Efforts to address the Sustainable Development Goals in older populations: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) seeks to create multisectoral changes that align healthy ageing with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given that the SDGs have completed their first five years, the objective of this scoping review was to summarise any efforts launched to directly address the SDGs in older adults in community settings prior to the Decade. This will contribute to providing a baseline against which to track progress and identify gaps. METHODS: Following Cochrane guidelines for scoping reviews, searches were conducted in three electronic databases, five grey-literature websites, and one search engine between April to May 2021; and limited to entries from 2016 to 2020. Abstracts and full texts were double-screened; references of included papers were searched to identify additional candidate publications; and data were extracted independently by two authors, using an adaptation of existing frameworks. Quality assessment was not conducted. RESULTS: In total, we identified 617 peer-review papers, of which only two were included in the review. Grey literature searches generated 31 results, from which ten were included. Overall, the literature was sparse and heterogeneous, consisting of five reports, three policy documents, two non-systematic reviews, one city plan, and one policy appraisal. Initiatives targeting older adults were mentioned under 12 different SDGs, with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) being the most commonly discussed. Also, SDG-based efforts frequently overlapped or aligned to the eight domains of age-friendly environments outlined in the World Health Organisation framework. CONCLUSION: The review has documented the extent, range, and nature of available research and provided an initial evidence backdrop for future research and policy development.

An evaluation tool for Age-Friendly and Dementia Friendly Communities.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to report how an evaluation tool originally developed for Age-Friendly Cities was pilot-tested in the context of the Dementia Friendly Community (DFC) initiative of the city of Sheffield/UK. It presents finding and outputs on which other communities with dementia friendly agendas can draw. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The original evaluation tool was adapted to a focus on dementia friendliness. Data collection involved scoping conversations, documentary analysis, interviews and group discussions. Following evidence appraisal, Sheffield's approach to dementia friendliness was assessed. A local steering group was central to the study. FINDINGS: The evidence indicates areas of strength in Sheffield's approach to dementia friendliness: involvement of older people; service provision; collaboration; monitoring and evaluation. Scope for improvement was identified around resource allocation, and use of existing guidance on dementia friendliness. Recommendations for policy and practice include enhancing pooling of resources, more detailed recording of resources allocated to dementia-related activity, and collection of evidence on how people affected by dementia have shaped the city's DFC initiative. Key research outputs are an adaptable logic model and an emerging evaluation framework for DFCs. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The study was a short pilot with limited resources. Its findings and outputs must be considered preliminary. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The findings and outputs provide a basis for further research. The study has suggested key components of an evaluation framework for DFCs. It is informing ongoing work to develop such a framework.

A Birth Cohort Analysis to Study Dog Walking in Adolescence Shows No Relationship with Objectively Measured Physical Activity.

Physical inactivity during childhood and adolescence is a serious health concern. There are few studies of the activity undertaken by adolescents when walking with the family dog, and the effect of this on objectively measured physical activity levels. Objective measures of physical activity using accelerometers were recorded at age 11-12, 13-14, and 15-16 years in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (ALSPAC, UK) birth cohort during the 2000s. Family pet ownership was collected retrospectively using a questionnaire at age 18 years, for the ages 7, 11, 13, and 15 years. In addition, approximate frequency per week of walks undertaken with dogs were also reported. Multilevel, multivariable modeling was used to investigate the relationship between dog ownership and dog walking status, and physical activity outcomes. There were a total of 4,373 complete data observations for use in 2,055 children. Reported participation in dog walking tended to increase during adolescence, as did dog ownership. The majority of who own dogs reported walking them either 2-6 times/week (range 39-46%) or never (range 27-37%). A small minority (7-8%) reported walking their dog every day. Most reported never walking any other dog either (94-87%). We found no evidence for an association between dog ownership or reported dog walking, and objectively measured physical activity (counts per minute, P = 0.3, or minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, P = 0.7) during adolescence. This study provides no evidence to support a relationship between adolescent dog ownership and physical activity, and demonstrates the importance of using objective activity measures and considering dog walking rather than just dog ownership.

Modelling a response as a function of high-frequency count data: The association between physical activity and fat mass.

Accelerometers are widely used in health sciences, ecology and other application areas. They quantify the intensity of physical activity as counts per epoch over a given period of time. Currently, health scientists use very lossy summaries of the accelerometer time series, some of which are based on coarse discretisation of activity levels, and make certain implicit assumptions, including linear or constant effects of physical activity. We propose the histogram as a functional summary for achieving a near lossless dimension reduction, comparability between individual time series and easy interpretability. Using the histogram as a functional summary avoids registration of accelerometer counts in time. In our novel method, a scalar response is regressed on additive multi-dimensional functional predictors, including the histogram of the high-frequency counts, and additive non-linear predictors for other continuous covariates. The method improves on the current state-of-the art, as it can deal with high-frequency time series of different lengths and missing values and yields a flexible way to model the physical activity effect with fewer assumptions. It also allows the commonly made modelling assumptions to be tested. We investigate the relationship between the response fat mass and physical activity measured by accelerometer, in data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Our method allows testing of whether the effect of physical activity varies over its intensity by gender, by time of day or by day of the week. We show that meaningful interpretation requires careful treatment of identifiability constraints in the light of the sum-to-one property of a histogram. We find that the (not necessarily causal) effect of physical activity on kg fat mass is not linear and not constant over the activity intensity.

Sedentary time in late childhood and cardiometabolic risk in adolescence.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is a paucity of prospective evidence examining the links between sedentary time (ST) and cardiometabolic outcomes in youth. We examined the associations between objectively assessed ST and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in childhood with cardiometabolic risk in adolescence. METHODS: The study included 4639 children (47% male) aged 11 to 12 years at baseline whose mothers were enrolled in ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) during their pregnancy in the early 1990s. A total of 2963 children had valid blood samples at age 15 to 16 years. Associations with baseline ST and MVPA were examined for BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass, lean body mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein, and a clustered standardized cardiometabolic risk score (CMscore). RESULTS: Baseline ST was not associated deleteriously with any cardiometabolic markers. MVPA was beneficially associated with the 3 adiposity indicators, lean body mass, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, insulin, HDL cholesterol, and CMscore; once the models were adjusted for baseline levels of these markers, these associations remained for body fat mass (mean difference per 10 minutes of MVPA: -0.320 [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.438 to -0.203]; P < .001), HDL cholesterol (0.006 logged mmol/L [95% CI: 0.001 to 0.011]; P = .028), insulin (-0.024 logged IU/L [95% CI: -0.036 to -0.013]; P < .001), and CMscore (-0.014 [95% CI: -0.025 to -0.004]; P = .009). CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence linking ST in late childhood with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes in adolescence. Baseline MVPA was beneficially linked to broad cardiometabolic health in adolescence.

Re-evaluation of accelerometer thresholds for MVPA at age 16 in subjects previously studied at age 12.

BACKGROUND: A study deriving a threshold for moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) in terms of accelerometer counts in 12-year-old children was repeated with a subset of the same children at 16 years. METHODS: Fifteen girls and thirty boys took part in 6 activities (lying, sitting, slow walking, walking, hopscotch and jogging) while wearing an Actigraph 7164 accelerometer and a Cosmed K4b2 portable metabolic unit. Random intercepts modeling was used to estimate cut points for MVPA (defined as 4 METs). RESULTS: Using a single model, the sex-specific thresholds derived for MVPA at 16 years were some way below the 3600 counts/minute used for both sexes at age 12, particularly for girls. However graphical examination suggested that a single model might be inadequate to describe both higher- and lower-intensity activities. Models using only lower-intensity activities close to the 4 METs threshold supported retention of the 3600 counts/minute cut point for both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: When restricting to lower-intensity activities only, these data do not provide sufficient evidence to change the previously established cut point of 3600 counts/minute to represent MVPA. However, further data and more sophisticated modeling techniques are required to confirm this decision.

Modelling fat mass as a function of weekly physical activity profiles measured by actigraph accelerometers.

We show results on the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children (ALSPAC) using a new approach for modelling the relationship between health outcomes and physical activity assessed by accelerometers. The key feature of the model is that it uses the histogram of physical activity counts as a predictor function, rather than scalar summary measures such as average daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Three models are fitted: (1a) A regression of fat mass at age 12 (N = 4164) onto the histogram of accelerometer counts at age 12; (1b) A regression of fat mass at age 14 (N = 2403) onto the histogram of accelerometer counts at age 12 and (1c) a regression of fat mass at age 14 (N = 2413) onto the accelerometer counts at age 14. All three models significantly improve on models including MVPA instead of the histogram and improve the goodness of fit of models (2a), (2b) and (2c) from R(2) = 0.267, 0.248 and 0.230 to R(2) = 0.292, 0.263 and 0.258 for models (1a), (1b) and (1c) respectively. The proportion of time spent in sedentary and very light activity (corresponding to slow walking and similar activities) has a positive contribution towards fat mass and time spent in moderate to vigorous activity has a negative contribution towards fat mass.

Time outdoors and physical activity as predictors of incident myopia in childhood: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Time spent in "sports/outdoor activity" has shown a negative association with incident myopia during childhood. We investigated the association of incident myopia with time spent outdoors and physical activity separately. METHODS: Participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were assessed by noncycloplegic autorefraction at ages 7, 10, 11, 12, and 15 years, and classified as myopic (≤-1 diopters) or as emmetropic/hyperopic (≥-0.25 diopters) at each visit (N = 4,837-7,747). Physical activity at age 11 years was measured objectively using an accelerometer, worn for 1 week. Time spent outdoors was assessed via a parental questionnaire administered when children were aged 8-9 years. Variables associated with incident myopia were examined using Cox regression. RESULTS: In analyses using all available data, both time spent outdoors and physical activity were associated with incident myopia, with time outdoors having the larger effect. The results were similar for analyses restricted to children classified as either nonmyopic or emmetropic/hyperopic at age 11 years. Thus, for children nonmyopic at age 11, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval, CI) for incident myopia was 0.66 (0.47-0.93) for a high versus low amount of time spent outdoors, and 0.87 (0.76-0.99) per unit standard deviation above average increase in moderate/vigorous physical activity. CONCLUSION: Time spent outdoors was predictive of incident myopia independently of physical activity level. The greater association observed for time outdoors suggests that the previously reported link between "sports/outdoor activity" and incident myopia is due mainly to its capture of information relating to time outdoors rather than physical activity.

A prospective study of sedentary behavior in a large cohort of youth.

PURPOSE: The study's purpose was to describe longitudinal patterns of objectively measured sedentary behavior from age 12 to 16. METHODS: Children participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children wore accelerometers for 1 wk at ages 12, 14, and 16. Participants included boys (n = 2591) and girls (n = 2845) living in a single geographic location in the United Kingdom (Bristol). Total minutes per day spent in sedentary behavior and time spent in blocks of sedentary behavior lasting 10-19, 20-29, and ≥ 30 min are described. Growth curve models were used to determine the rate of change in sedentary behavior from age 12 to 16. RESULTS: At age 12, the boys and girls, on average, were sedentary for 418.0 ± 67.7 and 436.6 ± 64.0 min·d(-1), respectively, and sedentary behavior increased over time to 468.0 ± 74.3 and 495.6 ± 68.9 min·d(-1) at age 14 and to 510.4 ± 76.6 and 525.4 ± 67.4 min·d(-1) at age 16. Growth curve analyses found that total sedentary behavior increased at a rate of 19.5 ± 0.7 and 22.8 ± 0.7 min·d(-1)·yr for the boys and girls, respectively. The absolute mean increase in total sedentary behavior (+92.4 and +88.8 min·d(-1) for the boys and girls, respectively) closely matched the mean decrease in light physical activity (-82.2 and -82.9 min·d(-1) for the boys and girls, respectively) from age 12 to 16. Time spent in continuous sedentary behavior lasting ≥ 30 min increased by 121% from age 12 to 16. CONCLUSIONS: Sedentary behavior increased with age, at the expense of light physical activity. The increase in sedentary behavior lasting ≥ 30 min in duration contributed greatly to the increase in total sedentary behavior.

The association between the type, context, and levels of physical activity amongst adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how the type and context of physical activity behaviors varies among adolescents with differing activity levels. The aim of this study was to assess differences in the type and context of physical activity behaviors in adolescents by level of objectively measured physical activity. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 2728 adolescents (1299 males, 1429 females) participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The mean (SD) age was 13.8 (+0.1) years. Physical activity was measured using an Actigraph over 7 days. Adolescents were categorized into tertiles of activity (less, moderately, highly active) using counts/min and min/d of moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA). Activity type was reported using the Previous Day Physical Activity Recall (PDPAR). Differences in the type and context of activity by activity level were analyzed using Chi squared. RESULTS: Highly active boys reported more job, outside, and sports activities on school days (P < .05), and more sports activities on nonschool days (P < .05). Highly active girls reported more outside activities on school days (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the type and context of physical activity behaviors associated with more active adolescents, can help inform policy and physical activity interventions aimed at increasing activity levels in adolescents.

The risk of reduced physical activity in children with probable Developmental Coordination Disorder: a prospective longitudinal study.

The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that children with probable Developmental Coordination Disorder have an increased risk of reduced moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), using data from a large population based study. Prospectively collected data from 4331 children (boys=2065, girls=2266) who had completed motor coordination testing at 7 years and accelerometry at 12 years were analysed from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Probable DCD (p-DCD) was defined, using criteria based on the DSM IV classification, as those children below the 15th centile of the ALSPAC Coordination Test at seven years who had a functional impairment in activities of daily living or handwriting, excluding children with a known neurological diagnosis or IQ<70. Secondary exposure variables consisted of subtests from the ALSPAC Coordination test (manual dexterity, ball skills and balance). Objective measurement of the average daily minutes of MVPA was recorded as ≥3600 counts per minute (cpm) using actigraph accelerometry. Boys with p-DCD were less physically active than boys without DCD (mean difference in MVPA 4.36 cpm, t=2.69; p=0.007). For boys, targeting skill (bean bag toss) was related to increased MVPA, after adjustment for confounding factors including neonatal, family and environmental factors as well as Body Mass Index at age seven and 12 years (ß=0.76, t=3.37, p<0.001, CI 0.32-1.20). There was no difference in level of MVPA in girls with and without p-DCD (mean difference 1.35 min, t=0.97, p=0.31), which may reflect the low levels of MVPA of girls in this cohort. Our findings suggest that the presence of movement difficulties, particularly poor targeting (bean bag toss/ball skills), at a young age is a potential risk factor for reduced MVPA in boys.

Use of accelerometer data in prediction equations for capturing implausible dietary intakes in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Reporting errors have been quantified in epidemiologic studies by comparing reported intakes with predicted energy requirements (pERs). Several studies lacking measures of physical activity level (PAL) assigned low-active levels to obtain pERs. OBJECTIVE: We applied objective physical activity measures to current methods to quantify dietary reporting errors and compared associations with anthropometric and dietary variables among plausible and implausible reporters. DESIGN: This study included 2868 adolescents with an average age of 13 y. Three-day dietary records, accelerometers, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were used to assess diet, activity, and body composition, respectively. Three variations of physical activity coefficients were used: 1) assigning low physical activity coefficients (PA(low)), 2) calculating PAL values (PA(PAL)), and 3) applying minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA(MVPA)). RESULTS: Of the total participants, 51.5%, 51.8%, and 37.1% of the PA(low), PA(PAL), and PA(MVPA) groups, respectively, were classified as underreporters, and 40.8%, 37.9%, and 42.4% of the respective groups were classified as plausible reporters. Underreporters had a higher body mass index, body fat, and waist circumference than did plausible reporters (P < 0.001 for all). Overreporters had a lower weight and body fat than did plausible reporters (P < 0.001 for all). Underreporters reported lower dairy and calcium intakes than did plausible reporters; the results were attenuated with adjustment for total energy. CONCLUSION: Accounting for objective physical activity measures to quantify reporting errors resulted in different and potentially more reasonable proportions of implausible reporters.

Associations between sex-typed behaviour at age 31/2 and levels and patterns of physical activity at age 12: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

BACKGROUND: Differences in sex-typed behaviour, including physical activity, are already apparent among preschool children. PURPOSE: To examine the associations between early sex-typed behaviour and later physical activity. METHODS: Children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children were asked to wear an accelerometer for 7 days at age 12. Physical activity outcomes were counts per minute (counts/min) and minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Sex-typed behaviour was assessed using the Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI) at age 3(1/2). Multivariable regression was used to examine the association between PSAI and physical activity, separately for boys and girls. RESULTS: Accelerometer data were collected from 2593 boys and 2858 girls, mean (SD) age 11.8 (0.23) years. A one point higher PSAI score (mean (SD) 61.7 (8.7) and 37.0 (9.1) for boys and girls, respectively) was associated with a higher level of physical activity (counts/min) of 2.3 (95% CI 0.9 to 3.7) in boys and 0.7 (95% CI -0.1 to 1.4) in girls. This is equivalent to a higher counts/min of 56.7 (95% CI 23.1 to 90.3) and 16.6 (95% CI -2.4 to 35.5) for boys and girls, respectively, for a higher PSAI score equivalent to the difference between boys and girls (24.7). Results for MVPA were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Higher male-typical behaviour in early childhood is associated with higher physical activity in early adolescence, particularly in boys.

Prospective associations between objective measures of physical activity and fat mass in 12-14 year old children: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between physical activity at age 12 and subsequent adiposity at age 14. DESIGN: Prospective birth cohort study with data collected between 2003 and 2007. SETTING: Original recruitment in 1991-2 of 14,541 pregnant women living in the former County of Avon (United Kingdom). PARTICIPANTS: At age 12, 11,952 children were invited to attend the research clinic. Of these, 7159 attended, and 4150 (1964 boys, 2186 girls) provided sufficient data on exposure, outcome, and confounding variables. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Fat mass at age 14, measured by dual emission x ray absorptiometry, associated with physical activity at age 12, measured by accelerometry. RESULTS: Prospective associations of fat mass at age 14 (outcome) with physical activity at age 12 (exposure) were strong for both total activity (accelerometer counts/min) and for daily amount of moderate-vigorous physical activity (min/day). An extra 15 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity per day at age 12 was associated with lower fat mass at age 14 in boys (by 11.9% (95% confidence interval 9.5% to 14.3%)) and girls (by 9.8% (6.7% to 12.8%)). The proportion of physical activity due to moderate-vigorous physical activity was between 20% and 30% in boys and girls at the two ages. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of physical activity, in particular activity of moderate to higher intensities, are prospectively associated with lower levels of fat mass in early adolescence. Interventions to raise levels of physical activity in children are likely to be important in the fight against obesity.

The contribution of active travel to children's physical activity levels: cross-sectional results from the ALSPAC study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between active travel to school and physical activity (PA) in a large population-based sample of 11-year old children. METHOD: Cross-sectional analyses using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (Bristol, UK), collected in 2002-2004. The analyses include all children providing valid data on objectively measured PA (Actigraph accelerometer), and having parent-proxy reported data on travel mode (walk, cycle, public transport, car) and distance to school (N=4688). RESULTS: 43.5% of children regularly walked or cycled to school (i.e. on every or most days). Compared with car travelers, walking to school was associated with 5.98 (95%CI: 3.82-8.14) more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) on weekdays in those living 0.5-1 miles from school, and with 9.77 (95%CI: 7.47-12.06) more minutes in those living at 1-5 miles. This equates to 24.6 to 40.2% of the average daily minutes of MVPA. Only modest differences were observed in those living <0.5 mile from school. CONCLUSION: Children who regularly walk to school are more active during the week than those travelling by car, especially if the distance is >0.5 mile. Increasing participation in active travel might be a useful part of an overall strategy to increase population PA.

Sedentary behavior and obesity in a large cohort of children.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sedentary behavior and obesity among 12-year-old children, while adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and other potential confounding variables. Cross-sectional analyses were carried out with data from 5,434 children who participated in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Fat mass was derived using dual-energy X-ray emission absorptiometry, and height and weight measurements were used to calculate BMI (kg/m(2)). The children wore an accelerometer for 7 days. The cut points for sedentary behavior and MVPA were or=3,600 counts per minute (cpm), respectively. Logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs), adjusting for potential confounders of physical activity that included gender, social factors, early life factors, and maturation. The minimally adjusted association between sedentary behavior and obesity was positive, OR = 1.18 (1.08, 1.28). After adjusting for the series of potential confounders of physical activity the positive association remained, OR = 1.32 (1.14, 1.53). The crude association between 15 min of MVPA per day and obesity was negative, OR = 0.54 (0.48, 0.62). When 15 min of MVPA per day was additionally controlled for in the models, the positive associations between sedentary behavior and obesity were negated. Sedentary behavior was positively associated with obesity in the 12-year-old children, but this association was not independent of MVPA; low levels of MVPA among the sedentary children increased the odds of obesity. These findings support the importance of specifically engaging in MVPA during childhood to reduce the prevalence of obesity.

Early life determinants of physical activity in 11 to 12 year olds: cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine factors in early life (up to age 5 years) that are associated with objectively measured physical activity in 11-12 year olds. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Avon longitudinal study of parents and children, United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 11-12 years from the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Physical activity levels in counts per minute (cpm) and minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for seven days measured with a uniaxial actigraph accelerometer. RESULTS: Valid actigraph data, defined as at least three days of physical activity for at least 10 hours a day, were collected from 5451 children. Several factors were associated with physical activity at ages 11-12 years. Regression coefficients are compared with the baseline of "none" for categorical variables: maternal brisk walking during pregnancy (regression coefficient 5.0, 95% confidence interval -8.5 to 18.5; cpm for < 1 h/wk and > or = 2 h/wk of physical activity 17.7, 5.3 to 30.1), maternal swimming during pregnancy (21.5, 10.9 to 32.1 and cpm for < 1 h/wk and > or = 2 h/wk of physical activity 24.2, 7.8 to 40.7), parents' physical activity when the child was aged 21 months (28.5, 15.2 to 41.8 and cpm of physical activity for either parent active and both parents active 33.5, 17.8 to 49.3), and parity assessed during pregnancy (2.9, -7.6 to 13.4 and cpm of physical activity for 1 and > or = 2 parity 21.2, 7.1 to 35.3). CONCLUSIONS: Few factors in early life predicted later physical activity in 11-12 year olds. Parents' physical activity during pregnancy and early in the child's life showed a modest association with physical activity of the child at age 11-12 years, suggesting that active parents tend to raise active children. Helping parents to increase their physical activity therefore may promote children's activity.

Use of accelerometers in a large field-based study of children: protocols, design issues, and effects on precision.

BACKGROUND: Objective methods can improve accuracy of physical activity measurement in field studies but uncertainties remain about their use. METHODS: Children age 11 years from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), were asked to wear a uni-axial accelerometer (MTI Actigraph) for 7 days. RESULTS: Of 7159 children who attended for assessment, 5595 (78%) provided valid measures. The reliability coefficient for 3 days of recording was .7 and the power to detect a difference of 0.07 SDs (P 90%. Measures tended to be higher on the first day of recording (17 counts/min; 95% CI, 10-24) and if children wore the monitor for fewer days, but these differences were small. The children who provided valid measures of activity were different from those who did not, but the differences were modest. CONCLUSION: Objective measures of physical activity can be incorporated into large longitudinal studies of children.

Early life determinants of physical activity in 11 to 12 year olds: cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine factors in early life (up to age 5 years) that are associated with objectively measured physical activity in 11-12 year olds. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Avon longitudinal study of parents and children, United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 11-12 years from the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Physical activity levels in counts per minute (cpm) and minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for seven days measured with a uniaxial actigraph accelerometer. RESULTS: Valid actigraph data, defined as at least three days of physical activity for at least 10 hours a day, were collected from 5451 children. Several factors were associated with physical activity at ages 11-12 years. Regression coefficients are compared with the baseline of "none" for categorical variables: maternal brisk walking during pregnancy (regression coefficient 5.0, 95% confidence interval -8.5 to 18.5; cpm for <1 h/wk and > or =2 h/wk of physical activity 17.7, 5.3 to 30.1), maternal swimming during pregnancy (21.5, 10.9 to 32.1 and cpm for <1 h/wk and > or =2 h/wk of physical activity 24.2, 7.8 to 40.7), parents' physical activity when the child was aged 21 months (28.5, 15.2 to 41.8 and cpm of physical activity for either parent active and both parents active 33.5, 17.8 to 49.3), and parity assessed during pregnancy (2.9, -7.6 to 13.4 and cpm of physical activity for 1 and > or =2 parity 21.2, 7.1 to 35.3). CONCLUSIONS: Few factors in early life predicted later physical activity in 11-12 year olds. Parents' physical activity during pregnancy and early in the child's life showed a modest association with physical activity of the child at age 11-12 years, suggesting that active parents tend to raise active children. Helping parents to increase their physical activity therefore may promote children's activity.