Motivated by a commentary published in early 2022,1 and to address the lack of application of the life course framework to physical activity research, the Journal of Physical Activity and Health (JPAH) took the initiative to call for a Special Issue on Physical Activity and Life Course Epidemiology. We are pleased to celebrate the successful publication of this Special Issue with our community of readers.
First, we wish to express our utmost appreciation to all authors, reviewers, associated editors, and editorial board members, as well as participants of the cohorts featured in this Special Issue. Each of these contributors has played a crucial role in bringing this Special Issue to fruition. Their invaluable contributions have ensured the publication of high-quality research, which will enrich the body of knowledge in the field of physical activity and life course epidemiology, and inspire further research and policies to promote physical activity worldwide.
We invite you to navigate the manuscripts included in this Special Issue as they offer a journey of physical activity research across all cycles of life. The scope of the studies encompasses various life stages, ranging from pregnancy,2–4 early infancy,5,6 and youth7 to different adulthood phases.8–11 By encompassing research from diverse cohorts and life stages, the manuscripts featured provide a rich and multidimensional perspective to advance the understanding of the determinants and consequences of physical activity. Such knowledge can be used to create meaningful, equitable, and accessible opportunities for physical activity that benefit everyone, regardless of their life circumstances.
The issue features a collection of 10 manuscripts lead by researchers at different carer stages, including early-career researchers, and from across the world, including Australia, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. This reflects JPAH’s commitment to the principle that “Science has no Borders, so Should Scientific Publishing,”12 and our vision to inspire meaningful change in how the world views the association between physical activity and health.
It has become apparent that research on determinants and consequences of physical activity could be enhanced by adopting a life course framework. The research featured in the Special Issue draws evidence from both well-established cohort studies that have been ongoing for several decades, and contemporary cohorts established since 2010. These influential studies include the 1970 British Cohort Study,9 the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health,10 the Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort studies,3,5–8 the Southampton Women’s Survey,4 the Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes,2 and the Sasaguri Genkimon Study.11 This diversity should be celebrated, as comparing and contrasting evidence from different countries and studies established in different periods is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of current trends and patterns in physical activity, taking into account the evolving social, cultural, and technological landscapes that shape our behaviours in today’s world.
Not coincidentally, physical activity and women’s health have emerged as prominent topics within these studies.3,4,10 This aspect deserves to be highlighted because comprehending physical activity through the lens of life course should drive us to advance strategies aimed at reducing the non-acceptable disparity in physical activity opportunities between men and women, particularly during the reproductive age.13
Despite our enthusiasm over the successful publication of these 10 manuscripts, we acknowledge there is still much room for improvement within our research field. However, we invite you to adopt an optimistic “glass half-full approach.” We invite our community to use this Special Issue for more than a collection of research findings. It should also serve as a platform of innovative methodologies that can be used to drive equitable interventions and consider that complexities of life sometimes may take priority over opportunities to be physically active. Ultimately, we hope that this Special Issue will contribute to a nuanced perspective on physical activity across different stages of life, with the potential to inform evidence-based interventions and strategies that can effectively promote physical activity across the lifespan, to create active and healthy societies worldwide.
References
- 1.↑
Mielke GI. Relevance of life course epidemiology for research on physical activity and sedentary behavior. J Phys Act Health. 2022;19(4):225–226. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0128
- 2.↑
Chu AHY, Padmapriya N, Tan SL, et al. Longitudinal analysis of patterns and correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior in women from preconception to postpartum: the singapore preconception study of long-term maternal and child outcomes cohort. J Phys Act Health. Published online May 5, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0642
- 3.↑
Tornquist L, Tornquist D, Mielke G, et al. Maternal physical activity patterns in the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort: from preconception to postpartum. J Phys Act Health. Published online August 9, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0609
- 4.↑
Hesketh KR, Baird J, Crozier SR, et al. Activity behaviors before and during pregnancy are associated with women’s device-measured physical activity and sedentary time in later parenthood: a longitudinal cohort analysis. J Phys Act Health. Published online August 12, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0630
- 5.↑
Tornquist D, Crochemore-Silva I, Tornquist L, et al. Trajectories of device-measured physical activity during early childhood and its determinants: findings from the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study. J Phys Act Health. Published online July 14, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0608
- 6.↑
Leão OA, Flores TR, Mielke GI, et al. Physical activity and chronic stress in early life: findings from the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort. J Phys Act Health. Published online August 11, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0607
- 7.↑
da Silva BGC, Menezes AMB, Gonçalves H, et al. Physical activity during adolescence and mental health in early adulthood: findings from the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study. J Phys Act Health. Published online August 9, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0658
- 8.↑
de Lucena Alves CP, Crochemore-Silva I, Lima NP, et al. Prospective association of occupational and leisure-time physical activity with cardiovascular risk factors in early adulthood: findings From Pelotas (Brazil) 1982 Birth Cohort. J Phys Act Health. Published online July 25, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0610
- 9.↑
Scicluna N, Hamer M, Blodgett JM. Associations between adolescent sport and exercise participation and device-assessed physical activity in adulthood: evidence from the 1970 British Cohort Study. J Phys Act Health. Published online May 9, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0605
- 10.↑
Mielke GI, Doust J, Chan H-W, Mishra GD. Physical activity accumulated across adulthood and resting heart rate at age 41–46 years in women: findings from the Menarche to Premenopause Study. J Phys Act Health. Published online August 11, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2023-0082
- 11.↑
Chen T, Chen S, Honda T, et al. Longitudinal changes in moderate to vigorous physical activity in community-dwelling older men and women: a 2-year Prospective Cohort Study in Japan. J Phys Act Health. Published online June 2, 2023. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0411
- 12.↑
Ding D, Carson V, Hunter RF, et al. Science has no borders, so should scientific publishing: a position statement from the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. J Phys Act Health. 2022;19(12):809–810. doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0570
- 13.↑
Mielke GI, da Silva ICM, Kolbe-Alexander TL, et al. Shifting the physical inactivity curve worldwide by closing the gender gap. Sports Med. 2018;48(2):481–489. doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0754-7