Differences in Physical Activity and Diet Patterns between Non-Rural and Rural Adults.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear how rural occupations and lifestyles may play a role in shaping physical activity and diet behaviors that contribute to the rural⁻urban obesity disparity.METHODS: Data come from the prospective and observational South Dakota Rural Bone Health Study, which included adults aged 20⁻66 years in three groups: (1) non-rural non-Hutterite, (2) rural non-Hutterite, and (3) rural Hutterite. Physical activity data were collected using 7-day physical activity questionnaires, and hours per day in physical activity categories are reported. Diet data were collected using food frequency questionnaires, and food group servings per day (svg/day) are reported. Mixed models were generated to determine group differences in physical activity and diet outcomes, and marginal group means are presented.RESULTS: Among females, both rural groups spent more time in moderate activity (4.8 ± 0.13 h/day and 4.7 ± 0.09 h/day vs. 3.5 ± 0.11 h/day, bothCONCLUSIONS: A rural occupation and lifestyle appear to contribute to differences in physical activity, while traditional rural lifestyle practices contribute to differences in diet

The iCook 4-HStudy: Report on Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Youth Participating in a Multicomponent Program Promoting Family Cooking, Eating, and Playing Together

Objective: To report physical activity and sedentary time outcomes of youth in iCook 4-H. Study Design and Setting: iCook 4-H was a 5-state, randomized, control−treatment, family-based childhood obesity prevention intervention promoting cooking, eating, and playing together. Participants and Intervention: Youth aged 9−10 years and the main preparer of their meals participated in the 12-week program followed by monthly newsletters and biyearly booster sessions until 24 months. Main Outcome Measure(s): A total of 155 youth were fitted with an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer, which they wore for 7 days at baseline and 4, 12, and 24 months to measure mean daily minutes per hour of waking wear time for sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (PA) (LPA), moderate PA, vigorous PA, and moderate to vigorous PA. Self-reported PA was assessed using the Block Kids Physical Activity Screener and additional questions querying for the program goal of the frequency of family actively playing together. Linear mixed models were used to determine differences from baseline to 24 months. Significance was set at P ≤ .05. Results: There was a significant (P \u3c .05) group £ time interaction for LPA (adjusted interaction B estimate, 95% confidence interval; 0.18 [0.05, 0.30]) and ST (-0.15 [-0.26, -0.04]); ST increased and LPA decreased in the treatment group. There were no differences in other accelerometer-derived PA measures, self-report Block Kids Physical Activity Screener measures, or frequency of family actively playing together at any time point. Conclusions and Implications: iCook 4-H was a multicomponent program observing youth aged 9−10 years for 24 months that focused on enhancing cooking skills, mealtime behavior and conversation, and PA through daily family activities. Greater emphasis on developing PA skills, changing environmental factors, and increasing PA both in and after school may be needed

The iCook 4-H Study: Report on Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Youth Participating in a Multicomponent Program Promoting Family Cooking, Eating, and Playing Together

Objective To report physical activity and sedentary time outcomes of youth in iCook 4-H. Study Design and Setting iCook 4-H was a 5-state, randomized, control–treatment, family-based childhood obesity prevention intervention promoting cooking, eating, and playing together. Participants and Intervention Youth aged 9–10 years and the main preparer of their meals participated in the 12-week program followed by monthly newsletters and biyearly booster sessions until 24 months. Main Outcome Measure(s) A total of 155 youth were fitted with an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer, which they wore for 7 days at baseline and 4, 12, and 24 months to measure mean daily minutes per hour of waking wear time for sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (PA) (LPA), moderate PA, vigorous PA, and moderate to vigorous PA. Self-reported PA was assessed using the Block Kids Physical Activity Screener and additional questions querying for the program goal of the frequency of family actively playing together. Linear mixed models were used to determine differences from baseline to 24 months. Significance was set at P ≤ .05. Results There was a significant (P \u3c .05) group × time interaction for LPA (adjusted interaction B estimate, 95% confidence interval; 0.18 [0.05, 0.30]) and ST (−0.15 [−0.26, −0.04]); ST increased and LPA decreased in the treatment group. There were no differences in other accelerometer-derived PA measures, self-report Block Kids Physical Activity Screener measures, or frequency of family actively playing together at any time point. Conclusions and Implications iCook 4-H was a multicomponent program observing youth aged 9–10 years for 24 months that focused on enhancing cooking skills, mealtime behavior and conversation, and PA through daily family activities. Greater emphasis on developing PA skills, changing environmental factors, and increasing PA both in and after school may be needed

American College of Sports Medicine Resources for the Health and Fitness Specialist

Jessica Meendering (with C. Fountaine) contributed Chapter 3: Cardiorespiratory Fitness Assessments and Exercise Programming for Apparently Healthy Participants. This valuable new resource is specifically designed for candidates for the ACSM’s Certified Health Fitness Specialist (HFS) and those personal trainers wanting to take their knowledge to the next level. It contains the latest material on health and fitness written by the entity setting the standard for scientifically based practice, The American College of Sports Medicine. The American College of sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 45,000 members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/hns_book/1000/thumbnail.jp

Diet and Physical Activity in Rural vs Urban Children and Adolescents in the United States: A Narrative Review.

Current research suggests that the prevalence of obesity is higher among rural youth than urban youth. Due to the health implications that are associated with child and adolescent obesity, it is critical to understand systematic differences in diet and physical activity (PA) behaviors that may be contributing to this disparity in weight. However, varying definitions of rural and inconsistencies in study tools and methodologies may limit the generalizability of findings from research in this area. The objective of this narrative review was to synthesize and critically evaluate existing literature comparing diet and PA behaviors between rural and urban children and adolescents, providing recommendations for future research. Only five studies were found that reported on measures of diet in rural vs urban youth, whereas 16 were found that reported on measures of PA. Dietary assessment tools were generally standard and acceptable; however, differences existed in how dietary outcomes were defined. Few studies used assessment tools that objectively measured PA, and definitions for meeting PA recommendations varied among studies. Very few studies defined rural using the same criteria. Future research on the rural youth obesity disparity should focus on including a high-quality assessment of both diet and PA (as opposed to one or the other) and on using an appropriate and consistent definition of rural

Depot-Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Endothelial Function Before and After Acute Oral, Vaginal, and Transdermal Estradiol Treatment

Young women using depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) contraception have low circulating estrogen and elevated synthetic progestin. Low estrogen and certain progestins have been shown to impact endothelial function even in young healthy women. The purpose of this study was to investigate how DMPA affects endothelial function and serum biomarkers of cardiovascular risk prior to and after acute oral, vaginal, and transdermal estradiol treatments. Seven young women participated on three study days during a normal 12 week DMPA cycle; during weeks three, six, and nine. An additional eight young women participated on six separate days during a 12 week DMPA cycle; three times on DMPA-only and three times when using DMPA plus acute estradiol treatments. Wall tracking of high-resolution ultrasound images of the brachial artery were used during endothelium-dependent flow mediated dilation (EDFMD) and nitroglycerin administration to test endothelial function. Serum samples were analyzed for cardiovascular indices at each study visit. All estradiol treatments increased EDFMD compared to DMPA-only (P\u3c 0.001). EDFMD was not different among DMPA-only treatment days. Endothelium-independent vasodilation and cholesterol levels were unchanged across DMPA-only and DMPA plus estradiol cycles. These data suggest that acute estradiol treatments improve EDFMD in young hypoestrogenic women using DMPA

Bigger ≠ Better: The Comprehensiveness and Strength of School Wellness Policies Varies by School District Size.

BACKGROUND: District size has been shown to impact the anticipated barriers to wellness policy creation and implementation. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine if strength and comprehensiveness of wellness policies differs among school districts of varying size.METHODS: Wellness policies were collected from 10 large, 29 medium, and 31 small school districts in a rural Midwest state. District size was categorized by the average daily membership in grades 9-11. Polices were coded using the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT). Strength and comprehensiveness of the full policy and policy sections were compared among small, medium, and large districts using 1-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Data are presented as mean ± SD. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ .05.RESULTS: There was a difference in the total combined (p = .041), total comprehensiveness (p = .043), and total strength scores (p = .031) based on school district size, such that small districts had stronger, more comprehensive wellness policies than large districts. Section comparisons revealed the section focused on Standards for United States Department of Agriculture School Meals was primarily responsible for these differences.CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest smaller districts write policies that are more comprehensive to governmental standards and use more definitive language than larger districts