Validity of items assessing self-reported number of breaks in sitting time among children and adolescents.

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Changes in accessibility and preferences predict children's future fruit and vegetable intake

BACKGROUND: Most children eat fewer fruits and vegetables than recommended. To be able to design effective interventions, understanding the aetiology of the behaviour is important. Accessibility and preferences have shown to be strong correlates of fruit and vegetable intake in several cross-sectional studies. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of future fruit and vegetable intake and to explore longitudinal patterns of interactions between accessibility and preferences. METHODS: Data presented are based on baseline (September 2001) and follow-up (May/June 2002) surveys of 20 control schools in the Norwegian intervention study Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks. A total of 816 pupils (77%) completed both baseline and follow-up questionnaires. The average age of the sample at baseline was 11.8 years. The research instrument assessing potential predictor variables was guided by Social Cognitive Theory, and included Accessibility at home, Accessibility at school, Modelling, Intention, Preferences, Self-Efficacy and Awareness of the 5-a-day recommendations. Multiple regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: All independent variables (measured at baseline) were significantly correlated to future fruit and vegetable intake (measured at follow-up). When reported fruit and vegetable intake at baseline (past intake) was included in this model, the effect of the other independent variables diminished. Together with past intake, the observed change in the independent variables from baseline to follow-up explained 43% of the variance in the reported intake at follow-up. Past intake remained the strongest predictor, but changes in accessibility at home and at school, as well as changes in preferences for fruits and vegetables, also explained significant amounts of the variance in fruit and vegetable intake at follow-up. In addition, baseline accessibility was found to moderate the relationship between change in preferences and change in intake. CONCLUSION: Change in accessibility and preferences appear to be important predictors of future fruit and vegetable intake among school children. Interventions should focus on strategies to modify these factors

Why no support for an association between active commuting to school and weight status in the literature?

Published version of an article from the journal:Journal of physical activity & healt

Test-retest reliability of a new self reported comprehensive questionnaire measuring frequencies of different modes of adolescents commuting to school and their parents commuting to work - the ATN questionnaire

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies assessing active commuting to school usually use simple questionnaires, and often is mode of commuting reported with a single questionnaire item only. The purpose of the present study is to report the test-retest reliability of a newly developed comprehensive questionnaire on active commuting to school and work among 6^thgrade school children and their parents in Norway.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 106 pupils and 77 parents completed a questionnaire two times, 14 days apart. The questionnaire consisted of frequency items on how often the participants walk, cycle, go by car and go by public transportation to school (pupils) or work (parents). The questionnaire was divided into seasons and to/from school or work in order to cover seasonal and topographic variations. The average number of trips for each mode of commuting was calculated. Then the sample was categorised into mode of commuting: walkers, cyclists, car commuters or public transport commuters.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The average numbers of trips did not differ for any of the commuting modes comparing test to retest data for any of the seasons. Test-retest correlation coefficients were high for all modes of commuting (Spearman correlation coefficient were 0.85-0.92 for pupils and 0.82-0.95 for parents). Most participants categorised into mode of commuting were categorized into the same mode at both time points (97% and 95% for pupils and parents respectively).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This newly developed questionnaire appears to be a reliable tool for measuring active commuting to school and work.</p

Physical activity when riding an electric-assisted bicycle with and without cargo

Background: Regular physical activity provides several health benefits, and active transport is a convenient way to implement physical activity in everyday life. However, bikes’ lack of possibilities to carry cargo is a limitation. E-cargo bikes can help overcome barriers to cycling and increase levels of active transport while still providing the option to carry cargo such as groceries and children. As such, E-cargo bikes have a greater potential for being a substitute for cars, but relevance is not known as no study has assessed the energy expenditure and time used using E-cargo bikes with considerable cargo. Objectives: The aim of this study is to compare time spent riding and exercise intensity when (1) riding an electric-assisted bicycle with cargo (30 kg) and without cargo and (2) driving a car. Method: This study has a randomised crossover design. Eleven participants (six women) were recruited through convenience sampling. The participants traversed through a 4.5 km route with three different forms of transportation: an electricassisted bicycle (E-bike) with 30 kg cargo, an E-bike without cargo, and a car. Oxygen uptake was measured with a portable oxygen analyser (Metamax 3B), and time spent cycling was measured on site by the test leader using a stopwatch. Results: Riding an E-bike with cargo was slightly slower than riding an E-bike without cargo (11.8 vs. 11.1 min, p = 0.017) and driving a car (8.8 min, p = 0.002). There was no significant difference in exercise intensity between E-bikes with and without cargo but riding an E-bike with cargo entailed significantly higher exercise intensity compared to driving a car [4.9 metabolic equivalents of task (METs) vs. 1.4 METs, p ≤ 0.001]. Conclusions: E-biking with cargo was rather similar in time spent and exercise intensity to E-biking without cargo, and not much slower than driving a car. Using E-cargo bikes, therefore, appears a good alternative to driving a car when in need of carrying things such as grocery bags and children, resulting in increasing physical activity and, at the same time, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.publishedVersio

Evaluating free school fruit: results from a natural experiment in Norway with representative data

Objective: To assess impacts of the nationwide Norwegian School Fruit Scheme (NSFS) using nationally representative data. Design: The NSFS is organized such that primary-school children (grades 1–7) are randomly assigned to one of three school fruit arrangements: (i) the child receives one free fruit or vegetable per day; (ii) the child is given the option to subscribe to one fruit or vegetable per day at a subsidized price; and (iii) the child attends a school that has no school fruit arrangement. Setting: Data from an Internet survey are used to compare child and parental fruit and vegetable intakes across the three NSFS groups focusing mainly on groups (i) and (iii). The analysis was conducted using multivariate regression techniques. Subjects: Parents of primary-school children (n 1423) who report on behalf of themselves and their children. Results: Children who receive free school fruit eat on average 0?36 more fruit portions daily – or 25?0 % more fruits – than children who attend schools with no fruit arrangement (P,0?001). Moreover, parents of children who receive free school fruit eat on average 0?19 more fruit portions daily – or 12?5 % more fruits – than parents of children who attend schools with no fruit arrangement (P50?040). No significant associations were found between the NSFS and the vegetable intakes of children and their parents. Conclusions: The study shows, using nationally representative data, that free school fruit is associated with increased child affect parental fruit intake.publishedVersio

Time trends (1995-2006) in dietary habits among adolescents in relation to The Norwegian School Fruit Scheme: The HUNT study

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Nature trips and traditional methods for food procurement in relation to weight status

Author's version of an article in the journal: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1403494812471446Aims: The purpose of this study is to assess the relationships between trips in nature, gathering of wild plants, fishing and hunting and weight status. Methods: Data from a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 996 parents of sixth- and seventh-graders from 38 randomly chosen schools in two Norwegian counties. All data are self-reported: Weight and height (participants were considered as overweight if BMI were 25 or higher), family trips in nature (dichotomized into ayenonce a week vs. less than once a week), gathering of wild plants/mushrooms, fishing and hunting (all dichotomized into ayensometimes vs. never), sex, family education level and general physical activity level. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with overweight as the dependent variable Results: Adjusting for all outdoor activities; those engaging in nature trips (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.37-0.75) and those engaging in gathering (OR = 0.73; 95% CI = 0.55-0.98) were less frequently overweight, while those fishing (OR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.35-2.47) were more frequently overweight. After also adjusting for sex, family education level and general physical activity level, nature trips (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.36-0.75) and fishing (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.12-2.10) were still significant, gathering was not. No association between hunting and weight status was observed. Conclusion: Frequent family trips in nature might be an important behaviour in order to reverse the obesity epidemic