The association between worksite physical environment and employee nutrition, and physical activity behavior and weight status.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Almeida FA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4083465 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:The present research describes a measure of the worksite environment for food, physical activity and weight management. The worksite environment measure (WEM instrument) was developed for the Route H Study, a worksite environmental intervention for weight gain prevention in four metro transit bus garages in Minneapolis-St. Paul.Two trained raters visited each of the four bus garages and independently completed the WEM. Food, physical activity and weight management-related items were observed and recorded on a structured form. Inter-rater reliability was computed at the item level using a simple percentage agreement.The WEM showed high inter-rater reliability for the number and presence of food-related items. All garages had vending machines, microwaves and refrigerators. Assessment of the physical activity environment yielded similar reliability for the number and presence/absence of fitness items. Each garage had a fitness room (average of 4.3 items of fitness equipment). All garages had at least one stationary bike and treadmill. Three garages had at least one weighing scale available. There were no designated walking areas inside or outside. There were on average < 1 food stores or restaurants within sight of each garage. Few vending machine food and beverage items met criteria for healthful choices (15% of the vending machine foods; 26% of the vending machine beverages). The garage environment was perceived to be not supportive of healthy food choices, physical activity and weight management; 52% reported that it was hard to get fruits and vegetables in the garages, and 62% agreed that it was hard to be physically active in the garages.The WEM is a reliable measure of the worksite nutrition, physical activity, and weight management environment that can be used to assess changes in the work environment.
| S-EPMC1876805 | biostudies-other
Project description:Background and objectives: Executive function (EF) is an umbrella term that encompasses the set of higher-order processes. Core EFs are inhibition, interference control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. The aim of the study was to compare the EF between normal weight (NW) and inactive overweight (OW), NW and sport trained (ST), ST and OW 16-19-year-old youths. In addition, the relationship between EF and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) was evaluated. Materials and Methods: 10 NW, 14 ST, and 10 OW youths participated in this study. EF was evaluated using the ANAM4 battery. VO2peak was measured during an increasing walking exercise (modified Balke test). Results: The NW youths demonstrated better visual tracking and attention (94.28% ± 3.11%/90.23% ± 2.01%), response inhibition (95.65% ± 1.83%/92.48% ± 1.05%), speed of processing, and alternating attention with a motor speed component (95.5% ± 3.51%/89.01% ± 4.09%) than the OW youths (p < 0.05). The ST youths demonstrated better visual tracking and attention (96.76% ± 1.85%/90.23% ± 2.01%), response inhibition (97.58% ± 0.94%/92.48% ± 1.05%), speed of processing, and alternating attention with a motor speed component (98.35% ± 1.35%/89.01% ± 4.09%) than the OW youths (p < 0.05). The ST youths demonstrated better EF results than NW youths (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The ST 16-19-year-old youths demonstrated better EF than their OW and NW peers. The NW youths demonstrated better EF than their OW peers. There was a significant correlation between VO2peak and EF indicators in all groups of participants.
| S-EPMC6843179 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Certain risk factors associated with overweight and obesity may lead to reduced productivity in the workforce (i.e., increased absenteeism and presenteeism). Participants in a large, Internet-based worksite weight loss intervention, who were present at follow-up (N = 1,030), completed a self-reported productivity measure (World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire) at baseline and postintervention. Twenty-two percent of the participants lost a clinically meaningful amount of weight (?5% weight loss). There were no statistically significant (p < .05) relationships between weight change from baseline to 12 months and change scores of absolute or relative absenteeism or for absolute or relative presenteeism. Within a modestly successful Internet-based, worksite weight loss intervention, weight loss did not improve self-reported absenteeism or presenteeism. Further studies are needed to explore the sensitivity of the World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire and the long-term effects of weight loss on productivity.
| S-EPMC5886716 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Children's body mass index may affect physical activity (PA) participation. Therefore, this study examined the effect of children's weight status on underserved elementary school children's PA and sedentary behavior (SB) throughout the segmented day. Participants were 138 children (X¯age = 8.14 years). Children's height and weight were measured with subsequent classification of children as healthy weight or overweight/obese. Durations of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and SB during physical education (PE), morning recess, lunch recess, after school, and overall were assessed via accelerometry over three days. Independent t-tests evaluated differences in children's MVPA, LPA, and SB during each daily segment by weight status. Significantly higher MVPA was observed for children of healthy weight status versus children with overweight/obesity during morning recess, t(136) = 2.15, p = 0.03, after school, t(136) = 2.68, p < 0.01, and overall, t(136) = 2.65, p < 0.01. Interestingly, comparisons of children of healthy weight status and children with overweight/obesity's LPA and SB during the after-school segment revealed a trend wherein children with overweight/obesity participated in slightly greater LPA/less SB than children of healthy weight status. Higher MVPA was observed among children of healthy weight versus children with overweight/obesity during most daily segments. Concerted efforts should focus on increasing MVPA among children with overweight/obesity.
| S-EPMC7463513 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Overweight/obesity is an emerging health concern among African children. The aim of this study was to summarise available evidence from school-based interventions that focused on improving nutrition and physical activity knowledge, attitude, and behaviours, and weight status of children aged 6-15 years in the African context. Multiple databases were searched for studies evaluating school-based interventions of African origin that involved diet alone, physical activity alone, or multicomponent interventions, for at least 12 weeks in duration, reporting changes in either diet, physical activity, or body composition, and published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2018. No language restrictions were applied. Relevant data from eligible studies were extracted. Narrative synthesis was used to analyse and describe the data. This systematic review included nine interventions comprising 10 studies. Studies were conducted among 9957 children and adolescents in two African countries, namely South Africa and Tunisia, and were generally of low methodological quality. The sample size at baseline ranged from 28 to 4003 participants. Two interventions reported enrolling children from both urban and rural areas. The majority of the study participants were elementary or primary school children and adolescents in grades 4 to 6. Participants were between the ages of 12.4 and 13.5 years. All but one intervention targeted children of both sexes. Four studies were described as randomised control trials, while five were pre- and post-test quasi-experiments. Except for one study that involved the community as a secondary setting, all were primarily school-based studies. The duration of the interventions ranged from four months to three years. The interventions focused largely on weight-related behaviours, while a few targeted weight status. The results of the effectiveness of these interventions were inconsistent: three of five studies that evaluated weight status (body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score, overweight/obesity prevalence), three of six studies that reported physical activity outcomes (number of sports activities, and physical activity duration ≥ 30 min for at least six days/week), and four of six reporting on nutrition-related outcomes (number meeting fruit and vegetable intake ≥ 5 times/day) found beneficial effects of the interventions. Given the dearth of studies and the inconsistent results, definite conclusions about the overall effectiveness and evidence could not be made. Nonetheless, this study has identified research gaps in the childhood obesity literature in Africa and strengthened the need for further studies, the findings of which would contribute valuable data and inform policy.
| S-EPMC7019429 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesConflicting findings on associations between food and physical activity (PA) environments and children's weight status demand attention in order to inform effective interventions. We assess relationships between the food and PA environments in inner-city neighborhoods and children's weight status and address sources of conflicting results of prior research.MethodsWeight status of children ages 3-18 was assessed using parent-measured heights and weights. Data were collected from 702 children living in four low-income cities in New Jersey between 2009 and 2010. Proximity of a child's residence to a variety of food and PA outlets was measured in multiple ways using geo-coded data. Multivariate analyses assessed the association between measures of proximity and weight status.ResultsSignificant associations were observed between children's weight status and proximity to convenience stores in the 1/4 mile radius (OR = 1.9) and with presence of a large park in the 1/2 mile radius (OR = 0.41). No associations were observed for other types of food and PA outlets.ConclusionsSpecific aspects of the food and PA environments are predictors of overweight and obese status among children, but the relationships and their detection are dependent upon aspects of the geospatial landscape of each community.
| S-EPMC4794444 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND: Understanding which physical environmental factors affect adult obesity, and how best to influence them, is important for public health and urban planning. Previous attempts to summarise the literature have not systematically assessed the methodological quality of included studies, or accounted for environmental differences between continents or the ways in which environmental characteristics were measured. METHODS: We have conducted an updated review of the scientific literature on associations of physical environmental factors with adult weight status, stratified by continent and mode of measurement, accompanied by a detailed risk-of-bias assessment. Five databases were systematically searched for studies published between 1995 and 2013. RESULTS: Two factors, urban sprawl and land use mix, were found consistently associated with weight status, although only in North America. CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of urban sprawl and land use mix in the US the results of the current review confirm that the available research does not allow robust identification of ways in which that physical environment influences adult weight status, even after taking into account methodological quality.
| S-EPMC4015813 | biostudies-other
Project description:BACKGROUND:Regular physical activity is an important component of healthy living and wellbeing. Current guidelines recommend that adults participate in at least 150?min of moderate or vigorous-intensity physical activity weekly. In spite of the benefits, just over half of U.S. adults meet these recommendations. Calorie-only food labels at points of food purchase have had limited success in motivating people to change eating behaviors and increase physical activity. One new point of purchase approach to promote healthy behaviors is the addition of food labels that display the physical activity requirement needed to burn the calories in a food item (e.g. walk 15?min). METHODS:The Physical Activity Calorie Expenditure (PACE) Study compared activity-based calorie-expenditure food labels with calorie-only labels at three Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina worksite cafeterias. After 1 year of baseline data collection, one cafeteria had food items labeled with PACE labels, two others had calorie-only food labels. Cohort participants were asked to wear an accelerometer and complete a self-report activity questionnaire on two occasions during the baseline year and twice during the intervention year. RESULTS:A total of 366 study participants were included in the analysis. In the PACE-label group, self-reported physical activity increased by 13-26% compared to the calorie-only label group. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) increased by 24?min per week in the PACE-label group compared to the calorie-label group (p =?0.06). Changes in accelerometer measured steps, sedentary time, and MVPA had modest increases. Change ranged from 1 to 12% with effect size values from 0.08 to 0.15. Baseline physical activity level significantly moderated the intervention effects for all physical activity outcomes. Participants in both label groups starting in the lowest tertile of activity saw the largest increase in their physical activity. CONCLUSION:Results suggest small positive effects for the PACE labels on self-reported and objective physical activity measures. Minutes of weekly MVPA, strength training, and exercise activities showed modest increases. These results suggest that calorie-expenditure food labels may result in some limited increases in physical activity.
| S-EPMC6884791 | biostudies-literature
Project description:INTRODUCTION:This study examined sexual orientation differences in eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status among adolescents in the U.S. Moreover, this study tested whether parental and peer influences contribute to sexual orientation disparities in adolescent eating behaviors, physical activity, BMI, and examined disparities in weight misperception. METHODS:Cross-sectional data were from 1,926 adolescents who participated in the NEXT Generation Health Study in 2010-2011. Linear and multinomial logistic regressions conducted in 2017-2018 were used to test disparities and interactions with social influences. RESULTS:Relative to their heterosexual peers, sexual minority males and females consumed fruits and vegetables more frequently; sexual minority males engaged in less frequent physical activity; and sexual minority females were more likely to be overweight, perceive themselves as overweight, and to overestimate their weight. High parental expectation for physical activity was associated with more frequent vigorous physical activity among heterosexual adolescents, but less frequent vigorous physical activity among sexual minority males. Exercising with a same-sex peer buffered against the risk of higher BMI among sexual minority females. CONCLUSIONS:Parental and peer influences may serve as potential intervention targets to reduce disparities in weight-related behaviors. Longitudinal research is needed to understand the consequences of weight misperception among sexual minority females.
| S-EPMC6296226 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo analyze physical activity and sedentary behavior in preschool children during their stay at school and the associated factors.Methods370 preschoolers, aged 4 to 6 years, stratified according to gender, age and school region in the city of Londrina, PR, participated in the study. A questionnaire was applied to principals of preschools to analyze the school infrastructure and environment. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were estimated using accelerometers for five consecutive days during the children's stay at school. The odds ratio (OR) was estimated through binary logistic regression.ResultsAt school, regardless of age, preschoolers spend relatively more time in sedentary behaviors (89.6%-90.9%), followed by light (4.6%-7.6%), moderate (1.3%-3.0%) and vigorous (0.5%-2.3%) physical activity. The indoor recreation room (OR=0.20; 95%CI 0.05 to 0.83) and the playground (OR=0.08; 95%CI 0.00 to 0.80) protect four-year-old schoolchildren from highly sedentary behavior. An inverse association was found between the indoor recreation room and physical activity (OR=0.20; 95%CI 0.00 to 0.93) in five-year-old children. The indoor recreation room (OR=1.54; 95%CI 1.35 to 1.77), the playground (OR=2.82; 95%CI 1.14 to 6.96) and the recess (OR=1.54; 95%CI 1.35 to 1.77) are factors that increase the chance of six-year-old schoolchildren to be active.ConclusionsThe school infrastructure and environment should be seen as strategies to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in preschool children.
| S-EPMC5178115 | biostudies-literature