (panel 1 = 28, panel 2 = 18). The panel participants were asked to list up to five priorities for research or surveillance (round 1), and then rated the items from their own panel on a 5-point Likert scale of importance (round 2). In round 3, experts were asked to rate the priorities identified by the other panel. RESULTS: There was strong between-panel agreement (panel 1: rs = 0.76, p < 0.01; panel 2: rs = 0.77, p < 0.01) in the priorities identified. The list of the final top 10 priorities included (i) "conduct longitudinal studies to assess changes in fitness and associations with health". This was followed by (ii) "use fitness surveillance to inform decision making", and (iii) "implement regular and consistent international/national fitness surveys using common measures". CONCLUSIONS: The priorities identified in this study provide guidance for future international collaborations and research efforts on the physical fitness of children and adolescents over the next decade and beyond.

Cardiovascular health behavior and cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents: a longitudinal study.

Cardiorespiratory fitness has been substantially associated with health status. However, longitudinal studies on cardiorespiratory fitness and ideal cardiovascular health behavior (ICHB) in adolescents are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal association between ICHB (at baseline) and cardiorespiratory fitness (at follow-up). This is a 2-year prospective analysis of 445 adolescents (232 girls) aged 12-18 years. The ICHB was developed by the American Heart Association as meeting the ideal health behaviors for a healthy diet, physical activity, smoking status, and body mass index. ANCOVAS adjusted by age, sex, pubertal stage, socioeconomic status, and cardiorespiratory fitness showed that the higher the number of ICHB metrics accumulated at baseline (from 1 to 4), the higher the cardiorespiratory fitness levels over a 2-year period (p = 0.038). In logistic regressions, after adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratios for having high cardiorespiratory fitness at follow-up was 4.9 (95% CI, 1.2-20.1, p = 0.02) for those who accumulated all four metrics of ICHB, when compared to those with 1 or less metrics of ICHB. In addition, the higher the number of ICHB metrics accumulated, the higher the likelihood of having a high cardiorespiratory fitness level over a 2-year period (p for trend = 0.01). CONCLUSION:  We identified a significant association between ICBH and cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents. Therefore, improving ICBH in adolescence is likely to benefit the cardiorespiratory fitness. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, and diet are associated to cardiorespiratory fitness in adulthood. • Lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, smoking, body weight, and healthy diet are individually linked with cardiorespiratory fitness and, however, have not been examined jointly, as combined health behaviors. WHAT IS NEW: • Accumulation of cardiovascular health behavior metrics was positively associated with cardiorespiratory fitness at a 2-year follow-up, in adolescents. • Meeting all the four metrics of ideal cardiovascular health behavior seems important for healthy cardiorespiratory fitness during adolescence.

Is the Leptin/Adiponectin Ratio a Better Diagnostic Biomarker for Insulin Resistance than Leptin or Adiponectin Alone in Adolescents?

Background: Recently, the leptin/adiponectin (L/A) ratio has been suggested as a novel predictor of cardio-metabolic and other chronic diseases. Aim: To evaluate the ability of leptin (L), adiponectin (A), and the L/A ratio in identifying high risk of insulin resistance IR in adolescents, adjusted by cardiorespiratory fitness, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and body fat percentage. Subjects and methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis with 529 adolescents aged 12−18 years-old. Blood samples were taken to analyze glucose, insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels. IR (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was estimated from fasting serum insulin and glucose). Results: Adiponectin, leptin, and L/A ratio were accurate to predict IR among adolescents. The optimal L/A cut-off value to indicate risk of IR development was >0.35 in boys and >0.97 in girls. Logistic analyses showed that the suggested cut-off points for adiponectin (girls: OR: 2.87 (1.26−6.53); p = 0.012); leptin (boys: OR: 5.23 (1.16−7.14) p = 0.006; girls: OR: 2.99 (1.10−8.09) p = 0.031), and the L/A ratio (boys: OR: 8.38 (2.6−26.8) p < 0.001; girls: OR: 6.1 (2.1−17.0) p < 0.001), were significant predictors of IR, after adjustments for age, pubertal stage, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body fat percentage. Conclusion: Leptin and L/A ratio were associated with IR risk, after adjustments for confounders in both sexes and adiponectin in girls. The L/A ratio seems to have a higher diagnostic accuracy to identify IR risk than adiponectin or leptin, in both sexes.

Bullying and Health Related Quality of Life among Adolescents-A Systematic Review.

Health-related quality of life is among global health goals not only in adulthood but also in childhood and adolescence. Being a multi-component construct, health-related quality of life covers various domains, such as physical and psychological wellbeing and social and environmental areas. Bullying might significantly influence those domains especially in adolescence, a period of life when numerous personal and interpersonal transformations are experienced. Therefore, the aim of the current systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the relationship of bullying with the health-related quality of adolescents' lives. An electronic literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, and 3621 full-text articles were identified. After a selection process, 12 studies covering diagnosis, prevention and treatment for each of the three sections "adolescents", "health related quality of life" and "bullying" were reviewed. An overall reduction in health-related quality of life in regard to bullying appeared from the studies analyzed, as well as a decline in adolescent mental health. Different bullying types were identified as causing harm to various adolescents' health-related quality of life domains. These findings may contribute to effective bullying management in schools and/or societal settings, and inform intervention strategies for maintaining the quality of life of adolescents being bullied.

The relationship between height and fruit/vegetable intakes in adults: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

Background: Worldwide, fruit and vegetable intake is below recommendations. There is increasing evidence to suggest an association between height and diet. Aim: to analyse the associations of fruit and vegetable intake with attained height in Portuguese adults. Methods: A representative sample of 17 480 Portuguese adults (56.7% women) participated in this cross-sectional study. The survey comprised sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported height and weight. We performed regression models to assess the associations between height and fruit and vegetable consumption. Results: Compared with no intakes, those men with higher fruit and vegetables intake had 0.54 cm (95% CI 0.04; 1.04) greater height. Also, women with higher intakes of vegetables, fruit and vegetables combined were directly associated with a greater height of 0.29 cm (95% CI 0.03; 0.56 in vegetables) and 0.51 cm (95% CI 0.09; 0.93 in fruit and vegetables combined). Conclusion: Greater consumption of fruit and vegetables was directly associated with higher height in adults. From a health promotion perspective, intervention programmes aiming at improving fruit and vegetable intake should be highlighted so that full height potential is achieved.

Cardiovascular health behavior and blood pressure in adolescents: A longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: The ideal cardiovascular health behaviors (ICHB) have been associated with a subsequent positive health status in adults. However, evidence regarding blood pressure (BP) and ICHB in adolescents is scarce. The aim of this prospective cohort was to evaluate the impact of accumulation of ICHB on BP values in adolescents over two years. METHODS: This is a longitudinal analysis with 445 adolescents (232 girls) aged 12-18 years old. Resting blood pressure was measured at baseline and 2 years later, and ICHBs at baseline according to standard procedures. Based on the American Heart Association definition, the ICHB index was defined as a sum of meeting the ICHBs (from 0 to 4, where 4 would be the healthiest profile of all ICHBs) for a healthy diet, physical activity, smoking status and body mass index. RESULTS: Adjusted means values (ANCOVA) of BP parameters through achievement of a greater number of (between 1-4) the ICHBs (adjusting for potential confounders, age, sex, pubertal stage and socioeconomic status) showed that, as increase the number of ICHB accumulated as a lower the BP levels [ICHB and SBP (F3.435) = 4.501, p = 0.004), DBP (F(3.435) = 2.725, p = 0.044), pulse pressure (F(3.435) = 4.004, p = 0.008), and rate pressure product (F(3.435) = 2.866, p = 0.036)] over two years. CONCLUSION: A lower number of ICHB (smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, and diet) during adolescence play a key role on blood pressure over two years. A higher number of ICHB is seen to be associated with a lower risk of short-term, hypertension.

Dance/Movement Therapy as an Intervention in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.

AIM: In this paper, we systematically review the evidence looking at the effect of dance/movement therapy (DMT) and mental health outcomes and quality of life in breast cancer patients. METHOD: The literature search was done with the databases PubMed (MEDLINE), EBSCO, and Cochrane Central by using the following search words: "dancing/dance/movement therapy," "breast cancer/neoplasms/carcinoma/tumour" or "mammary cancer," "mental health," and "quality of life." Ninety-four articles were found. Only empirical interventional studies (N = 6) were selected for the review: randomised controlled trials (RCT) (n = 5) and non-RCT (n = 1). PRISMA guidelines were used. RESULTS: Data from 6 studies including 385 participants who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, were of an average age of 55.7 years, and had participated in DMT programmes for 3-24 weeks were analysed. In each study, the main outcomes that were measured were quality of life, physical activity, stress, and emotional and social well-being. Different questionnaires were used for the evaluation of outcomes. The mental health of the participants who received DMT intervention improved: they reported a better quality of life and decreased stress, symptoms, and fatigue. CONCLUSION: We found only six studies for review, and some had a small number of participants. However, our findings indicate that DMT could be successfully used as a complimentary therapy in addition to standard cancer treatment for improving the quality of life and mental health of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. More research is needed to evaluate the complexity of the impact of complimentary therapies. It is possible that DMT could be more effective if used with other therapies.

Corrigendum to "The Effect of Art Therapy and Music Therapy on Breast Cancer Patients: What We Know and What We Need to Find Out-A Systematic Review".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/7390321.].

Prevalence, patterns and socio-demographic correlates of sleep duration in adolescents: results from the LabMed study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of adequate sleep and the correlates of sleep duration in Portuguese adolescents aged 12-18 years. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis with 1017 adolescents (471 girls) aged 14.6 ± 1.8 years. Adolescents self-reported their sleep duration. RESULTS: The percentage of adolescents meeting the guidelines was 72.7%, 60.7% and 51.3%, during a whole week, on weekdays and on weekends, respectively. Boys were always more compliant with the guidelines than girls, for all week categories. A significant difference was found on sleep duration on weekends, between boys and girls (p < 0.001). During weekdays, more adolescents were classified as short sleepers when compared to long sleepers. Younger adolescents were more likely to meet the guidelines over the whole week and on weekdays (OR = 2.23, OR = 2.13, respectively; p < 0.05) and being long sleepers on weekends (OR = 1.49, p < 0.05). Those of medium and low SES were less likely to meet the sleep guidelines for all week categories (ptrend<0.001). Girls were more likely than boys to meet the guidelines or being long sleepers on weekends (OR = 1.78, OR = 2.85, respectively; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: During weekends, the percentage of girls sleeping more than recommended is high, indicating a clear compensation of low sleep duration during weekdays. Those of low SES and older adolescents were less likely to meet the sleep guidelines. Policy makers and researchers should consider the potential effects that SES, gender and age might have on sleep duration, when designing targeted interventions to promote adequate sleep duration.

Neck circumference and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents: the moderator role of cardiorespiratory fitness.

BACKGROUND: The increased incidence of cardiometabolic risk factors has become a public health issue, especially in childhood and adolescence. Thus, early identification is essential to avoid or reduce future complications in adulthood. In this sense, the present study aimed to verify the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as a moderator in the association between neck circumference (NC) and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional study that included 2418 randomly selected children and adolescents (52.5% girls), aged 6 to 17 years old. Anthropometric measurements, such as NC and body mass index (BMI), and CRF was measured by the six-minute running/walking test, as well as cardiometabolic risk (systolic blood pressure, glucose, HDL-C, and triglycerides), were assessed. RESULTS: For all age groups, NC showed a negative relationship with CRF. A significant interaction term was found for CRF x NC with cardiometabolic risk for children (6 to 9 years old), early adolescents (10 to 12 years old), and middle adolescents (13 to 17 years old). It was found that children who accomplished more than 1092.49 m in CRF test were protected against cardiometabolic risk when considering NC. In adolescents, protection against cardiometabolic risk was found when the CRF test was completed above 1424.14 m and 1471.87 m (early and middle stage, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CRF is inversely associated with NC and acts as a moderator in the relationship between NC and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents. Therefore, this detrimental health impact linked to fatness might be attenuated by improving CRF levels.

Evidence-Based Exercise Recommendations to Improve Mental Wellbeing in Women with Breast Cancer During Active Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women worldwide. The aims of the current systematic review and meta-analysis are: (i) to systematically examine the effects of exercise interventions on mental wellbeing; (ii) to examine the specific effect of the type of supervised exercise and its intensity, volume and frequency on mental wellbeing; and (iii) to explore which interventions are most effective in mental wellbeing among women with breast cancer during active treatment. An electronic literature search was performed using MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase (Ovid), and Web of Science, we identified 175 full-text articles. The 57 publications included data from 6988 participants, age ranging from 18 to 78 years (weighted mean: 50.85 years). Compared with the control conditions, exercise training programs were associated with significant reductions in anxiety (d = -0.22, I2 = 53.0%), depression (d = -0.24, I2 = 66.6%), and fatigue (d = -0.47, I2 = 69.8%), as well as increases in body image (d = 0.27, I2 = 69.2%) and quality of life (overall, d = 0.46, I2 = 71.6%; emotional function, d = 0.33, I2 = 65.7%; and FACT-B, d = 0.60, I2 = 76.2%). There were a variety of frequencies, intensities, and durations of supervised exercise programs reported in the included meta-analytic approach. In addition, we found that concomitant concurrent training, at moderate-to-vigorous intensity, and with a volume ≥50 min/week had benefits on a number of health outcomes, such as fatigue, depression, and quality of life measure by the FACT-B instrument. These findings have important implications for healthcare providers and multidisciplinary teams involved in mental health management in cancer patients during active treatment.