Comparing the Use and Effectiveness of In-Person and Remote Physical Education Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Physical Education is a key component to improve youth health, but there is limited information on Physical Education delivery in different formats. PURPOSE: We compared PE formats (in-person versus remote) across evaluation aspects: weekly minutes; perceived effectiveness; and student-to-teacher ratio. METHODS: We distributed questionnaires (2020-2021 school year) to school contacts who represented NFL Play 60 FitnessGram® Project (n=216) schools in multiple US cities. Questionnaires entailed learning format, weekly PE minutes, perceived effectiveness, and student-to-teacher ratio. We used linear mixed models to compare PE formats across evaluation variables. RESULTS: Among 165 schools, 10% (n=17) offered in-person instruction, 31% (n=51) offered remote instruction, and 59% offered both (n=97). Results revealed higher in-person PE minutes (77.2±7.3) compared to remote minutes (67.1±14.6), but results were not significantly different (p=0.19). School contacts reported significantly more effective in-person PE (4.0) than remote PE (2.8, p<0.001). In-person PE also had significantly smaller reported student-to-teacher ratio (16.7) compared to remote PE (23.7, p<0.001). DISCUSSION: Findings indicate PE was offered during the pandemic, but remote learning appeared less effective than in-person PE. TRANSLATION to HEALTH EDUCATION PRACTICE: Efforts are needed to improve remote PE to reinforce high-quality PE in the future.

Baseline characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine non-responders in a large population-based sample.

INTRODUCTION: Studies indicate that individuals with chronic conditions and specific baseline characteristics may not mount a robust humoral antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. In this paper, we used data from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey (Texas CARES), a longitudinal state-wide seroprevalence program that has enrolled more than 90,000 participants, to evaluate the role of chronic diseases as the potential risk factors of non-response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in a large epidemiologic cohort. METHODS: A participant needed to complete an online survey and a blood draw to test for SARS-CoV-2 circulating plasma antibodies at four-time points spaced at least three months apart. Chronic disease predictors of vaccine non-response are evaluated using logistic regression with non-response as the outcome and each chronic disease + age as the predictors. RESULTS: As of April 24, 2023, 18,240 participants met the inclusion criteria; 0.58% (N = 105) of these are non-responders. Adjusting for age, our results show that participants with self-reported immunocompromised status, kidney disease, cancer, and "other" non-specified comorbidity were 15.43, 5.11, 2.59, and 3.13 times more likely to fail to mount a complete response to a vaccine, respectively. Furthermore, having two or more chronic diseases doubled the prevalence of non-response. CONCLUSION: Consistent with smaller targeted studies, a large epidemiologic cohort bears the same conclusion and demonstrates immunocompromised, cancer, kidney disease, and the number of diseases are associated with vaccine non-response. This study suggests that those individuals, with chronic diseases with the potential to affect their immune system response, may need increased doses or repeated doses of COVID-19 vaccines to develop a protective antibody level.

Interrelationships of physical activity in different domains: Evidence from the Geographic Research on Wellbeing (GROW) study.

Research has rarely distinguished between non-work (NW) and work (W) active transport (AT) or investigated relationships to other domains of physical activity ([PA], like leisure time [LTPA] or work [WPA]). We investigated correlates of AT by employment status, accounting for LTPA and WPA, in a population-based sample of California mothers (N=2906) in the Geographic Research on Wellbeing (GROW) study (2012-2013). AT was measured by the National Household Travel Survey. LTPA was measured using the Stanford Leisure-Time Activity Categorical Item. WPA was measured with the Stanford Brief Activity Survey. Most employed mothers (53%) worked in sedentary jobs, and few (<10%) used NWAT or WAT. Over 20% of unemployed mothers used NWAT, although LTPA levels were similar to employed mothers. Multiple regression models found employed and unemployed with low education and income, and unemployed African American or Latina immigrant mothers had higher odds of using NWAT. Younger employed and unemployed mothers, and unemployed who had ≥4 children or had "light" LTPA had lower odds of using NWAT. Multiple regression models demonstrated that low education or income employed mothers, African American mothers, those who worked part time, and those with relatively low LTPA had higher odds of using WAT, while younger women had lower odds of using WAT, compared with reference groups (ps<0.05). WPA was associated with WAT in unadjusted models, but not in adjusted models. Different AT patterns were seen for employed vs unemployed women, but women who used AT did so for most trips. LTPA was associated with NWAT among unemployed mothers and with WAT among employed mothers. Most women were underactive across all domains, suggesting no compensatory effect of PA done in one domain reducing PA done in another domain, with few meeting minimal guidelines. Policy and practice strategies should support infrastructure to encourage a variety of domains of PA.

Prevalence and correlates of physical activity among adolescents from Southern Brazil / Prevalência de atividade física em adolescentes e fatores associados / Prevalencia de actividad física en adolescentes y factores asociados

OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência de atividade física entre adolescentes e identificar fatores associados. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal aninhado em uma coorte com 4.325 indivíduos de 14-15 anos em Pelotas, RS, em 2008. A atividade física foi analisada por meio de três diferentes abordagens: 1) prevalência de alguma atividade física de lazer; 2) prevalência de algum deslocamento ativo para a escola; 3) prevalência de engajamento em pelo menos 300 minutos por semana da combinação de ambos (1 e 2). Variáveis independentes incluíram características demográficas, socioeconômicas, comportamentais, sociais e biológicas e número de atividades físicas praticadas no tempo de lazer. As análises estatísticas foram feitas pela regressão de Poisson. RESULTADOS: A proporção de adolescentes envolvidos em alguma atividade física de lazer foi 75,6 por cento, enquanto 73,4 por cento apresentou alguma forma de deslocamento ativo para a escola. A prevalência de atividade física total (escore > 300 min/sem) foi 48,2 por cento, sendo maior para os meninos (62,6 por cento) do que para as meninas (34,5 por cento). Além disso, a prevalência aumentou de acordo com o número de atividades físicas praticadas (p < 0,001)...

OBJETIVO: Estimar la prevalencia de actividad física entre adolescentes y identificar los factores asociados. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal anidado en una cohorte con 4.325 individuos de 14-15 años en Pelota, Sur de Brasil, en 2008. La actividad física fue analizada por medio de tres diferentes abordajes: 1) prevalencia de alguna actividad física de ocio; 2) prevalencia de algún traslado activo para la escuela; 3) prevalencia de compromiso de por lo menos 300 minutos por semana en la combinación de ambos (1 y 2). Variables independientes incluyeron características demográficas, socioeconómicas, comportamentales, sociales y biológicas y número de actividades físicas practicadas en el tiempo de ocio. Los análisis estadísticos fueron hechos por la regresión de Poisson. RESULTADOS: La proporción de adolescentes envueltos en alguna actividad física de ocio fue 75,6% mientras que 73,4% presentaron alguna forma de traslado activo para la escuela. La prevalencia de actividad física total (escore ³ 300 min/sem) fue 48,2% siendo mayor para los niños (62,6%) que para las niñas (34,5%). Además, la prevalencia aumentó de acuerdo con el número de actividades físicas practicadas (p<0,001). Los factores asociados a la mayor práctica de actividad física (ocio + traslado) en los niveles recomendados fueron: color de la piel no blanca, haber repetido año en la escuela y jugar videogame. Las variables menor nivel socioeconómico, mayor tiempo de uso de computador y actividad física de los padres estuvieron asociadas al resultado sólo entre las niñas. CONCLUSIONES: Menos de la mitad de los adolescentes alcanzó las recomendaciones para la práctica de actividad física y esa proporción tiende a disminuir entre los sujetos de mayor nivel socioeconómico. Los factores asociados difirieron entre ocio y traslado. Compromiso en una amplia variedad de actividades físicas debe ser asumido desde la infancia.