Changes in Lifestyle Habits among Adolescent Girls after FitSpirit Participation

Twenty Four-Hour Movement Behaviours Research Among Australian Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Adherence to 24-h movement behaviour (24-h MB) guidelines, encompassing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), recreational screen time (ST) and sleep, is low among Australian children and adolescents, with poorly understood contributing factors. This review synthesised current evidence to identify areas requiring further exploration in this demographic.

METHODS

A systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SportDiscus and CINAHL identified articles published from June 2016 and March 2024. Peer-reviewed articles in English focusing on healthy school-aged children and adolescents (5-17 years) addressing 24-h MB guidelines, including those using compositional data analysis (CoDA), were included.

RESULTS

Twenty-three articles met the inclusion criteria. Most were of fair quality and used cross-sectional designs and self-reported measures. Adherence to 24-h MB guidelines ranged from 2% to 22% in Australia. The included articles focused on prevalence (n = 12), correlates (n = 5), health outcomes (n = 13), academic performance (n = 4), and an intervention (n = 1). Factors negatively associated with adherence included lower socioeconomic status, transitions from primary to secondary school, and family history of diabetes. Positive outcomes associated with adherence included improved academic performance, quality of life, and physical and mental health. Important research gaps were identified, particularly regarding intervention studies and limited exploration of a causal relationship between adherence, contributing factors, and related outcomes. Compositional analyses (n = 10) suggested that reallocating time from sedentary behaviour to MVPA may improve fitness and academic performance, whereas increasing sedentary time may lower sleep efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

A comprehensive understanding of factors associated with adherence to 24-h MB guidelines among Australian children and adolescents is lacking. More longitudinal and interventional studies using objective measures are needed to establish causality and provide a deeper understanding of adherence to 24-h MB guidelines among children and adolescents in Australia.

SO WHAT

This scoping review underscores the need for more longitudinal and intervention-based research to explore causal relationships between adherence to 24-h MB guidelines and potential benefits for health, academic performance, and quality of life in Australian children and adolescents.

Exercise-related self-perception, physical activity and intention to in-person and virtual activities among adolescent girls

This study aimed (1) to describe the experience of adolescents and adults using FitSpirit asynchronous virtual (V) exercise videos that target adolescent girls, (2) to compare physical activity (PA) levels and exercise-related self-perception variables among groups (2019 in-person [IP], 2021 IP, and 2021 V) of adolescent girls, and (3) to assess the association between the adolescents' PA levels and their exercise-related self-perception in response to IP (pre-pandemic and during pandemic) and V (during pandemic) FitSpirit exercise modes. Regarding the first aim, 28 adolescent girls ([15.5 ​± ​0.8] years old) and 29 adult women ([33.0 ​± ​10.3] years old) experienced the V exercise mode. For the second and third aims, 376 girls ([15.3 ​± ​1.7] years old) participated IP in 2019 (pre-pandemic), 339 girls ([14.9 ​± ​1.6] years old) participated IP in 2021 (during the pandemic), and 27 girls ([15.5 ​± ​0.8] years old) watched V FitSpirit exercise videos in 2021 (during the pandemic). Data was collected using online questionnaires. Chi-square (χ 2 ) and Pearson tests were performed. Adults (76%) had a significantly higher intention to use FitSpirit exercise videos again than adolescents (14%) (p ​< ​0.001). For IP exercise mode, we observed significant correlations between PA levels and being proud (r ​= ​0.08, p ​= ​0.046), feeling good (r ​= ​0.14, p ​< ​0.001), and being disappointed (r ​= ​-0.12, p ​< ​0.001). For the V exercise mode, there were no significant correlations. In conclusion, better exercise-related self-perception was only correlated to PA levels when IP training was offered. These first findings support IP training for adolescent girls when the pandemic situation allows it.

Promoting healthy school food environments and nutrition in Canada: a systematic review of interventions, policies, and programs

CONTEXT

The school food environment is a critical interface for child and adolescent nutrition, and there is a need to understand existing literature on Canadian school food environments to identify equity gaps and opportunities, and empower decision-makers to plan for future action.

OBJECTIVE

Literature on Canadian school food and nutrition interventions, policies, programs, and their effects on diets and nutritional status are synthesized and appraised in this systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

A search strategy was developed for each database used (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC, Cochrane Collaboration, Canadian Electronic Library, BiblioMap), with a combination of free text and controlled vocabulary, for articles published from 1990 to 2021. Unpublished data and grey literature were also searched.

DATA EXTRACTION

Quantitative and qualitative studies with an observational or intervention study design, reviews, or program evaluations conducted in Canadian schools with participants aged 5-19.9 years were included. Key study characteristics and risk of bias were extracted independently by 2 investigators using a standardized tool.

DATA ANALYSIS

A total of 298 articles were included (n = 192 peer reviewed and 106 from the grey literature), which were mostly conducted in Ontario (n = 52), British Columbia (n = 43), and Nova Scotia (n = 28). Twenty-four interventions, 5 nonevaluated programs, and 1 policy involved Indigenous populations. Overall, 86 articles measured and reported on effectiveness outcomes, including dietary intake; anthropometry; knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and physical activity. The literature remains largely heterogenous and primarily focused on nutrition education programs that use subjective assessments to infer changes in nutrition. A key facilitator to implementation and sustainability was community engagement, whereas key barriers were staff capacity, access to resources and funding, and consistent leadership.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides insight into Canadian school food and nutrition interventions, programs, and policies and uncovers important evidence gaps that require careful examination for future evaluations. Governments must create supportive environments that optimize nutrition for children and adolescents through equitable policies and programs.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022303255.

Association between Academic Performance, Physical Activity, and Academic Stress in Compulsory Secondary Education: An Analysis by Sex

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this study is to analyze the relationships between academic performance, physical activity, and academic stress in secondary education students, while the secondary objective is to establish differences by gender in the physical activity and academic stress levels of secondary students based on academic performance.

METHODS

The sample was composed of students from both sexes who attended public institutions. Data collection was conducted applying an ad hoc questionnaire for academic performance, the PAQ-C questionnaire for physical activity, and the QASSE questionnaire for academic stress. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics: Spearman's correlation coefficient was used for associations, while comparisons were conducted via the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test.

RESULTS

The results show that academic stress is negatively correlated with physical activity and academic performance. Men present significantly higher values in physical activity, while women present higher mean values in general academic stress and the academic overload dimension. Lastly, regarding academic performance, significant differences were observed in the family pressure dimension, with students who perform better academically presenting lower mean values in this dimension of academic stress.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the more the general academic stress, the lower the physical activity levels and academic performance. In addition, physical activity appears as a potential coping strategy for academic stress, and its influence on academic performance should be further studied in secondary education.

Meeting the 24-h movement recommendations and its relationship with Mediterranean dietary patterns in early childhood: the SENDO project

The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to assess the association between meeting all three 24-h movement recommendations and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) in early childhood and (2) to examine whether participants who meet all three 24-h movement recommendations have greater adherence to the individual MedDiet foods/components than those who do not meet these recommendations. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of 822 participants from the Seguimiento del Niño para un Desarrollo Óptimo (SENDO) project (Pamplona, Spain). Physical activity was assessed through a questionnaire that covered 17 different types of activities. Screen time was assessed by averaging the daily hours spent on activities such as watching TV, using a computer, or playing video games. Sleep duration was determined by taking the average of sleep durations during both weekdays and weekends. Adherence to the MedDiet was evaluated using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index in children and adolescents (KIDMED). Greater odds of having an optimal adherence to the MedDiet were found for participants meeting all three 24-h movement recommendations (odds ratio (OR) = 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-2.87, p = 0.001) in comparison with their counterparts not meeting these recommendations. Specifically, significant differences were found for "fruit or fruit juice every day" (p = 0.012), "second fruit every day" (p = 0.001), and "fresh or cooked vegetables regularly once a day" (p = 0.018) in relation to meeting all three 24-h movement recommendation status.    Conclusions: This study provides further evidence of the potential importance of meeting all three 24-h movement recommendations to adopt a healthier eating pattern. What is Known: • Only a limited number of studies have investigated the joint connection between the 24-h movement recommendations and dietary habits. • Integrating the 24-h movement recommendations with dietary recommendations could potentially yield greater effectiveness compared to promoting these recommendations independently within public health strategies. What is New: • This is the first study in assessing the relationship between 24-h movement recommendations and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in early childhood. • These findings provide further evidence of the potential importance of meeting all three 24-h movement recommendations to adopt a healthier eating pattern.

Children and chrono-exercise: Timing of physical activity on school and weekend days depends on sex and obesity status

Recommendations for physical activity (PA) typically focus on frequency, intensity, duration, and type, but timing (chrono-exercise) is also important. The objective of this study is to describe when children are active on school and weekend days and explore PA timing across sex and body mass index (BMI) categories. 359 children (53% male), aged 9.6 (0.9) y, were categorized as normal weight (≥-1 standard deviations (SD) and <1SD; n = 193), overweight (≥1SD and <2SD; n = 80), or obese (≥2SD; n = 86) using WHO BMIz. Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was assessed using ActiGraph LS-7164. The results are described as Mean(SD). ANOVA evaluated MVPA across sexes and BMI categories. Normal weight boys were more active than boys with obesity on school (Δ20.33 min; p < 0.001) and weekend days (Δ15.04 min; p < 0.05). On school days, significant differences existed between 9:00 h-11:00 h and 12:00 h-14:00 h (p < 0.017), while on weekends, smaller differences existed throughout the day. Girls' MVPA was similar across BMI categories, on all days (p > 0.05). On school days, 12:00 h-13:00 h represented the most active hour for all participants (~14% total daily MVPA). Peak weekend MVPA was distributed across multiple hours. Differences in MVPA timing emerged on school-days and weekends. Timing may be important when examining the nuances of MVPA in relation to sex and bodyweight in children.

Healthier Lifestyle for Girls Who Accumulate More Years in the FitSpirit School-Based Intervention

The main aim was to verify in a group of adolescent girls undergoing a school-based intervention if the number of years of participation in the intervention is related to healthy lifestyle habits, body weight status, and perceived health. Cross-sectional analysis of the FitSpirit data was performed. Body mass index, lifestyle variables, and perceived health were collected through an online questionnaire. Chi-square test, Fisher's test, and ANOVA were performed. Mean age of the 272 girls was 14.7 ± 1.5 years. Higher percentage of girls with 3 or more years of participation met the recommendations for physical activity (PA) and sleep duration (P < .05). Girls who participated ≥3 years showed higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous PA than girls with 1 and 2 years of participation (P < .01). No differences were found between the number of years of participation and body mass index, screen time, fruit/vegetable consumption, or perceived health. A healthier body weight status and following recommendations for healthier habits (PA, screen time, sleep, fruit/vegetable consumption) were related to better perceived health (P < .05). Girls with more years in FitSpirit had healthier lifestyle habits (PA and sleep) compared to those with fewer years. A healthier body weight status and meeting healthy lifestyle recommendations were related to better perceived health.

Better health indicators of FitSpirit participants meeting 24-h movement guidelines for Canadian children and youth

This study aims to determine the proportion of girls who meet the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), screen time and sleep duration among FitSpirit participants and evaluate the associations of these recommendations with perceived health-related quality of life (QOL), perceived health, physical activity (PA), self-efficacy and body mass index. Cross-sectional analyses of FitSpirit data were performed. All variables were collected through an online questionnaire. The proportion of girls meeting all recommendations was 2.2%, while 72.5% met either one or two and 25.4% met none. A greater percentage of girls with ≥3 years in FitSpirit met MVPA and sleep recommendations combined when compared with fewer years (12.9% vs. 1.7% with 1 year; vs. 10.1% with 2 years; p < 0.05). Meeting the combinations of MVPA and screen time (β = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.40, 1.68), MVPA and sleep (β = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.27, 1.04) and all three combined (β = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.33, 1.71) was the most significant predictors of better perceived QOL. Respecting MVPA recommendations predicted a better perceived health (β = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.18, 0.87) while girls who slept as recommended had a better PA-related self-efficacy (β = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.51, 2.11). Not meeting any recommendation was associated with inferior PA-related self-efficacy (β = -0.32, 95% CI = -3.03, -1.21). Lastly, meeting MVPA and sleep recommendations was significantly associated with lower body mass index z-scores (β = -0.14, 95% CI = -1.16, -0.11). There was a small percentage of girls following all of the recommendations. Furthermore, meeting individual and combined recommendations was associated with better perceived QOL and health, PA self-efficacy as well as healthier body mass index z-score.