. , Livingston , L. , & Côté , P. ( 2021 ). Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and symptoms of anxiety in post-secondary students: A cross-sectional study of two faculties . Psychiatry Research Communications, 1 ( 1 ), Article 100007 . https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PSYCOM.2021.100007 10.1016/j
Search Results
Calibrating the Physical Activity Vital Sign to Estimate Habitual Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity More Accurately in Active Young Adults: A Cautionary Tale
Liam P. Pellerine, Derek S. Kimmerly, Jonathon R. Fowles, and Myles W. O’Brien
Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity and Time in Bed Among Working-Aged Men and Women
Pauliina Husu, Kari Tokola, Henri Vähä-Ypyä, Harri Sievänen, and Tommi Vasankari
Background: Depression is a significant health problem, whereas higher physical activity (PA) associates with fewer depressive symptoms. We examined how self-reported depressive symptoms are associated with accelerometer-measured PA, standing, sedentary behavior, and time in bed (TIB) among 20- to 69-year-old men and women. Methods: The study is a part of the cross-sectional, population-based FinFit2017 study, in which depressive symptoms were assessed by modified nine-item Finnish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire, and physical behavior in terms of PA, sedentary behavior, standing, and TIB was assessed 24/7 by a triaxial accelerometer. During waking hours, the accelerometer was hip worn. Intensity of PA was analyzed by mean amplitude deviation and body posture by angle for posture estimation algorithms. During TIB, the device was wrist worn, and the analysis was based on the wrist movements. A total of 1,823 participants answered the nine-item Finnish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire and used the accelerometer 24 hr at least 4 days per week. Results: Men without depressive symptoms had on average more standing, light, and moderate to vigorous PA and steps, and less low and high movement TIB than the men with at least moderate symptoms, when age group, education, work status, marital status, and fitness were adjusted for. The asymptomatic women had more moderate to vigorous PA and steps and less high movement TIB than the women with at least moderate symptoms. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms were associated with lower levels of PA and longer TIB. It is important to identify these symptoms as early as possible to be able to initiate and target preventive actions, including PA promotion, to these symptomatic persons on time.
Implications and Recommendations for Equivalence Testing in Measures of Movement Behaviors: A Scoping Review
Myles W. O’Brien
Equivalence testing may provide complementary information to more frequently used statistical procedures because it determines whether physical behavior outcomes are statistically equivalent to criterion measures. A caveat of this procedure is the predetermined selection of upper and lower bounds of acceptable error around a specified zone of equivalence. With no clear guidelines available to assist researchers, these equivalence zones are arbitrarily selected. A scoping review of articles implementing equivalence testing was performed to determine the validity of physical behavior outcomes; the aim was to characterize how this procedure has been implemented and to provide recommendations. A literature search from five databases initially identified potentially 1,153 articles which resulted in the acceptance of 19 studies (20 arms) conducted in children/youth and 40 in adults (49 arms). Most studies were conducted in free-living conditions (children/youth = 13 arms; adults = 22 arms) and employed a ±10% equivalence zone. However, equivalence zones ranged from ±3% to ±25% with only a subset using absolute thresholds (e.g., ±1,000 steps/day). If these equivalence zones were increased or decreased by ±5%, 75% (15/20, children/youth) and 71% (35/49, adults), they would have exhibited opposing equivalence test outcomes (i.e., equivalent to nonequivalent or vice versa). This scoping review identifies the heterogeneous usage of equivalence testing in studies examining the accuracy of (in)activity measures. In the absence of evidence-based standardized equivalence criteria, presenting the percentage required to achieve statistical equivalence or using absolute thresholds as a proportion of the SD may be a better practice than arbitrarily selecting zones a priori.
Evaluation of Physical Activity Assessment Using a Triaxial Activity Monitor in Community-Dwelling Older Japanese Adults With and Without Lifestyle-Related Diseases
Sho Nagayoshi, Harukaze Yatsugi, Xin Liu, Takafumi Saito, Koji Yamatsu, and Hiro Kishimoto
Background: Several previous studies investigated physical activity of older adults using wearable devices, but more studies need to develop normative values for chronic disease conditions. This study aimed to investigate physical activity using a triaxial activity monitor in community-dwelling older Japanese adults with and without lifestyle-related diseases. Methods: Data from a total of 732 community-dwelling older Japanese men and women were collected and analyzed in a cross-sectional study. The participants’ physical activity was assessed for seven consecutive days by a triaxial accelerometer. Physical activity was assessed by number of lifestyle-related diseases and six lifestyle-related diseases categories by gender. Physical activity was assessed separately for total, locomotive, and nonlocomotive physical activity. Results: Participants with multiple (two or more) diseases had significantly lower total light-intensity physical activity (LPA; 278.5 ± 8.4 min/day) and nonlocomotive LPA (226.4 ± 7.0 min/day) versus without diseases in men. Compared in each disease category, total LPA and nonlocomotive LPA was significantly lower in men with hypertension and diabetes. Total sedentary time was significantly higher in men with hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Locomotive LPA was significantly lower in men with diabetes. In women, locomotive moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity was significantly higher in women with diabetes, and nonlocomotive moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity was significantly lower in women with heart disease. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that older Japanese men with multiple lifestyle-related diseases had lower physical activity. In each disease category, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease affected lower physical activity, especially in men.
Aerobic Capacity Determines Habitual Walking Acceleration, Not Electromyography-Indicated Relative Effort
Arto J. Pesola, Timo Rantalainen, Ying Gao, and Taija Finni
Objective: Habitual walking is important for health and can be measured with accelerometry, but accelerometry does not measure physiological effort relative to capacity. We compared accelerometer-measured absolute intensity and electromyography (EMG)-measured relative muscle activity between people with low versus excellent aerobic fitness levels during their habitual walking. Methods: Forty volunteers (19 women; age 49.3 ± 17.1 years, body mass index 24.0 ± 2.6 kg/m2; peak oxygen uptake 40.3 ± 12.5 ml/kg/min) wore EMG-shorts and a hip-worn accelerometer simultaneously for 11.6 ± 2.2 hr on 1.7 ± 1.1 days. Continuous gait bouts of at least 5-min duration were identified based on acceleration mean amplitude deviation (MAD, in milli gravitational acceleration, mg) and mean EMG amplitude, with EMG normalized to maximal isometric knee extension and flexion (EMG, in percentage of maximal voluntary contraction EMG). Peak oxygen uptake was measured on a treadmill and maximal strength in isometric leg press (leg press max). MAD and EMG were compared between age- and sex-specific fitness groups (low-average, good, and excellent) and in linear models. Results: During habitual walking bouts (4.1 ± 4.1 bouts/day, 0.9 ± 1.0 min/bout), the low-average fit participants had an approximately 28% lower MAD (245 ± 64.3 mg) compared with both good fit and excellent fit participants (313 ± 68.1 mg, p < .05), but EMG was the same (13.1% ± 8.42% maximal voluntary contraction EMG, p = .10). Absolute, relative to body mass, and relative to skeletal muscle mass peak oxygen uptake (but not leg press max) was positively associated with MAD independent of age and sex (p < .01), but there were no associations with EMG. Conclusions: People with low-average aerobic capacity habitually walk with a lower accelerometer-measured absolute intensity, but the physiological stimulus for lower-extremity muscles is similar to those with excellent aerobic capacity. This should be considered when measuring and prescribing walking for health.
Criterion Validity of Accelerometers in Determining Knee-Flexion Angles During Sitting in a Laboratory Setting
Yanlin Wu, Myles W. O’Brien, Alexander Peddle, W. Seth Daley, Beverly D. Schwartz, Derek S. Kimmerly, and Ryan J. Frayne
Introduction: Device-based monitors often classify all sedentary positions as the sitting posture, but sitting with bent or straight legs may exhibit unique physiological and biomechanical effects. The classifications of the specific nuances of sitting have not been understood. The purpose of this study was to validate a dual-monitor approach from a trimonitor configuration measuring knee-flexion angles compared to motion capture (criterion) during sitting in laboratory setting. Methods: Nineteen adults (12♀, 24 ± 4 years) wore three activPALs (torso, thigh, tibia) while 14 motion capture cameras simultaneously tracked 15 markers located on bony landmarks. Each participant completed a 45-s supine resting period and eight, 45-s seated trials at different knee flexion angles (15° increment between 0° and 105°, determined via goniometry), followed by 15 s of standing. Validity was assessed via Friedman’s test (adjusted p value = .006), mean absolute error, Bland–Altman analyses, equivalence testing, and intraclass correlation. Results: Compared to motion capture, the calculated angles from activPALs were not different during 15°–90° (all, p ≥ .009), underestimated at 105° (p = .002) and overestimated at 0°, as well as the supine position (both, p < .001). Knee angles between 15° and 105° exhibited a mean absolute error of ∼5°, but knee angles <15° exhibited larger degrees of error (∼10°). A proportional (β = −0.12, p < .001) bias was observed, but a fixed (0.5° ± 1.7°, p = .405) bias did not exist. In equivalence testing, the activPALs were statistically equivalent to motion capture across 30°–105°. Strong agreement between the activPALs and motion capture was observed (intraclass correlation = .97, p < .001). Conclusions: The usage of a three-activPAL configuration detecting seated knee-flexion angles in free-living conditions is promising.
Measurement Reactivity in Ecological Momentary Assessment Studies of Movement-Related Behaviors
Jaclyn P. Maher, Danielle Arigo, Kiri Baga, Gabrielle M. Salvatore, Kristen Pasko, Brynn L. Hudgins, and Laura M. König
Measurement reactivity has implications for behavioral science, as it is crucial to determine whether changes in constructs of interest represent true change or are an artifact of assessment. This study investigated whether measurement reactivity occurs for movement-related behaviors, motivational antecedents of behavior, and associations between them. Data from ecological momentary assessment studies of older adults (n = 195) and women in midlife (n = 75) lasting 8–10 days with 5–6 prompts/day and ambulatory monitoring of movement were used for this secondary data analysis. To examine potential drop-off patterns indicative of measurement reactivity, multilevel models tested whether behavior, antecedents, and associations changed after the first or first 2 prompts compared with remaining prompts and the first, first 2, or first 3 days compared with remaining days. Older adults’ sedentary behavior was lower, and time spent upright and intentions and self-efficacy to stand/move were higher on the first 2 and first 3 days compared with remaining days. Associations between intentions and self-efficacy and subsequent sedentary behavior were weaker earlier in the study compared to later. For women in midlife, light physical activity was higher at the first and first 2 prompts compared with remaining prompts, and physical activity motivation was higher across all prompts and days tested. There was a stronger association between intended and observed minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on the first 2 days compared with remaining days. Measurement reactivity appeared as expected for movement-related behaviors and motivational antecedents, though changes in associations between these constructs are likely do not reflect measurement reactivity.
Shaking Up Activity Counts: Assessing the Comparability of Accelerometers and Activity Count Computation
Hannah J. Coyle-Asbil, Bernadette Murphy, and Lori Ann Vallis
Accelerometers have been at the forefront of free-living activity capture for decades, and accordingly ActiGraph the largest distributor. Historically, limitations in data storage and battery power led to the use of summary metrics, which have been termed activity counts. Recently, ActiGraph publicly released their count-based algorithm, marking a notable development in the field. This study aimed to assess and compare activity counts generated through different processing techniques (ActiLife and open-source), filters that are available through ActiGraph count generation (normal- and low-frequency extension), and data from various ActiGraph models and GENEActiv devices. We evaluated ActiGraph GT3X+ (n = 8), ActiGraph wGT3X-BT (n = 10), ActiGraph GT9X (n = 8; primary and secondary sensors), OPAL (n = 6), and GENEActiv (n = 5), subjected to oscillations across their full dynamic range (0.005–8 G) using a multiaxis shaker table. Results indicated that the low-frequency extension produced significantly higher counts compared to the normal frequency across the devices and processing techniques. Notably, open-source counts (R and Python) were statistically equivalent to ActiLife-generated counts (p < .05) for the GT9X, wGT3X-BT, and the GT3X+. Overall, many of the counts generated by different ActiGraph models were statistically equivalent or had mean differences <5.03 counts. Conversely, the GENEActiv, OPAL, and GT9X secondary monitor exhibited significantly higher responses than the other ActiGraph models at higher frequencies with mean differences ranging from 55.50 to 104.91 counts. This study provides insights into accelerometer data processing methods and highlights the comparability of counts across different devices and techniques.
Validity of the Modified SIT-Q 7d for Estimating Sedentary Break Frequency and Duration in Home-Based Office Workers During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis
Kirsten Dillon-Rossiter, Madison Hiemstra, Nina Bartmann, Wuyou Sui, Marc Mitchell, Scott Rollo, Paul A. Gardiner, and Harry Prapavessis
Office workers who transitioned to working from home are spending an even higher percentage of their workday sitting compared with being “in-office” and this is an emerging health concern. With many office workers continuing to work from home since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to have a validated self-report questionnaire to assess sedentary behavior, break frequency, and duration, to reduce the cost and burden of using device-based assessments. This secondary analysis study aimed to validate the modified Last 7-Day Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SIT-Q 7d) against an activPAL4™ device in full-time home-based “office” workers (n = 148; mean age = 44.90). Participants completed the modified SIT-Q 7d and wore an activPAL4 for a full work week. The findings showed that the modified SIT-Q 7d had low (ρ = .35–.37) and weak (ρ = .27–.28) criterion validity for accurate estimates of break frequency and break duration, respectively. The 95% limits of agreement were large for break frequency (26.85–29.01) and medium for break duration (5.81–8.47), indicating that the modified SIT-Q 7d may not be appropriate for measuring occupational sedentary behavior patterns at the individual level. Further validation is still required before confidently recommending this self-report questionnaire to be used among this population to assess breaks in sedentary time.
The Use of Accelerometers in Young Children: A Methodological Scoping Review
Becky Breau, Hannah J. Coyle-Asbil, and Lori Ann Vallis
The purpose of this scoping review was to examine publications using accelerometers in children aged 6 months to <6 years and report on current methodologies used for data collection and analyses. We examined device make and model, device placement, sampling frequency, data collection protocol, definition of nonwear time, inclusion criteria, epoch duration, and cut points. Five online databases and three gray literature databases were searched. Studies were included if they were published in English between January 2009 and March 2021. A total of 627 articles were included for descriptive analyses. Of the reviewed articles, 75% used ActiGraph devices. The most common device placement was hip or waist. More than 80% of articles did not report a sampling frequency, and 7-day protocols during only waking hours were the most frequently reported. Fifteen-second epoch durations and the cut points developed by Pate et al. in 2006 were the most common. A total of 203 articles did not report which definition of nonwear time was used; when reported, “20 minutes of consecutive zeros” was the most frequently used. Finally, the most common inclusion criteria were “greater or equal to 10 hr/day for at least 3 days” for studies conducted in free-living environments and “greater than 50% of the school day” for studies conducted in preschool or childcare environments. Results demonstrated a major lack of reporting of methods used to analyze accelerometer data from young children. A list of recommended reporting practices was developed to encourage increased reporting of key methodological details for research in this area.
