Physical Activity and the Built Environment Among Adults on O‘ahu.

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2018

Worldwide surveillance of self-reported sitting time: a scoping review

Abstract: Background: Prolonged sitting time is a risk factor for chronic disease, yet recent global surveillance is not well described. The aims were to clarify: (i) the countries that have collected country-level data on self-reported sitting time; (ii) the single-item tools used to collect these data; and (iii) the duration of sitting time reported across low- to high-income countries. Methods: Country-level data collected within the last 10 years using single-item self-report were included. The six-stage methodology: (1) reviewing Global Observatory for Physical Activity! Country Cards; (2–4) country-specific searches of PubMed, the Demographic and Health Survey website and Google; (5) analysing the Eurobarometer 88.4; and (6) country-specific searches for World Health Organization STEPwise reports. Results: A total of 7641 records were identified and screened for eligibility. Sixty-two countries (29%) reported sitting time representing 47% of the global adult population. The majority of data were from high-income (61%) and middle income (29%) countries. The tools used were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ; n = 34), a modified IPAQ (n = 1) or the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ; n = 27). The median of mean daily sitting times was 4.7 (IQR: 3.5–5.1) hours across all countries. Higher-income countries recorded a longer duration of sitting time than lower-income countries (4.9 vs 2.7 h). Conclusions: This study provides an updated collation of countries collecting self-reported sitting time data. The daily sitting time findings should be interpreted cautiously. Current surveillance of sitting time is limited by a lack of coverage. Measures of population sitting time that are valid, feasible and sensitive to change should be embedded within global surveillance systems, to help guide future policy, research and practice. Trial registration: Not applicable

Facilitators and Barriers to Being Physically Active in a Rural Hawai’i Community: a Photovoice Perspective

A large body of existing literature suggests associations between perceptions of the environment and physical activity status, but very few studies have examined perceptions among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of the active living environment in Hawaiʻi in rural communities with a high proportion of NHPI. A total of thirteen adults were purposefully selected to participate in the study, and the Photovoice method was used to capture their perceptions. Three sessions were used to describe the purpose of the study, select and describe photographs, and identify emerging themes. A total of nine overarching themes were identified by participants and placed into three categories. Participants identified facilitators to being physically active, but also identified several barriers in their community such as the lack of available physical and built amenities, social norms, and safety. Participants proposed four action items to improve their active living environment: promote programs that are organized by community members, contact the local university to provide access to physical activity equipment, contact Honolulu City & County officials to voice concerns regarding barriers that prevent physical activity in the community, and working with employers in the community to create policies that promote physical activity at the workplace

Worldwide surveillance of self-reported sitting time: a scoping review

Abstract: Background: Prolonged sitting time is a risk factor for chronic disease, yet recent global surveillance is not well described. The aims were to clarify: (i) the countries that have collected country-level data on self-reported sitting time; (ii) the single-item tools used to collect these data; and (iii) the duration of sitting time reported across low- to high-income countries. Methods: Country-level data collected within the last 10 years using single-item self-report were included. The six-stage methodology: (1) reviewing Global Observatory for Physical Activity! Country Cards; (2–4) country-specific searches of PubMed, the Demographic and Health Survey website and Google; (5) analysing the Eurobarometer 88.4; and (6) country-specific searches for World Health Organization STEPwise reports. Results: A total of 7641 records were identified and screened for eligibility. Sixty-two countries (29%) reported sitting time representing 47% of the global adult population. The majority of data were from high-income (61%) and middle income (29%) countries. The tools used were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ; n = 34), a modified IPAQ (n = 1) or the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ; n = 27). The median of mean daily sitting times was 4.7 (IQR: 3.5–5.1) hours across all countries. Higher-income countries recorded a longer duration of sitting time than lower-income countries (4.9 vs 2.7 h). Conclusions: This study provides an updated collation of countries collecting self-reported sitting time data. The daily sitting time findings should be interpreted cautiously. Current surveillance of sitting time is limited by a lack of coverage. Measures of population sitting time that are valid, feasible and sensitive to change should be embedded within global surveillance systems, to help guide future policy, research and practice. Trial registration: Not applicable