Physical activity correlates in young women with depressive symptoms: a qualitative study

BackgroundYoung women are at high risk for developing depression and participation in physical activity may prevent or treat the disorder. However, the influences on physical activity behaviors of young women with depression are not well understood. The aim of this study was to gather in-depth information about the correlates of physical activity among young women with and without depressive symptoms.MethodsA sample of 40 young women (aged 18-30 years), 20 with depressive symptoms (assessed using the CES-D 10) and 20 without depressive symptoms participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. A social-ecological framework was used, focusing on the individual, social and physical environmental influences on physical activity. Thematic analyses were performed on transcribed interview data.ResultsThe results indicated several key themes that were unique to women with depressive symptoms. These women more often described negative physical activity experiences during their youth, more barriers to physical activity, participating in more spontaneous than planned activity, lower self-efficacy for physical activity and being influenced by their friends\u27 and family\u27s inactivity.ConclusionsInterventions designed to promote physical activity in this important target group should consider strategies to reduce/overcome early life negative experiences, engage support from family and friends and plan for activity in advance.<br /

Socioeconomic position and children\u27s physical activity and sedentary behaviors : longitudinal findings from the CLAN study

Background: This study aimed to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between socioeconomic position (SEP) and physical activity and sedentary behaviors amongst children and adolescents. Methods: Maternal education was reported by parents of 184 5-6 year-old and 358 10-12 year-old children in 2001. In 2001 and 2004, physical activity was assessed by accelerometry. Older children self-reported and parents of younger children proxy-reported physical activity and television (TV) viewing behaviors. Linear regression was used to predict physical activity and sedentary behaviors, and changes in these behaviors, from maternal education. Results: Among all children, accelerometer-determined and self/parent-reported moderate and vigorous physical activity declined over three years. Girls of higher SEP demonstrated greater decreases in TV viewing behaviours than those of low SEP. In general, no prospective associations were evident between SEP and objectively-assessed physical activity. A small number of prospective associations were noted between SEP and self-reported physical activity, but these were generally weak and inconsistent in direction. Conclusions: This study did not find strong evidence that maternal education was cross-sectionally or longitudinally predictive of children&rsquo;s physical activity or sedentary behaviors. Given the well-documented inverse relationship of SEP with physical activity levels in adult samples, findings suggest that such disparities may emerge after adolescence.<br /

Do food and physical activity environments vary between disadvantaged urban and rural areas? Findings from the READI study

Issues addressed: The presence or absence of amenities in local neighbourhood environments can either promote or restrict access to opportunities to engage in healthy and/or less healthy behaviours. Rurality is thought to constrain access to facilities and services. This study investigated whether the presence and density of environmental amenities related to physical activity and eating behaviours differs between socioeconomically disadvantaged urban and rural areas in Victoria, Australia.Methods: We undertook cross-sectional analysis of environmental data collected in 2007-08 as part of the Resilience for Eating and Activity Despise Inequality (READI) study. These data were sourced and analysed for 40 urban and 40 rural socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The variables examined were the presence, raw count, count/km2, and count/\u27000 population of a range of environmental amenities (fast-food restaurants, all supermarkets (also separated by major chain and other supermarkets), greengrocers, playgrounds, gyms/leisure centres, public swimming pools and public open spaces).Results: A greater proportion of urban areas had a fast-food restaurant and gym/leisure centre present while more rural areas contained a supermarket and public swimming pool. All amenities examined (with the exception of swimming pools) were more numerous per km2 in urban areas, however rural areas had a greater number of all supermarkets, other supermarkets, playgrounds, swimming pools and public open area per \u27000 population.Conclusion: Although opportunities to engage in healthy eating and physical activity exist in many rural areas, a lower density per km2 suggests a greater travel distance may be required to reach these

Are associations between the perceived home and neighbourhood environment and children′s physical activity and sedentary behaviour moderated by urban/rural location?

Abstract not availableJo Salmon, Jenny Veitch, Gavin Abbott, Mai ChinAPaw, Johannes J.Brug, Saskia J. teVelde, Verity Cleland, Clare Hume, David Crawford, Kylie Bal

Home and neighbourhood correlates of BMI among children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods

A detailed understanding of the underlying drivers of obesity-risk behaviours is needed to inform prevention initiatives, particularly for individuals of low socioeconomic position who are at increased risk of unhealthy weight gain. However, few studies have concurrently considered factors in the home and local neighbourhood environments, and little research has examined determinants among children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The present study examined home, social and neighbourhood correlates of BMI (kg/m2) in children living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Cross-sectional data were collected from 491 women with children aged 5&ndash;12 years living in forty urban and forty rural socioeconomically disadvantaged areas (suburbs) of Victoria, Australia in 2007 and 2008. Mothers completed questionnaires about the home environment (maternal efficacy, perceived importance/beliefs, rewards, rules and access to equipment), social norms and perceived neighbourhood environment in relation to physical activity, healthy eating and sedentary behaviour. Children\u27s height and weight were measured at school or home. Linear regression analyses controlled for child sex and age. In multivariable analyses, children whose mothers had higher efficacy for them doing physical activity tended to have lower BMI z scores (B = &minus; 0&middot;04, 95 % CI &minus; 0&middot;06, &minus; 0&middot;02), and children who had a television (TV) in their bedroom (B = 0&middot;24, 95 % CI 0&middot;04, 0&middot;44) and whose mothers made greater use of food as a reward for good behaviour (B = 0&middot;05, 95 % CI 0&middot;01, 0&middot;09) tended to have higher BMI z scores. Increasing efficacy among mothers to promote physical activity, limiting use of food as a reward and not placing TV in children\u27s bedrooms may be important targets for future obesity prevention initiatives in disadvantaged communities

Is a perceived supportive physical environment important for self-reported leisure time physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged women with poor psychosocial characteristics? An observational study

Background Over the past decade, studies and public health interventions that target the physical environment as an avenue for promoting physical activity have increased in number. While it appears that a supportive physical environment has a role to play in promoting physical activity, social-ecological models emphasise the importance of considering other multiple levels of influence on behaviour, including individual (e.g. self-efficacy, intentions, enjoyment) and social (e.g. social support, access to childcare) factors (psychosocial factors). However, not everyone has these physical activity-promoting psychosocial characteristics; it remains unclear what contribution the environment makes to physical activity among these groups. This study aimed to examine the association between the perceived physical environment and self-reported leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among women living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas demonstrating different psychosocial characteristics.Methods In 2007&ndash;8, 3765 women (18&ndash;45&thinsp;years) randomly selected from low socioeconomic areas in Victoria, Australia, self-reported LTPA, and individual, social and physical environmental factors hypothesised within a social-ecological framework to influence LTPA. Psychosocial and environment scores were created. Associations between environment scores and categories of LTPA (overall and stratified by thirds of perceived environment scores) were examined using generalised ordered logistic regression.Results Women with medium and high perceived environment scores had 20-38% and 44-70% greater odds respectively of achieving higher levels of LTPA than women with low environment scores. When stratified by thirds of psychosocial factor scores, these associations were largely attenuated and mostly became non-significant. However, women with the lowest psychosocial scores but medium or high environment scores had 76% and 58% higher odds respectively of achieving &ge;120&thinsp;minutes/week (vs. &lt;120&thinsp;minutes/week) LTPA.Conclusions Acknowledging the cross-sectional study design, the findings suggest that a physical environment perceived to be supportive of physical activity might help women with less favourable psychosocial characteristics achieve moderate amounts of LTPA (i.e. &ge;120&thinsp;minutes/week). This study provides further support for research and public health interventions to target perceptions of the physical environment as a key component of strategies to promote physical activity.<br /

Maternal efficacy and sedentary behavior rules predict child obesity resilience

AbstractBackground:To identify longitudinal individual, social and environmental predictors of adiposity (BMI z-score),and of resilience to unhealthy weight gain, in healthy weight children and adolescents.Methods:Two hundred healthy weight children aged 5&ndash;12 years at baseline and their parents living in socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods were surveyed at baseline and three years later. Children&rsquo;s height and weight were objectively measured, parents completed a detailed questionnaire that examined the home, social and neighborhood environments, and objective measures of the neighborhood environment were assessed using geographic information system data. Children classified as healthy weight at baseline who hadsmall or medium increases in their BMI z-score between baseline and three year follow up (those in the bottomand middle tertiles) were categorized as&lsquo; resilient to unhealthy weight gain&rsquo;. Where applicable, fully adjustedmultivariable regression models were employed to determine baseline intrapersonal, social and environmental predictors of child BMI z-scores at follow-up, and resilience to unhealthy weight gain atfollow-up.Results:Maternal efficacy for preventing their child from engaging in sedentary behaviors (B = &minus; 0.03, 95 % CI: 0.06, 0.00) was associated with lower child BMI z-score at follow up. Rules to limit sedentary behaviors (OR = 1.14, 95 % CI: 1.03, 1.25) was a predictor of being resilient to unhealthy weight gain.Conclusion:The findings suggest that strategies to support parents to limit their children &rsquo;s sedentary behavior may be important in preventing unhealthy weight gain in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities

Are perceptions of the physical and social environment associated with mothers\u27 walking for leisure and for transport? A longitudinal study

ObjectiveThe role local neighbourhood environments play in influencing purpose-specific walking behaviors has not been well-explored in prospective studies. This study aimed to cross-sectionally and prospectively examine whether local physical and social environments were associated with mothers\u27 walking for leisure and for transport.MethodsIn 2004, 357 mothers from Melbourne, Australia, provided information on their local physical and social neighbourhood environments, and in 2004 and 2006 reported weekly time spent walking for leisure and for transport. Environmental predictors of high levels of walking and increases in walking were examined using log binomial regression.ResultsPublic transport accessibility and trusting many people in the neighbourhood were predictive of increases in walking for leisure, while connectivity, pedestrian crossings, a local traffic speed were predictive of increases in transport-related walking. Satisfaction with local facilities was associated with increasing both types of walking, and the social environment was important for maintaining high levels of both leisure- and transport-related walking.ConclusionThe findings provide evidence of a longitudinal relationship between physical and social environments and walking behaviors amongst mothers. Enhancing satisfaction with local facilities and giving consideration to &lsquo;walkability&rsquo;, safety and public transport accessibility during environment planning processes may help mothers to increase walking.<br /

Test-retest reliability of a self-reported physical activity environment instrument for use in rural settings

Objective: Little is known about how the physical environment impacts physical activity behaviour among rural populations, who are typically less active and at higherrisk of chronic disease than urban dwellers. The lack of individual-level instrumentsto assess the physical environment in rural areas limits advancement of this field.Among rural adults, this study aimed to evaluate (a) the test-retest reliability of aself-reported questionnaire of individual-level perceptions of the physical activityenvironment, and (b) the stability of a self-reported physical activity questionnaire.Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire repeated twice, 2 weeks apart. The questionnaire included 94 items relating to the perceived physical environment (representingnine summary scores), demographic characteristics and physical activity.Setting: Rural Australia.Participants: Rurally residing adults (≥18 years) across three Australian states.Main outcome measures: Test-retest reliability evaluated by weighted Kappa statistics (individual items) and intra-class correlations (summary scores).Results: A total of 292 participants (20% men) completed both questionnaires, on average 22 days apart. Test-retest reliability of individual items ranged from weightedKappa 0.37-0.85 (median: 0.59). Internal reliability for five summary scores wasgood to excellent (Cronbach's alpha: 0.81-0.97). Test-retest reliability was good toexcellent for six summary scores (intra-class correlations: 0.67-0.77).Conclusions: The findings indicated good to excellent test-retest reliability for mostitems, particularly “fixed” constructs for this new questionnaire measuring the perceived physical environment in rural populations. This study represents an important step towards improving measurement of physical activity environments in ruralpopulations, potentially leading to better tailored interventions to promote active andhealthy living in rural areas