Background: Climate change, increasing recognition of institutionalized discrimination, and the COVID-19 pandemic are large-scale, societal events (ie, forces of change) that affect the timing, settings, and modes of youth physical activity. Despite the impact that forces of change have on youth physical activity and physical activity environments, few studies consider how they affect physical activity promotion. Methods: The authors use 2 established frameworks, the ecological model of physical activity and the youth physical activity timing, how, and setting framework, to highlight changes in physical activity patterns of youth in North America that have resulted from contemporary forces of change. Results: North American countries—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—have faced similar but contextually different challenges for promoting physical activity in response to climate change, increasing recognition of institutionalized discrimination, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Innovative applications of implementation science, digital health technologies, and community-based participatory research methodologies may be practical for increasing and sustaining youth physical activity in response to these forces of change. Conclusions: Thoughtful synthesis of existing physical activity frameworks can help to guide the design and evaluation of new and existing physical activity initiatives. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are encouraged to carefully consider the intended and unintended consequences of actions designed to respond to forces of change.
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How Societal Forces of Change Are Transforming Youth Physical Activity Promotion in North America
Jacob Szeszulski, Jamie M. Faro, Rodney P. Joseph, Kevin Lanza, Lucie Lévesque, Courtney M. Monroe, Elsa A. Pérez-Paredes, Erica G. Soltero, and Rebecca E. Lee
Unseating the Sedentary Threat: A Vital Strategy for Curbing Cardiovascular Disease in Young Adults
Robert J. Kowalsky, Gregory J. Grosicki, Marco Meucci, Erik D. Hanson, Justin B. Moore, and Lee Stoner
Echocardiographic Parameters Associated With Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Physical Activity in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Survivors
Maxime Caru, Pierre Dubois, Daniel Curnier, Gregor Andelfinger, Maja Krajinovic, Caroline Laverdière, Daniel Sinnett, and Delphine Périé
Background: Children’s exposure to chemotherapeutic agents causes several long-term adverse effects but physical activity has been evidenced to be an effective strategy to improve cardiac function. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between physical activity levels, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiac parameters measured by echocardiography. Methods: Participants were 216n childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors who underwent a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test and self-reported their daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. They underwent a complete transthoracic echocardiographic assessment. Systolic and diastolic function analysis and strain images analysis were performed. The associations were studied through the preventive fraction (examined with univariate crude and adjusted logistic regression models) of regular physical activity (≥150 min·wk−1) and adequate cardiorespiratory fitness levels (above the median ≥ 32.0 mL·kg−1·min−1) on cardiac parameters. Results: Crude analysis shows that regular physical activity was associated with a significant preventive fraction in mitral E/A ratio (56%; P = .013), while adjusted analyses highlighted a nonsignificant reduction of 74% to 37% in the prevalence of cardiac parameters associated with physical activity. Similar associations of adequate cardiorespiratory fitness on cardiac parameters were observed. Adjusted analyses revealed a nonsignificant reduction of 7% to 86% in the prevalence of cardiac parameters associated with cardiorespiratory fitness. Conclusion: This study reports that regular physical activity and adequate cardiorespiratory fitness were associated with a higher preventive fraction. Thus, engaging in physical activity prevents childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors’ cardiac dysfunctions. These findings are novel and clinically relevant in pediatric cardiooncology and provide additional evidence to strengthen the benefits of exercise as long-term care in childhood cancer survivors.
Shaping Policy and Practice: Analyzing the Reach of Highly Cited and High Altmetrics Publications for Broader Impact on Physical Activity
Andrea Ramírez Varela, Natalicio Serrano, Juliana Mejía Grueso, Anita Nguyen, Deborah Salvo, Ross C. Brownson, Adrian Bauman, Rodrigo Reis, Pedro Hallal, and Michael Pratt
Background: A significant gap remains between the availability of physical activity (PA) evidence-based interventions and their application in real-world settings in policy and practice areas. This study aims to describe highly cited and high altmetrics publications in PA research and explore their impact on PA policy and practice. Methods: Mixed-methods sequential explanatory study including the identification and description of the top highly cited and high altmetrics PA publications from the last 10 years (including study design, population, type of PA study, number of citations, and altmetrics score), and interviews with key informants regarding research dissemination and implications on PA policy and practice. Results: When considering publication type, the most frequent highly cited publications were health consequences (40%, altmetrics = 42%), measurement/trends (23%, altmetrics = 10%), and correlates/determinants (21%, altmetrics = 26%) studies. They were predominantly cross-sectional (50%, altmetrics = 28%), systematic reviews (38%, altmetrics = 18%), and longitudinal studies (8%, altmetrics = 37%). All authors who participated in the interviews agreed that the most important factors in disseminating findings and influencing PA policy and practice were the published peer-reviewed manuscript itself, the reputation of the journal, the communication strategy, and the use of online platforms. Conclusions: To have a real-world influence on PA policy and practice, it is not enough to publish the results in scientific journals and participate in media outreach. To successfully involve policymakers and communities in appropriating the evidence and evaluating the extent to which these findings affect policy and practice outcomes, it is critical to lead co-creation, co-dissemination, advocacy, and capacity building efforts.
Volume 20 (2023): Issue 10 (Oct 2023)
Erratum. Calling out for Change Makers to Move Beyond Disciplinary Perspectives
Journal of Physical Activity and Health
Erratum. Better Late Than Never?! Five Compelling Reasons for Putting Physical Activity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries High Up on the Public Health Research Agenda
Journal of Physical Activity and Health
Erratum. Science has no Borders, so Should Scientific Publishing: A Position Statement from the Journal of Physical Activity and Health
Journal of Physical Activity & Health
Physical Inactivity Prevalence in the Islamic World: An Updated Analysis of 47 Countries
David Kahan
Background: Physical inactivity prevalence estimates for youth and adults have been published on a global scale and for various geographical and geopolitical permutations. Only one such study has presented estimates for adults in Muslim countries, and it is nearly 10 years old. I conducted an update of this study by incorporating newer data, refining methods, and including youth estimates. Methods: I identified 47 Muslim countries with physical inactivity data for youth, adults, or both. Data were extracted by country primarily from global estimates reported by Guthold et al in 2018 and 2020 and from World Health Organization surveillance data repositories. Weighted prevalence calculations for total prevalence and by sex, ethnicity (Arab vs non-Arab), and country income group accounted for country population, study sample size, and a country’s proportion of Muslims. Z tests and chi-square tests, and follow-up odds ratios and percentage deviations, respectively, were used to determine differences by sex, ethnicity, and country income group. Results: Overall physical inactivity prevalence was 84.2% (youth) and 29.6% (adults). Gaps favoring males over females were observed for youth (5.6% lower prevalence) and adults (9.6% lower prevalence). Gaps favoring non-Arabs over Arabs were observed for youth (3.9% lower) and adults (3.8% lower). No pattern emerged for country income group for youth; however, prevalence for adults trended upward across income groups from low (22.7%) to high (62.0%). Conclusions: Gaps by sex and ethnicity have narrowed since the original report and prevalence values are somewhat higher than current global estimates.
Outcomes Associated With Translating Evidence-Based Research Into Practice: The Physical Activity for Lifelong Success Program
Erin E. Eggert, Will Palmer, Lourdes I. Shanjani, Kimberlee Gretebeck, and Jane E. Mahoney
Background: Few programs assess for outcomes once translated into practice. The Physical Activity for Lifelong Success program was developed as a center-based public health intervention and shown to improve walking speed and distance among older adults with type 2 diabetes. We adapted the program for community-based delivery by lay leaders to physically inactive older adults. Methods: We followed the Replicating Effective Programs framework to identify community stakeholders, adapt, implement, and evaluate fidelity of delivery in community settings, and plan for maintenance and evolution. Sixteen community sites enrolled 184 adults (mean age 73.5 y, 85% female, 93% White) in 21 workshops. Baseline and postworkshop measures assessed participants’ health-related quality of life, physical function, and physical fitness. Data were analyzed using Fisher exact tests, Student t test, and paired linear regression with fixed effects. Results: Fidelity testing indicated leader training was sufficient to maintain key elements with delivery. Data from 122 participants showed improvements in chair stands (P < .001), arm curls (P < .001), 2-minute step test (P < .001), sit-and-reach (P = .001), 8-foot up-and-go (P < .001), and 10-m walk (P < .001). Conclusions: Adaptation of Physical Activity for Lifelong Success for implementation by community organizations for physically inactive older adults demonstrates that fidelity and effectiveness can be maintained after program translation.
