Australia brands itself as having a love of sport, with an interest in sport being considered part of “being Australian” ( Adair & Vamplew, 1997 ). In terms of population, Australia consists of around 25 million citizens, who exhibit a wide range of interests. However, interest in the Olympic Games
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Olan K.M. Scott, Bo (Norman) Li, and Stephen Mighton
Lena Babaeer, Michalis Stylianou, and Sjaan R. Gomersall
Globally, the number of students in higher education has more than doubled from 100 million in 2000 to 207 million in 2014. 1 Similarly, in Australia, higher education enrollment rates have significantly increased in the past few years. Specifically, over 1.5 million students were enrolled in
Christine Hanley, Mitch J. Duncan, and W. Kerry Mummery
Background:
Population surveys are frequently used to assess prevalence, correlates and health benefits of physical activity. However, nonsampling errors, such as question order effects, in surveys may lead to imprecision in self reported physical activity. This study examined the impact of modified question order in a commonly used physical activity questionnaire on the prevalence of sufficient physical activity.
Methods:
Data were obtained from a telephone survey of adults living in Queensland, Australia. A total of 1243 adults participated in the computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey conducted in July 2008 which included the Active Australia Questionnaire (AAQ) presented in traditional or modified order. Binary logistic regression analyses was used to examine relationships between question order and physical activity outcomes.
Results:
Significant relationships were found between question order and sufficient activity, recreational walking, moderate activity, vigorous activity, and total activity. Respondents who received the AAQ in modified order were more likely to be categorized as sufficiently active (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.01−1.60).
Conclusions:
This study highlights the importance of question order on estimates of self reported physical activity. This study has shown that changes in question order can lead to an increase in the proportion of participants classified as sufficiently active.
Bonnie Field, Tom Cochrane, Rachel Davey, and Yohannes Kinfu
The aim of this study was to identify determinants of walking and whether walking maintained mobility among women as they transition from their mid-70s to their late 80s. We used 12 years of follow-up data (baseline 1999) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (n = 10,322). Fifteen determinants of walking were included in the analysis and three indicators of mobility. Longitudinal data analyses techniques were employed. Thirteen of the 15 determinants were significant predictors of walking. Women in their mid-70s who walked up to 1 hr per week were less likely to experience loss of mobility in very old age, including reduced likelihood of using a mobility aid. Hence, older women who do no walking should be encouraged to walk to maintain their mobility and their independence as they age, particularly women in their 70s and 80s who smoke, are overweight, have arthritis, or who have had a recent fall.
Jonathan Kingsley, Nyssa Hadgraft, Neville Owen, Takemi Sugiyama, David W. Dunstan, and Manoj Chandrabose
study were twofold: first, to examine associations of time spent in vigorous-intensity gardening activities with risk markers of cardiometabolic health using data collected from a large nationwide cohort of Australian middle-aged and older adults; and, second, to examine whether these associations are
Katrina M. Moss, Annette J. Dobson, Kimberley L. Edwards, Kylie D. Hesketh, Yung-Ting Chang, and Gita D. Mishra
obesity. 2 , 4 , 5 Yet PA and fitness have declined over recent decades, with children now less fit than their parents were at the same age. 6 Worldwide, the majority of children do not complete the recommended amount of PA, 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 and in Australia, less than 20% of 5- to 17-year-old children
Emily Stadder and Michael L. Naraine
, William Hill, and Ladbrokes in the United Kingdom; Sportsbet, BetEasy, and TAB in Australia; and Pointsbet in the United States. With an estimated global value of $104.41 billion U.S., the global sports-betting market is big business ( Zion Market Research, 2018 ). In Australia alone, the total sports
James Bingaman
Australian football—also known as Australian Rules football, Aussie Rules, or “footy”—is the second oldest form of football in the world ( Blainey, 2003 ) and is largely considered the national sport of Australia ( Richardson, 2011 ). Although Australian football has been a late-night staple of
Adrienne Brown and Mohammad Siahpush
Background:
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of a number of diseases, prevents obesity, and has positive psychological effects. Approximately one-third of the Australian population has been reported as totally sedentary. We investigated socioeconomic predictors of being sedentary in a nationally representative sample of Australian adults.
Methods:
We analyzed data from 8643 females and 7600 males who responded to the 2001 National Health Survey. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association of being sedentary with a range of socioeconomic measures.
Results:
Adjusting for demographics, body-mass index, and smoking, we found that low socioeconomic status, indicated by low education level, blue-collar occupation, low income and area social disadvantage, increased the probability that people were sedentary.
Conclusions:
This research highlights that targeting people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds with strategies to increase participation in physical activity may reduce morbidity and mortality associated with being sedentary.
Ester Cerin, Evie Leslie, Takemi Sugiyama, and Neville Owen
Background:
Perceived barriers are modifiable correlates of participation in physical activity. Associations of specific perceived barriers with participation in and level of walking for recreation, and other leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) were examined. Personal, social, and environmental factors associated with these perceived barriers were then examined.
Methods:
From 2003 to 2004, 2 surveys collected data on recreational walking and other LTPA, perceived barriers to participation, and personal, social, and environmental attributes, from 2194 Australian adults. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models examined associations of perceived barriers with walking and other LTPA. Generalized linear models identified the correlates of these perceived barriers.
Results:
The perceived barriers of lack of motivation and time were associated with level of LTPA, while lack of motivation, poor health, and lack of facilities were associated with the odds of non-participation in LTPA. Personal, social, and environmental factors independently contributed to variations in perceived barriers.
Conclusions:
Level and likelihood of participation in LTPA are associated with different perceived barriers. Perceived barriers are a function of both nonmodifiable personal factors and potentially modifiable personal, social, and environmental factors. These findings suggest that the provision of relevant environmental opportunities and social support may effectively reduce perceived barriers to LTPA.
