CANPLAY study: Secular trends in steps/day amongst 5-19year-old Canadians between 2005 and 2014.

INTRODUCTION: The Canadian Physical Activity Levels Among Youth (CANPLAY) study collected pedometer data from eight surveys between 2005 and 2014, making it a unique database of objective population physical activity surveillance. The purpose of this study was to describe secular physical activity trends for 5-19year olds. METHODS: Canadian children from nationally representative samples (10,000 recruited, n≅5500 per survey) were mailed a pedometer kit, asked to wear the pedometer for 7 consecutive days, log steps daily, then return the log by mail. Weighted medians and prevalence estimates were calculated. Trends were tested by χ(2) test of independence. RESULTS: An overall median of 10,935 steps/day was taken by Canadian children 5-19years of age (n=43,806) across the eight surveys. Steps/day increased between 2005-06 and 2007-08, then decreased in 2012-14. The prevalence of taking sufficient steps/day (defined as ≥10,000 steps/day for 5year olds, ≥13,000 steps/day for 6-11year-old boys; ≥11,000 steps/day for 6-11year-old girls; and ≥10,000 steps/day for 12-19year olds;) also increased then decreased over time, whereas the prevalence of accumulating <7000 steps/day generally increased over time. Trends were significant for boys, girls and each age group. DISCUSSION: The CANPLAY surveillance system provided comparable data at multiple time points over 9years. An overall shift in the distribution of steps/day towards a less active lifestyle occurred between 2005-06 and 2012-14 for boys, girls and each age group. This provides evidence that the national policy goal to increase children's steps/day by 2015 has not been met.

Did the 2000 Sydney Olympics increase physical activity among adult Australians?

BACKGROUND: The Olympic Games' (OG) organisers typically hope that a diverse range of health legacies, including increases in physical activity and sport participation will result from their hosting of the OG. Despite these aspirations, the effects of the Olympics on physical activity levels remain to be demonstrated in large-scale population studies. METHODS: This study examined the short-term impact of the Sydney 2000 OG, using serial cross-sectional population physical activity surveys of Australian adults in November 1999 and November 2000. Random sample surveys of adults asked about physical activity participation, intention to be more active, and in 2000, response to the OG. RESULTS: There were no significant effects of the Olympics on physical activity participation among adult Australians, measured 6 weeks after the end of the Games. Total minutes of leisure-time physical activity did not change significantly between 1999 and 2000 (295-303 min/week), and the proportion reaching the recommended levels of 150 min/week did not change (56.6% and 56.8%, respectively, in 1999 and 2000). The intention to be active in the next month increased after the Games (adjusted OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.24), but was not associated with physical activity behaviour change. CONCLUSIONS: The legacy of the OG may be apparent through new infrastructure and other urban improvements, but evidence of their influence on physical activity levels remains elusive. Without multiyear integrated and well-funded programmes to promote physical activity, the Olympic legacy of a more active community may remain more rhetoric than reality.

The impact of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on population level physical activity and sport participation among Canadian children and adolescents: population based study.

BACKGROUND: There has been much debate about the potential impact of the Olympics. The purpose of this study was to determine if hosting the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games (OG) encouraged Canadian children to be physically active. METHODS: Children 5-19 years (n = 19862) were assessed as part of the representative Canadian Physical Activity Levels Among Youth surveillance study between August 2007 and July 2011. Parents were asked if the child participated in organized physical activity or sport. In addition, children wore pedometers for 7 days to objectively provide an estimate of overall physical activity. Mean steps/day and percent participating in organized physical activity or sport were calculated by time period within year for Canada and British Columbia. The odds of participation by time period were estimated by logistic regression, controlling for age and sex. RESULTS: Mean steps were lower during the Olympic period compared with Pre- (607 fewer steps/day 95% CI 263-950 steps/day) and Post-Olympic (1246 fewer steps 95% CI 858-1634 steps) periods for Canada. There was no difference by time period in British Columbia. A similar pattern in mean steps by time period was observed across years, but there were no significant differences in activity within each of these periods between years. The likelihood of participating in organized physical activity or sport by time period within or across years did not differ from baseline (August-November 2007). CONCLUSION: The 2010 Olympic Games had no measurable impact on objectively measured physical activity or the prevalence of overall sports participation among Canadian children. Much greater cross-Government and long-term efforts are needed to create the conditions for an Olympic legacy effect on physical activity.

Mothers' intentions to support children's physical activity related to attention and implicit agreement with advertisements.

BACKGROUND: ParticipACTION's Think Again campaign targeted mothers who think their children are sufficiently active, yet whose children do not achieve recommended amounts of physical activity. PURPOSE: This research examined the relationship of mothers' intentions to support children's physical activity with explicit believability and implicit agreement with the Think Again campaign message, attention paid to the advertisement, involvement with the issue, concern regarding children's inactivity, and attitudes. METHOD: Participants were mothers from Edmonton, Canada (N = 102) who viewed one Think Again advertisement then completed a measure of implicit agreement with the campaign message and questionnaires. RESULTS: The mothers who paid attention to the message and were concerned for their own children were more likely to intend to act on campaign messages. The majority of participants implicitly agreed that children's physical inactivity was a problem, but there was less agreement that physical inactivity was a problem for their own children. CONCLUSION: Participants automatically tended to agree with campaign messages when the focus was on children in general, but there was greater disagreement when asked about participant's own children. Why most mothers were not in agreement with the reality of how much physical activity their children needs remains to be determined.

Relationship between parent and child pedometer-determined physical activity: a sub-study of the CANPLAY surveillance study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding parental influences on their children's physical activity (PA) provides insight into developing effective family-based interventions. This study examines whether children's objectively monitored PA is associated with that of their parents. METHODS: Participants (children and parents) were recruited to a sub-study of the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute's annual Canadian Physical Activity Levels among Youth (CANPLAY) surveillance study. In total, 539 of 1,187 eligible children (age range 5-19 years) and at least one of their parents participated. Participants logged pedometer steps for 7 days. Descriptive statistics were used to examine parental mean daily steps by their children's age, sex and steps/day. Associations between steps/day for parents and children (controlling for their age and sex) were estimated using general linear and logistic regression. RESULTS: Children's mean steps/day did not differ by parents' age or sex, nor by whether one or both parents participated in the study. There were quantifiable relationships between parents' and children's steps/day. For every 1,000 step increase in a father's steps/day, his son's increased by 329-407 steps/day and his daughter's increased by 273 steps/day (adjusted model only). Every 1,000 step increase in a mother's steps/day was associated with 263-439 extra steps/day for her son's steps/day and 195-219 steps/day for her daughter. A 3,000 step increment in a father's or mother's steps/day was associated with 1.9-2.5 fold increase in the odds that their child's activity level would be in the upper two tertiles of steps/day. CONCLUSIONS: These cross-sectional data indicate that children's PA is related to that of their parents in distinct and quantifiable ways. Interventions are warranted to evaluate the direction of this relationship, confirm the magnitude of influence, and illuminate mediating and moderating mechanisms by which both parents may have influence over their own children's PA.

Patterns of neighborhood environment attributes related to physical activity across 11 countries: a latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Neighborhood environment studies of physical activity (PA) have been mainly single-country focused. The International Prevalence Study (IPS) presented a rare opportunity to examine neighborhood features across countries. The purpose of this analysis was to: 1) detect international neighborhood typologies based on participants' response patterns to an environment survey and 2) to estimate associations between neighborhood environment patterns and PA. METHODS: A Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted on pooled IPS adults (N=11,541) aged 18 to 64 years old (mean=37.5±12.8 yrs; 55.6% women) from 11 countries including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the U.S. This subset used the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Survey (PANES) that briefly assessed 7 attributes within 10-15 minutes walk of participants' residences, including residential density, access to shops/services, recreational facilities, public transit facilities, presence of sidewalks and bike paths, and personal safety. LCA derived meaningful subgroups from participants' response patterns to PANES items, and participants were assigned to neighborhood types. The validated short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) measured likelihood of meeting the 150 minutes/week PA guideline. To validate derived classes, meeting the guideline either by walking or total PA was regressed on neighborhood types using a weighted generalized linear regression model, adjusting for gender, age and country. RESULTS: A 5-subgroup solution fitted the dataset and was interpretable. Neighborhood types were labeled, "Overall Activity Supportive (52% of sample)", "High Walkable and Unsafe with Few Recreation Facilities (16%)", "Safe with Active Transport Facilities (12%)", "Transit and Shops Dense with Few Amenities (15%)", and "Safe but Activity Unsupportive (5%)". Country representation differed by type (e.g., U.S. disproportionally represented "Safe but Activity Unsupportive"). Compared to the Safe but Activity Unsupportive, two types showed greater odds of meeting PA guideline for walking outcome (High Walkable and Unsafe with Few Recreation Facilities, OR=2.26 (95% CI 1.18-4.31); Overall Activity Supportive, OR=1.90 (95% CI 1.13-3.21). Significant but smaller odds ratios were also found for total PA. CONCLUSIONS: Meaningful neighborhood patterns generalized across countries and explained practical differences in PA. These observational results support WHO/UN recommendations for programs and policies targeted to improve features of the neighborhood environment for PA.

Perceived neighborhood environment and physical activity in 11 countries: do associations differ by country?

BACKGROUND: Increasing empirical evidence supports associations between neighborhood environments and physical activity. However, since most studies were conducted in a single country, particularly western countries, the generalizability of associations in an international setting is not well understood. The current study examined whether associations between perceived attributes of neighborhood environments and physical activity differed by country. METHODS: Population representative samples from 11 countries on five continents were surveyed using comparable methodologies and measurement instruments. Neighborhood environment × country interactions were tested in logistic regression models with meeting physical activity recommendations as the outcome, adjusted for demographic characteristics. Country-specific associations were reported. RESULTS: Significant neighborhood environment attribute × country interactions implied some differences across countries in the association of each neighborhood attribute with meeting physical activity recommendations. Across the 11 countries, land-use mix and sidewalks had the most consistent associations with physical activity. Access to public transit, bicycle facilities, and low-cost recreation facilities had some associations with physical activity, but with less consistency across countries. There was little evidence supporting the associations of residential density and crime-related safety with physical activity in most countries. CONCLUSION: There is evidence of generalizability for the associations of land use mix, and presence of sidewalks with physical activity. Associations of other neighborhood characteristics with physical activity tended to differ by country. Future studies should include objective measures of neighborhood environments, compare psychometric properties of reports across countries, and use better specified models to further understand the similarities and differences in associations across countries.

Canadian children's and youth's pedometer-determined steps/day, parent-reported TV watching time, and overweight/obesity: the CANPLAY Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND: This study examines associations between pedometer-determined steps/day and parent-reported child's Body Mass Index (BMI) and time typically spent watching television between school and dinner. METHODS: Young people (aged 5-19 years) were recruited through their parents by random digit dialling and mailed a data collection package. Information on height and weight and time spent watching television between school and dinner on a typical school day was collected from parents. In total, 5949 boys and 5709 girls reported daily steps. BMI was categorized as overweight or obese using Cole's cut points. Participants wore pedometers for 7 days and logged daily steps. The odds of being overweight and obese by steps/day and parent-reported time spent television watching were estimated using logistic regression for complex samples. RESULTS: Girls had a lower median steps/day (10682 versus 11059 for boys) and also a narrower variation in steps/day (interquartile range, 4410 versus 5309 for boys). 11% of children aged 5-19 years were classified as obese; 17% of boys and girls were overweight. Both boys and girls watched, on average, < 40 minutes of television between school and dinner on school days. Adjusting for child's age and sex and parental education, the odds of a child being obese decreased by 20% for every extra 3000 steps/day and increased by 21% for every 30 minutes of television watching. There was no association of being overweight with steps/day, however the odds of being overweight increased by 8% for every 30 minutes of additional time spent watching television between school and dinner on a typical school day. DISCUSSION: Television viewing is the more prominent factor in terms of predicting overweight, and it contributes to obesity, but steps/day attenuates the association between television viewing and obesity, and therefore can be considered protective against obesity. In addition to replacing opportunities for active alternative behaviours, exposure to television might also impact body weight by promoting excess energy intake. CONCLUSIONS: In this large nationally representative sample, pedometer-determined steps/day was associated with reduced odds of being obese (but not overweight) whereas each parent-reported hour spent watching television between school and dinner increased the odds of both overweight and obesity.

How many steps/day are enough? for children and adolescents.

Worldwide, public health physical activity guidelines include special emphasis on populations of children (typically 6-11 years) and adolescents (typically 12-19 years). Existing guidelines are commonly expressed in terms of frequency, time, and intensity of behaviour. However, the simple step output from both accelerometers and pedometers is gaining increased credibility in research and practice as a reasonable approximation of daily ambulatory physical activity volume. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review existing child and adolescent objectively monitored step-defined physical activity literature to provide researchers, practitioners, and lay people who use accelerometers and pedometers with evidence-based translations of these public health guidelines in terms of steps/day. In terms of normative data (i.e., expected values), the updated international literature indicates that we can expect 1) among children, boys to average 12,000 to 16,000 steps/day and girls to average 10,000 to 13,000 steps/day; and, 2) adolescents to steadily decrease steps/day until approximately 8,000-9,000 steps/day are observed in 18-year olds. Controlled studies of cadence show that continuous MVPA walking produces 3,300-3,500 steps in 30 minutes or 6,600-7,000 steps in 60 minutes in 10-15 year olds. Limited evidence suggests that a total daily physical activity volume of 10,000-14,000 steps/day is associated with 60-100 minutes of MVPA in preschool children (approximately 4-6 years of age). Across studies, 60 minutes of MVPA in primary/elementary school children appears to be achieved, on average, within a total volume of 13,000 to 15,000 steps/day in boys and 11,000 to 12,000 steps/day in girls. For adolescents (both boys and girls), 10,000 to 11,700 may be associated with 60 minutes of MVPA. Translations of time- and intensity-based guidelines may be higher than existing normative data (e.g., in adolescents) and therefore will be more difficult to achieve (but not impossible nor contraindicated). Recommendations are preliminary and further research is needed to confirm and extend values for measured cadences, associated speeds, and MET values in young people; continue to accumulate normative data (expected values) for both steps/day and MVPA across ages and populations; and, conduct longitudinal and intervention studies in children and adolescents required to inform the shape of step-defined physical activity dose-response curves associated with various health parameters.

How many steps/day are enough? For adults.

Physical activity guidelines from around the world are typically expressed in terms of frequency, duration, and intensity parameters. Objective monitoring using pedometers and accelerometers offers a new opportunity to measure and communicate physical activity in terms of steps/day. Various step-based versions or translations of physical activity guidelines are emerging, reflecting public interest in such guidance. However, there appears to be a wide discrepancy in the exact values that are being communicated. It makes sense that step-based recommendations should be harmonious with existing evidence-based public health guidelines that recognize that "some physical activity is better than none" while maintaining a focus on time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Thus, the purpose of this review was to update our existing knowledge of "How many steps/day are enough?", and to inform step-based recommendations consistent with current physical activity guidelines. Normative data indicate that healthy adults typically take between 4,000 and 18,000 steps/day, and that 10,000 steps/day is reasonable for this population, although there are notable "low active populations." Interventions demonstrate incremental increases on the order of 2,000-2,500 steps/day. The results of seven different controlled studies demonstrate that there is a strong relationship between cadence and intensity. Further, despite some inter-individual variation, 100 steps/minute represents a reasonable floor value indicative of moderate intensity walking. Multiplying this cadence by 30 minutes (i.e., typical of a daily recommendation) produces a minimum of 3,000 steps that is best used as a heuristic (i.e., guiding) value, but these steps must be taken over and above habitual activity levels to be a true expression of free-living steps/day that also includes recommendations for minimal amounts of time in MVPA. Computed steps/day translations of time in MVPA that also include estimates of habitual activity levels equate to 7,100 to 11,000 steps/day. A direct estimate of minimal amounts of MVPA accumulated in the course of objectively monitored free-living behaviour is 7,000-8,000 steps/day. A scale that spans a wide range of incremental increases in steps/day and is congruent with public health recognition that "some physical activity is better than none," yet still incorporates step-based translations of recommended amounts of time in MVPA may be useful in research and practice. The full range of users (researchers to practitioners to the general public) of objective monitoring instruments that provide step-based outputs require good reference data and evidence-based recommendations to be able to design effective health messages congruent with public health physical activity guidelines, guide behaviour change, and ultimately measure, track, and interpret steps/day.

How many steps/day are enough? For older adults and special populations.

Older adults and special populations (living with disability and/or chronic illness that may limit mobility and/or physical endurance) can benefit from practicing a more physically active lifestyle, typically by increasing ambulatory activity. Step counting devices (accelerometers and pedometers) offer an opportunity to monitor daily ambulatory activity; however, an appropriate translation of public health guidelines in terms of steps/day is unknown. Therefore this review was conducted to translate public health recommendations in terms of steps/day. Normative data indicates that 1) healthy older adults average 2,000-9,000 steps/day, and 2) special populations average 1,200-8,800 steps/day. Pedometer-based interventions in older adults and special populations elicit a weighted increase of approximately 775 steps/day (or an effect size of 0.26) and 2,215 steps/day (or an effect size of 0.67), respectively. There is no evidence to inform a moderate intensity cadence (i.e., steps/minute) in older adults at this time. However, using the adult cadence of 100 steps/minute to demark the lower end of an absolutely-defined moderate intensity (i.e., 3 METs), and multiplying this by 30 minutes produces a reasonable heuristic (i.e., guiding) value of 3,000 steps. However, this cadence may be unattainable in some frail/diseased populations. Regardless, to truly translate public health guidelines, these steps should be taken over and above activities performed in the course of daily living, be of at least moderate intensity accumulated in minimally 10 minute bouts, and add up to at least 150 minutes over the week. Considering a daily background of 5,000 steps/day (which may actually be too high for some older adults and/or special populations), a computed translation approximates 8,000 steps on days that include a target of achieving 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and approximately 7,100 steps/day if averaged over a week. Measured directly and including these background activities, the evidence suggests that 30 minutes of daily MVPA accumulated in addition to habitual daily activities in healthy older adults is equivalent to taking approximately 7,000-10,000 steps/day. Those living with disability and/or chronic illness (that limits mobility and or/physical endurance) display lower levels of background daily activity, and this will affect whole-day estimates of recommended physical activity.

Sex differences in the association of youth body mass index to adult health-related quality of life: the physical activity longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term consequences of youth overweight on adult health-related quality of life (HRQL) have not been documented. This study examines sex differences in the association between youth body mass index (BMI) and adult HRQL. METHODS: Subjects included 139 male and 142 female participants aged 7-18 in the 1981 Canada Fitness Survey, followed up in 2002-04. The associations of youth BMI to adult HRQL (SF-36) were examined with bivariate correlations, differences in means and multivariate linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Bivariate analyses revealed positive associations between youth overweight and mental aspects of adult HRQL in females, and weak negative associations with physical aspects, but no significant associations in males. All overweight male and female youth scored the maximum (100) on Role Emotional (RE). In females, compared to healthy weight youth, overweight youth scored 16.0, 13.4, 12.7, and 10.9 points higher on general health (GH), vitality (VT), mental health (MH), and the mental component score (MCS) in adulthood, respectively; a 1 unit increase in youth BMI led to 1.7, 1.5, and 1.4 point increases in adult VT, MH and MCS scores, respectively. Associations were attenuated with the removal of adult BMI from the models, but remained strong for MH and MCS. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight in youth did not have a significant negative impact on HRQL two decades later; rather, a positive association was found with mental aspects of adult HRQL in females.

Are youth BMI and physical activity associated with better or worse than expected health-related quality of life in adulthood? The Physical Activity Longitudinal Study.

PURPOSE: Body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA) affect health-related quality of life (HRQL); however, the long-term impact of youth BMI and PA on adult HRQL is unknown. We investigated the relationship of youth BMI and PA to adult HRQL 22 years later. METHODS: Subjects included 310 participants aged 7 to 18 in the 1981 Canada Fitness Survey, followed up in 2002-2004. The associations of youth BMI and leisure time PA to adult HRQL were examined, comparing to age- and sex-adjusted Canadian SF-36 norms. RESULTS: Bivariate analyses revealed positive associations between youth overweight and mental aspects of adult HRQL, but little association with physical aspects. In logistic regression adjusting for adult BMI and other covariates, overweight youth were 7 times more likely than healthy weight youth to score at/above the norm on both mental health (MH) and bodily pain, and almost 18 times more likely on the mental component score (MCS). Youth BMI was also positively associated with general health (GH), social functioning, and role emotional. Removing adult BMI from the models led to attenuated associations with mental HRQL and no association with GH. Longitudinal BMI status change was explored, and findings supported the main regression results. Youth PA was not associated with adult HRQL. CONCLUSIONS: Youth overweight conveyed a long-term positive impact on several aspects of adult HRQL, and this impact may be both direct and indirect through BMI change and the effect on adult BMI. Youth PA had no long-term impact on adult HRQL.

ParticipACTION: Overview and introduction of baseline research on the "new" ParticipACTION.

BACKGROUND: This paper provides a brief overview of the Canadian physical activity communications and social marketing organization "ParticipACTION"; introduces the "new" ParticipACTION; describes the research process leading to the collection of baseline data on the new ParticipACTION; and outlines the accompanying series of papers in the supplement presenting the detailed baseline data. METHODS: Information on ParticipACTION was gathered from close personal involvement with the organization, from interviews and meetings with key leaders of the organization, from published literature and from ParticipACTION archives. In 2001, after nearly 30 years of operation, ParticipACTION ceased operations because of inadequate funding. In February 2007 the organization was officially resurrected and the launch of the first mass media campaign of the "new" ParticipACTION occurred in October 2007. The six-year absence of ParticipACTION, or any equivalent substitute, provided a unique opportunity to examine the impact of a national physical activity social marketing organization on important individual and organizational level indicators of success. A rapid response research team was established in January 2007 to exploit this natural intervention research opportunity. RESULTS: The research team was successful in obtaining funding through the new Canadian Institutes of Health Research Intervention Research (Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention) Funding Program. Data were collected on individuals and organizations prior to the complete implementation of the first mass media campaign of the new ParticipACTION. CONCLUSION: Rapid response research and funding mechanisms facilitated the collection of baseline information on the new ParticipACTION. These data will allow for comprehensive assessments of future initiatives of ParticipACTION.

ParticipACTION: A mass media campaign targeting parents of inactive children; knowledge, saliency, and trialing behaviours.

BACKGROUND: In late 2007, Canada's ParticipACTION national physical activity mass media campaign was re-launched, with an initial campaign targeting parents of elementary school-aged children. The campaign informed them about the risks of physical inactivity for children and youth. The purpose of this study was to assess campaign awareness and understanding following the campaign, and to identify whether exposure to this campaign was likely associated with behaviour change. METHODS: A convenience sample of 1,500 adults was recruited though an existing panel (n = 60,000) of Canadian adults to participate in online surveys. Initial campaign exposure included "prompted" and "unprompted" recall of specific physical activity messages from the 2007 ParticipACTION campaign, knowledge of the benefits of PA, saliency, and initial trial behaviours to help their children become more active. RESULTS: One quarter of respondents showed unprompted recall of specific message content from the ParticipACTION campaign, and prompted recall was 57%. Message recall and understanding was associated with knowledge about physical activity, and that in turn was related to high saliency. Saliency was associated with each of the physical activity-related trial behaviours asked. CONCLUSION: Campaign awareness and understanding was high following this ParticipACTION campaign, and was associated with intermediate campaign outcomes, including saliency and trial behaviours. This is relevant to campaign evaluations, as it suggests that an initial focus on influencing awareness and understanding is likely to lead to more substantial change in campaign endpoints.

ParticipACTION: Baseline assessment of the 'new ParticipACTION': A quantitative survey of Canadian organizational awareness and capacity.

BACKGROUND: ParticipACTION is a Canadian physical activity (PA) communications and social marketing organization that was relaunched in 2007 after a six-year hiatus. This study assesses the baseline awareness and capacity of Canadian organizations that promote physical activity, to adopt, implement and promote ParticipACTION's physical activity campaign. The three objectives were: (1) to determine organizational awareness of both the 'original' and 'new' ParticipACTION; (2) to report baseline levels of three organizational capacity domains (i.e., to adopt, implement and externally promote physical activity initiatives); and, (3) to explore potential differences in those domains based on organizational size, sector and primary mandate. METHODS: Organizations at local, provincial/territorial, and national levels were sent an invitation via email prior to the official launch of ParticipACTION to complete an on-line survey. The survey assessed their organization's capacity to adopt, implement and externally promote a new physical activity campaign within their organizational mandates. Descriptive statistics were employed to address the first two study objectives. A series of one-way analysis of variance were conducted to examine the third objective. RESULTS: The response rate was 29.7% (268/902). The majority of responding organizations had over 40 employees and had operated for over 10 years. Education was the most common primary mandate, followed by sport and recreation. Organizations were evenly distributed between government and not-for-profits. Approximately 96% of respondents had heard of the 'original' ParticipACTION while 54.6% had heard of the 'new' ParticipACTION (Objective 1). Findings indicate good organizational capacity in Canada to promote physical activity (Objective 2) based on reported means of approximately 4.0 (on 5-point scales) for capacity to adopt, implement, and externally promote new physical activity campaigns. Capacity to adopt new physical activity campaigns differed by organizational sector and mandate, and capacity to implement differed by organizational mandate (Objective 3). CONCLUSION: At baseline, and without specific details of the campaign, respondents believe they have good capacity to work with ParticipACTION. ParticipACTION may do well to capitalize on the existing strong organizational capacity components of leadership, infrastructure and 'will' of national organizations to facilitate the success of its future campaigns.

The International Prevalence Study on Physical Activity: results from 20 countries.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is one of the most important factors for improving population health, but no standardised systems exist for international surveillance. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was developed for international surveillance. The purpose of this study was a comparative international study of population physical activity prevalence across 20 countries. METHODS: Between 2002-2004, a standardised protocol using IPAQ was used to assess PA participation in 20 countries [total N = 52,746, aged 18-65 years]. The median survey response rate was 61%. Physical activity levels were categorised as "low", "moderate" and "high". Age-adjusted prevalence estimates are presented by sex. RESULTS: The prevalence of "high PA" varied from 21-63%; in eight countries high PA was reported for over half of the adult population. The prevalence of "low PA" varied from 9% to 43%. Males more frequently reported high PA than females in 17 of 20 countries. The prevalence of low PA ranged from 7-41% among males, and 6-49% among females. Gender differences were noted, especially for younger adults, with males more active than females in most countries. Markedly lower physical activity prevalence (10% difference) with increasing age was noted in 11 of 19 countries for males, but only in three countries for women. The ways populations accumulated PA differed, with some reporting mostly vigorous intensity activities and others mostly walking. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the feasibility of international PA surveillance, and showed that IPAQ is an acceptable surveillance instrument, at least within countries. If assessment methods are used consistently over time, trend data will inform countries about the success of their efforts to promote physical activity.

Non-response bias in physical activity trend estimates.

BACKGROUND: Increases in reported leisure time physical activity (PA) and obesity have been observed in several countries. One hypothesis for these apparently contradictory trends is differential bias in estimates over time. The purpose of this short report is to examine the potential impact of changes in response rates over time on the prevalence of adequate PA in Canadian adults. METHODS: Participants were recruited in representative national telephone surveys of PA from 1995-2007. Differences in PA prevalence estimates between participants and those hard to reach were assessed using Student's t tests adjusted for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The number of telephone calls required to reach and speak with someone in the household increased over time, as did the percentage of selected participants who initially refused during the first interview attempt. A higher prevalence of adequate PA was observed with 5-9 attempts to reach anyone in the household in 1999-2002, but this was not significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSION: No significant impact on PA trend estimates was observed due to differential non response rates. It is important for health policy makers to understand potential biases and how these may affect secular trends in all aspects of the energy balance equation.

Distinct trajectories of leisure time physical activity and predictors of trajectory class membership: a 22 year cohort study.

UNLABELLED: or BACKGROUND: Prospective studies linking social factors to long term patterns of physical activity are lacking. In this 22 year longitudinal study, we seek to identify long term patterns of involvement in leisure time physical activity (LTPA), and explore socioeconomic and demographic predictors of distinct LTPA trajectories. METHODS: Among 2102 individuals aged 18-60 years in 1981 who participated in the 1981 Canada Fitness Survey/1988 Campbell's Survey of Well-Being, 1186 (56.4%) completed questionnaires for the 2002/04 follow-up. Complete data on LTPA at all 3 surveys were available for 884 participants. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify major classes of LTPA trajectories; predictors of class membership were identified using polytomous logistic regression. RESULTS: Four latent classes were identified: inactive, increasers, active, and decreasers (53%, 26%, 12%, and 9% of participants, respectively). Women, older participants, those with lower household income, and with lower educational attainment, were significantly less likely to follow active (Vs. inactive) trajectories of LTPA. Disadvantaged groups with respect to education and income were also significantly more likely to follow decreasing (Vs. active) trajectories. CONCLUSION: There is a need for continued efforts to increase overall population levels of LTPA, particularly among socially disadvantaged groups with respect to income and education, who are most likely to experience unfavorable trajectories of LTPA.

Comparison of Kenz Lifecorder EX and ActiGraph accelerometers in 10-yr-old children.

UNLABELLED: A new accelerometer, the Kenz Lifecorder EX (LC; Suzuken Co. Ltd, Nagoya, Japan), offers promise as a feasible monitor alternative to the commonly used Actigraph (AG: Actigraph LLC, Fort Walton Beach, FL). PURPOSE: This study compared the LC and AG accelerometers and the Yamax SW-200 pedometer (DW) under free-living conditions with regard to children's steps taken and time in light-intensity physical activity (PA) and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). METHODS: Participants (N=31, age=10.2 +/- 0.4 yr) wore LC, AG, and DW monitors from arrival at school (7:45 a.m.) until they went to bed. Time in light and MVPA intensities were calculated using two separate intensity classifications for the LC (LC_4 and LC_5) and four classifications for the AG (AG_Treuth, AG_Puyau, AG_Trost, and AG_Freedson). Both accelerometers provided steps as outputs. DW steps were self-recorded. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to assess overlapping monitor outputs. RESULTS: There was no difference between DW and LC steps (Delta=200 steps), but a nonsignificant trend was observed in the pairwise comparison between DW and AG steps (Delta=1001 steps, P=0.058). AG detected significantly greater steps than the LC (Delta=801 steps, P=0.001). Estimates of light-intensity activity minutes ranged from a low of 75.6 +/- 18.4 min (LC_4) to a high of 309 +/- 69.2 min (AG_Treuth). Estimates of MVPA minutes ranged from a low of 25.9 +/- 9.4 min (LC_5) to a high of 112.2 +/- 34.5 min (AG_Freedson). No significant differences in MVPA were seen between LC_5 and AG_Treuth (Delta=4.9 min) or AG_Puyau (Delta=1.7 min). CONCLUSION: The LC detected a comparable number of steps as the DW but significantly fewer steps than the AG in children. Current results indicate that the LC_5 and either AG_Treuth or AG_Puyau intensity derivations provide similar mean estimates of time in MVPA during-free living activity in 10-yr-old children.