En-gendering choice: preferences for exercising in gender-segregated and gender-integrated groups and consideration of overweight status

What explains the well-being benefits of physical activity? A mixed-methods analysis of the roles of participation frequency and social identification

OBJECTIVE

Physical activity in a social setting is said to be associated with well-being because it provides opportunities for participants to form social relationships. However, there are inconsistent findings regarding the well-being benefits of participating in physical activity with others. To address this inconclusive evidence, we draw on the social identity approach to health and well-being to examine whether (a) the frequency of physical activity participation in a social setting and (b) the degree of social identification associated with it, have different relationships with participants' well-being.

METHODS

We implemented a two-phase, mixed-methods design with members of women's only fitness clubs in Japan. In Study 1, we collected survey responses about social identification, life satisfaction, and eudaimonic well-being from 1118 members. The survey data were combined with respondents' objective participation data from a membership database. In Study 2, we interviewed a sample of club members to understand how the nature of social relationships differed depending on the degree of their social identification.

RESULTS

Study 1 found that social identification with a fitness club, but not the frequency of attending the club for physical activity, was positively associated with members' well-being. Study 2 revealed that members with high social identification experienced more affective relationships with other members than those with medium or low identification.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research provides quantitative and qualitative evidence supporting the association between social identification and the well-being benefits of physical activity in a social setting. It confirms the predictions of the social identity approach to health and well-being, demonstrating that people enjoy well-being benefits from physical activity participation when it is internalized as a meaningful definition of self.

Fitness Dance Counteracts Female Ph.D. Candidates' Stress by Affecting Emotion Regulation

Background: The impact of stress on the nation's physical and mental health is considerable. Exercise is considered to have beneficial effects on mental health and the capacity for coping with stress. The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of fitness dance intervention on female Ph.D. candidates' stress, and compare it with the intervention effects of MBSR. Method: A repeated measurement experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of fitness dance and MBSR on Chinese female Ph.D. candidates' stress. Results: Twelve weeks of fitness dance and MBSR can reduce participants' stress from severe to moderate. Eight weeks of fitness dance can reduce the tension from perceived stress (p = 0.019) and loss of control from perceived stress (p = 0.043). Twelve weeks of fitness dance can reduce the tension from perceived stress (p < 0.000), loss of control from perceived stress (p = 0.002) and perceived stress (p = 0.001). Fitness dance and MBSR affect emotion regulation, thereby affecting stress. Fitness dance reduced participants' stress by improving their cognitive reappraisal ability. MBSR reduced participants' stress by improving their cognitive reappraisal ability and expression suppression ability. Conclusions: Fitness dance, as a method of exercise intervention, is suitable for reducing Chinese female Ph.D. candidates' stress.

Digital intervention promoting physical activity among obese people (DIPPAO) randomised controlled trial: study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Physical inactivity and excessive sedentary behaviours are major preventable causes in both the development and the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Nevertheless, current programmes struggle to engage and sustain physical activity (PA) of patients over long periods of time. To overcome these limitations, the Digital Intervention Promoting Physical Activity among Obese people randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a group-based digital intervention grounded on gamification strategies, enhanced by social features and informed by the tenets of the self-determination theory and the social identity approach.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This trial is a two-arm parallel RCT testing the effectiveness of the Kiplin digital intervention on obese and patients with T2DM in comparison to the usual supervised PA programme of the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, France. A total of 50 patients will be randomised to one of the two interventions and will follow a 3-month programme with a 6-month follow-up postintervention. The primary outcome of the study is the daily step count change between the baseline assessment and the end of the intervention. Accelerometer data, self-reported PA, body composition and physical capacities will also be evaluated. To advance our understanding of complex interventions like gamified and group-based ones, we will explore several psychological mediators relative to motivation, enjoyment, in-group identification or perceived weight stigma. Finally, to assess a potential superior economic efficiency compared with the current treatment, we will conduct a cost-utility analysis between the two conditions. A mixed-model approach will be used to analyse the change in outcomes over time.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The research protocol has been reviewed and approved by the Local Human Protection Committee (CPP Ile de France XI, No 21 004-65219). Results will inform the Kiplin app development, be published in scientific journals and disseminated in international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04887077.

[Associations between group exercise and exercise adherence among older community-dwelling adults who attend a community sports club: Resol no Mori Wellness Age Club Longitudinal Study]

AIM

This study aimed to examine the relationship between group exercise and exercise adherence among older community-dwelling individuals who attended a community sports club and to discuss the exercise programs that promoted exercise habits.

METHODS

A total of 227 participants (117 women and 110 men), aged ≥ 65 years, who participated in the exercise programs (Wellness Age Club), provided by Resol no Mori, for at least 6 months from June 2017 to March 2019, were included in the analysis. Results obtained from the semi-annual questionnaire surveys, physical fitness tests, and annual medical check-ups were used, along with data on individual participation in programs and dates of participation. "Exercise adherence" was defined as participation in exercise programs for an average of ≥ 2 days per week for at least 24 weeks. "Group program participation" was defined as participation in group programs for an average of one or more times per week. The relationship between group program participation and exercise program adherence was analyzed using Poisson regression analysis.

RESULTS

Group program participants were more likely to continue attending exercise programs in comparison to non-participants (Prevalence ratio=3.63 [95% CI: 1.98-6.65], p< 0.01). There was also a significant positive association between group program participation and exercise adherence among women (8.08 [1.94-33.56], p< 0.01) and men (2.84 [1.39-5.78], p< 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that group exercise programs increased social interaction among participants and promoted exercise adherence. Encouraging older people to attend group exercise may increase the number of older people who regularly exercise.

Aging Adults' Preferences for Wellness Program Activities and Delivery Characteristics: A Cross-Sectional Survey

BACKGROUND

Lifestyle wellness programs help prevent and manage chronic diseases, yet few are designed for aging adults.

PURPOSE

Identify characteristics associated with aging adults' preferences for wellness program activities and delivery characteristics.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Cross-sectional, self-administered survey of a convenience sample of 386 adults aged ≥55 years. Logistic regression models identified characteristics influencing preferences.

RESULTS

Current healthy behaviors, gender, and age influenced many preferences, while BMI, multiple chronic conditions, self-rated general health status, and quality of life did not.

DISCUSSION

Incorporating aging adults' preferences for wellness programs will help design appealing and engaging programs.

Promoting Exercise Adherence Through Groups: A Self-Categorization Theory Perspective

The hypothesis presented in this paper is that adherence to exercise programs can be understood, and fostered through intervention, by considering how social identities form within group settings. This paper explains these processes from a self-categorization theory perspective.

A Social Identity Approach to Understanding and Promoting Physical Activity

Against the backdrop of a global physical inactivity crisis, attempts to both understand and positively influence physical activity behaviours are characterized by a focus on individual-level factors (e.g. cognitions, attitudes, motivation). We outline a new perspective, drawn from an emerging body of work exploring the applicability of social identity and self-categorization theories to domains of sport and health, from which to understand and address this pervasive problem. This social identity approach suggests that the groups to which people belong can be, and often are, incorporated into their sense of self and, through this, are powerful determinants of physical activity-related behaviour. We start by reviewing the current state of physical activity research and highlighting the potential for the social identity approach to help understand how social factors influence these behaviours. Next, we outline the theoretical underpinnings of the social identity approach and provide three key examples that speak to the analytical and practical value of the social identity approach in physical activity settings. Specifically, we argue that social identity (1) can be harnessed to promote engagement in physical activity, (2) underpins exercise group behaviour, and (3) underpins effective leadership in exercise settings. We conclude by identifying prospects for a range of theory-informed research developments.

Sex and Gender Differences in Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes

Lifestyle intervention programs are effective in the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in high risk populations. However, most studies only give limited information about the influence of sex and/or gender effectiveness of these interventions. So far, similar outcome was reported for diabetes progression and weight loss. Nevertheless, long-term data on cardiovascular outcome are sparse but favoring women regarding all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. In both men and women, sex hormone imbalances and reproductive disorders are associated with a higher risk of T2DM development. Diabetes prevention approaches are reported for polycystic ovary syndrome, gestational diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction and are presented in this review. In the surgical treatment options for morbid obese patients, sex and gender differences are present. Choices and preferences of adherence to lifestyle and pharmacological interventions, expectations, treatment effects, and complications are influenced by sex or gender. In general, bariatric surgery is performed more often in women seeking medical/surgical help to lose weight. Men are older and have higher comorbidities and mortality rates and worse follow-up outcome after bariatric surgery. A more gender-sensitive clinical approach, as well as consideration of ethnicity may improve quality of life and increase health and life expectancy in men and women with a high risk for subsequent progression to T2DM.

State Authenticity as Fit to Environment: The Implications of Social Identity for Fit, Authenticity, and Self-Segregation

People seek out situations that "fit," but the concept of fit is not well understood. We introduce State Authenticity as Fit to the Environment (SAFE), a conceptual framework for understanding how social identities motivate the situations that people approach or avoid. Drawing from but expanding the authenticity literature, we first outline three types of person-environment fit: self-concept fit, goal fit, and social fit. Each type of fit, we argue, facilitates cognitive fluency, motivational fluency, and social fluency that promote state authenticity and drive approach or avoidance behaviors. Using this model, we assert that contexts subtly signal social identities in ways that implicate each type of fit, eliciting state authenticity for advantaged groups but state inauthenticity for disadvantaged groups. Given that people strive to be authentic, these processes cascade down to self-segregation among social groups, reinforcing social inequalities. We conclude by mapping out directions for research on relevant mechanisms and boundary conditions.

Health Communication With Same-Sex and Other-Sex Friends in Emerging Adulthood

Objective We examined health-related communication between same-sex and other-sex friends and how communication was related to health-related behavior. Participants Data from 243 emerging adults attending college ( Mage = 18.96, SD = 1.43; 55.6% male) were analyzed. Methods Participants completed measures assessing the frequency in which they talked about and made plans to engage in exercise and nutrition-related behaviors with friends, as well as how often they engaged in exercise and nutrition-related behaviors. Results In general, participants reported more health-related communication with same-sex friends. Health-related communication with same-sex friends was positively related to health behaviors for men and women. However, the pattern of results differed for men and women depending on the topic of communication and the behavior being examined. Conclusion Our study extends the literature by examining the role of sex of friends in health communication and planning and how interactions with friends relate to health-promoting behavior.

Depression, Social Isolation, and the Lived Experience of Dancing in Disadvantaged Adults

This qualitative study described the lived experience of dancing as it related to depression and social isolation in 16 disadvantaged adults who completed a 12-week dance intervention. It is the first qualitative study to explore the experience of dance as an adjunct therapy, depression, and social isolation. A descriptive phenomenological framework consisted of two focus groups using semi-structured interviews. A Giorgian approach guided thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (1) dance for myself and health, (2) social acceptance, (3) connection with others: a group, and (4) not wanting to stop: unexpected benefits from dancing. As the participants continued to dance, they developed a sense of belonging and group identity, which may have maintained group involvement and contributed to reducing depression and social isolation. Thus, dancing is a complementary therapy that should be considered when working with adults with depression and social isolation.

GrOup based physical Activity for oLder adults (GOAL) randomized controlled trial: study protocol

BACKGROUND

Physical activity has health benefits across the lifespan, yet only 13 % of Canadian older adults are sufficiently active. Results from a number of observational studies indicate that adults display positive preferences for exercising with others of a similar age and same gender, and that intra-group age- and gender-similarity are associated with elevated exercise adherence. However, research has yet to experimentally examine the extent to which intra-group age- and gender-related similarity affect exercise adherence behaviors.

METHODS/DESIGN

The GrOup-based physical Activity for oLder adults (GOAL) trial is a three-arm randomized control trial that will examine the efficacy of two different group-based exercise programs for older adults (informed by the tenets of self-categorization theory) in relation to a standard group-based exercise program. Within this manuscript we outline the design and proposed evaluation of the GOAL trial. The first arm is comprised of exercise groups made up of participants of a similar-age and of the same gender; the second arm consists of groups with similar-aged mixed gender participants; the control arm is comprised of mixed-aged mixed gender participants. We aim to compare the adherence rates of participants across conditions, as well as potential moderation effects and mediating mechanisms.

DISCUSSION

Results from this trial will inform intervention designs to improve the exercise adherence behaviors of older adult. At a systems-level, should support be derived for the efficacy of the interventions tested in this trial, changing group composition (i.e., age, gender) represents a feasible program adaptation for physical activity centers.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT02023632 . Registered December 13, 2013.

Birds of a Feather Stay Active Together: A Case Study of an All-Male Older Adult Exercise Program

In this article, the authors report the results of a case study examining a group-based exercise program for older adult men. The purpose of the investigation was to identify the elements of this program responsible for its appeal. Interviews, conducted with a purposely sampled subset of program members, were subject to content-analytic procedures. Participants identified social connectedness (reflected by themes of demographic homogeneity, support and care, customs and traditions, and interpersonal comparisons) and supportive leadership behaviors (constituted by communication, the provision of choice, and individualized attention) as major attractions in the program. A few participants also noted the challenge that exists when a program is seen by some as being a social program that provides opportunities for exercise and by others as an exercise program that provides opportunities for socializing. Findings are discussed in relation to contextual factors associated with older adult men’s involvement in physical activity programs.