Assessing the joint effects of mitochondrial genes and physical activity on the psychiatric phenotype of subjective well-being based on the UK Biobank data.

Subjective well-being (SWB) is an important measure for mental health status. Previous research has shown that physical activity can affect an individual's well-being, yet the underlying molecular mechanism remains to be clarified. In this study, we aim to evaluate the potential interactions between mitochondrial genes and physical activity (PA) as well as their combined effects on individual well-being. SWB phenotype data in UK Biobank were enrolled for this study including nine aspects such as work/job satisfaction, health satisfaction, family relationship satisfaction, friendships satisfaction, financial situation satisfaction, ever depressed for a whole week, general happiness, general happiness with own health and belief that own life is meaningful. We made analysis for each aspects separately. Firstly, mitochondria-wide association studies (MiWAS) was conducted to assess the association of mitochondrial Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms SNP with each aspect of SWB. Then an interaction analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation and PA was performed to evaluate their joint effect on SWB status. Meanwhile, these two analysis were made for female and male group separately as well as the total samples, all under the control of possible confounding factors including gender, age, Townsend Deprivation Index (TDI), education, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, and 10 principal components. MiWAS analysis identified 45 mtSNPs associated with 9 phenotypes of SWB. For example, m.15218A > G on MT-CYB in the health satisfaction phenotype of the total subjects. Gender-specific analyses found 30 mtSNPs in females and 58 in males, involving 13 mtGenes. In mtDNA-PA interaction analysis, we also identified 10 significant mtDNA-PA interaction sets for SWB. For instance, m.13020 T > C (MT-ND5) was associated with the SWB financial situation satisfaction phenotype in all subjects (P = 0.00577). In addition, MiWAS analysis identified 12 mtGene variants associated with SWB, as MT-ND1 and MT-ND2. However, in mtDNA-PA interactions we detected 7 mtDNA affecting psychiatric disorders occurring, as in the friendships satisfaction phenotype (m.3394 T > C on MT-ND1). Our study results suggest an implication of the interaction between mitochondrial function and physical activity in the risk of psychiatric disorder development.

Effects of physical activity patterns on myopia among children and adolescents: A latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: The daily physical activity (PA) patterns of children and adolescents are intricate and ambiguous, with varying effects on myopia resulting from different combinations of PA. This study aims to scrutinize the spectrum of PA patterns among children and adolescents and assess their impact on myopia. METHODS: Data sourced from the 2014 National Student Physical Fitness Survey (Tianjin segment) encompassed PA records and visual acuity measurements of participants. Latent Class Analysis and a generalized linear model were employed to investigate the relationship between PA categories and visual acuity across different educational stages. RESULTS: The study comprised 6465 primary and middle school students, among whom 50.13% were male. PA patterns were categorized into high (27.16%), medium (29.88%) and low visual acuity regulation groups (13.97%) and the nonmainstream group (28.99%). Following adjustments for sex, age, region and BMI, the medium visual acuity regulation group exhibited a lower risk of myopia (OR = 0.617, 95% CI = 0.424-0.897, p = 0.012; OR = 0.654, 95% CI = 0.438-0.976, p = 0.038) compared to the nonmainstream group among junior and senior middle school students. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of diverse PA patterns in mitigating myopia risk varies across educational stages and is influenced by sex-specific factors. It is imperative to advance myopia management strategies by emphasizing tailored PA interventions, discerning between PA patterns and delivering timely guidance and interventions tailored to distinct educational stages and sexes.

The causal relationship between physical activity, sedentary time and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis risk: a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Several observational studies have found that physical inactivity and sedentary time are associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) risk. However, the causality between them still requires further investigation. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the causal effect of physical activity (PA) and sedentary time on the risk of IPF via two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS: Multiple genome-wide association study (GWAS) data involving individuals of European ancestry were analyzed. The datasets encompassed published UK Biobank data (91,105-377,234 participants) and IPF data (2018 cases and 373,064 controls) from FinnGen Biobank. The inverse variance weighting (IVW) method was the primary approach for our analysis. Sensitivity analyses were implemented with Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO global test, and leave-one-out analysis. RESULTS: Genetically predicted self-reported PA was associated with lower IPF risk [OR = 0.27; 95% CI 0.09-0.82; P = 0.02]. No causal effects of accelerometry-based PA or sedentary time on the risk of IPF were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings supported a protective relationship between self-reported PA and the risk for IPF. The results suggested that enhancing PA may be an effective preventive strategy for IPF.

Physical Activity and Mortality in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Coronary artery disease (CAD) accounts for half of heart-related mortalities. Secondary prevention measures are aimed at enhancing the probability of survival in acute and chronic heart diseases. Physical activity (PA) has been shown to effectively reduce all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality rates. This article reviews the relationship between PA and mortality in patients with CAD. Additionally, we discuss the process of vascular changes that contributes to survival benefits in physically active CAD patients, along with exercise dosing and guideline recommendations. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies have shown that physical inactivity poses a modifiable risk factor that impedes favorable vasculature remodeling, unlike active individuals. Recent meta-analyses provide strong evidence of the multifaceted advantages of PA in lowering mortality rates in patients with CAD, as opposed to physically inactive participants. In summary, substantial evidence indicates that PA is significantly associated with reduction in all-cause and CV mortality in CAD patients, with a dose-response relationship.

Causal relationship between physical activity, leisure sedentary behaviors and COVID-19 risk: a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: The 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) poses an enormous threat to public health worldwide, and the ensuing management of social isolation has greatly decreased opportunities for physical activity (PA) and increased opportunities for leisure sedentary behaviors (LSB). Given that both PA and LSB have been established as major influencing factors for obesity, diabetes and cardiometabolic syndrome, whether PA/LSB in turn affects the susceptibility to COVID-19 by disrupting metabolic homeostasis remains to be explored. In this study, we aimed to systematically evaluate the causal relationship between PA/LSB and COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization and severity using a Mendelian randomization study. METHODS: Data were obtained from a large-scale PA dataset (N = 377,000), LSB dataset (N = 422,218) and COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (N = 2,586,691). The causal effects were estimated with inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, weighted median and MR-PRESSO. Sensitivity analyses were implemented with Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, leave-one-out analysis and the funnel plot. Risk factor analyses were further conducted to investigate the potential mediators. RESULTS: Genetically predicted accelerometer-assessed PA decreased the risk for COVID-19 hospitalization (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.97; P = 0.002), while leisure television watching significantly increased the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.29-1.88; P = 4.68 × 10-6) and disease severity (OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.33-2.56; P = 0.0002) after Bonferroni correction. No causal effects of self-reported moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), accelerometer fraction of accelerations > 425 milligravities, computer use or driving on COVID-19 progression were observed. Risk factor analyses indicated that the above causal associations might be mediated by several metabolic risk factors, including smoking, high body mass index, elevated serum triglyceride levels, insulin resistance and the occurrence of type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION: Our findings supported a causal effect of accelerometer-assessed PA on the reduced risk of COVID-19 hospitalization as well as television watching on the increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and severity, which was potentially mediated by smoking, obesity and type 2 diabetes-related phenotypes. Particular attention should be given to reducing leisure sedentary behaviors and encouraging proper exercise during isolation and quarantine for COVID-19.

Associated factors on physical activity among childhood cancer survivors in Mainland China: a qualitative exploration applied health belief model.

PURPOSE: Regular physical activity (PA) is essential for childhood cancer survivors (CCS), yet most CCS have difficulty participating in it. The level of PA participation among CCS in China is lower than those of western countries, leading to a worse long-term survival of CCS in China. Here, the study aims to explore the associated factors on the PA performance among CCS. METHODS: From September to December 2020, the study used purposive sampling to recruit 35 families (88.9%) as sampling units among two hospitals in Hangzhou City, China. The data collection conducted two designs on semi-structured interviews with different roles under family structure - children (n = 35) and parents (n = 35) - respectively. The design of predetermined questions relied on the health belief model (HBM) as a thematic framework. The qualitative analysis applied codebook thematic analysis and used the deductive approach to finalize the main findings. RESULTS: The study only presented preliminary conclusions from interviews with CCS, which resulted in four themes (changes in PA performance; perceptions on participating PA; cognitions of PA; impacts from others) with eight sub-themes. In particular, CCS replied diversity changes in PA, but most of them mentioned the inactive PA after diagnosis, especially the decline of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). As for the "perceptions of PA," almost all CCS had substantial perceived benefits about PA, specifically on their physical well-being. All children also expressed perceived barriers to PA, including the side effects of disease and treatment, fatigue, academic burden, changes in psychological status, and lack of companions. On the cognitions of PA, the CCS had limited realizations of regular PA and low self-efficacy on MVPA. Furthermore, CCS expressed their need for support from their parents, school teachers, and healthcare providers. But in reality, they recieved less support on PA from these important people. CONCLUSION: The changes in PA after illness among CCS are apparent and unavoidable because of the interaction impacts from internal factors (e.g., personal characters, cognization, perceptions of PA) and external factors (e.g., disease effects, interpersonal supports). The findings explained the main elements under HBM but also provided explored views as the evidence on developing theories and guiding motivations and practices on PA among CCS. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: In this exploratory study of 35 CCS, we identified the current situation of PA among CCS in China and explored the associated factors. As the first qualitative study on the CCS in mainland China, the study considered particular effects on social culture and living environment.

Effects of Covid-19 on physical activity and eating behaviours and their mutual relationship.

The study aimed to determine the relationship between physical activity and eating behaviours among the physical therapy students of various physical therapy institutes of Rawalpindi/Islamabad during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study was conducted from September 2020 to February 2021. It was a cross sectional co-relational survey of a total of 209 physical therapy students, and the sampling technique was purposive sampling. Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) Questionnaire and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used as the data collection tools. Healthy young students of 18-26 years of age, of both genders, were included and students with major functional limitations were excluded from the study. The results showed that 87 (41.6%) participants had normal EAT-26 scores whereas 122 (58.4%) had abnormal EAT-26 scores. IPAQ scores were categorically distributed into low, moderate, and high levels of physical activity. Eighty-seven (41.6%) had low levels of physical activity, 106 (50.7%) had moderate levels of physical activity, and 16 (7.7%) had high levels of physical activity. Spearman Rho test of correlation was applied with the p-value 0.219, and R-value of correlation was 0.08, which showed weak positive correlation between physical activity and eating behaviours. The study concluded that restricted physical activity and home confinement due to Covid-19 pandemic, did not potentially affect the physical therapy students' eating behaviours.

Longitudinal association between physical activity and health-related quality of life among community-dwelling older adults: a longitudinal study of Urban Health Centres Europe (UHCE).

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) may play a key role in healthy aging and thus in promoting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, longitudinal studies on the association between PA and HRQoL are still scarce and have shown inconsistent results. In this study, we aimed to examine the longitudinal association between frequency of moderate PA and physical and mental HRQoL. Secondly, to assess the association between a 12-month change in frequency of moderate PA and HRQoL. METHODS: A 12-month longitudinal study was conducted in Spain, Greece, Croatia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom with 1614 participants (61.0% female; mean age = 79.8; SD = 5.2) included in the analyses. Two categories of the self-reported frequency of moderate PA including 1) 'regular frequency' and 2) 'low frequency' were classified, and four categories of the change in frequency of moderate PA between baseline and follow-up including 1) 'continued regular frequency', 2) 'decreased frequency', 3) 'continued low frequency' and 4) 'increased frequency' were identified. Physical and mental HRQoL were assessed by the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). RESULTS: The frequency of moderate PA at baseline was positively associated with HRQoL at follow-up. Participants with a continued regular frequency had the highest HRQoL at baseline and follow-up. Participants who increased the frequency of moderate PA from low to regular had better physical and mental HRQoL at follow-up than themselves at baseline. After controlling for baseline HRQoL and covariates, compared with participants who continued a regular frequency, participants who decreased their frequency had significantly lower physical (B = -4.42; P < .001) and mental (B = -3.95; P < .001) HRQoL at follow-up; participants who continued a low frequency also had significantly lower physical (B = -5.45; P < .001) and mental (B = -4.10; P < .001) HRQoL at follow-up. The follow-up HRQoL of participants who increased their frequency was similar to those who continued a regular frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining or increasing to a regular frequency of PA are associated with maintaining or improving physical and mental HRQoL. Our findings support the development of health promotion and long-term care strategies to encourage older adults to maintain a regular frequency of PA to promote their HRQoL.

Pain in Veterans with COPD: relationship with physical activity and exercise capacity.

BACKGROUND: Pain is a common but underappreciated symptom experienced by people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The relationships between pain and physical activity (PA) and exercise capacity are poorly understood. METHODS: This retrospective secondary analysis includes three cohorts of Veterans with COPD who participated in longitudinal studies evaluating PA and exercise capacity with objective measures of daily step counts and 6-min walk test (6MWT) distance, respectively. Pain was assessed using the bodily pain domain of the Veterans RAND-36. In two cohorts, participants were randomly assigned to a web-based, pedometer-mediated PA intervention which has previously been demonstrated to improve PA. RESULTS: Three-hundred and seventy-three (373) unique study participants were included in this analysis. Eighty-three percent (n = 311) of the population reported at least mild pain and/or at least a little bit of interference due to pain at baseline. Cross-sectionally, greater bodily pain was associated with lower 6MWT distance (ß = 0.51; 95% CI 0.20, 0.82; p = 0.0013). Longitudinally, worsening bodily pain was associated with a decline in 6MWT distance (ß = 0.30; 95% CI 0.03, 0.58; p = 0.0312). There was no association between baseline bodily pain and baseline daily step counts, baseline bodily pain and change in PA, or change in bodily pain and change in PA. Compared to usual care, our PA intervention improved bodily pain scores (ß = 6.17; 95% CI 1.84, 10.45; p = 0.0054). Bodily pain scores did not affect the impact of the intervention on daily step counts. CONCLUSION: Pain is highly prevalent and significantly associated with lower exercise capacity among Veterans with COPD. Worsening pain co-occurred with decline in exercise capacity but not PA. Our intervention reduced pain, although pain did not affect the impact of the intervention on PA.

Monitoring work-related physical activity and estimating lower-limb loading: a proof-of-concept study.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is important to general health and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Excessive workplace PA is an established risk factor for knee OA however, appropriate methods of measurement are unclear. There is a need to examine and assess the utility of new methods of measuring workplace PA and estimating knee load prior to application to large-scale, knee OA cohorts. Our aims, therefore, were to monitor workplace PA and estimate lower-limb loading across different occupations in health participants. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy adults, currently working full-time in a single occupation (≥ 35 h/week) and free of musculoskeletal disease, comorbidity and had no history of lower-limb injury/surgery (past 12-months) were recruited across New South Wales (Australia). A convenience sample was recruited with occupations assigned to levels of workload; sedentary, light manual and heavy manual. Metrics of workplace PA including tasks performed (i.e., sitting), step-count and lower-limb loading were monitored over 10 working days using a daily survey, smartwatch, and a smartphone. RESULTS: Participants of light manual occupations had the greatest between-person variations in mean lower-limb load (from 2 to 59 kg*m/s3). Lower-limb load for most participants of the light manual group was similar to a single participant in heavy manual work (30 kg*m/s3) and was at least three times greater than the sedentary group (2 kg*m/s3). The trends of workplace PA over working hours were largely consistent, per individual, but rare events of extreme loads were observed across all participants (up to 760 kg*m/s3). CONCLUSIONS: There are large interpersonal variations in metrics of workplace PA, particularly among light and heavy manual occupations. Our estimates of lower-limb loading were largely consistent with pre-conceived levels of physical demand. We present a new approach to monitoring PA and estimating lower-limb loading, which could be applied to future occupational studies of knee OA.

Meeting a Physical Activity Guideline in Preschool and School Readiness: A Program Evaluation.

This study evaluates if the Kiddie Children and Teachers on the Move physical activity (PA) program improves the proportion of days meeting the Institute of Medicine (IOM) PA guideline, and whether meeting the guideline is correlated with improvement in school readiness. Thirteen Head Start-affiliated pre-kindergarten classrooms participated in this study. Minutes per hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and proportion of days meeting the IOM PA guideline were examined across three types of intervention days: days during a non-intervention period, non-program days during the intervention period, and program days during the intervention period. Children displayed increasingly more MVPA and a greater proportion of days meeting the IOM guideline from non-intervention days to non-program days, and from non-program days to program days. Proportion of days meeting the guideline significantly predicted improvement in school readiness in five of six domains. Examination of program fidelity indicated the program was run with high fidelity.

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and processing speed: predicting adaptive change in ADHD levels and related impairments in preschoolers.

BACKGROUND: Preschool ADHD symptoms have predictive utility for later presence of ADHD diagnoses (Harvey, Youngwirth, Thakar, & Errazuriz, 2009, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77, 349; Lahey et al., 2004, American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(11), 2014), yet some level of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are present even in typically developing preschoolers. Physical activity (PA) is known to have a broad spectrum of positive effects on the brain in school-age typically developing children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010, The association between school based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), including functions impaired by ADHD (Halperin, Berwid, & O'Neill, 2014, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23, 899), yet links between PA and ADHD levels and impairments have rarely been studied in either typically developing or at-risk preschool children. Importantly, impaired processing speed (PS), though not a symptom of ADHD, is a robust neuropsychological correlate (Willcutt & Bidwell, 2011, Treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Assessment and intervention in developmental context. Kingston, NJ: Civic Research Institute) that may indicate additional risk for ADHD. Hence, we examined whether baseline PS moderates the association between preschoolers' PA, specifically moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and changes in ADHD levels and related behaviors. METHOD: Eighty-five preschoolers (49.4% female; Mage  = 4.14, SDage  = .64) were drawn from a larger study of the effects of the Kiddie Children and Teachers (CATs) on the Move PA program on school readiness. The sample was largely Head Start eligible (68.2%) and ethnically diverse. Hierarchical regressions were utilized to examine links between MVPA, averaged over a school year, and changes in inattention (IA), hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), oppositional behaviors, moodiness, and peer functioning, and whether these associations varied based on baseline PS. RESULTS: Results indicated that for IA, HI, and peer functioning, higher amounts of MVPA were associated with greater adaptive change for those with lower (but not higher) levels of PS. CONCLUSIONS: Preschool MVPA may be a viable method of reducing ADHD levels and impairments for those with lower PS.

Correlates of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption of Malaysian preschoolers aged 3 to 6 years.

BACKGROUND: There is little information about the diet, lifestyle and parental characteristics associated with habitual sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in Asian children. The aim of the present study was to assess cross-sectional associations between habitual SSB consumption and preschoolers' diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour as well as parental and child characteristics in Malaysian preschoolers aged 3 to 6 y. METHODS: A total of 590 preschoolers, comprising 317 boys and 273 girls were included. Pre-pilot parental questionnaires were used to assess diet, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour practices and anthropometry was assessed in preschoolers and their parents. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that preschoolers with more frequent weekly intake of snacks [OR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6-4.4; p < 0.001] and monthly fast food consumption [OR 3.5; 95% CI, 1.9-6.3; p < 0.001], were associated with higher SSB intake (≥5 days in a week), after adjustments of potential confounders. Preschoolers with higher daily fruit and vegetable intake had lower SSB intake [OR 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8; p = 0.011]. A positive association of higher weekly vigorous PA [OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.7; p = 0.030] and daily screen-based practices [OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.6; p < 0.001] on habitual SSBs intake was also substantiated. CONCLUSION: Multiple diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour factors were significantly associated with SSB intake among Malaysian preschoolers. Continued effort is required to encourage healthier beverage choices, as well as healthy diet and active lifestyle practices among children during the critical early years of growth and development.

Transport-related walking among young adults: when and why?

BACKGROUND: The existing smartphones' technology allows for the objective measurement of a person's movements at a fine-grained level of geographic and temporal detail, and in doing so, it mitigates the issues associated with self-report biases and lack of spatial details. This study proposes and evaluates the advantages of using a smartphone app for collecting accurate, fine-grained, and objective data on people's transport-related walking. METHODS: A sample of 142 participants (mostly young adults) was recruited in a large Australian university, for whom the app recorded all their travel activities over two weekdays during August-September 2014. We identified eight main activity nodes which operate as transport-related walking generators. We explored the participants' transport-related walking patterns around and between these activity nodes through the use of di-graphs to better understand patterns of incidental physical activity and opportunities for intervention to increase incidental walking. RESULTS: We found that the educational node - in other samples may be represented by the workplace - is as important as the residential node for generating walking trips. We also found that the likelihood of transport-related walking trips is larger during the daytime, whereas at night time walking trips tend to be longer. We also showed that patterns of transport-related walking relate to the presence of 'chaining' trips in the afternoon period. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study show how the proposed data collection and analytic approach can inform urban design to enhance walkability at locations that are likely to generate walking trips. This study's insights can help to shape public education and awareness campaigns that aim to encourage walking trips throughout the day by suggesting locations and times of the day when engaging in these forms of exercise is easiest and least intrusive.

Determining motions with an IMU during level walking and slope and stair walking.

This study investigated whether using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) can identify different walking conditions, including level walking (LW), descent (DC) and ascent (AC) slope walking as well as downstairs (DS) and upstairs (US) walking. Thirty healthy participants performed walking under five conditions. The IMU was stabilised on the exterior of the left shoe. The data from IMU were used to establish a customised prediction model by cut point and a prediction model by using deep learning method. The accuracy of both prediction models was evaluated. The customised prediction model combining the angular velocity of dorsi-plantar flexion in the heel-strike (HS) and toe-off (TO) phases can distinctly determine real conditions during DC and AC slope, DS, and LW (accuracy: 86.7-96.7%) except for US walking (accuracy: 60.0%). The prediction model established by deep learning using the data of three-axis acceleration and three-axis gyroscopes can also distinctly identify DS, US, and LW with 90.2-90.7% accuracy and 84.8% and 82.4% accuracy for DC and AC slope walking, respectively. In conclusion, inertial measurement units can be used to identify walking patterns under different conditions such as slopes and stairs with customised prediction model and deep learning prediction model.

The linkage between the perception of neighbourhood and physical activity in Guangzhou, China: using street view imagery with deep learning techniques.

BACKGROUND: Neighbourhood environment characteristics have been found to be associated with residents' willingness to conduct physical activity (PA). Traditional methods to assess perceived neighbourhood environment characteristics are often subjective, costly, and time-consuming, and can be applied only on a small scale. Recent developments in deep learning algorithms and the recent availability of street view images enable researchers to assess multiple aspects of neighbourhood environment perceptions more efficiently on a large scale. This study aims to examine the relationship between each of six neighbourhood environment perceptual indicators-namely, wealthy, safe, lively, depressing, boring and beautiful-and residents' time spent on PA in Guangzhou, China. METHODS: A human-machine adversarial scoring system was developed to predict perceptions of neighbourhood environments based on Tencent Street View imagery and deep learning techniques. Image segmentation was conducted using a fully convolutional neural network (FCN-8s) and annotated ADE20k data. A human-machine adversarial scoring system was constructed based on a random forest model and image ratings by 30 volunteers. Multilevel linear regressions were used to examine the association between each of the six indicators and time spent on PA among 808 residents living in 35 neighbourhoods. RESULTS: Total PA time was positively associated with the scores for "safe" [Coef. = 1.495, SE = 0.558], "lively" [1.635, 0.789] and "beautiful" [1.009, 0.404]. It was negatively associated with the scores for "depressing" [- 1.232, 0.588] and "boring" [- 1.227, 0.603]. No significant linkage was found between total PA time and the "wealthy" score. PA was further categorised into three intensity levels. More neighbourhood perceptual indicators were associated with higher intensity PA. The scores for "safe" and "depressing" were significantly related to all three intensity levels of PA. CONCLUSIONS: People living in perceived safe, lively and beautiful neighbourhoods were more likely to engage in PA, and people living in perceived boring and depressing neighbourhoods were less likely to engage in PA. Additionally, the relationship between neighbourhood perception and PA varies across different PA intensity levels. A combination of Tencent Street View imagery and deep learning techniques provides an accurate tool to automatically assess neighbourhood environment exposure for Chinese large cities.

Attaching metabolic expenditures to standard occupational classification systems: perspectives from time-use research.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, time-use data have been used to inform a broad range of economic and sociological research topics. One of the new areas in time-use research is the study of physical activity (PA) and physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE). Time-use data can be used to study PAEE by assigning MET values to daily activities using the Ainsworth Compendium of Physical Activities. Although most diarists record their daily activities accurately and in detail, they are only required to record their paid working hours, not the job-specific tasks they undertake. This makes it difficult to assign MET values to paid work episodes. METHODS: In this methodological paper, we explain how we addressed this problem by using the detailed information about respondents' occupational status included in time-use survey household and individual questionnaires. We used the 2008 ISCO manual, a lexicon of the International Labour Organization of occupational titles and their related job-specific tasks. We first assigned a MET value to job-specific tasks using the Ainsworth compendium (2011) then calculated MET values for each of the 436 occupations in the ISCO-08 manual by averaging all job-specific MET values for each occupation. RESULTS: The ISCO-08 Major Groups of 'elementary occupations' and 'craft and related trades workers' are associated with high PAEE variation in terms of their job-specific MET values and together represented 21.6% of the Belgian working population in 2013. We recommend that these occupational categories should be prioritised for further in-depth research into occupational activity (OA). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a clear and replicable procedure to calculate occupational activity for all ISCO-08 occupations. All of our calculations are attached to this manuscript which other researchers may use, replicate and refine.

Physical activity decreases in patients on the liver transplant waiting list and influences postoperative outcome-a prospective cohort study.

Background: Physical deconditioning affects patients suffering from end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative option for ESLD. Growing evidence suggests that pre-habilitation is beneficial in reducing post-surgical morbidity and mortality. We investigated physical activity (PA) in patients awaiting LT in a country with long waiting times. Methods: Prospective, single center, longitudinal study in Bern, Switzerland between June 2019 and February 2020 (halted due to SARS-CoV-2 pandemic), with follow-up data up to six months post-transplant. Patients were instructed to use a wrist tracker (FitBit) to monitor PA, which was assessed using mixed-effects generalized linear models. The study was approved by the local ethics committee (BASEC ID 2019-00606). Results: Thirty-five patients were included [71% male, median 59 years, body mass index (BMI) 28 kg/m2, lab Model End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) 11], 17 (49%) pre-frail and 5 (14%) frail according to the Liver Frailty Index (LFI). Twenty-eight patients underwent transplantation with 0 ninety-day mortality and 15 (53.6%) composite adverse clinical outcome. Median daily steps were 4,661 [interquartile range (IQR), 1,685-8,609] and weekly moderate PA (MPA) was 41 min (IQR, 0-127 min). Longitudinal analysis showed that female patients and patients on nutritional support had an increase in MPA between weeks 20 and 40. A significant decrease was seen in MPA after week 40, whilst no significant association was seen with age, Child-Pugh Score, LFI or quality of life at time of inclusion. MPA was significantly associated with the occurrence of the composite clinical endpoint after week 30 of waiting time (odds ratio 0.882, P=0.026). World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended MPA was significantly associated with less adverse composite clinical outcomes (P<0.001). Conclusions: In patients listed for LT, MPA decreased over time, showing a significant association with adverse outcome, specifically after week 30 on the waiting list. Our data support the implementation of routine pre-habilitation in patients awaiting LT.

The Relationship between Physical Activity and Motor Competence of Foundation Phase Children in Wales during the School Day.

Early childhood is a crucial time for children to develop their fundamental motor skills (FMS), serving as a foundation for engagement in lifelong physical activity (PA). With increasing concerns over the declining levels of PA and motor competence (MC), the aim of this study was to explore the predictors of PA in children in a play-based curriculum. A secondary purpose was to explore levels of PA and MC during the school day. The final aim was to explore whether there were sex differences. Children (N = 94; Mage = 68.96 months, SD = 8.25) in five classes from four different schools in Wales were tested on the TGMD-2, standing long jump, and MABC-2. Levels of PA were measured using ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometers, and 85 children met the wear time criteria. Object control (OC) skills, standing long jump, and age significantly predicted the percentage of time spent performing sedentary behaviours F(10,73) = 3.026, p = 0.003, R2 = 0.29 (adj R2 = 0.20) and time spent on MVPA F(10,73) = 3.597, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.33 (adj R2 = 0.24). Children spent an average of 48.7% of the school day performing sedentary behaviours and 9.1% performing moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and did not achieve 60 min of MVPA. The MABC revealed that 67% were below the 15th percentile. Girls spent more time than boys performing sedentary behaviours (p = 0.014), and boys spent more time than girls on MVPA (p = 0.004). Boys outperformed girls at OC skills (p < 0.001), while girls outperformed boys at locomotor skills (p < 0.001). These findings reinforce the pivotal role teachers and parents play in providing opportunities for children to be PA. OC skills and jump were positively associated with PA, emphasising the importance of developing FMS in early childhood. There were also sex disparities for both PA and MC, along with low levels of MC, highlighting the need for investing in comprehensive programmes and initiatives that prioritise the development of FMS during early childhood.

A focus group study among insufficiently physically active African American adults regarding technology-delivered team-based gamification for physical activity promotion.

Background: Gamification represents a promising approach for facilitating positive social interactions among groups of individuals and is increasingly being leveraged in physical activity (PA) interventions to promote enhanced intervention engagement and PA outcomes. Although African American (AA) adults experience disparities associated with health conditions that can be ameliorated with increased PA, little is known about how best to culturally target PA gamification strategies for this population. The purpose of this study was to gather perspectives from AA adults residing in the Southeast United States and subsequently identify themes to help inform the cultural adaptation of an existing electronic and mobile health (e/mHealth) gamification- and theory-based PA intervention for teams of insufficiently active AA adults. Methods: An AA moderator facilitated six online focus groups among AA adults (n=42; 93% female; 45.09±9.77 years; 34.40±57.38 minutes/week of reported moderate-intensity equivalent PA), using a semi-structured focus group guide. Drawing from a content analysis approach, transcripts were coded and salient themes were identified. Results: The focus groups revealed the following seven themes: (I) motivation (team-based gamification motivating); (II) accountability (team-based gamification promotes accountability); (III) competition (competitive elements attractive); (IV) weekly challenges (prefer to choose weekly PA challenges); (V) leaderboard feedback (preference for viewing steps and active minutes via a leaderboard); (VI) cultural relevancy (prefer elements reflective of their race and culture that promote team unity); (VII) teammate characteristics (mixed preferences regarding ideal sociodemographic characteristics and starting PA level of teammates). Conclusions: Integrating team-based gamification in an e/mHealth-based PA intervention may be acceptable among AA adults. The identification of specific design preferences and perceptions of the value of the social environment points to the need to consider surface-level and deep structure cultural targeting when developing and further exploring best practices regarding gamified PA interventions for insufficiently active AAs.