Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with hard and light intensity physical activity but not time spent sedentary in 10–14 year old schoolchildren: the HAPPY study

Sedentary behaviour is a major risk factor for developing chronic diseases and is associated with low cardiorespiratory fitness in adults. It remains unclear how sedentary behaviour and different physical activity subcomponents are related to cardiorespiratory fitness in children. The purpose of this study was to assess how sedentary behaviour and different physical activity subcomponents are associated with 10–14 year-old schoolchildren's cardiorespiratory fitness

Comparison of uniaxial and triaxial accelerometry in the assessment of physical activity among adolescents under free-living conditions: the HELENA study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Different types of devices are available and the choice about which to use depends on various factors: cost, physical characteristics, performance, and the validity and intra- and interinstrument reliability. Given the large number of studies that have used uniaxial or triaxial devices, it is of interest to know whether the different devices give similar information about PA levels and patterns. The aim of this study was to compare physical activity (PA) levels and patterns obtained simultaneously by triaxial accelerometry and uniaxial accelerometry in adolescents in free-living conditions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-two participants, aged 13-16 years, were recruited in this ancillary study, which is a part of the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA). All participants wore a uniaxial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT1M^®, Pensacola, FL) and a triaxial accelerometer (RT3^®, Stayhealthy, Monrovia, CA) simultaneously for 7 days. The patterns were calculated by converting accelerometer data output as a percentage of time spent at sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous PA per day. Analysis of output data from the two accelerometers were assessed by two different tests: Equivalence Test and Bland & Altman method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The concordance correlation coefficient between the data from the triaxial accelerometer and uniaxial accelerometer at each intensity level was superior to 0.95. The ANOVA test showed a significant difference for the first three lower intensities while no significant difference was found for vigorous intensity. The difference between data obtained with the triaxial accelerometer and the uniaxial monitor never exceeded 2.1% and decreased as PA level increased. The Bland & Altman method showed good agreement between data obtained between the both accelerometers (<it>p </it>< 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers do not differ in their measurement of PA in population studies, and either could be used in such studies.</p

Sex Differences in the Association between Serum Levels of Testosterone and Frailty in an Elderly Population: The Toledo Study for Healthy Aging

BACKGROUND: Age-associated decline in testosterone levels represent one of the potential mechanisms involved in the development of frailty. Although this association has been widely reported in older men, very few data are available in women. We studied the association between testosterone and frailty in women and assessed sex differences in this relationship. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging, a population-based cohort study of Spanish elderly. Frailty was defined according to Fried's approach. Multivariate odds-ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with total (TT) and free testosterone (FT) levels were estimated using polytomous logistic regression. RESULTS: In women, there was a U-shaped relationship between FT levels and frailty (p for FT(2) = 0.03). In addition, very low levels of FT were observed in women with ≥ 4 frailty criteria (age-adjusted geometric means = 0.13 versus 0.37 in subjects with <4 components, p = 0.010). The association of FT with frailty appeared confined to obese women (p-value for interaction = 0.05).In men, the risk of frailty levels linearly decreased with testosterone (adjusted OR for frailty = 2.9 (95%CI, 1.6-5.1) and 1.6 (95%CI, 1.0-2.5), for 1 SD decrease in TT and FT, respectively). TT and FT showed association with most of frailty criteria. No interaction was found with BMI. CONCLUSION: There is a relationship between circulating levels of FT and frailty in older women. This relation seems to be modulated by BMI. The relevance and the nature of the association of FT levels and frailty are sex-specific, suggesting that different biological mechanisms may be involved

Making a gender difference: Case studies of gender mainstreaming in medical education

Contains fulltext : 72794.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Curricula are accommodated to the interests of new groups after pressure from social movements outside institutions. A Dutch national project to integrate gender-gender mainstreaming (GM)-in all medical curricula started in 2002 and finished in 2005. GM is a long-term strategy which aims at eliminating gender bias in existing routines for which involvement of regular actors within the organization is required. AIMS: In this paper, the challenges of GM in medical education are discussed. Three case studies of medical schools are presented to identify key issues in the change process. METHOD: Steps taken in the national project included the evaluation of a local project, establishing a digital knowledge centre with education material, involving stakeholders and building political support within the schools and national bodies, screening education material and negotiating recommendations with course organizers, and evaluating the project with education directors and change agents. Data are gathered from interviews and document analysis. RESULTS: Factors playing a role are distinguished at three levels: (1) policy level, such as political support and widespread communication of this support; (2) organizational level such as a problem-based curricula and procedures for curriculum development and evaluation; and (3) faculty's openness towards change in general and towards feminist influences in particular, and change agents' position as well as personal and communicative skills. CONCLUSIONS: Successful GM in medical education is both a matter of strategy as well as how such strategy is received in medical schools. A time-consuming strategy could overcome resistance as well as dilemmas inherent in GM. More female teachers than male teachers were openly accepting. However, women were situated in less visible and less powerful positions. Hence, GM is accelerated by alliances between women aiming for change and senior (male) faculty leadership