This study evaluated the relative validity of different consumer and research activity monitors during semistructured periods of sedentary activity, aerobic exercise, and resistance exercise.
...Fifty-two (28 male and 24 female) participants age 18-65 yr performed 20 min of self-selected sedentary activity, 25 min of aerobic exercise, and 25 min of resistance exercise, with 5 min of rest between each activity. Each participant wore five wrist-worn consumer monitors Fitbit Flex, Jawbone Up24, Misfit Shine (MS), Nike+ Fuelband SE (NFS), and Polar Loop and two research monitors ActiGraph GT3X+ on the waist and BodyMedia Core (BMC) on the arm while being concurrently monitored with Oxycon Mobile (OM), a portable metabolic measuring system. Energy expenditure (EE) on different activity sessions was measured by OM and estimated by all monitors.
Mean absolute percent error (MAPE) values for the full 80-min protocol ranged from 15.3% (BMC) to 30.4% (MS). EE estimates from ActiGraph GT3X+ were found to be equivalent to those from OM (± 10% equivalence zone, 285.1-348.5). Correlations between OM and the various monitors were generally high (ranged between 0.71 and 0.90). Three monitors had MAPE values lower than 20% for sedentary activity: BMC (15.7%), MS (18.2%), and NFS (20.0%). Two monitors had MAPE values lower than 20% for aerobic exercise: BMC (17.2%) and NFS (18.5%). None of the monitors had MAPE values lower than 25% for resistance exercise.
Overall, the research monitors and Fitbit Flex, Jawbone Up24, and NFS provided reasonably accurate total EE estimates at the individual level. However, larger error was evident for individual activities, especially resistance exercise. Further research is needed to examine these monitors across various activities and intensities as well as under real-world conditions.
This study examined the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and musculoskeletal (MSF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in youth. The sample consisted of boys and girls between 3-15 ...years. SES was categorized utilizing family-income-to-poverty ratio (FIPR). All analyses were standardized for age and sex. For each test of physical fitness, SES was used to estimate mean fitness test percentile and 95% confidence intervals, controlling for race/ethnicity and physical activity. Odds ratios were calculated for the likelihood of having low fitness by SES category. In general, the high SES group had a better composite MSF, body composition, and CRF profiles than low and moderate SES groups. Statistically significant differences were identified for relative grip strength, plank, body mass index, and cardiovascular endurance time (all p < 0.05). Additionally, the odds of low/poor MSF fitness were 1.7 and 1.6 times higher in the low and moderate SES groups (respectively) compared to the children from high SES families. The moderate SES group had an odds of poor CRF 1.6 times higher than the high SES group as well. Children and adolescents from high SES families tend to have higher mean fitness and were less likely to have low/poor fitness.
Activity monitors are frequently used to assess activity in many settings. But as technology advances, so do the mechanisms used to estimate activity causing a continuous need to validate newly ...developed monitors. The purpose of this study was to examine the step count validity of the Yamax Digiwalker SW-701 pedometer (YX), Omron HJ-720 T pedometer (OP), Polar Active accelerometer (PAC) and Actigraph gt3x+ accelerometer (AG) under controlled and free-living conditions. Participants completed five stages of treadmill walking (n = 43) and a subset of these completed a 3-day free-living wear period (n = 37). Manually counted (MC) steps provided a criterion measure for treadmill walking, whereas the comparative measure during free-living was the YX. During treadmill walking, the OP was the most accurate monitor across all speeds (±1.1% of MC steps), while the PAC underestimated steps by 6.7-16.0% per stage. During free-living, the OP and AG counted 97.5% and 98.5% of YX steps, respectively. The PAC overestimated steps by 44.0%, or 5,265 steps per day. The Omron pedometer seems to provide the most reliable and valid estimate of steps taken, as it was the best performer under lab-based conditions and provided comparable results to the YX in free-living. Future studies should consider these monitors in additional populations and settings.
Physical activity (PA), television time (TV), and sleep duration (SLP) are considered individual risk factors for adolescent obesity. Our aim was to investigate the concurrent influence of meeting ...PA, SLP, and TV recommendations on adolescent obesity utilizing 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS) data.
Subjects included 9589 (4874 females) high school students. PA, SLP, and TV were categorized utilizing established national recommendations and youth were cross-tabulated into 1 of 8 groups based on meeting or not meeting each recommendation. Logistic models were used to examine the odds of obesity for each group.
Youth meeting the PA recommendation were not at increased odds of obesity, regardless of SLP or TV status. However, not meeting any single recommendation, in general, led to increased odds of not meeting the other two. In boys, 11.8% met all recommendations while 14.1% met 0 recommendations. In girls, only 5.0% met all recommendations while 17.8% met none.
Boys and girls not meeting any of the recommendations were 4.0 and 3.8 times more likely to be obese compared with their respective referent groups. Further research considering the simultaneous influence these risk factors may have on obesity and on one another is warranted.
The use of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) has been recommended to help students achieve 60-minutes of physical activity each day. Implementing a CSPAP requires planning, ...coordination, and ongoing oversight, but an understudied factor is how principal support influences CSPAP implementation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of principal support on CSPAP implementation. Method. Schools in the Iowa FitnessGram Initiative (n = 84), a participatory network of schools committed to supporting physical education and wellness efforts, were invited to participate in the study. Physical education teachers from 42 schools completed a survey assessing CSPAP implementation and principal support for school wellness. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were used to report associations between the variables. A regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of principal support on CSPAP implementation. Results. Almost half of the schools were reported to be fully implementing just one CSPAP component and no school was reported to be fully implementing all five. The CSPAP component with the highest reported level of implementation was quality physical education, while the lowest level of implementation was reported for family and community engagement and staff involvement. The regression analysis identified that principal support was a significant predictor of CSPAP implementation, b = 0.55, t(37) = 3.10, p < .004. Conclusions. Principal support is associated with implementation of CSPAP initiatives. Strategies that focus on how to attain principal support for CSPAP initiatives are needed and could have a significant impact on student physical activity and health.
Introduction:
Youth mental health issues are a growing public health concern. Resilience has been identified as a mitigating factor for adverse mental health outcomes. Schools have shown an ...increasing interest in strategies to support students’ mental health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a school-based 1:1 health coaching program designed to build resilience by teaching students coping skills and strategies to increase their self-efficacy.
Study Design:
Single group intervention study with pre/post measures.
Setting/Participants:
Sixth grade students (aged 11-12 years) attending an urban middle school.
Intervention:
Youth participated in up to 6 resiliency-focused, 1:1 health coaching sessions completed over 8 weeks and conducted during the school day. Health coaches utilized motivational interviewing techniques to set and work toward resilience-related goals focused on improving coping skills and self-efficacy with youth during the intervention (January through March 2020).
Main Outcome Measures:
The Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised and other mental health assessments were completed at baseline and immediately following completion of the intervention to evaluate outcomes. Paired sample t-tests and Hedges’ g effect sizes were conducted to evaluate intervention effectiveness. Student participation rates were assessed throughout the intervention.
Results:
287 youth participated in the study (87% participation rate) and participated in over 85% of health coaching sessions offered. A paired samples t-test revealed the youth resilience significantly increased from pre (M = 75.7, SD = 6.9) to post (M = 77.6, SD = 6.8) intervention (t257 = 3.73, p < .001) and the size of the effect was medium (g = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.11, 0.46).
Conclusions:
The findings demonstrate that health coaching can be an effective strategy for improving resiliency in youth. Future studies evaluating how to effectively disseminate this intervention strategy are planned.
School wellness programming is important for promoting healthy lifestyles and academic achievement in youth; however, research is needed on methods that can help schools implement and sustain such ...programs on their own. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors within and outside the school environment that influenced school capacity for implementation and potential sustainability of wellness programming.
As part of the School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health (SWITCH®) intervention, elementary school wellness teams (N = 30) were guided through a capacity-building process focused on promoting the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors in students. Data on implementation were collected through three standardized surveys and interviews (pre-mid-post) and a post-implementation interview. Indicators of organizational capacity were assessed using the School Wellness Readiness Assessment (SWRA). Paired t-tests were run to assess changes in implementation (classroom, physical education, and lunchroom settings), capacity, and stakeholder engagement over time. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were run to examine how implementation of best practices (low, moderate, high) explained differences in capacity gains. Qualitative data were analyzed through inductive and deductive analysis, following the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).
Paired t-tests showed non-significant increases in school and setting-specific capacity and implementation of SWITCH best practices over time, in addition to a consistent level of engagement from key stakeholders. ANOVA results revealed non-significant associations between implementation group and gains in school capacity (F 2, 24 = 1.63; p = .21), class capacity (F 2, 24=0.20 p = .82), lunchroom capacity (F 2, 24=0.29; p = .78), and physical education (F 2, 24=1.45; p = .25). Qualitative data demonstrated that factors within the outer setting (i.e., engaging community partners) facilitated programming. Inner-setting factors (i.e., relationships with administration and staff) influenced implementation. Implementation process themes (e.g., planning, adaptation of resources to meet school capacity/needs, and engaging students as leaders) were cited as key facilitators. Schools discussed factors affecting sustainability, such as school culture and knowledge of school wellness policy.
The results from this implementation study document the importance of allowing schools to adapt programming to meet their local needs, and highlight the strengths of measuring multiple implementation outcomes. Increased support is needed for schools regarding the formation and improvement of wellness policies as a means to enhance sustainability over time.
The study examined the sensitivity to change of field assessments of handgrip strength and vertical jump following programmatic interventions in physical education settings. Using a naturalistic ...experimental design, classes of 6
th
grade students (N = 158) were randomized to receive either an 8-week musculoskeletal strength or plyometric power program in physical education. Two-way repeated measures (program*time) ANOVAs were used to examine pre-post changes in handgrip and vertical jump tests. Results of the two-way ANOVA examining changes in vertical jump scores revealed a statistically significant program*time interaction effect (p < .001) with larger gains in the plyometric power group. The parallel analysis on handgrip was not statistically significant, but percent changes in handgrip scores were larger in the musculoskeletal strength group. The results are consistent with the specificity principle and demonstrate that field-based musculoskeletal fitness assessments are sensitive to change if students receive appropriately designed musculoskeletal programming in physical education classes.
There is a need to identify strategies that enhance the implementation of evidence-based school wellness intervention programs in real-world settings. The present study evaluates the feasibility of ...empowering school wellness leaders to deliver an evidence-based, childhood obesity-prevention program called Switch ™. We specifically evaluated the feasibility of a new implementation framework, based on the robust Healthy Youth Places framework, to increase capacity of school leaders to lead school wellness programming.
The SWITCH (School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health) implementation process was evaluated in a convenience sample of eight Iowa elementary schools. Teams of three leaders from each school attended an in-person school wellness conference followed by five online webinar sessions delivered by two SWITCH team members. The capacity-building and quality improvement process was designed to empower schools to lead wellness change using methods and concepts from the original 16-week Switch ™ program. School wellness leaders completed checklists on two occasions to assess overall school-level implementation as well as setting-level changes in physical education, classrooms, and the lunchroom. Student acceptability of SWITCH was evaluated by the degree of behavior tracking using an online SWITCH Tracker system that promoted self-monitoring. School acceptability and practicality were assessed through an exit survey completed by school leaders.
All school staff reported satisfaction with the SWITCH implementation process. Reports of school- and setting-level implementation were relatively high (2.0 to 2.8 on a 3-point scale) but student engagement, based on use of the online tracking system, varied greatly over time and across schools. Three high implementation schools had average tracking rates exceeding 70% (range: 72-90%) while three low implementation schools had rates lower than 30% (range = 0-23%).
This feasibility study supports the utility of the new implementation framework for promoting school and student engagement with SWITCH. Further testing regarding effectiveness and scale-up of this evidence-based school wellness intervention program is warranted.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Final Rule on School Wellness Policy requires schools to self-evaluate wellness policies and environments. To understand the utility of this information, this study ...evaluates the validity of school-reported wellness information against directly observed data. Wellness leaders at 10 Midwestern elementary schools completed a questionnaire spanning nine school wellness settings. School-reported information was compared against a direct observation protocol. Percent agreement and κ statistics were used to assess agreement between school reporters and direct observation. Overall percent agreement between reporters and direct observation was 77.1%. Agreement ranged from 67.3% (Lunchroom Environment) to 92.0% (School Wellness Policies) across the nine categories. κ results showed that 65.7% of the items demonstrated fair or better reporter agreement. The results provide preliminary support for the utility of schools’ self-reported wellness information. Facilitation of independent reporting on wellness environments by school leaders will contribute to broader applications for school wellness programming.
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