Search results for "physical activity."

The importance of policy orientation and environment on physical activity participation--a comparative analysis between Eastern Germany, Western Germ…

2002

SUMMARY Environmental and policy interventions are seen as boosting physical activity because they are designed to influence large groups. However, they have not been much researched and the evidence on their role is still quite limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in and relationships between policy orientation, the objective and perceived physical environment, and physical activity between Finland, Eastern Germany and Western Germany. The data are taken from a public telephone survey carried out as part of the international MAREPS project (Methodology for the Analysis of Rationality and Effectiveness of Prevention and Health Promotion Strategies; Eastern Germa…

Comparison of motor competence in children aged 6-9 years across northern, central, and southern European regions.

2019

The present study aimed at examining differences in motor competence (MC) in children aged 6 to 9 years old in northern, central, and southern European regions using the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK). The secondary aim of the study was to examine interactions between region and children's age, sex and weight status (determined as healthy weight or overweight/obese). Data was pooled from independent studies conducted in Finland (mean age 7.81 ± 1.19 years, n = 690), Belgium (mean age 8.25 ± 1.09 years, n = 1,896) and Portugal (mean age 8.31 ± 1.02 years, n = 758) between 2008 and 2016. Cross-cultural differences in MC and interaction effects were tested using ANOVAs and ANCOVAs. A…

Objectively Measured School Day Physical Activity Among Elementary Students in the United States and Finland.

2015

Background:Schools are in a unique position to ensure that all students meet the current physical activity (PA) recommendations. This study aimed to examine 1st to 3rd grade elementary students’ accelerometer measured school day PA in the United States (U.S.) and Finland.Methods:The sample consisted of 200 students (107 girls, 93 boys; ages 6 to 8) and their school day PA was monitored with hip-worn ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers across a 5-day school week and the thresholds 100 and 2296 count per minute were used to separate sedentary time, light PA, and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA).Results:On an average school day, students were engaged in MVPA for 20.0 min in the U.S. and 24.1 min in F…

2020

Aim: To determine the relevance of features located close to home and further away, our aim was to study associations between older adults' physical activity and self-reported neighborhood destinations and barriers to outdoor mobility categorized by presence and maximal distance from home. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses comprising men and women 79-94 years old (57%) living independently in Central Finland (n = 185). Self-reported physical activity was categorized into lower (≤3 h moderate activity a week) and higher (≥4 h moderate or intense activity a week) activity. Assisted by interviewers, participants located on an interactive map destinations perceived to facilitate and barriers pe…

2020

Background: Physical activity (PA) of higher intensity and longer duration mainly accumulates from older adults' out-of-home activities. Outdoor PA is influenced by environmental features; however, the day-to-day variability of PA and its associations with environmental features have not been widely studied. This study focused on the associations of environmental features with accelerometer-measured PA in older people on weekdays and weekend days. Methods: The study population comprised 167 community-dwelling older people aged 75-90 years. Accelerometers were worn on 7 consecutive days and a structured interview on physical functioning, health, and socioeconomic factors was administered. A …

2020

Background Physical activity trackers (PATs) such as apps and wearable devices (eg, sports watches, heart rate monitors) are increasingly being used by young adolescents. Despite the potential of PATs to help monitor and improve moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) behaviors, there is a lack of research that confirms an association between PAT ownership or use and physical activity behaviors at the population level. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the ownership and use of PATs in youth and their associations with physical activity behaviors, including daily MVPA, sports club membership, and active travel, in 2 nationally representative samples of young adolescen…

Validation of Oxygen Consumption Prediction Equations and New Formulas for Interval Training

2021

[EN] Objectives. Our aims were to determine whether there is any significant difference between the measured and estimated energy expenditure for the most commonly used prediction equations in the literature, and to develop a new specific prediction equation for aerobic interval training with a broader cross-section of the population in terms of age, fitness and body mass index (BMI). Methods. Twenty healthy participants were recruited for this study. Two groups of ten people were established depending on their BMI. The low BMI group ranged between 19 and 22, and the high BMI group between 26 and 29. The test protocol consisted of 12 individualized intensities, 6 walking and 6 running speed…

Physical activity using social media during the COVID-19 pandemic: the perceptions of sports science students

2021

Abstract During the period of the COVID-19 lockdown, sports organizations and companies had to look for new ways to connect with their customers by offering physical activity (PA) alternatives to do at home. This study explores the perceptions of 175 undergraduate sports science students regarding their social media (SM) and PA patterns during the first Spanish COVID-19 lockdown period (March to May 2020). From their homes, the students completed an ad hoc online questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS 23.0 software to perform descriptive and inferential analysis (t-test). The results show that the participants used SM during the COVID-19 lockdown to visualize or practice PA, percei…

The influence of western culture in the care of the body relative to aesthetics, physical activity and food

2012

El cuerpo forma parte de la identidad personal de cada individuo, al igual que ella cambia a lo largo de la vida por lo que en cada etapa se percibe de diferente manera y con él se expresa la propia identidad. El cuerpo es algo más que un conjunto de células diferenciadas y en todas las sociedades se tiene en alta estima por lo que los cuidados corporales representan a cada cultura. Por lo tanto, nos planteamos cómo la cultura occidental condiciona los cuidados del cuerpo relativos a la estética, la actividad física y la alimentación. Dichos cuidados varían entre las poblaciones según los valores que en ellas se asocian con la imagen corporal, de la misma manera, también varían dentro de la…

The predominance of soccer in the sport and leisure habits of Spanish society

2014

The recent victories of its national football team in the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 Euro Cups have situated Spain in the first place in the FIFA worldwide ranking, and provided it with widespread international recognition for both its decisive wins and the team's playing style. These victories mark the culmination of a dream long pursued by numerous players and coaches in Spanish football, but also by a Spanish society that is passionate about football. This article provides a descriptive overview of Spaniards' attachment to football, and tries to show its predominance in the sport and leisure habits of Spanish society. This task has been approached using diverse secondary source…