Psychosocial correlates of objectively measured physical activity in children

Longitudinal Associations Between Adolescents' mHealth App Use, Body Dissatisfaction, and Physical Self-Worth: Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Study

BACKGROUND

Longitudinal investigation of the association between mobile health (mHealth) app use and attitudes toward one's body during adolescence is scarce. mHealth apps might shape adolescents' body image perceptions by influencing their attitudes toward their bodies. Adolescents might also use mHealth apps based on how they feel and think about their bodies.

OBJECTIVE

This prospective study examined the longitudinal within-person associations between mHealth app use, body dissatisfaction, and physical self-worth during adolescence.

METHODS

The data were gathered from a nationally representative sample of Czech adolescents aged between 11 and 16 years (N=2500; n=1250, 50% girls; mean age 13.43, SD 1.69 years) in 3 waves with 6-month intervals. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing their mHealth app use, physical self-worth, and body dissatisfaction at each wave. The mHealth app use was determined by the frequency of using sports, weight management, and nutritional intake apps. Physical self-worth was assessed using the physical self-worth subscale of the Physical Self Inventory-Short Form. Body dissatisfaction was measured with the items from the body dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory-3. The random intercept cross-lagged panel model examined longitudinal within-person associations between the variables. A multigroup design was used to compare genders. Due to the missing values, the final analyses used data from 2232 adolescents (n=1089, 48.8% girls; mean age 13.43, SD 1.69 years).

RESULTS

The results revealed a positive within-person effect of mHealth app use on the physical self-worth of girls: increased mHealth app use predicted higher physical self-worth 6 months later (β=.199, P=.04). However, this effect was not consistent from the 6th to the 12th month: a within-person increase in using apps in the 6th month did not predict changes in girls' physical self-worth in the 12th month (β=.161, P=.07). Regardless of gender, the within-person changes in the frequency of using apps did not influence adolescents' body dissatisfaction. In addition, neither body dissatisfaction nor physical self-worth predicted app use frequency at the within-person level.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted that within-person changes in using mHealth apps were differentially associated with adolescents' body-related attitudes. While increased use of mHealth apps did not influence body dissatisfaction across genders, it significantly predicted higher physical self-worth in adolescent girls 6 months later. A similar association was not observed among boys after 6 months. These findings indicate that using mHealth apps is unlikely to have a detrimental impact on adolescents' body dissatisfaction and physical self-worth; instead, they may have a positive influence, particularly in boosting the physical self-worth of adolescent girls.

What Influences Children's Physical Activity? Investigating the Effects of Physical Self-Concept, Physical Self-Guides, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation

Physical fitness self-concept (PFSC) is an important predictor of motivation and physical activity in children. Recent studies revealed that not only PFSC but also its interplay with perceptions of one's ideal and ought physical fitness self are related to motivation and physical activity. As the meaning of ideal and ought selves in children is yet unclear, this study aimed to investigate how PFSC, ideal physical fitness self, and ought physical fitness self are related to children's motivation and physical activity. Six hundred forty-five children (Mage = 8.87 years) filled out questionnaires twice with an interval of approximately 8 months. Polynomial regression with response surface analyses and mediation analyses was conducted. Results showed that PFSC, rather than ideal and ought self-perceptions, is associated with autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, and physical activity. The relationship between PFSC and physical activity was mediated by self-efficacy. Findings indicate that physical activity promotion programs should include PFSC and self-efficacy enhancement in childhood.

Resemblance in accelerometer-assessed physical activity in families with children: the Lolland-Falster Health Study

Background

Evidence of intra-family resemblance in physical activity (PA) is lacking. The association between parent and child PA appears weak, the influence of age and gender on this association is uncertain, and no studies have investigated the degree of resemblance in family members’ PA behaviours such as walking, sitting/lying, and biking. Thus, the aims of the study were to examine the degree of resemblance in PA within families, specifically between parents and children, and to explore the size of resemblance across age of children, gender of parents and children, and intensity and type of PA.

Method

The study is a cross-sectional analysis of a subsample (902 parents and 935 children nested within 605 families) of the Danish population study Lolland-Falster Health Study. PA was measured using a dual-accelerometer system (Axivity AX3) with subsequent processing of time spent in light PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and vigorous PA and classification of PA behaviour types. Families with at least one son/daughter aged 0–22 years and one parent providing minimum 4 days of valid accelerometer data were included in the analysis. A linear mixed model regression analysis was used to determine the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of clustering among family members for PA intensities and PA behaviours, adjusted for sex, age, parental education, and the interaction between sex and age.

Results

In the analysis of within-family variation in PA, the ICCs across PA intensities and PA behaviours ranged from 0.06 to 0.34. We found stronger clustering in family members’ PA for LPA and behaviours requiring low energy expenditure (LPA: ICC 0.22 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17; 0.28), sitting/lying: ICC 0.34 (95% CI 0.28; 0.40)), and walking: ICC 0.24 (95% CI 0.19; 0.30) than for higher intensities (e.g. MVPA: ICC 0.07 (95% CI 0.03; 0.14)). The ICC for biking was 0.23 (95% CI 0.18; 0.29). Analyses on parent-child dyads gave similar results. No interaction effects for gender and age (except for biking) were found.

Conclusion

Parents and children’s time spent in PA behaviours requiring low energy expenditure had moderate resemblance within families, whereas engagement in PA with higher intensities showed small or close-to-zero resemblance.

Exercise Intervention in Treatment of Neuropsychological Diseases: A Review

Faced with a constant inundation of information and increasing pressures brought by the continuous development of modern civilization, people are increasingly faced with mental health challenges that are only now being actively researched. Mental illness is caused by brain dysfunction due to internal and external pathogenic factors that destroy the integrity of the human brain and alter its function. Regular participation in physical exercise can stimulate the cerebral cortex and simultaneously increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients, helping to preserve or restore normal functioning of the nervous system. In conjunction with other systems of the body, the nervous system constitutes the neuro-humoral regulation system responsible for maintaining the stable state of the human body. This paper is a systematic review of studies investigating the effects of exercise intervention on several common neuropsychological diseases, including depression, anxiety disorder, autism, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Furthermore, we discuss possible physiological mechanisms underlying exercise-induced benefits and study limitations that must be addressed by future research. In many cases, drug therapy is ineffective and brings unwanted side effects. Based on the literature, we conclude that exercise intervention plays a positive role and that certain standards must be established in the field to make physical activity consistently effective.

Association between parent and child physical activity: a systematic review

Background

Childhood represents an important life stage for establishment of physical activity (PA) habits. Parents are assumed to play an important role in influencing children’s PA. Earlier reviews have mainly focused on parental modelling, encouragement, and support for PA, rather than the actual PA levels of parents. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to systematically summarize the evidence on the relationship between parent and child PA.

Methods

Papers were identified using electronic databases and manual searches of reference lists. Papers reporting on associations between objectively measured child PA and at least one measure of parental PA were included. The quality of the papers was assessed using a modified version of the ROBINS-I tool. For interpretation of the results across studies, we produced albatross plots for all studies combined and by age-groups, sex of the parents, sex of the child, methodology of assessment of parental PA, and type of PA.

Results

Thirty-nine papers were included with sample size of parent-child dyads ranging from 15 to 1267 (mean = 319 dyads, median = 227 dyads). The majority of studies were published from 2008 to 2018 and used accelerometry to assess PA. Most of the studies were classified as having moderate, serious, or critical risk of bias. The albatross plot for all studies combined showed that the clear majority of studies observed a positive relationship between parent and child PA. The plot suggested an average magnitude of correlation across studies to be around 0.13, and the overall impression was that this was fairly similar across child age-groups and gender of parent-child dyads. Studies using objective assessment of parental PA showed stronger relationship between parent and child PA compared with studies using self-report (average magnitude of correlation around 0.16 vs 0.04 respectively). No clear evidence was found for the strength of relationship being dependent on type of PA measure of parent and child (total PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA, steps), however, the relationship for light PA appeared weaker.

Conclusion

This systematic review showed that the clear majority of studies observed a weak positive relationship between parent and child PA regardless of age of the child, the gender of the parent-child dyad, and type of PA.

Trial registration

Registration in PROSPERO: CRD42019093462.

Correlates of intensity-specific physical activity in children aged 9-11 years: a multilevel analysis of UK data from the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment

OBJECTIVES

Physical activity (PA) can provide numerous physical and psychological health gains, yet a low proportion of children in England are sufficiently active to accrue benefit. Analysing the correlates of PA from a socioecological perspective may help to identify factors that promote versus discourage PA. The purpose of the present study was to: (1) assess the relationships between a wide range of potential correlates and intensity-specific PA and (2) explore which correlates are associated with meeting government PA guidelines.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Cross-sectional study on children aged 9-11 years from the South West of England (n=425; 183 males).

OUTCOME MEASURES

A mixture of self-reported and objective measures (eg, body mass index (BMI), accelerometer-derived PA, self-reported sport participation, etc) were collected from child participants, parents and school teachers. After adjusting for covariates (ie, age, sex and accelerometer wear time), multilevel modelling techniques were employed to examine the relationships between potential correlates and light-intensity, moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity PA, as measured with an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer. Generalised linear mixed modelling was used to analyse the correlates associated with government-recommended levels of PA.

RESULTS

Computer use shared a negative association whereas parent support for PA showed a positive relationship with light-intensity PA. In terms of moderate-intensity PA, computer use and BMI z-score shared a negative association whereas positive relationships were found for sport participation, active transport and for outdoor time after school. Children at schools with 25%-49% of pupils attending school sport/PA clubs did more moderate-intensity PA than those attending schools with lower participation rates. For vigorous-intensity PA, a negative relationship was observed for BMI z-score, and positive associations for self-efficacy, active transport, parent support and the presence of crossing guards on routes to school. Correlates associated with meeting the PA guidelines were BMI z-score (negative), sport participation, active transport and outdoor time after school (all positive).

CONCLUSION

Results demonstrate that factors pertaining to the individual, home and school environment may play an important role in understanding the correlates of differing PA intensities in children.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01722500.

Correlates of intensity-specific physical activity in children aged 9-11 years: a multilevel analysis of UK data from the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment

OBJECTIVES

Physical activity (PA) can provide numerous physical and psychological health gains, yet a low proportion of children in England are sufficiently active to accrue benefit. Analysing the correlates of PA from a socioecological perspective may help to identify factors that promote versus discourage PA. The purpose of the present study was to: (1) assess the relationships between a wide range of potential correlates and intensity-specific PA and (2) explore which correlates are associated with meeting government PA guidelines.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Cross-sectional study on children aged 9-11 years from the South West of England (n=425; 183 males).

OUTCOME MEASURES

A mixture of self-reported and objective measures (eg, body mass index (BMI), accelerometer-derived PA, self-reported sport participation, etc) were collected from child participants, parents and school teachers. After adjusting for covariates (ie, age, sex and accelerometer wear time), multilevel modelling techniques were employed to examine the relationships between potential correlates and light-intensity, moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity PA, as measured with an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer. Generalised linear mixed modelling was used to analyse the correlates associated with government-recommended levels of PA.

RESULTS

Computer use shared a negative association whereas parent support for PA showed a positive relationship with light-intensity PA. In terms of moderate-intensity PA, computer use and BMI z-score shared a negative association whereas positive relationships were found for sport participation, active transport and for outdoor time after school. Children at schools with 25%-49% of pupils attending school sport/PA clubs did more moderate-intensity PA than those attending schools with lower participation rates. For vigorous-intensity PA, a negative relationship was observed for BMI z-score, and positive associations for self-efficacy, active transport, parent support and the presence of crossing guards on routes to school. Correlates associated with meeting the PA guidelines were BMI z-score (negative), sport participation, active transport and outdoor time after school (all positive).

CONCLUSION

Results demonstrate that factors pertaining to the individual, home and school environment may play an important role in understanding the correlates of differing PA intensities in children.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01722500.

A systematic review of methods to measure family co-participation in physical activity

The family environment is key in influencing children's health behaviours. Encouraging family co-participation in physical activity may therefore be an effective approach to increasing children's physical activity levels. Yet, little is known about how to best assess family co-participation in physical activity. This review summarizes methods to measure family co-participation in physical activity, which was defined as joint physical activities including at least one healthy child (0-18 years) and one other family member. Methods were identified through a systematic literature search, cross-referencing pre-selected reviews and contacting research groups. Thirty-seven measurement methods were included. Questionnaires were the most common method used, with the majority assessing frequency of co-participation and few also assessing duration and type. Reliability and internal consistency of scales were often reported, but rarely specified for the item(s) relevant to co-participation. Other methods of measuring co-participation included diaries, event history calendars, direct observations and accelerometry combined with diary, ecological momentary assessment or global positioning systems (GPS). Whilst a large number of measurement methods of family co-participation in physical activity exist, few are comprehensive and/or report acceptable psychometric properties. Future work should focus on reaching consensus in defining family co-participation in physical activity, and subsequently developing reliable and valid measures.

Depressive symptoms, perceived stress, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations: Predict fitness among adolescents with obesity

The objective of the present study was to test if outcome expectancy mediated the relationship between fitness and self-efficacy, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms.Adolescents with obesity (n = 228) completed measures of perceived stress and depressive symptoms at baseline, self-efficacy and outcome expectancy at baseline and 3 months, and fitness at baseline and 6 months. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results showed that self-efficacy was positively associated with fitness via outcome expectancies. For females, fewer depressive symptoms were linked to fitness via self-efficacy and outcome expectancies. Exercise interventions that enhance exercise self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and reduce depressive symptoms may increase fitness.

Physical self-efficacy is associated to body mass index in schoolchildren

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical self-efficacy and body mass index in a large sample of schoolchildren.

METHODS

The Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children was administered to 1560 children (50.4% boys; 8-12 years) from three different countries. Weight and height were also recorded to obtain the body mass index.

RESULTS

In agreement with the literature, the boys reported greater perceived physical self-efficacy than girls. Moreover, the number of boys who are obese is double that of girls, while the number of boys who are underweight is half that found in girls. In the linear regression model, the increase in body mass index was negatively related to the physical self-efficacy score, differently for boys and girls. Furthermore, age and nationality also were predictors of low physical self-efficacy only for girls.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study reinforce the importance of psychological aspect of obesity, as the perceived physical self-efficacy and body mass index were negatively associated in a sample of schoolchildren for boys and girls.

Physical activity and its correlates in children and adolescents post-liver transplant

The health benefits of PA are well established for healthy and chronically ill children. This study objectively measures physical fitness and PA levels in children PLT and explores potential correlates and perceived barriers impacting their PA. A total of 23 children (16 females, mean 14.01 ± 2.49 yrs) >1 yr PLT were assessed for peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak), muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility. MVPA and steps/day were determined with accelerometry. Additionally, SE, perceived fatigue, and barriers and benefits of PA were examined. VO2 peak (mean 33. 2 ± 7.61 mL/kg/min; 77.0 ± 15.6% predicted) and PA (average 6841 ± 2299 steps/day) were below healthy norms. MVPA (31.6 ± 16.1 min/day) was lower than national guidelines. Six participants (30%) attained criterion standards for abdominal strength and one participant (5%) for push-ups. Fatigue and SE were lower than reported levels in healthy children. A commonly perceived barrier to PA was "I am tired." A positive correlation was shown between SE and MVPA (r = 0.57, p = 0.007), SE and fatigue (r = 0.54, p = 0.01), and PELD score and fatigue (r = 0.66, p = 0.007). Children PLT demonstrate below normal levels of PA and aerobic capacity. SE is a modifiable correlate of their PA. Further investigation of the impact of PA correlates can guide the development of future innovative PA intervention strategies in children PLT.

Perceived athletic competence and physical activity in children with developmental coordination disorder who are clinically referred, and control children

The relationship between perceived athletic competence (PAC) and physical activity (PA) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is still unclear. This study investigated differences in PAC and PA between, and within, a group of children with DCD that were clinically referred (n = 31) and a group of control children (n = 38), aged 7-12 years. All children were categorized in four groups: (1) children with DCD/low PAC, (2) children with DCD/normal to high PAC, (3) control children/low PAC, and (4) control children/normal to high PAC. PAC was assessed with the Self-Perception Profile for Children, and PA was assessed with the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire. Children with DCD participated less in unorganized PA, but not in organized PA, compared with control children. Normal to high PAC was found in more than half of the children (64.5%) with DCD. Children with DCD/low PAC and children with DCD/normal to high PAC participated significantly less in unorganized physical activity compared with control children/normal to high PAC, but not compared with control children/low PAC. The results indicate that there are large individual differences in PAC in children with DCD.

Peers and Obesity during Childhood and Adolescence: A Review of the Empirical Research on Peers, Eating, and Physical Activity

Obesity during childhood and adolescence is a growing problem in the United States, Canada, and around the world that leads to significant physical, psychological, and social impairment. In recent years, empirical research on factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity has begun to consider peer experiences, such as peer rejection, peer victimization, and friendship. Peer experiences have been theoretically and empirically related to the “Big Two” contributors to the obesity epidemic, eating and physical activity, but there has not been a comprehensive review of the extant empirical literature. In this article, we review and synthesize the emerging theoretical and empirical literatures on peer experiences in relation to: (a) eating (food consumption and food selection); and (b) physical activity, during childhood and adolescence. A number of limitations and issues in the theoretical and empirical literatures are also discussed, along with future research directions. In conclusion, we argue that the involvement of children and adolescents’ peer networks in prevention and intervention efforts may be critical for promoting and maintaining positive behavioral health trajectories.

Level of physical activity among children and adolescents in Europe: a review of physical activity assessed objectively by accelerometry

This study explored the proportion of European youth who are sufficiently active according to physical activity (PA) recommendations, based exclusively on objective assessment through accelerometers. A systematic electronic search of studies published up to March 2012 was conducted. PubMed was used to identify accelerometry-assessed PA studies that involved European youth. Within the 131 European studies, only 35 clearly reported the proportion of youth meeting the PA recommendations. Different thresholds lying between 1000 and 4000 counts/min (cpm) were used to define moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Overall, up to 100% of youth may be sufficiently active when using a threshold of approximately >1000-1500 cpm. With the most cited cut-off point (i.e. >2000 cpm), up to 87% of European youth might be considered physically active with reference to the current recommendations. Alternatively, with a cut-off point >3000 cpm, no more than 3-5% of them appeared to achieve these recommendations. The large discrepancy in outcomes released by accelerometer data is mainly due to the variety of cut-off points for MVPA among youth, hindering the definition of a clear goal towards PA promotion in Europe. Standardization of methods is urgently required.

Physical activity parenting: a systematic review of questionnaires and their associations with child activity levels

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is considered a critical contributor to childhood overweight. Parents are a key in influencing their child's PA through various mechanisms of PA parenting, including support, restriction of PA and facilitation of enrolment in PA classes or activities. However, study findings are difficult to compare because instruments vary in terms of constructs, psychometric assessment and type of PA assessed. The goal of the current review was to identify existing PA parenting questionnaires and report on the validation of these measures through findings of their psychometric performance and correlation to youth's PA. The search of eligible studies was restricted to instruments with multiple items. Eleven unique PA parenting questionnaires were identified, and 46 studies that used these instruments were included. Extracted data include sample characteristics, as well as type and assessment methods of parental influence and PA. Findings highlight the tremendous variation in the conceptualization and measurement of PA parenting, common use of non-validated instruments and lack of comprehensive measures. The development of theory-based PA parenting measures (preferably multidimensional) should be prioritized to guide the study of the parental role in promoting child's PA as well as the design of family-based PA interventions.

Influence of peers and friends on children's and adolescents' eating and activity behaviors

Obesity during childhood and adolescence is a growing problem in the United States, Canada, and around the world that leads to significant physical, psychological, and social consequences. Peer experiences have been theoretically and empirically related to the "Big Two" contributors to the obesity epidemic, unhealthy eating and physical inactivity. In this article, we synthesize the empirical literature on the influence of peers and friends on youth's eating and physical activity. Limitations and issues in the theoretical and empirical literatures are also discussed, along with future research directions. In conclusion, we argue that the involvement of children's and adolescents' peer networks in prevention and intervention efforts may be critical for promoting and maintaining positive behavioral health trajectories. However, further theoretical and empirical work is needed to better understand the specific mechanisms underlying the effects of peers on youth's eating and physical activity.