Exploring environmental cues to instigate physical movement in the workplace.

Background: With the increase of sedentary jobs and the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle, finding novel methods to increase physical activity should be a priority. Environmental cues within the workplace can serve as cues to action for initiating light physical activity. Aim: To qualitatively explore the environmental cues that can instigate light physical activity within an office workplace context. Identification of these cues can inform behaviour change programmes designed to promote habitual physical movement within the workplace. Method: Purposive sampling was used to recruit full-time sedentary office workers who self-report as having a highly sedentary job. Interviews followed a semi-structured design and thematic analysis was used to explore environmental cues within commercial, home, and mixed office settings. Results: Forty-three office workers were interviewed, 16 from a commercial office, 12 from a home office, and 15 with a flexible work arrangement whereby they worked from both a commercial and home office. The findings of this study indicate that across all three groups the main instigator of movement was influenced by office layout (e.g. getting up for beverages and taking bathroom breaks), social environment (e.g. informal and formal meetings), and taking active breaks, both job-related (e.g. printing and filing) and non-job-related (e.g. household chores). Conclusions: These findings provide valuable insight for behaviour change programmes utilising environmental cues to inform habit-based interventions designed to instigate movement within the workplace.

The Impact of Air Pollution on Physical Functioning Decline and the Benefits of Greenness: Evidence From a Nationwide Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Physical functional limitations (PFLs) increase the vulnerability of adults, but their pathogenesis remains unclear. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide longitudinal study on 62 749 records from 18 878 adults (aged ≥45) from 28 provinces in China. Risk of PFLs was assessed using a validated 9-item questionnaire. Exposure levels of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) and greenness (normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI) were estimated using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model. We used the cumulative link mixed effects model to estimate the associations between short-term and long-term exposure to air pollutants, greenness, and risk of PFLs. We employed the interaction effect model to evaluate interactions between air pollutants and greenness. RESULTS: Participants were 60.9 ±â€…9.6 years, with an average follow-up of 5.87 (1.65) years. Exposure to air pollution was significantly associated with a higher risk of PFLs. For instance, the odds ratio (OR) associated with each 10 µg/m3 higher in 6-month averaged PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 were 1.025 (95% CI: 1.015-1.035), 1.035 (95% CI: 1.018-1.054), and 1.029 (95% CI: 1.007-1.050), respectively. Conversely, exposure to greenness was associated with decreased risk of PFLs; the OR associated with each 1-unit higher in 1-year averaged NDVI was 0.724 (95% CI: 0.544-0.962). Furthermore, higher greenness levels were found to mitigate the adverse effects of 1-year, 6-month, 1-month averaged PM10, and 1-year averaged PM2.5 on the risk of PFLs. CONCLUSIONS: Air pollution raises the risk of PFLs, whereas greenness could mitigate the adverse effects. Reducing air pollution and enhancing greenness could prevent physical functioning.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children's Fundamental Motor Skills: A Study for the Taiwanese Preschoolers Teachers.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in reduced opportunities for children to engage in fundamental motor skills [FMS]. This prolonged inactivity and restriction of play can have serious consequences for children's physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore teaching strategies during the pandemic, whether there were differences in children's motor development, and the differences in the implementation of physical movement courses before and during the pandemic from the perspective of preschool teachers. This study was a retrospective study using an internet survey, and participants comprised 2337 preschool teachers. The statistical methodology of this study included descriptive statistics, the dependent t-test, and the independent t-test. The results showed that regardless of the time, frequency, activity intensity, and frequency of outdoor courses, the results from before the pandemic was better than those taken during the pandemic. Only the "frequency of implementing physical movement courses indoors every week" had not been affected by the pandemic. This study also obtained the performance of "children's fitness", "overall performance of physical movement ability", "stability movement skills", "locomotor movement skills", and "manipulative movement skills". All were better before the pandemic than during the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mixed-age classes performed better than same-age classes in terms of frequency, time, intensity, outdoor course implementation, and physical fitness. Public schools performed better than private schools in terms of frequency, time, intensity, outdoor course implementation, and fundamental motor skills performance. Private schools implemented physical movement courses indoors every week, which was more than public schools. Excepting the frequency of implementing physical movement courses indoors every week, fewer than schools with five classes performed better than those who had more than schools with six classes. Finally, rural schools were better than urban schools in the implementation of outdoor courses and fundamental motor skills performance. Therefore, we suggest that in response to the pandemic, teachers should further improve their professionalism and use diversified teaching methods, and guide students to be willing to learn and improve their skill performance.

What happens behind doors? Exploring everyday indoor activities when ageing in place.

Engaging in social interaction and physical movement during everyday activities has a positive influence on wellbeing in later life. For older adults who age in place, the majority of activities occur indoors, yet studies typically focus on outdoors. Gender influences social and physical activities but is understudied in an ageing-in-place context. We aim to address these gaps by increasing insight into the indoor activities in later life, with a focus on gender differences in social interaction and physical movement. Through a mixed-methods approach, data were collected using global positioning system (GPS) trackers, pedometers and activity diaries. Twenty community-dwelling older adults (11 women and 9 men) who were living in Lancashire collected these data over seven days. An exploratory spatio-temporal analysis was conducted on the 820 activities they undertook. We discovered that our participants spend large amounts of time indoors. We also found that social interaction increases the duration of the activity and, conversely, decreases levels of physical movement. When zooming in to gender differences, men's activities took significantly longer than women's activities and were characterised by higher level of social interaction. Based on these results, we argue that there is a trade-off between social interaction and physical movement in everyday activities. We suggest establishing a balance between socialising and moving in everyday activities in later life, specifically because maintaining high levels of movement and social interaction at the same time seems unachievable. In conclusion, it is important to design indoor environments that facilitate choice between being active and resting, and between being social and being on one's own rather than assume they are mutually-exclusive and/or universally "good" or "bad" per se.

Physical Movement Habit Formation in Sedentary Office Workers: Protocol Paper.

Engaging in physical movement has a number of mental and physical health benefits, and yet 45% of Australia's population do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. The current study aims to develop an online habit-based intervention designed to reduce sedentary behavior within the workplace, using environmental cues to instigate simple behavioral changes. Participants in this study will include full time office workers who self-report as having a highly sedentary job and work from either a commercial office, home office, or a mixture of both. Participants will complete a habit-based intervention over a four-week period designed to reduce sedentary behavior by increasing habitual responses to simple physical movement behaviors cued by their environment. Analysis will involve mixed methods ANOVAs to test the efficacy of the intervention. A successful intervention will show a reduction in sedentary behavior as a response to habitual simple physical movement behaviors.

International Physical Activity Questionnaire for ITalian Elderly (IPAQ-EIT): reliability in an Italian sample.

Background: The aim of the paper was to perform an Italian version of the International Questionnaire of Physical Activity in the Elderly: IPAQ-EIT. Methods: Adults with age over 64 years with normal neurological status and without difficulty in ambulation were enrolled in opportunistic way and on voluntary basis in different Italian regions. Two independent researchers have translated the English version independently. The final IPAQ-EIT version was submitted twice, with an interval of one day between each administration (T0 and T1). McNemar's Test was used to assess the agreement between qualitative variables; Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test and Spearman correlation coefficients were used for continuous data. Cronbach's alpha was used as a measure of the internal consistency. Results: Thirty-three questionnaires were collected at T0 and T1. 100% of response rate was obtained. The Cronbach's alpha at T0 was α= 0.79 and at T1 α= 0.84. The Spearman's coefficient reported significant associations (p<0.001) between the two administrations for all items. The test-retest analysis for two paired samples underlined for all items not significant differences. Conclusions: The IPAQ-EIT short form shown an acceptable consistency, feasibility to administer and easy to combine with other questionnaires. It is an additional valid measuring tool for physical activity levels in the elderly.

Interrelationships between exercise, functional connectivity, and cognition among healthy adults: A systematic review.

The main purpose of this systematic review was to examine past literature focusing on the potential relationship between exercise (or physical activity or cardiorespiratory fitness [CRF]) and functional brain connectivity in healthy adults. Among the studies meeting this purpose, we also evaluated studies investigating whether, and how, functional connectivity may influence the exercise-cognition relationship. A systematic review was employed through several electronic databases (PsychInfo, PubMed, and Google Scholar) in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The literature search identified 656 records, and a total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among these 12 studies, there were 4, 7, and 1 study, respectively, examining the relationship between exercise and frontal lobe connectivity, temporal lobe connectivity, and whole-brain connectivity. Also, 7 studies examined the relationship between functional connectivity and cognitive performance across multiple brain regions as a function of exercise. Existing literature suggests that CRF, habitual physical activity, and varying intensities of acute exercise can strengthen functional connections among a wide variety of regions and subcortical structures of the human brain. These exercise-induced functional connectivity changes within and between specific brain structures/networks supporting cognitive processing may improve various domains of cognitive function. Given these complex associations, a thorough understanding of how functional connectivity plays a mediating role in the exercise-cognition interaction is needed in future studies.

Análisis del sobrepeso, obesidad, niveles de actividad física y autoestima de la niñez de León, Nicaragua / Analysis of Overweight, Obesity, Physical Activity Levels, and Self-Esteem in Children From León, Nicaragua / Análise do sobrepeso, obesidade, níveis de atividade física e autoestima das criancas de León, Nicarágua

Resumen El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar la prevalencia del sobrepeso u obesidad, los niveles de actividad física y de autoestima en una región escolar nicaragüense. Se evaluaron 731 estudiantes de 10 escuelas del departamento de León Nicaragua, de los cuales 260 fueron de cuarto, 226 de quinto y 245 de sexto grado, en edades entre los 9 y 13 años. Para medir cada variable del estudio se evaluó la talla y el peso, para el cálculo del IMC, el cuestionario de actividad física para niños y niñas mayores (PAQ-C) y el cuestionario sobre autoestima (LAWSEQ). Según los resultados un 25 % de los estudiantes tienen una prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad y un 4 % en bajo peso. En el nivel de actividad física, un 77 % indica realizar actividad física moderada. Con respecto a la autoestima, se encontró que un 51 % presenta baja autoestima y solo un 4 % nivel alto. Estos resultados marcan el rumbo para el desarrollo de intervenciones que contemplen el entorno escolar, con el fin de propiciar estrategias que logren activar a la niñez, de por vida, hacia un estilo de vida más saludable.

Abstract The objective of this investigation was to analyze the prevalence of overweight or obesity, the levels of physical activity and self-esteem in a Nicaragua school region. 731 students from 10 schools in the department of Leon Nicaragua were evaluated: 260 were in fourth grade, 226 in fifth grades and 245 in sixth grades, between 9 and 13 years old. Height and weight evaluation to calculate BMI, the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), and Lawrence Self-Esteem Questionnaire (LAWSEQ) were applied. According to the results, 25% of students have a prevalence of overweight and obesity and 4% in low weight. In physical activity, 77% perceive themselves to be moderately active. Regarding self-esteem, it was found that 51% had low self-esteem and only 4% had a high level of self-esteem. This directs the course for the development of interventions that contemplate the school environment, in order to promote strategies that activate lifelong childhood to a healthier lifestyle.

Resumo O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a prevalência de sobrepeso ou obesidade, os níveis de atividade física e autoestima em uma região escolar de Nicarágua. Avaliaram-se 731 estudantes de 10 escolas do departamento de León Nicarágua, dos quais 260 eram da quarta serie, 226 de quinta e 245 da sexta serie, com idades entre 9 e 13 anos. Para medir cada variável do estudo foram usados: a altura e peso, avaliados para o cálculo do IMC, o Questionário de Atividade Física para Crianças Mais Velhas (PAQ-C) e o Questionário de Autoestima (LAWSEQ). De acordo com os resultados, 25% dos estudantes têm prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade e 4% de baixo peso. No nível de atividade física, 77% fazem atividade física moderada. Quanto à autoestima, constatou-se que 51% tinham baixa autoestima e apenas 4% possuíam adequado nível de autoestima. Esses resultados definem o caminho para o desenvolvimento de intervenções que contemplem o ambiente escolar, a fim de promover estratégias que ativem na infância e ao longo da vida para um estilo de vida mais saudável.

Oxygen Saturation Measurements from Green and Orange Illuminations of Multi-Wavelength Optoelectronic Patch Sensors.

Photoplethysmography (PPG) based pulse oximetry devices normally use red and infrared illuminations to obtain oxygen saturation (SpO2) readings. In addition, the presence of motion artefacts severely restricts the utility of pulse oximetry physiological measurements. In the current study, a combination of green and orange illuminations from a multi-wavelength optoelectronic patch sensor (mOEPS) was investigated in order to improve robustness to subjects' movements in the extraction of SpO2 measurement. The experimental protocol with 31 healthy subjects was divided into two sub-protocols, and was designed to determine SpO2 measurement. The datasets for the first sub-protocol were collected from 15 subjects at rest, with the subjects free to move their hands. The datasets for the second sub-protocol with 16 subjects were collected during cycling and walking exercises. The results showed good agreement with SpO2 measurements (r = 0.98) in both sub-protocols. The outcomes promise a robust and cost-effective approach of physiological monitoring with the prospect of providing health monitoring that does not restrict user physical movements.