Physical activity of workers with and without chronic diseases

Ubiquinol Short-Term Supplementation Prior to Strenuous Exercise Improves Physical Performance and Diminishes Muscle Damage

The benefits of physical exercise on health are diminished when it is non-planned, strenuous, or vigorous, which causes an increase in oxygen consumption and production of free radicals, particularly serious at the muscular level. Ubiquinol could help achieve an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and ergogenic effect. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a supplementation of ubiquinol during a short period could have a positive effect on muscle aggression, physical performance, and fatigue perception in non-elite athletes after high intensity circuit weight training. One hundred healthy and well-trained men, (firemen of the Fire Department of Granada) were enrolled in a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and randomized study, and separated into two groups: the placebo group (PG, n = 50); and the ubiquinol group (UG, n = 50), supplemented with an oral dose. Before and after the intervention, data related to the number of repetitions, muscle strength, and perceived exertion, as well as blood samples were collected. An increase was observed in the UG regarding average load and repetitions, revealing an improvement in muscle performance. Ubiquinol supplementation also reduced muscle damage markers, showing a protective effect on muscle fibers. Therefore, this study provides evidence that ubiquinol supplementation improves muscle performance and prevents muscle damage after strenuous exercise in a population of well-trained individuals who are not elite athletes.

Physical Activity among Rural Residents in Eastern, Central, and Western Provinces of China: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Physical activity (PA) in which physical exercise (PE) is an important component is probably the most important intervention for preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). However, few studies on PA and PE of rural residents in China were reported. This study conducted the first population-based cross-sectional survey in three provinces of China in 2021 that examined both PA and PE as well as the associated factors of rural residents. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-S) was used, and a total of 3780 rural residents were surveyed. The result showed that 22.2% of the rural residents were physical inactivity and rural residents reporting practice of PE was 54.4%. Binary logistic regression analyses showed that being female, people aged between 15 to 34 years or 60 years old and above, employees of governmental departments/retirees, school students, the unemployed, and people with NCDs were risk factors of PA while ethnic minority groups, smoking, and alcohol consumption were risk factors of PE. Health promotion programme aiming at increasing people's PA in rural China is urgently needed, and it should focus on the population groups of the female, people aged 60 years and above, school students, the unemployed, and people with NCDs.

A study on the effects of health behavior and sports participation on female college students' body mass index and healthy promoting lifestyle

Objective

Life form and body composition may affect the health of college students. This study will explore the relationship between the demographic variables of female college students and their body composition and health promoting lifestyle, so as to provide useful reference for the future design and planning of college students' physical and mental health courses and improving their physical activity level.

Methods

Using the method of questionnaire and bioelectrical resistance measurement, a questionnaire on healthy lifestyle of college students was constructed on the basis of consulting a large number of relevant research literature. Relevant survey samples were obtained through random sampling, and their body composition was measured; use SPSS21.0 statistical analysis software to conduct statistical analysis on relevant indicators.

Results and conclusions

(1) at present, female college students generally lack leisure activities and sleep, the proportion of regular fitness habits is low, and the number of snacks and average daily online time are generally too high; The overweight rate and body fat rate of female college students are generally too high, while the standard rate of muscle weight is generally too low. (2) Female college students' health promoting lifestyle has the highest score of self-realization, followed by interpersonal support and the worst behavior of sports participation; The older the college students, the worse their sports participation and overall health promotion behavior; The better the Conscious health status, the better the self-realization, exercise participation and nutritional behavior; The more exercise time per day, the higher their participation in sports and the stronger their health responsibility; The more time spent on the Internet every day, the worse the health responsibility and sports participation. (3) The more time female college students spend on the Internet every day, the higher the probability of overweight. Those with regular exercise habits have a lower proportion of overweight and high body fat rate, while the better their sleep and night snack behavior, the lower their body fat rate. The older college students are, the larger their visceral fat area is, the better their exercise habits and sleep behavior are, the smaller their visceral fat area is, and the lower their visceral fat level is.

Psychosocial and environmental determinants of physical activity in a Brazilian public university employees - ELDAF: A prospective cohort study protocol

Background

Increased physical activity levels and their determinations are essential issues worldwide. The Longitudinal Study of Physical Activity Determinants (ELDAF) aims to understand the roles of psychosocial and environmental factors in workers’ physical activity levels.

Methods

A prospective cohort study of non-faculty civil servants from a public university (approximately 1,200 individuals) will start in 2022 (baseline). The primary measurements will be accelerometer- and questionnaire-based physical activity, social support, social network, socioeconomic status, bereavement, job stress, body image, common mental disorders, depression, and neighborhood satisfaction. Additional measurements will include necessary sociodemographic, physical morbidity, lifestyle and anthropometric information. Participants’ places of residence will be geocoded using complete addresses. All participants will furnish written, informed consent before the beginning of the study. Pilot studies were performed to identify and correct potential problems in the data collection instruments and procedures. ELDAF will be the first cohort study conducted in Latin America to investigate physical activity and its determinants.

Determinants of physical activity: A path model based on an ecological model of active living

Maintaining physical activity is necessary to promote health in our daily lives. The Ecological Model of Active Living was proposed to examine whether individuals participate in active living. The purpose of this study was to understand the determinants of physical activity and create a predictive path model of the intrapersonal, perceived environment, behavior settings, and policy environment domains. Data were obtained from open government data and questionnaires, including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Health Belief Model Inventory, Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Survey, and Accessibility of Open Spaces. Participants comprised 1085 healthy adults who completed a self-reported internet survey. An analysis of the intrapersonal domain revealed that the variables of female, an older age, and a low educational level, and individuals with obesity or cardiometabolic diseases presented lower odds ratios for active living. We found significant statistical support for our path model (The Ecological Model of Active Living), with a predictive power of 23.1%. The predictive path model is a good approach to quantitatively measure the impacts of various determinants on active living that suggests further lines of research in approaches for modeling relationships.

Physical activity promotion in Manitoba: Strengths, needs, and moving forward

Objectives:

To present findings of a workshop with physical activity professionals in Manitoba, Canada, to facilitate the enhancement of physical activity promotion efforts by exploring (1) effective physical activity strategies, (2) methods to strengthen physical activity strategies, (3) challenges in implementing physical activity strategies in Manitoba, and (4) strategies to support collaboration.

Methods:

The Manitoba Research Chair in Primary Prevention hosted a workshop for 54 stakeholders in Manitoba. Qualitative and quantitative data obtained from the workshop were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and univariate descriptive analysis. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants with diverse experiences in physical activity promotion.

Results:

Strategies were identified and presented according to the socioecological model. Community assessment and community engagement, regional partnerships, capacity building, and mitigation of barriers characterized the discussion. In addition, discussions emphasized the need for the consistent and comprehensive application of a provincial physical activity action plan. The workshop ended with a discussion of the importance of collaboration to improve physical activity programs and initiatives.

Conclusion:

Several common needs were identified that reflect topics from the broader literature. Collaborations and insights from workshop participants provide direction to target increased physical activity support and programming across disciplines, sectors, and regions.

The association between physical activity and chronic diseases in European adults

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality and are considered to be at epidemic levels worldwide. This is a cross-sectional multi-country study based on data from the European Social Survey round 7, 2014, comprising 30,826 participants (14,813 men) with mean age 50.4 ± 18.0. Physical activity and chronic diseases were self-reported. Men and women who practiced physical activity more often had lower odds of having heart problems, breathing problems, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Engaged in physical activity 2-4 times/week and ≥5 times/week decrease the odds of having heart problems, high blood pressure, breathing problems, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, compared with men and women who engaged in physical activity 1 or less times per week. For the women, the practice of physical activity ≥5 times/week was significantly and negatively associated with having cancer, when compared with women who engaged in physical activity 1 or less times per week. Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, in particular: heart problems, high blood pressure, breathing problems, allergies, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Furthermore, even small amounts of weekly physical activity seem to decrease the risk of chronic diseases.