Aerobic exercise, subjective health and psychological well-being within age and gender subgroups

Is dancing an effective intervention for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis of dance interventions on body composition

OBJECTIVE

The systematic review aimed to review the research on the effects of dance interventions, relative to normal lifestyles, on body composition in people with overweight and obesity.

METHODS

7 databases were searched from their inception to 3 July 2023 for studies with dance interventions and normal lifestyles groups. Only studies investigating dance interventions in people with overweight and obesity(body mass index (BMI)>24kg/m2 and percent fat mass (Fat(%)) abnormal(male>20%, female>25%)) were included in the meta-analysis. There were no restrictions on dance forms.

RESULTS

654 studies were identified from the databases, and 10 studies were evaluated to be eligible. The meta-analysis revealed that compared to normal lifestyles dance had meaningful improvements in body mass(BM), BMI, waist circumference(WC), Fat(%), and fat mass(Fat(kg)). No significant differences were found in the waist-to-hip ratio(WHR).

CONCLUSIONS

Dance is effective on fat loss in people with overweight and obesity, and has a significant improvement on body composition and morphology. For its high efficiency and greater sense of enjoyment, dance can be a beneficial exercise intervention for fat loss.

Causal attributions following a cardiac event: Short- and long-term differences in health appraisals and outcomes

This study examined attributions generated by cardiac rehabilitation patients shortly after experiencing a cardiovascular event, exploring whether attribution type was associated with health appraisals and outcomes concurrently and 21 months later. Attributions fell into three categories: controllable behavioral ones, uncontrollable biological ones, and stress-related causes. Linking attribution type to appraisals and outcomes showed that creating a behavioral attribution was beneficial in the short-term for control appraisals, but was associated with increased anxiety symptoms 21 months later. Thus, cardiac rehabilitation providers should encourage patients to maintain a future-focus that promotes perceived control over health promotion behaviors that reduce risk for recurrence.

Health status and related factors in farmers by SF-12

OBJECTIVES

This study was performed to understand farmers' health status by general characteristic, and to find out the related factors.

METHODS

All the 984 subjects were interviewed by means of a structured questionnaire and SF-12. Among them, only 812 were eligible for analysis. Statistical methods used included frequency, t-test, ANOVA, binary logistic regression with SPSS 19.0.

RESULTS

In binary logistic regression, marital status, smoking, regular exercise and monthly day off were associated with physical component score. Marital status, smoking and score of pesticide protective device wearing were associated with mental component score.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that effort to develop health promotion programs for workers of agricultural industry considering these results can improve their perceived health status.

Exercise and social support are associated with psychological distress outcomes in a population of community-dwelling older adults

Exercise reduces the likelihood of psychological distress, but this may be due to incidental socializing. We gathered information on exercise, social support and three aspects of psychological distress from 583 community-dwelling older adults. Exercise and social support from friends were both associated with lower scores of depression, anxiety and perceived stress. For infrequent exercisers, having a low level of social support indicated higher levels of depression, whereas for frequent exercisers, having a low level of social support did not affect depression levels. Both exercise and social support have roles in regulating psychological well-being in older populations and exercisers are less susceptible to effects of low social support on depression.

The relationship between physical activity and mental health varies across activity intensity levels and dimensions of mental health among women and men

OBJECTIVE

To explore gender-specific variations related to activity intensity in the relationship between physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH). Evaluating whether psychological well-being enhances with increases in PA at recommended levels and above, in the general population.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Population-based, representative for Belgium.

SUBJECTS

A total of 6803 adults aged 25-64 years from the Belgian National Health Interview Survey.

RESULTS

Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that clearly different intensity levels characterised the PA that associated with MH in women and men. In men, inverse associations existed between participation in vigorous-intensity PA and feelings of depression (OR = 0.580; 95 % CI 0.405, 0.830), anxiety (OR = 0.547; 95 % CI 0.364, 0.821) and symptoms of somatisation (OR = 0.590; 95 % CI 0.398, 0.874). In women, positive associations existed between walking and emotional well-being (OR = 1.202; 95 % CI 1.038, 1.394) and inverse associations between participation in moderate-intensity PA and symptoms of somatisation (OR = 0.737; 95 % CI 0.556, 0.977). Secondary analyses confirmed that differences in psychological complaints were significant for vigorous PA in men, and for moderate PA in women, whereas differences in emotional well-being were significant for walking exclusively in women.

CONCLUSIONS

In the general population, the PA-MH relationship is always positive, regardless of activity intensity. In men, it addresses complaints (symptoms, palpable discomfort) and the optimal PA intensity is high. In women, it addresses complaints, but also distress (lowered mood, disturbing anxiety, altered well-being) and the PA intensity is mild.

Greek traditional dances and quality of old people's life

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of Greek traditional dances on the improvement of old people's quality of life. A hundred and eleven subjects (75 women and 36 men) 60-91 years old, were divided into an experimental group (n=76) which participated in Greek traditional dances and a control group (n=35) which was discussing and watching television, both for 1h. The Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale [McAuley, E., Courneya, K., 1994. The Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale (SEES): development and preliminary validation. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 16, 163-177] was used to measure positive well-being, psychological distress, and fatigue and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [Spielberger, C.D., Gorsuch, R., Lushene, R., 1970. Manual for the State-trait Anxiety Inventory. Consulting Psychologists, Palo Alto] to measure state and trait anxiety respectively. Correlational analyses, between the various measures taken postdance, showed that the overall set of relations between the SEES subscales and the SAI-Y1 subscale supports the criterion-related validity of this measure of exercise-induced psychological responses. The independent groups t-tests showed that the control group in comparison to experimental group, at rest as well as on the second measurement, has significantly higher levels of state anxiety (t=-4.45, p<0.001 &t=-6.56, p<0.001), psychological distress (t=-4.30, p<0.001 &t=-5.46, p<0.001), and fatigue (t=-3.16, p<0.01 &t=-3.46, p<0.001), while it has significantly lower levels of positive well-being (t=4.23, p<0.001 &t=6.90, p<0.001). After dancing approximately 63% of maximum heart rate of experimental group was activated, while from paired t-tests significant decreases in state anxiety (t=5.02, p<0.001) and psychological distress (t=3.14, p<0.01) were observed, as well as significant increases in positive well-being (t=-4.44, p<0.001) and fatigue (t=-2.15, p<0.05). On the other hand, no significant difference in control group was observed. Consequently, Greek traditional dances may be used as a functional psycho-physical activity, to produce both physical and mental benefits for elderly individuals.

The interdependence of behavioral and somatic health: implications for conceptualizing health and measuring treatment outcomes

PURPOSE

The interdependence of behavioral and somatic aspects of various health conditions warrants greater emphasis on an integrated care approach.

THEORY

We propose that integrated approaches to health and wellness require comprehensive and empirically-valid outcome measures to assess quality of care.

METHOD

We discuss the transition from independent to integrated treatment approaches and provide examples of new systems for integrated assessment of treatment outcome.

RESULTS

Evidence suggests that support for an independent treatment approach is waning and momentum is building towards more integrated care. In addition, research evidence suggests integrated care improves health outcomes, and both physicians and patients have favorable impressions of integrated care.

CONCLUSIONS

As treatment goals in the integrated perspective expand to take into account the intimate relationships among mental illness, overall health, and quality of life, clinicians need to develop outcome measures that are similarly comprehensive.

DISCUSSION

Increased recognition, by researchers, providers, and insurers, of the interdependence between behavioral and physical health holds great promise for innovative treatments that could significantly improve patients' lives.

Physical activity and self-perceived health status

OBJECTIVES

Recently more attention has been focused on the impact of physical activity on modification of self-perceived heath status in adults. The objective of the study was to evaluate the level of occupational and non-occupational physical activities and their correlation with self-perceived heath status among economically productive individuals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Physical activity of the subjects studied was evaluated by the Seven Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR) questionnaire among randomly chosen residents of the city of Lódź (n = 598, including 299 women and 299 men). The examination of the subjective health assessment was conducted based on the analogue visual scale.

RESULTS

The multifactorial logistic regression analysis indicated that weekly energy expenditure on occupational physical activity (kcal/week) did not play a significant role in self-perception of health status among men or women. Neither did the outcome of the study provide evidence for the significant effect of housework load on self-perceived health status among the study participants. However, a sufficient level of leisure-time physical activity in a beneficial way affects health-related self-perception of the examined subjects. In the group of men expending 1000 kcal/week or more on leisure-time physical activity, the risk for poor health-related self-report was significantly lower than among men declaring no energy expenditure on this activity (adjusted odds ratio (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.13-0.66). Among females not taking up any recreational physical activity, the risk of low self-perceived health status was also higher than in females reaching a satisfactory level of recreational physical activity (adjusted OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17-0.87).

CONCLUSIONS

Preventive programs aimed at improving subjective health assessment through the increased leisure-time physical activity should be addressed to all economically productive individuals and particularly to people of older age groups and above all to females.

Physical activity and depressive symptoms in cardiac rehabilitation: Long-term effects of a self-management intervention

Long-term effects of a self-management intervention on physical activity and depressive symptoms were studied in 198 men and women after cardiac rehabilitation in Germany. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a standard-care control group. The intervention group received brief self-regulatory skills training that focused on exercise planning strategies. Four and 12 months later, physical exercise levels were half a standard deviation higher in the intervention group. Depressive symptoms 12 months after discharge were almost half a standard deviation lower in the intervention group than in the control group. Mediation analyses were performed to study the potential mechanism that accounted for the reduction in depression. Perceived attainment of exercise goals, but not physical exercise itself, emerged as a mediator between the intervention and the reduction of depressive symptoms. As such attainment of personal goals appears to be of particular importance for lowering depressive symptoms during health-behavior change. Thus, self-management strategies to help patients attain their goals should be part of rehabilitation programs.

Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change

The pursuit of happiness is an important goal for many people. However, surprisingly little scientific research has focused on the question of how happiness can be increased and then sustained, probably because of pessimism engendered by the concepts of genetic determinism and hedonic adaptation. Nevertheless, emerging sources of optimism exist regarding the possibility of permanent increases in happiness. Drawing on the past well-being literature, the authors propose that a person's chronic happiness level is governed by 3 major factors: a genetically determined set point for happiness, happiness-relevant circumstantial factors, and happiness-relevant activities and practices. The authors then consider adaptation and dynamic processes to show why the activity category offers the best opportunities for sustainably increasing happiness. Finally, existing research is discussed in support of the model, including 2 preliminary happiness-increasing interventions.

The Bicycle Makes the Eyes Smile: Exercise, Aging, and Psychophysical Well-Being in Older Italian Cyclists

Despite a cultural and biomedical consensus about the health benefits of physical activity, most adults do not exercise regularly and their activity tends to decline further in older age. This study reports on a group of older-age Italian bicyclists who maintain extraordinary activity levels. It explores the physical and mental health effects of intensive exercise in older people, the meanings and motivations associated with it, and the cultural and social features that support and promote bicycling in Italy. The findings suggest some public health implications for the prevention of chronic diseases caused by inactivity and excessive body weight.

Self-reported health in Poland and the United States: a comparative analysis of demographic, family and socioeconomic influences

This study compares the social determinants of individual health between the United States, a capitalist society, and Poland, a 'post-communist' society. The effects of demographic factors, family characteristics and socioeconomic status on self-reported health are estimated with OLS regression using data from the 1994 American and Polish General Social Surveys. The results show lower self-reported health and more rapid declines in health for people over 60 in Poland than in the United States. Also, in Poland, women report worse health than do men while the opposite is found for the United States. The relationships between education, income and health were stronger in the United States than in Poland. Age, gender and SES may operate differently in the two countries because of a gap in social development (e.g. varying living standards and styles, health care systems and cultural attitudes) between the West and the former Eastern Europe.

Determinants of self-perceived changes in health status among pre- and early-retirement populations

Using data from the 1992 and 1994 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this study described reasons reported by pre- and early-retirement populations for perceived changes in global health status over a 2-year period. It then analyzed the association between self-perceptions of change and the actual changes in objective health conditions, controlling for demographics, emotional health status, and the changes in work status and health-affecting habits. The results were compared to the determinants of self-ratings of health at wave 2. Existing or increasing impairments in functional abilities were found to contribute to self-perceptions of decline. However, a diagnosis of new chronic disease and the experience of a major medical event per se did not universally contribute to self-perception of decline. The relationship between cross-sectional self-ratings of health and objective health conditions was more straightforward. Self-perception of improvement among people with serious health problems most likely owed to medical interventions and improvement in symptoms, the most frequently mentioned reasons for perceived improvement, and reflected the subjects' selective optimization and resiliency.

Age Differences in Motivational Orientation Toward Physical Activity: An Application of Social—Cognitive Theory

According to social-cognitive theory, an individual's motivation to engage in physical activity is based on three postulates: self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-evaluated satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The purpose of the present study was to examine age, gender, level of education, and level of activity in relation to those postulates in 2,298 Australians aged between 18 and 78. The authors conducted regression analyses for self-efficacy and for outcome expectations as dependent variables; age, gender, education level, and level of physical activity served as independent variables. Chi-square analyses assessed differences in the health incentive to exercise, the perceived level of activity, and the perceived level of fitness. Results indicated significant age differences on all variables. The older individual felt lower self-efficacy in relation to physical activity and expected fewer benefits from participating in physical activity. However, older individuals who engaged in physical activity rated themselves as more active and fit than nonexercisers of their same age and gender. Physical activity and level of education were positively correlated with self-efficacy, and men were more efficacious than women were. The implications are that interventions aimed at increasing participation in physical activity should take into consideration differences in incentives.

Mood Alterations in Mindful Versus Aerobic Exercise Modes

The results of most recent studies have generally indicated an improvement in mood after participation in aerobic exercise. However, only a few researchers have compared mindful modes of exercise with aerobic exercise to examine the effect of 1 single session of exercise on mood. In the present study, the authors assessed state anxiety, depressive mood, and subjective well-being prior to and following 1 class of 1 of 4 exercise modes: yoga, Feldenkrais (awareness through movement), aerobic dance, and swimming; a computer class served as a control. Participants were 147 female general curriculum and physical education teachers (mean age = 40.15, SD = 0.2) voluntarily enrolled in a 1-year enrichment program at a physical education college. Analyses of variance for repeated measures revealed mood improvement following Feldenkrais, swimming, and yoga but not following aerobic dance and computer lessons. Mindful low-exertion activities as well as aerobic activities enhanced mood in 1 single session of exercise. The authors suggest that more studies assessing the mood-enhancing benefits of mindful activities such as Feldenkrais and yoga are needed.

Lifestyle patterns concerning sports and physical activity, and perceptions of health

OBJECTIVES

To explore the perceptions of health and physical activity, and the associations between these two areas from a theoretical lifestyle perspective.

METHODS

Data was collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire, among 3019 adults attending centres for preventive medicine in France. Correspondence analysis examined the significance of the relationships between perceptions of health and perceptions of sports and physical activity.

RESULTS

Four principal types of subjects emerged from the factor analyses expressing four different lifestyle patterns. "Non physically active lifestyle: a feeling of not being healthy", "Physically active lifestyle, pleasure/leisure-oriented", "Necessarily physically active lifestyle, regardless of health", "Physically active lifestyle aimed at stress relief".

CONCLUSIONS

The sociological approach helps tackle sports and physical activity as behaviour patterns but also and especially as a health orientation connected with the socio-economical climate. This approach also gives sports practice back its meaningful cultural dimension.

The relationships between physical activity, health status and psychological well-being of fertility-aged women

The purpose of this investigation was to measure the association between leisure time physical activity and health status, mental health and depression. The participants were women aged 18-45. The data were collected using questionnaires that were mailed to 1200 women. The response rate was 55%. The questionnaire contained three instruments: the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Health Questionnaire for Adults, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The results showed that 52.8% of the sample were physically inactive. Physically active women experienced better mental health (P < 0.05), less depression (P < 0.05) and they had better general health status (P < 0.005). Differences in the emotional state (GHQ score) and depression (BDI score) between active (participating in exercise 3 or 1-2 times a week) and inactive women were significant (P < 0.05). Even a low level of physical activity (1-2 times per week) was positively related to women's mental health (P < 0.05).

Predictors of decline in self-assessments of health among older people--a 5-year longitudinal study

Within the framework of the Evergreen project we examined how changes in several indicators of health and functioning and physical activity predicted a decline in self-assessments of health evaluated over a 5-year period in older people by two different measurements: self-rated health (SRH) and self-assessed change in health (SACH). The study group comprised all 75-year-old persons born in 1914 (N = 382) and living in Jyväskylä, a town in central Finland. At baseline in 1989, 91.6%, and at follow-up 5 years later in 1994, 87.3% of those eligible participated in the interview and 77.2 and 71.3%, respectively, in the examinations in the study centre, focusing on different domains of health and functional capacity. One-fifth of the subjects reported a deterioration in and one-fifth an improvement in SRH over the 5 years. The rest gave identical self-assessments of their health at baseline and at follow-up in response to the same question. Decline in SRH was associated with a decrease in physical activity and cognitive capacity. When asked directly about changes in their health (SACH), however, half the subjects said their health had declined. Negative SACH over the 5-year period was related to an increased number of chronic conditions, deterioration in functional performance and physical activity, and to the number of chronic conditions at baseline. We suggest that ageing people adapt to changes in their objective health and functional performance: the majority tend to assess their health as similar to or even better with increasing age despite an increase in chronic diseases and decline in functional performance. However, a negative SACH indicates that older people are realistic about these negative changes. These results support the assumption that the two subjective measurements of change in health are based on different criteria: assessment of current general health status tends to be based on inter-individual comparison, whereas assessment of change in health over a given time period may be based on intra-individual comparison. Physical activity seems to be an important factor when older people assess their health.

Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: a unifying theory

Until recently, claims for the psychological benefits of physical exercise have tended to precede supportive evidence. Acutely, emotional effects of exercise remain confusing, both positive and negative effects being reported. Results of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies are more consistent in indicating that aerobic exercise training has antidepressant and anxiolytic effects and protects against harmful consequences of stress. Details of each of these effects remain unclear. Antidepressant and anxiolytic effects have been demonstrated most clearly in subclinical disorder, and clinical applications remain to be exploited. Cross-sectional studies link exercise habits to protection from harmful effects of stress on physical and mental health, but causality is not clear. Nevertheless, the pattern of evidence suggests the theory that exercise training recruits a process which confers enduring resilience to stress. This view allows the effects of exercise to be understood in terms of existing psychobiological knowledge, and it can thereby provide the theoretical base that is needed to guide future research in this area. Clinically, exercise training continues to offer clinical psychologists a vehicle for nonspecific therapeutic social and psychological processes. It also offers a specific psychological treatment that may be particularly effective for patients for whom more conventional psychological interventions are less acceptable.

Individual differences, exercise and leisure activity in predicting affective well-being in young adults

This study focuses on the prevalence of exercise and health-related leisure activities (smoking, drinking), across groups of subjects, defined by personality and gender, in relation to subjective well-being. Results from a cross-sectional survey of 187 participants are reported. Males (n = 80) reported more drinking (p < 0.001) and smoking (p < 0.001) than females, though they also reported higher habitual physical activity levels (p < 0.001). Females (n = 107) reported more frequent use of social support coping (p < 0.01). There was a positive association between extraversion and self-reported habitual physical activity as well as alcohol consumption (even when controlling for gender). Neuroticism was not related to any of the exercise and leisure activity variables. Multiple regression analyses predicted 34% of variance for the depression-enthusiasm and 39% of the variance for the anxiety-contentment measures of affective well-being. Neuroticism (p < 0.001) and avoidance coping (p < 0.05) were the only significant predictors of both anxiety-contentment and depression-enthusiasm. It is concluded that the influence of individual differences such as personality and gender on coping behaviour and well-being is consistent with social learning theory research. Limitations of cross-sectional research designs necessitate caution with inferring causal paths. Recommendations for future research are presented concerning the use and value of repeated measures designs within research into exercise and well-being.

Household nutrition and health in Poland

Data from 600 households in the province of Lublin, Poland, are used to assess the relationships among self-rated household health, change in health status, sociodemographic characteristics, food purchasing behavior changes, and health care seeking behaviors. High ratings of health are enjoyed by rural families headed by comparatively young individuals with high education. Average household health is also a function of household changes in food purchasing behavior over the past 5 years and per capita consumption of starch-based foods. Families consuming greater proportions of bread and potatoes and purchasing foods of reduced quality, quantity, and price experience lower average levels of subjective physical health than other families. Reduction or postponement of medical or dental care over the past 5 years did not affect health status in this model.

A path analysis model of self-rated health among older people

The aim of this study was to examine the structure of self-rated health among 75-year-old men and women. The study was part of the Evergreen project, comprising all the 75-year-old residents (N = 382) of Jyväskylä, in central Finland, in 1989. The data were collected by interviews, questionnaires and laboratory examinations, focusing on different domains of health and functional capacity. Of the target group, 91.6% (119 men and 231 women) participated in the interview, and 77.2% (104 men and 191 women) took part in the clinical and laboratory examinations. Path analysis models (LISREL 8) were used to examine the structure of self-rated health. About half the participants self-rated their health as good or unusually good. In both genders, a smaller number of difficulties in performing the physical activities of daily living (PADL), fewer chronic diseases, and better maximal working capacity were associated with better self-rated health. In addition, among the women a smaller number of depressive symptoms, and among the men better cognitive capacity had a positive effect on self-rated health. Physical activity and muscle strength had a positive indirect effect on self-rated health among both men and women. The explanatory power of the path analysis model for self-rated health was 44% for the men, and 42% for the women. The ability to perform the physical activities of daily living independently is an important associate of good self-rated health among older people. The path analysis models suggest that the factors underlying the physical activities of daily living also directly modify self-ratings of health among the elderly. The models of self-rated health for the men and the women were not exactly alike.