Sedentary behaviors and adiposity in young people: causality and conceptual model

Research on sedentary behavior and adiposity in youth dates back to the 1980s. Sedentary behaviors, usually screen time, can be associated with adiposity. Although the association usually is small but significant, the field is complex, and results are dependent on what sedentary behaviors are assessed and may be mediated and moderated by other behaviors

Correlates of socio-economic inequalities in women’s television viewing : a study of intrapersonal, social and environmental mediators

IntroductionSocio-economically disadvantaged women are at a greater risk of spending excess time engaged in television viewing, a behavior linked to several adverse health outcomes. However, the factors which explain socio-economic differences in television viewing are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of intrapersonal, social and environmental factors to mediating socio-economic (educational) inequalities in women\u27s television viewing.MethodsCross-sectional data were provided by 1,554 women (aged 18-65) who participated in the \u27Socio-economic Status and Activity in Women study\u27 of 2004. Based on an ecological framework, women self-reported their socio-economic position (highest education level), television viewing, as well as a number of potential intrapersonal (enjoyment of television viewing, preference for leisure-time sedentary behavior, depression, stress, weight status), social (social participation, interpersonal trust, social cohesion, social support for physical activity from friends and from family) and physical activity environmental factors (safety, aesthetics, distance to places of interest, and distance to physical activity facilities).ResultsMultiple mediating analyses showed that two intrapersonal factors (enjoyment of television viewing and weight status) and two social factors (social cohesion and social support from friends for physical activity) partly explained the educational inequalities in women\u27s television viewing. No physical activity environmental factors mediated educational variations in television viewing.ConclusionsAcknowledging the cross-sectional nature of this study, these findings suggest that health promotion interventions aimed at reducing educational inequalities in television viewing should focus on intrapersonal and social strategies, particularly providing enjoyable alternatives to television viewing, weight-loss/management information, increasing social cohesion in the neighborhood and promoting friend support for activity.<br /

Children\u27s perceptions of their home and neighborhood environments, and their association with objectively measured physical activity: A qualitative and quantitative study

Environmental factors may have an important influence on children&rsquo;s physical activity, yet children&rsquo;s perspectives of their home and neighborhood environments have not been widely assessed. The aim of this study was to investigate children&rsquo;s perceptions of their environments, and to examine associations between these perceptions and objectively measured physical activity. The sample consisted of 147, 10-year-old Australian children, who drew maps of their home and neighborhood environments. A subsample of children photographed places and things in these environments that were important to them. The maps were analyzed for themes, and for the frequency with which particular objects and locations appeared. Physical activity was objectively measured using accelerometers. Six themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of the maps and photographs: the family home; opportunities for physical activity and sedentary pursuits; food items and locations; green space and outside areas; the school and opportunities for social interaction. Of the 11 variables established from these themes, one home and two neighborhood factors were associated with children&rsquo;s physical activity. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of children&rsquo;s perceptions of their environment, and highlight the potential importance of the home and neighborhood environments for promoting physical activity behavior.<br /

Does diet mediate associations of volume and bouts of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health indicators in adolescents?

Objective: Examine the mediating role of diet in the relationship between volume and duration of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health in adolescents. Methods: Adolescents (12-19 years) participating in the 2003/04 and 2005/06 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined. Cardiometabolic health indicators were body mass index z-scores (zBMI) (n 5 1,797) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) (n 5 812). An ActiGraph hip-worn accelerometer was used to derive total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration. Dietary intake was assessed using two 24-hour dietary recalls. Mediation analyses were conducted to examine five dietary mediators [total energy intake, discretionary foods, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), fruits and vegetables, and dietary quality] of the relationship between total sedentary time and usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI and MetS. Results: Total sedentary time was inversely associated with zBMI (b 5 21.33; 95% CI 22.53 to 20.13) but attenuated after adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. No significant associations were observed between usual sedentary bout duration with zBMI or either sedentary measure with MetS. None of the five dietary variables mediated any of the relationships examined. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to explore associations of specific time periods (e.g., after school) and bout durations with both cardiometabolic health indicators and dietary behaviors

Educational inequalities in women\u27s depressive symptoms : the mediating role of perceived neighbourhood characteristics

Socio-economically disadvantaged (e.g., less educated) women are at a greater risk of depression compared to less disadvantaged women. However, little is known regarding the factors that may explain socioeconomic inequalities in risk of depression. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of perceived neighbourhood factors in mediating the relationship between education and women&rsquo;s risk of depression. Cross-sectional data were provided by 4,065 women (aged 18&ndash;45). Women self-reported their education level, depressive symptoms (CES-D 10), as well as four neighbourhood factors (i.e., interpersonal trust, social cohesion, neighbourhood safety, and aesthetics). Single and multiple mediating analyses were conducted. Clustering by neighbourhood of residence was adjusted by using a robust estimator of variance. Multiple mediating analyses revealed that interpersonal trust was the only neighbourhood characteristic found to partly explain the educational inequalities in women&rsquo;s depressive symptoms. Social cohesion, neighbourhood aesthetics and safety were not found to mediate this relationship. Acknowledging the cross-sectional nature of this study, findings suggest that strategies to promote interpersonal trust within socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods may help to reduce the educational inequalities in risk of depression amongst women. Further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to confirm these findings.<br /

Comparing different accelerometer cut-points for sedentary time in children

Actigraph accelerometers are hypothesized to be valid measurements for assessing children\u27s sedentary time. However, there is considerable variation in accelerometer cut-points used. Therefore, we compared the most common accelerometer sedentary cut-points of children performing sedentary behaviors. Actigraph Actitrainer uniaxial accelerometers were used to measure children\u27s activity intensity (29 children, 5-11 years old) during different activities, namely playing computer games, nonelectronic sedentary games, watching television and playing outdoors. A structured protocol was the criterion for assessing the validity of four common cut-points (100, 300, 800, 1100 counts/minute). The median counts during all sedentary behaviors were below the lowest comparison cut-point of 100 cpm. The 75th percentile values for the sedentary behaviors were always below the cut-point of 300 cpm. Our results suggest that the cut-point of &lt;100 cpm is the most appropriate

Parental concerns about childhood obesity and the strategies employed to prevent unhealthy weight gain in children.

Objectives: To describe parental concerns about their child&rsquo;s weight, to determine the proportion of parents taking preventive action to avoid obesity in their children and the predictors of taking preventive action, and to describe the strategies adopted by parents.Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Children&rsquo;s heights and weights were measured, and parents completed a questionnaire that included measures of their own weight status, perceptions of their child&rsquo;s weight, concerns about their child&rsquo;s current weight and future weight as an adolescent and adult, and the strategies used to prevent obesity.Setting: The study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia.Subjects: A total of 291 families of children aged 5&ndash;6 years and 919 families of children aged 10&ndash;12 years participated.Results: Eighty-nine per cent of parents of overweight 5&ndash;6-year-olds and 63% of parents of overweight 10&ndash;12-year-olds were unaware their child was overweight. Seventy-one per cent of parents of overweight 5&ndash;6-year-olds and 43% of parents of overweight 10&ndash;12-year-olds were not concerned about their child&rsquo;s current weight. Although 31% of parents of 5&ndash;6-year-olds and 43% of parents of 10&ndash;12-year-olds were taking action to prevent unhealthy weight gain in their children, less-educated parents were less likely to do so.Conclusions: Public health programmes are required to raise parental recognition of childhood overweight and of related risk behaviours, and to provide parents with practical strategies to prevent unhealthy weight gain in their children.<br /