Twenty-four healthy adults, including 12 females and 12 males, participated in the study. Each female participant completed three trials in three different phases of one menstrual cycle, which included follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases. The study aimed to investigate whether there is any difference in joint kinetic sense, neuromuscular coordination, and isokinetic muscle strength (a) between healthy males and females at different phases of the menstrual cycle and (b) between females at different phases of the menstrual cycle. The outcome measures included the number of jumps in the square-hop test and ankle and knee proprioception, which were assessed by an electric-driven movable frame rotated at 0.4 deg/s and isokinetic muscle strength measured by a computerized dynamometer (Biodex). For the square-hop test (p = .006), ankle dorsiflexion/plantar flexion (p < .05), knee flexion/extension (p < .05), the relative peak torque of the isokinetic muscle strength at the 60° and 180° knee flexion/extension (p < .001), and the 30° and 120° ankle plantar flexion/dorsiflexion (p < .05) between females and males showed significant differences. For the females at different phases of the menstrual cycle, significant differences were found on ankle dorsiflexion (p = .003), plantar flexion (p = .023), knee extension (p = .029), the square-hop test (p = .036), and relative peak torque of isokinetic muscle strength at 180° knee flexion (p = .029). This study demonstrated that there are sex differences in lower limb proprioception and mechanical function. Females at ovulatory and luteal phases have better lower limb proprioception than at the follicular phase.
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Sex Differences in Lower Limb Proprioception and Mechanical Function Among Healthy Adults
Xiaoyue Hu, Jingxian Li, and Lin Wang
Age-Related Changes in Plantar Sensation and Ankle Proprioception in Adolescents to Older Adults
Xiaoyue Hu, Ziwei Zeng, Meihua Tang, and Lin Wang
Background: Plantar sensation and ankle proprioception occur in a stage-like variance across the life span. However, changes in adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of plantar sensation and ankle proprioception in adolescents to older adults. Methods: A total of 212 participants were recruited in the study and were divided into four groups, including adolescents (n = 46), young adults (n = 55), middle-aged adults (n = 47), and older adults (n = 54). Plantar tactile sensitivity/tactile acuity/vibration threshold and ankle movement threshold/joint position sense/force sense were assessed in all groups. The Kruskal–Wallis H test was used to analyze the differences in Semmes–Weinstein monofilaments between different age groups in different plantar positions. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine differences in foot vibration threshold, two-point discrimination, and ankle proprioception between different age groups. Results: Significant differences were found in the Semmes–Weinstein monofilament test (p < .001), the two-point discrimination test (p < .05), and the vibration threshold test (p < .05) in the six tested plantar positions among adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults. For ankle proprioception, significant differences were found in movement thresholds in ankle plantar flexion (p = .01), ankle dorsiflexion (p < .001), ankle inversion (p < .001), and ankle eversion (p < .001), as well as relative absolute errors in the ankle force senses of ankle plantar flexion (p = .02) and ankle dorsiflexion (p = .02) across the four age groups. Conclusion: Plantar sensation and ankle proprioception were sensitive in adolescents and young adults than in middle-aged adults and older adults.
Associations Between Physical Facilities and Organizational Participation and Levels of Physical Activity of Adults in Tainan, Taiwan
Susan C. Hu, Nuan-Ching Huang, Ya-Tin Lin, Shiann-Far Kung, and Linda L. Lin
Background:
During the past decade many studies have endeavored to evaluate the relationships between environmental attributes and physical activity, but there is limited data on this subject in Taiwan. This is the first study to investigate both objective and subjective environments in relation to different levels of physical activity in adults in Tainan, Taiwan.
Methods:
A 2-stage survey examining relationships between physical and social environments and physical activity was designed. It was administered to a sample including 231 community directors and 804 randomly selected residents. Community audits and telephone interviews were used as the objective and subjective measures in the study, respectively.
Results:
No correlation was found between the objective and the subjective measures of physical environments. Only the subjective measures were significantly related to city residents’ physical activities. Perceived physical facility was found to be correlated with engagement in physical activity, whereas organizational participation was associated with the regularity of physical activity. Of the 4 types of leisure activity examined in this study, dancing and aerobic activities are more likely to be engaged in regularly.
Conclusions:
Factors associated with the regularity of physical activity are not the same as factors associated with engagement in physical activity.
Going Short: The Effects of Short-Travel Key Switches on Typing Performance, Typing Force, Forearm Muscle Activity, and User Experience
Sarah M. Coppola, Philippe C. Dixon, Boyi Hu, Michael Y.C. Lin, and Jack T. Dennerlein
This study examined the effects of 4 micro-travel keyboards on forearm muscle activity, typing force, typing performance, and self-reported discomfort and difficulty. A total of 20 participants completed typing tasks on 4 commercially available devices with different key switch characteristics (dome, scissors, and butterfly) and key travels (0.55, 1.3, and 1.6 mm). The device with short-travel (0.55 mm) and a dome-type key switch mechanism was associated with higher muscle activities (6%–8%, P < .01), higher typing force (12%, P < .01), slower typing speeds (8%, P < .01), and twice as much discomfort (P < .05), compared with the other 3 devices: short-travel (0.55 mm) and butterfly switch design and long travel (1.3 and 1.6 mm) with scissor key switches. Participants rated the devices with larger travels (1.3 and 1.6 mm) with least discomfort (P = .02) and difficulty (P < .01). When stratified by sex/gender, these observed associations were larger and more significant in the female participants compared with male participants. The devices with similar travel but different key switch designs had difference in outcomes and devices with different travel were sometimes not different. The results suggest that key travel alone does not predict typing force or muscle activity.
Results From Shanghai’s (China) 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth
Yang Liu, Yan Tang, Zhen-Bo Cao, Pei-Jie Chen, Jia-Lin Zhang, Zheng Zhu, Jie Zhuang, Yang Yang, and Yue-Ying Hu
Background:
Internationally comparable evidence is important to advocate for young people’s physical activity. The aim of this article is to present the inaugural Shanghai (China) Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.
Methods:
Since no national data are available, the working group developed the survey questionnaire and carried out the school surveys for students (n = 71,404), parents (n = 70,346), and school administrators and teachers (n = 1398). The grades of 9 report card indicators were assigned in accordance with the survey results against a defined benchmark: A is 81% to 100%; B is 61% to 80%; C is 41% to 60%, D is 21% to 40%; F is 0% to 20%.
Results:
The 9 indicators were graded as follows: Overall Physical Activity Levels (F), Organized Sport Participation (F), Active Play (D-), Active Transportation (C-), Sedentary Behavior (F), Family and Peers (B), School (B+), Community and the Built Environment (D+), and Government (D).
Conclusions:
Levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior were low and below the respective recommended guidelines. Interventions and policies at the community level should be encouraged to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior. Future national surveys should be encouraged to strengthen Shanghai’s Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.
Is Active Transport and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Associated With Inflammatory Markers in US Adults? A Cross-Sectional Analyses From NHANES
Lee Smith, Brendon Stubbs, L. Hu, Nicola Veronese, Davy Vancampfort, Genevieve Williams, Domenico Vicinanza, Sarah E. Jackson, Li Ying, Guillermo F. López-Sánchez, and Lin Yang
Background: To investigate the association between levels of active transport and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) with C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, body mass index, waist circumference, and lipids in a large representative sample of adults residing in the United States. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Adjusted multinomial logistic regressions were carried out to quantify associations between levels of self-reported active transport (or LTPA) and quintiles of anthropometric measures and serum markers. Results: A total of 3248 adults were included. For serum inflammatory biomarkers, the authors observed a lower likelihood of being in the top quintile groups of circulating C-reactive protein (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40–0.90) and white blood cell count (aOR: 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44–0.95) with engaging in low to medium levels of active transport but not with high levels of active transport. Higher levels of LTPA were associated with lower likelihood of having high levels of serum inflammatory biomarkers (aOR: 0.60; 95% CI, 0.42–0.86 in the top C-reactive protein group and aOR: 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39–0.87 in top white blood cell group). Conclusions: Promoting active transport and/or LTPA may be a beneficial strategy to improving some, but not all, cardiometabolic health outcomes.
Dose–Response Relationships of Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity and Sedentary Time With Renal Function Indices in Adolescents With Reduced Renal Function: A Cross-Sectional Study
Zisai Wang, Qiuwei Tian, Yujie Xu, Marady Hun, Lin Hu, Mingyi Zhao, and Qingnan He
Background: This study aimed to explore the associations between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time with renal function indices in adolescents with kidney disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 719 adolescents (median age 15 y, 40.6% female) with kidney disease from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2016. The exposures were MVPA time and sedentary time. Renal metabolic parameters included serum uric acid (SUA), creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and the albumin creatinine ratio. Weighted multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate associations between exposures and outcomes. Results: After stratifying MVPA time, the regression effect values β (95% CI) for MVPA on SUA (Q2: −0.22 [−0.41 to −0.03]; Q3: −0.32 [−0.53 to −0.11]) and creatinine (Q2: −0.08 [−0.15 to −0.01]; Q3: −0.04 [−0.11 to 0.03]) gradually decreased with increasing MVPA time. In males (−0.76 [−1.19 to −0.32]), MVPA time was significantly associated with lower SUA levels compared with females (−0.14 [−0.38 to 0.10]). Notably, female adolescents who had an MVPA time exceeding 420 minutes exhibited lower albumin creatinine ratio (−75.37 [−146.63 to −4.11]). In addition, both recreational MVPA time (−0.26 [−0.45 to −0.06]) and sedentary time (−3.15 [−5.83 to −0.46]) were negatively associated with eGFR. Conclusions: Our study found an association between MVPA and lower levels of SUA in male adolescents with kidney disease and albuminuria in female adolescents with kidney disease. In addition, MVPA was also negatively associated with creatinine and eGFR, whereas sedentary time was only associated with eGFR. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
