Compliance with physical activity guidelines : prevalence in a population of children and youth

PURPOSE To use objective monitoring of physical activity to determine the percentages of children and youth in a population that met physical activity guidelines. METHODS A total of 375 students in grades 1–12 wore an accelerometer (CSA 7164) for seven consecutive days. Bouts of continuous activity and accumulation of minutes spent in physical activity at various intensities were calculated to determine how many students met three physical activity guidelines. RESULTS Over 90% of students met Healthy People 2010, Objective 22.6 and nearly 70% met the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group guideline, both of which recommend daily accumulation of moderate physical activity. Less than 3% met Healthy People 2010, Objective 22.7, which calls for bouts of continuous vigorous physical activity. For the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group guideline, compliance decreased markedly with age, but gender differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Prevalence estimates for compliance with national physical activity guidelines varied markedly for the three guidelines examined. Objective monitoring of physical activity in youth appears to be feasible and may provide more accurate prevalence rates than self-report measures.

Comparison of surveys used to measure physical activity

Objective To compare the level of agreement in results obtained from four physical activity (PA) measurement instruments that are in use in Australia and around the world. Methods 1,280 randomly selected participants answered two sets of PA questions by telephone. 428 answered the Active Australia (AA) and National Health Surveys, 427 answered the AA and CDC Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys (BRFSS), and 425 answered the AA survey and the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results Among the three pairs of survey items, the difference in mean total PA time was lowest when the AA and NHS items were asked (difference=24) (SE:17) minutes, compared with 144 (SE:21) mins for AA/BRFSS and 406 (SE:27) mins for AA/IPAQ). Correspondingly, prevalence estimates for 'sufficiently active' were similar for AA and NHS (56% and 55% respectively), but about 10% higher when BRFSS data were used, and about 26% higher when the IPAQ items were used, compared with estimates from the AA survey. Conclusions The findings clearly demonstrate that there are large differences in reported PA times and hence in prevalence estimates of 'sufficient activity' from these four measures. Implications It is important to consistently use the same survey for population monitoring purposes. As the AA survey has now been used three times in national surveys, its continued use for population surveys is recommended so that trend data ever a longer period of time can be established.

Can physical activity prevent physical and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women? A systematic review of the literature

Background Participation in regular physical activity is among the most promising and cost effective strategies to reduce physical and cognitive decline and premature death. However, confusion remains about the amount, frequency, and duration of physical activity that is likely to provide maximum benefit as well as the way in which interventions should be delivered. Aims This paper aimed to review research on the impact of leisure-time and general physical activity levels on physical and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women. In a systematic review of the literature, empirical literature from 2009-2013 is reviewed to explore the potential impact of either commencing or sustaining physical activity on older women’s health. Results All studies found that physical activity was associated with lower rates of cognitive and physical decline and a significant reduction in all-cause mortality. In this review we found that exercise interventions (or lifestyle activities) that improved cardiorespiratory exercise capacity showed the most positive impact on physical health. Conclusions Findings suggest that programs should facilitate and support women to participate in regular exercise by embedding physical activity programs in public health initiatives, by developing home-based exercise programs that require few resources and by creating interventions that can incorporate physical activity within a healthy lifestyle. The review also suggests that clinicians should consider prescribing exercise in a tailored manner for older women to ensure that it is of a high enough intensity to obtain the positive sustained effects of exercise.

Comparison of GST theta activity in liver and kidney of four species

Glutathione transferases (GSTs) catalyzing the conjugation of glutathione with electrophilic substrates are important enzymes in the metabolism of xenobiotics. Several isozymes exhibit polymorphisms in humans. The two deletion polymorphisms of hGSTM1 and hGSTT1 result in total loss of enzyme activity in homozygous null genotype (GSTM1*0 and GSTT1*0 respectively) individuals (Seidegård et al. 1988; Pemble et al. 1994). Individuals that are heterozygous for hGSTT1 show distinctly lower enzyme activities than individuals carrying two functional alleles of hGSTT1 (Wiebel et al. 1996). A similar effect is conceivable for the hGSTM1 polymorphism but has not been verified so far.

Activity patterns of preschool-aged children at risk for obesity

BACKGROUND Although the prevalence of obesity in young children highlights the importance of early interventions to promote physical activity (PA), there are limited data on activity patterns in this age group. The purpose of this study is to describe activity patterns in preschool-aged children and explore differences by weight status. METHODS Analyses use baseline data from Healthy Homes/Healthy Kids- Preschool, a pilot obesity prevention trial of preschool-aged children overweight or at risk for overweight. A modified parent-reported version of the previous-day PA recall was used to summarize types of activity. Accelerometry was used to summarize daily and hourly activity patterns. RESULTS "Playing with toys" accounted for the largest proportion of a child's previous day, followed by "meals and snacks", and "chores". Accelerometry-measured daily time spent in sedentary behavior, light PA, and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was 412, 247, and 69 minutes, respectively. Percent of hourly time spent in MVPA ranged from 3% to 13%, peaking in the late morning and evening hours. There were no statistically significant MVPA differences by weight status. CONCLUSIONS This study extends our understanding of activity types, amounts, and patterns in preschool-age children and warrants further exploration of differences in physical activity patterns by weight status.

How are falls and fear of falling associated with objectively measured physical activity in a cohort of community-dwelling older men?

BACKGROUND: Falls affect approximately one third of community-dwelling older adults each year and have serious health and social consequences. Fear of falling (FOF) (lack of confidence in maintaining balance during normal activities) affects many older adults, irrespective of whether they have actually experienced falls. Both falls and fear of falls may result in restrictions of physical activity, which in turn have health consequences. To date the relation between (i) falls and (ii) fear of falling with physical activity have not been investigated using objectively measured activity data which permits examination of different intensities of activity and sedentary behaviour. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 1680 men aged 71-92 years recruited from primary care practices who were part of an on-going population-based cohort. Men reported falls history in previous 12 months, FOF, health status and demographic characteristics. Men wore a GT3x accelerometer over the hip for 7 days. RESULTS: Among the 12% of men who had recurrent falls, daily activity levels were lower than among non-fallers; 942 (95% CI 503, 1381) fewer steps/day, 12(95% CI 2, 22) minutes less in light activity, 10(95% CI 5, 15) minutes less in moderate to vigorous PA [MVPA] and 22(95% CI 9, 35) minutes more in sedentary behaviour. 16% (n = 254) of men reported FOF, of whom 52% (n = 133) had fallen in the past year. Physical activity deficits were even greater in the men who reported that they were fearful of falling than in men who had fallen. Men who were fearful of falling took 1766(95% CI 1391, 2142) fewer steps/day than men who were not fearful, and spent 27(95% CI 18, 36) minutes less in light PA, 18(95% CI 13, 22) minutes less in MVPA, and 45(95% CI 34, 56) minutes more in sedentary behaviour. The significant differences in activity levels between (i) fallers and non-fallers and (ii) men who were fearful of falling or not fearful, were mediated by similar variables; lower exercise self-efficacy, fewer excursions from home and more mobility difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: Falls and in particular fear of falling are important barriers to older people gaining health benefits of walking and MVPA. Future studies should assess the longitudinal associations between falls and physical activity.

A review of preschool children's physical activity and sedentary time using objective measures

CONTEXT: Identifying current physical activity levels and sedentary time of preschool children is important for informing government policy and community initiatives. This paper reviewed studies reporting on physical activity and time spent sedentary among preschool-aged children (2-5 years) using objective measures. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Databases were searched for studies published up to and including April 2013 that reported on, or enabled the calculation of, the proportion of time preschool children spent sedentary and in light- and moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity. A total of 40 publications met the inclusion criteria for physical activity and 31 met the inclusion criteria for sedentary time. Objective measures included ActiGraph, Actiwatch, Actical, Actiheart, and RT3 accelerometers, direct observation, and Quantum XL telemetry heart rate monitoring. Data were analyzed in May 2013. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Considerable variation in prevalence estimates existed. The proportion of time children spent sedentary ranged from 34% to 94%. The time spent in light-intensity physical activity and moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity ranged from 4% to 33% and 2% to 41%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The considerable variation of prevalence estimates makes it difficult to determine the "true" prevalence of physical activity and sedentary time in preschool children. Future research should aim to reduce inconsistencies in the employed methodologies to better understand preschoolers' physical activity levels and sedentary behavior.

Children’s physical activity, health and physical education in isolated rural contexts : the views of parent educators in Queensland

This paper describes the views of parent educators of their children’s levels and types of physical activity. The study was conducted at two mini-schools in western Queensland. These are occasion where students who undertake formal education through various Schools Distance Education, come together for a week of educational activity. Parents (mostly mothers) were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. The interview data were then analysed for dominant themes using a constant comparison method. The emergent themes related to nutrition and physical activity. Within the physical activity theme, notions of the great outdoors, work and organised sport skill development also emerged.

Deconstructing expected passenger experience in airports

The effect of passenger satisfaction on airport profitability has been widely acknowledged in the aviation industry. As a result, there has been much attention directed towards developing a deeper understanding of the factors that influence the passenger experience. In this paper, we explore passenger experience from a novel perspective - that of the activities expected to be undertaken by passengers while in the airport terminal building. Using the Taxonomy of Passenger Experience (TOPA) as our framework, we look at the pre-travel interview data of 48 participants. The results of our analysis are used to construct an activity-centred account of the expected passenger experience for international departures. Our exploration of the expected passenger experienced revealed that not all of the TOPA activities have an equal impact on the passengers' expected experience. The processing, consumptive, preparatory and queuing activity groups featured most prominently in passengers' accounts of their upcoming airport experiences. Of these, the preparatory category was found to have the most direct impact on passenger satisfaction. Additionally, our analysis indicated that utilising queue time to prepare passengers for upcoming processing activities could have a positive effect on both satisfaction and processing efficiency. A further outcome of this research was the observation that "shopping" did not form a part of the expected experience of any of the interviewed participants. The outcomes of this study can be used by airports to assist in the management of passengers' expected experience in the terminal building. As passenger expectations and passenger satisfaction are intrinsically linked, understanding which activities have the most impact on satisfaction provides a basis from which alternate design choices can be evaluated when constructing, or fine-tuning, airport terminal designs.

Characteristics and alteration origins of matrix minerals in volcaniclastic kimberlite of the Muskox pipe (Nunavut, Canada)

The matrix of volcaniclastic kimberlite (VK) from the Muskox pipe (Northern Slave Province, Nunavut, Canada) is interpreted to represent an overprint of an original clastic matrix. Muskox VK is subdivided into three different matrix mineral assemblages that reflect differences in the proportions of original primary matrix constituents, temperature of formation and nature of the altering fluids. Using whole rock X-ray fluorescence (XRF), whole rock X-ray diffraction (XRD), microprobe analyses, back-scatter electron (BSE) imaging, petrography and core logging, we find that most matrix minerals (serpentine, phlogopite, chlorite, saponite, monticellite, Fe-Ti oxides and calcite) lack either primary igneous or primary clastic textures. The mineralogy and textures are most consistent with formation through alteration overprinting of an original clastic matrix that form by retrograde reactions as the deposit cools, or, in the case of calcite, by precipitation from Ca-bearing fluids into a secondary porosity. The first mineral assemblage consists largely of serpentine, phlogopite, calcite, Fe-Ti oxides and monticellite and occurs in VK with relatively fresh framework clasts. Alteration reactions, driven by deuteric fluids derived from the juvenile constituents, promote the crystallisation of minerals that indicate relatively high temperatures of formation (> 400 °C). Lower-temperature minerals are not present because permeability was occluded before the deposit cooled to low temperatures, thus shielding the facies from further interaction with fluids. The other two matrix mineral assemblages consist largely of serpentine, phlogopite, calcite, +/- diopside, and +/- chlorite. They form in VK that contains more country rock, which may have caused the deposit to be cooler upon emplacement. Most framework components are completely altered, suggesting that larger volumes of fluids drove the alteration reactions. These fluids were likely of meteoric provenance and became heated by the volcaniclastic debris when they percolated into the VK infill. Most alteration reactions ceased at temperatures > 200 °C, as indicated by the absence or paucity of lower-temperature phases in most samples, such as saponite. Recognition that Muskox VK contains an original clastic matrix is a necessary first step for evaluating the textural configuration, which is important for reconstructing the physical processes responsible for the formation of the deposit.

Physical activity and screen-time of childhood hematopoietic stem cell transplant survivors

Aim Reduced bone mineral density, impaired cardiovascular fitness, and increased risk of obesity are well-known late effects of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) in survivors of childhood cancer. These comorbidities can be mitigated through physical activity and limiting screen-time (ST). This study aims to increase the understanding of physical activity and ST behaviours for children following HSCT. Method Children were recruited from two oncology follow-up clinics and completed a questionnaire on their physical activity levels and screen-time. Children were classified as short (≤2yrs) and long term (>2yrs) survivors. Results Fifty-eight children were eligible, of whom forty children age 6 to 18 years (60% males) participated in the study. Less than half (47.5%) met the daily recommendations for physical activity and one third met the ST recommendations. Late survivors reported higher daily physical activity and less ST than early survivors. Among late survivors, females reported higher daily physical activity and less ST than males. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the majority of children following HSCT were not sufficiently active and had excessive screen-time; however this was comparable to healthy populations. Appropriately designed physical activity and screen-time intervention programs should be explored early following transplant for children undergoing HSCT.

Evaluation of driving ability of the disabled persons in the context of the psychological activity theory

In the future the number of the disabled drivers requiring a special evaluation of their driving ability will increase due to the ageing population, as well as the progress of adaptive technology. This places pressure on the development of the driving evaluation system. Despite quite intensive research there is still no consensus concerning what is the factual situation in a driver evaluation (methodology), which measures should be included in an evaluation (methods), and how an evaluation has to be carried out (practise). In order to find answers to these questions we carried out empirical studies, and simultaneously elaborated upon a conceptual model for driving and a driving evaluation. The findings of empirical studies can be condensed into the following points: 1) A driving ability defined by the on-road driving test is associated with different laboratory measures depending on the study groups. Faults in the laboratory tests predicted faults in the on-road driving test in the novice group, whereas slowness in the laboratory predicted driving faults in the experienced drivers group. 2) The Parkinson study clearly showed that even an experienced clinician cannot reliably accomplish an evaluation of a disabled person’s driving ability without collaboration with other specialists. 3) The main finding of the stroke study was that the use of a multidisciplinary team as a source of information harmonises the specialists’ evaluations. 4) The patient studies demonstrated that the disabled persons themselves, as well as their spouses, are as a rule not reliable evaluators. 5) From the safety point of view, perceptible operations with the control devices are not crucial, but correct mental actions which the driver carries out with the help of the control devices are of greatest importance. 6) Personality factors including higher-order needs and motives, attitudes and a degree of self-awareness, particularly a sense of illness, are decisive when evaluating a disabled person’s driving ability. Personality is also the main source of resources concerning compensations for lower-order physical deficiencies and restrictions. From work with the conceptual model we drew the following methodological conclusions: First, the driver has to be considered as a holistic subject of the activity, as a multilevel hierarchically organised system of an organism, a temperament, an individuality, and a personality where the personality is the leading subsystem from the standpoint of safety. Second, driving as a human form of a sociopractical activity, is also a hierarchically organised dynamic system. Third, in an evaluation of driving ability it is a question of matching these two hierarchically organised structures: a subject of an activity and a proper activity. Fourth, an evaluation has to be person centred but not disease-, function- or method centred. On the basis of our study a multidisciplinary team (practitioner, driving school teacher, psychologist, occupational therapist) is recommended for use in demanding driver evaluations. Primary in a driver’s evaluations is a coherent conceptual model while concrete methods of evaluations may vary. However, the on-road test must always be performed if possible.

Foldable compatibility matrix for the folding of programmable logic arrays

This paper describes a switching theoretic algorithm for the folding of programmable logic arrays (PLA). The algorithm is valid for both column and row folding, although it has been presented considering only the simple column folding. The pairwise compatibility relations among all the pairs of the columns of the PLA are mapped into a square matrix, called the compatibility matrix of the PLA. A foldable compatibility matrix (FCM), a new concept introduced by the author, is then derived from the compatibility matrix. A new theorem called the folding theorem is then proved. The theorem states that the existence of an m by 2m FCM is both necessary and sufficient to fold 2m columns of the n column PLA (2m ≤ n). Once an FCM is obtained, the ordered pairs of foldable columns and the re-ordering of the rows are readily determined.

Key Role of Fe2+ in Epithiospecifier Protein Activity.

The chemical nature of the hydrolysis products from the glucosinolate-myrosinase system depends on the presence or absence of supplementary proteins such as epithiospecifier proteins (ESPs). ESPs promote the formation of epithionitriles from terminal alkenyl glucosinolates and, as recent evidence suggests, simple nitriles at the expense of isothiocyanates. From a human health perspective isothiocyanates are the most important because they are major inducers of carcinogen-detoxifying enzymes. Fe2+ is an essential factor in ESP activity, although several recent studies have highlighted discrepancies in the understanding of the ESP-iron interaction. To investigate further the role iron species play in regulating ESP activity, four ESP-containing seedpowders were analyzed for ESP and myrosinase activities, endogenous iron content, and glucosinolate degradation products after the addition of iron species, specific chelators, and reducing agents. For the first time this paper shows the effect of these additions on the hydrolysis of individual glucosinolates that constitute the total pool. Aged seeds and 3-day seedlings were also tested to investigate the effects of seed storage and early plant development on iron levels and ESP activity. The four ESP-containing plant systems tested gave two distinctive responses, thus providing strong evidence that ESPs vary markedly in their Fe2+ requirement for activity. The results also indicated that reduction of ferric to ferrous iron drives variations in ESP activity during early plant development. The reverse oxidation reaction provided a convincing explanation for the loss of ESP activity during seed storage. Aged seeds produced seedlings with substantially lower ESP activity, and there was a concomitant loss in germination rate. It was concluded that manipulation of endogenous iron levels of ESP-containing plants could increase the conversion of glucosinolates to isothiocyanates and enhance potential health benefits.