Health behavior of Austrian tertiary students focusing on diet type linked to sports and exercise-first glimpse of results from the "sustainably healthy-from science 2 high school and university" study.

Background: There is a strong association between lifestyle behavior and health status. While young adulthood is a critical period for adopting and stabilizing lifelong healthy behavior, university life is independently associated with psychological stressors that may further affect health and well-being. Objective: The present multidisciplinary study aimed to examine the health behavior of Austrian college and university students, differentiated based on diet types (vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous) and physical activity (PA) habits. Methods: Following a cross-sectional study design, a total number of 6,148 students (65.3% females; 66.1% bachelor students, 67.0% from urban areas; mean age: 24.8 years) from 52 Austrian college/universities participated in an online survey and provided data on sociodemographic characteristics, dietary patterns, PA habits, and other lifestyle behavior characteristics, including alcohol intake and smoking. Results: Across the total sample, 74.0% had a normal weight (BMI = 18.5-25.0 kg/m2), while the prevalence of overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2) was lower in females than males and more in rural than urban students (p < 0.01). The general prevalence of vegetarian and vegan diets was 22.8 and 6.0%, respectively, with a predominance of females, graduates, and urban students compared to their peers (p < 0.01). The majority of students (79.3%) had a regular engagement in sport/exercise, with a predominance of vegetarian or vegan students compared to omnivores (p < 0.01). Vegans and vegetarians had a lower alcohol intake (p < 0.01) but no differences in smoking habits (p > 0.05) compared to omnivores. Students engaging in sport/exercise had a lower smoking rate and higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and fluids compared to inactive students (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The present findings suggest that diet type and PA habits of college/university students have an impact on other health behaviors, highlighting the interconnected nature of lifestyle habits and health behavior.

A glimpse of academic staff health behavior on diet type and physical activity at Austrian universities: first findings from the "Sustainably Healthy - From Science 2 Highschool & University" study.

Background: The association between lifestyle and health status highlights the importance of assessing health-related behavior in different populations. This multidisciplinary study aimed to examine the health behavior of academic staff of Austrian colleges and universities, with a specific focus on diet types (vegan, vegetarian, omnivorous) and physical activity (PA) reports. Methods: Following a cross-sectional study design incorporating an online survey, a sample of 1,041 academics from 52 institutes (mean age: 46.4 years) provided data on sociodemographic characteristics, dietary patterns, PA behavior, and other lifestyle behaviors (smoking, alcohol intake, etc.). Results: The prevalence of vegetarian and vegan diets was 13.2 and 2.0%, respectively, and 33.2% of participants had excess body weight (BMI ≥ 25). The majority of participants (88.5%) reported regularly engaging in leisure-time PA, but 18.6% were active members of sports clubs. No difference between females and males was observed in diet type and the type of sport participation (p > 0.05). Participants with a mixed diet had a higher BMI than vegetarians and vegans (p < 0.05). Leisure-time PA participation was associated with more frequent fruit and vegetable intake (p < 0.05). The prevalence of smoking and alcohol intake was 13.1 and 73.5%, respectively, without any difference between dietary or sports participation subgroups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The present study provides an overview of the social trends in vegan and vegetarian diets linked to health behaviors in tertiary educational settings. Findings can be used by health scientists, decision-makers, and multipliers in health and education to improve public health.

Study Protocol of "Sustainably Healthy-From Science 2 Highschool & University"-Prevalence of Mixed, Vegetarian, and Vegan Diets Linked to Sports & Exercise among Austrian Tertiary Students and Lecturers/Academic Staff.

Healthy lifestyle is the major indicator of individual and public health especially in target populations (e.g., during emerging adulthood). Evidence indicates that unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are strongly associated with the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. The dual approach of sustainable health (i.e., physical exercise tied to a healthy diet) is an effective lifestyle strategy to control and manage health-related disorders, including overweight/obesity. Based on the evidence on plant-based diets regarding health and considering the growing prevalence of vegans and vegetarians worldwide, limited data exist on the health-related behaviors of those who follow plant-based vs. mixed diets in young adulthood. This multidisciplinary study is the first to examine the association between diet type (mixed, vegetarian, and vegan diets) and various health-related behaviors (primarily physical activity, sport, & exercise) among college/university students and lecturers/academic staff in Austria nationwide. Following a cross-sectional study design and using online questionnaires, 4510 tertiary students and 1043 lecturers/academic staff provided data on sociodemographic characteristics, dietary patterns, physical exercise habits, and other lifestyle behaviors (sleep, alcohol intake, smoking, etc.) along with information on health status and quality of life. While the data will be analyzed based on differentiated sociodemographic and health-related categories, the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle behaviors will also be evaluated. As a study protocol, this article represents comprehensive details of the design, purposes, and associated analytical measures of the present study within the tertiary educational context.

Study protocol of "From Science 2 School"-prevalence of sports and physical exercise linked to omnivorous, vegetarian and vegan, diets among Austrian secondary schools.

The increasing prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle choices contribute to almost all chronic conditions negatively affecting individual and public health. As the most beneficial preventative solution, a healthy lifestyle focusing on the dual approach of physical activity (PA) and a healthful diet is highly recommended. Considering the growing number of people interested in sustainable, plant-based diets, it seems crucial to analyze lifestyle behaviors with a special focus on diet type to delve deeper into the unenthusiastic health status among young populations. Therefore, this multidisciplinary study aims to survey and scale health behaviors with a special focus on the prevalence of traditional and vegetarian diets in connection with PA levels among Austrian pupils (10-19 years), teachers and principals in secondary education levels I and II. Following a cross-sectional design, sociodemographic and school-related data along with a complete profile of lifestyle behaviors, including detailed information regarding diet, PA, sports & exercise, and other health-related behaviors, were collected using online-based questionnaires. A total number of 8,845 children/adolescents (~1.2% of the eligible 771,525 Austrian secondary school pupils) and 1,350 adults (~1.5% of total eligible 89,243 Austrian teachers/principals) participated in the study. As this is the first investigation to explore the prevalence of veganism/vegetarianism amongst a large group of pupils, the present study will add an important contribution to overcome the lack of knowledge on PA, sports & exercise linked to healthy alternative diets. With a sustainable healthy lifestyle, a healthy transition from childhood to adulthood occurs, which can result in growing healthier functioning generations at all social levels. As a study protocol, the present article is intended to present comprehensive details of the study design, objectives, and the associated analytical procedures of the "From Science 2 School" study.

School health programs of physical education and/or diet among pupils of primary and secondary school levels I and II linked to body mass index: A systematic review protocol within the project From Science 2 School.

The most common causes of death in Western countries today are preventable diseases mainly attributed to daily behavior. It has been well documented that genetics are influential but not the deciding factor for developing non-communicable diseases. Ideally, the public should be educated to perform methods of optimal health and wellbeing independently, meaning that individuals should be in control of their health without relying on others. As behavior is known to be consistent over time, good or poor health behavior will track from childhood into adulthood. Physical activity and diet are permanently linked to the individual's state of health, and when properly balanced, the effects on personal health summate, resulting in greater benefits from this dual-approach for public health. The objective is to highlight the different approaches (physical intervention, nutritional intervention, and dual-approach of diet and exercise) and identify effective interventions for sustainable body weight and healthy body mass index in school children. A systematic review will be conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The review will assess school-based diet and exercise interventions on children in primary and secondary school levels I and II. Overweight and obesity develop as a result of a prolonged imbalance in the energy balance model, with both physical activity and diet being influential in the fluctuation of body weight. A dual-approach including physical activity and diet could therefore be a very promising method to promote sustainable healthy body weight in school children.

Health Behaviors of Austrian Secondary School Teachers and Principals at a Glance: First Results of the From Science 2 School Study Focusing on Sports Linked to Mixed, Vegetarian, and Vegan Diets.

Lifestyle behaviors are key contributors to sustainable health and well-being over the lifespan. The analysis of health-related behaviors is crucial for understanding the state of health in different populations, especially teachers who play a critical role in establishing the lifelong health behaviors of their pupils. This multidisciplinary, nationwide study aimed to assess and compare lifestyle patterns of Austrian teachers and school principals at secondary levels I and II with a specific focus on physical activity and diet. A total number of 1350 teachers (1.5% of the eligible Austrian sample; 69.7% females; 37.7% from urban areas; mean age: 45.8 ± 11.4 years; mean BMI: 24.2 ± 4.0) completed a standardized online survey following an epidemiological approach. Across the total sample, 34.4% were overweight/obese with a greater prevalence of overweight/obesity in males than females (49.5% vs. 29.2%, p < 0.01) and rural vs. urban environments (35.9% vs. 31.3%). Most participants (89.3%) reported a mixed diet, while 7.9% and 2.9% were vegetarians and vegans, respectively. The average BMI of teachers with mixed diets (24.4 ± 4.0 kg/m2) was significantly higher than vegetarians (23.1 ± 3.2 kg/m2) and vegans (22.7 ± 4.3 kg/m2). Vegans reported a lower level of alcohol intake (p < 0.05) among dietary groups. There was no between-group difference in smoking (p > 0.05). The prevalence of engagement in regular physical activity was 88.7% for leisure-time sports/exercises and 29.2% for club sports. Compared with the previous reports on general populations, the present data suggest an acceptable overall health status among Austrian teachers.

Health Behaviors of Austrian Secondary Level Pupils at a Glance: First Results of the From Science 2 School Study Focusing on Sports Linked to Mixed, Vegetarian, and Vegan Diets.

Attaining healthy behaviors is essential at any life stage, particularly childhood, due to the strong link between children's lifestyle and the subsequent adult state of health. This multidisciplinary study aimed to assess lifestyle behaviors of Austrian pupils of secondary schools I and II, with a specific focus on PA habits and diet types based on a large sample. In total, 8845 children/adolescents participated in the short standardized online survey on relevant health-related aspects nationwide. Valid and complete data was provided by 8799 pupils, including 1.14% of the eligible 771,525; 63% girls, 76% having a normal body weight, 70% attending secondary schools II, and more pupils/students living in rural vs. urban areas (3:1 ratio). Across the total sample, 11.8% were considered overweight/obese with a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity in boys than girls (15.5% vs. 9.6%) and urban vs. rural participants (13.9% vs. 10.8%; p < 0.05). The majority of participants (84.5%) reported a mixed diet, while 7.2% and 8.5% reported a vegan and vegetarian diet, respectively. Vegans reported a lesser alcohol intake (p < 0.05) compared to non-vegan pupils (no difference in dietary subgroups for smoking). Although overall PA and dietary behaviors suggest an appropriate health status among Austrian youth, attention should be focused on policies to increase healthy lifestyle habits at best through a dual approach to health permanently combining regular PA, sports, and exercise with a healthy diet, which would contribute to matching the current recommendations for improving individual and public health.

Long-term effect of migration background on the development of physical fitness among primary school children.

BACKGROUND: Children with a low socioeconomic status and migration background are more likely to exhibit unfavorable health behavior patterns and higher BMI scores as well as lower physical activity and physical fitness. AIM: To evaluate the effect of migration background on the development of physical fitness among primary school children from first to third grade. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, height, weight, and physical fitness of primary school children from Tyrol/Austria were measured five times over a period of 2.5 years using the German motor performance test DMT 6-18 consisting of eight items testing different subdomains of physical fitness. RESULTS: A total of 266 children (45% girls) participated in all five tests, of which 69 (26%) children reported to have a migration background (MB). Mixed-model ANOVA did not reveal a significantly different development of physical fitness (according to the mean total Z-score of DMT 6-18) over time, P = 0.883, partial ƞ2  < 0.01. However, children with MB showed significantly lower physical fitness compared to children without MB, P < 0.001, partial ƞ2  = 0.06. Controlling for BMI and age did not alter the interpretation of the results. Analyses of the single test items revealed significant differences in motor tests involving strength and endurance. CONCLUSION: Primary school children with and without MB significantly increased their physical fitness over time in a comparable manner. However, children with MB showed a significantly lower physical fitness at all test time points, which was only partly explained by a higher mean BMI in children with MB. Children with MB outreached the mean baseline fitness level of children without MB not until the fourth test time point, that is after two years. Therefore, a special focus on physical fitness particularly including strength and endurance capacities should be directed to children with MB already in young ages.

Factors associated with motor performance among overweight and nonoverweight Tyrolean primary school children.

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is often associated with motor deficits. Motor performance among children partly depends on modifiable factors, for example, weight status, electronic media use, sports club participation, and on nonmodifiable factors, for example, sex, age, migration background, or socio-economic status. AIM: To evaluate factors associated with motor performance among overweight and nonoverweight Tyrolean primary school children. METHODS: Height, weight, and sport motor performance of primary school children were measured using the German motor performance test DMT 6-18. In addition, children were asked about migration background, sports club participation, and electronic media use in their room. RESULTS: A total of 304 children (48.7% girls) with a mean age of 8.0 ± 1.2 years were tested. In total, 61 (20.1%) children were overweight or obese. Regarding motor performance, nonoverweight children showed significantly higher total z-scores (106.8 ± 5.7 vs. 102.4 ± 6.8). For the total cohort, results of the multiple linear regression analysis (R (2) = 0.20) revealed that factors male sex (ß = 0.12), nonoverweight children (ß = 0.28), higher school grade (ß = 0.23), sports club participation (ß = 0.18),and > 2 weekly lessons of physical education (ß = 0.26) were associated with an increased motor performance. For nonoverweight children results of the multiple linear regression analysis (R (2) = 0.09) found that a higher school grade (ß = 0.17), sports club participation (ß = 0.16),and more than 2 weekly lessons of physical education (ß = 0.22) were associated with an increased motor performance. For the overweight children, results of the multiple linear regression analysis (R (2) = 0 .43) showed that no migration background (ß = 0.23), a higher school grade (ß = 0.55), sports club participation (ß = 0.33) and more than 2 weekly lessons of physical education (ß = 0.48) were associated with an increased motor performance. CONCLUSION: Regarding modifiable factors, motor performance among overweight and nonoverweight children is strongly associated with a higher number of weekly lessons in physical education. Therefore, daily lessons in physical education are strongly recommended to improve motor performance especially among overweight primary school children.

Accident prevention on ski slopes - Perceptions of safety and knowledge of existing rules.

Increases in the numbers of people participating in snow sports raise safety concerns. Despite declining numbers of skiing injuries among recreational skiers, collisions resulting in severe injuries appear to be on the rise. Skiers' risk of injury depends on a considerable number of different factors but only a few studies have investigated risk-taking behaviour and knowledge of proper skiing behaviour. To promote safe skiing the International Ski Federation (FIS) introduced regulations in 1967. We investigated participants' familiarity with the FIS regulations on the ski slopes in relation to age, skiing ability and country of origin. Random interviews were conducted with 1450 recreational skiers at 17 ski resorts in Tyrol, an Austrian province. A questionnaire assessing skiers' knowledge of existing rules, their intuitive behaviour in given situations and perceptions of safety was developed. The study revealed that beginners, young skiers and those who were not local residents displayed insufficient knowledge. Risk-inducing situations that could result in collisions, such as moving upwards during carving, were largely assessed incorrectly. Appropriate intuitive behaviour increases with experience, and beginners are less able to implement FIS regulations than more experienced skiers. Ski resorts, the media and schools should direct educational efforts toward these high-risk groups. More research is needed to determine the causal connection between skiing injuries and disregard of the FIS Rules.