Estimates of the current and future burden of cancer attributable to sedentary behavior in Canada

Study on the outdoor thermal comfort of college students under different activity intensities in a high-altitude climate zone

Introduction

Research on the outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) of a university campus is beneficial to the physical and mental health of college students.

Methods

In this study, the OTC of students attending Tibet University in Lhasa, which experiences high-altitude cold climate conditions, under different activity intensities was studied using field measurements and a questionnaire survey.

Results

With the increase in activity intensity, the comfort physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) value gradually increased in summer, while the comfortable PET value gradually decreased in winter. The most comfortable PET value is 17.6°C in summer and 11.5°C in winter. The neutral PET of Tibetan college students during outdoor activities in summer was 16.3°C, and the neutral PET of outdoor activities in winter was 12.1°C. Gender and ethnicity had different effects on thermal sensation under different activity intensities. Under vigorous-intensity activities, PET in winter and summer had the greatest influence on thermal sensation. The situation was different under moderate-intensity activity. PET had the greatest influence on thermal sensation in summer, and Tmrt had the greatest influence on thermal sensation in winter.

Discussion

These findings provide a basis for an improved design of the outdoor environment under different outdoor activity intensities in high-altitude areas.

Determinants of subjective outdoor thermal comfort in an urban historic and cultural heritage landscape in Xi'an, China

In this study, we investigated factors related to subjective outdoor thermal comfort in the Ancient Ming Dynasty Walled City in Xi'an, China. Environmental data were collected from study sites by microclimate monitoring. Survey locations, demographics, psychological characteristics, thermal sensation vote (TSV), and thermal comfort vote (TCV) data were collected from 639 individuals in a questionnaire survey. Generalized linear regression analysis and path analysis were used to understand the associations between the TSV, environmental and psychological factors, and TCV. We found that green space locations, higher age, and greater subjective well-being and environmental satisfaction were associated with increased TCV. The universal thermal climate index was associated with TCV, and this association could have been affected by the individual's psychological state. Our findings suggest that environmental factors and psychological factors had non-negligible effects on the subjective thermal comfort of individuals located in an open urban area with historical and cultural significance.

Isolated and combined association of excessive screen time and physical inactivity with negative self-rated health in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze isolated and combined associations of physical inactivity excessive screen time with negative self-rated health, according to sex, among school adolescents.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study conducted with 2,517 adolescents in Amazonas State, participants were asked about their self-rated health with the following question: How do you rate your health? Responses were dichotomized into positive (excellent and good) and negative (regular, bad, and terrible). Information on sex, age group, family income, physical activity, and screen time (watching TV, using a computer, or playing video games) was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Adolescents simultaneously classified as physically inactive (<60 min/day) and having excessive screen time (>2 h/day) were considered to have two risk factors. Data was analyzed using binary logistic regression.

RESULTS

Out of every 10 adolescents, 2 had a negative self-rated health. After adjusting for age and family income, there were no isolated or combined associations between physical inactivity or excessive screen time and negative self-rated health in girls. In boys, negative self-rated health was associated with insufficient levels of physical activity (odds ratio [OR]: 2.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-5.59) and with the accumulation of two risk factors (OR: 1.61; 95%CI 1.10-2.34).

CONCLUSIONS

Being insufficiently active and the combination of physical inactivity and excessive screen time become exposure factors to the negative self-rated health of adolescent boys.

A distance-based, randomized controlled trial for reducing sedentary behavior among prostate cancer survivors: a study protocol

Background

Prostate cancer survivors (PCS) experience long-term side effects beyond treatment such as fatigue, depression and anxiety. Quality and engaging supportive care programs are needed to reduce these chronic and debilitating effects. Independent of physical activity (PA), high volumes of sedentary behavior (SB) are associated with chronic disease-related risk factors and poorer cancer-specific quality of life (QoL). Simultaneously increasing PA and decreasing SB may be an effective health promotion strategy. Given that PCS may face several barriers to engaging in supervised programs, there is a need to develop and assess the efficacy of interventions that employ distance-based approaches for behavior change. The primary aim of this study is to determine the effects of a 12-week intervention (Fitbit + behavioral counselling) vs. Fitbit-only control group in reducing SB among PCS. Secondary outcomes include light-intensity PA, QoL, motivational outcomes, and patient satisfaction.

Methods

This two-armed, randomized controlled trial will recruit inactive PCS (stage I-IV) across Canada who self-report engaging in >8 hours/day of SB. Participants will be randomized to the intervention (n=60; Fitbit and behavioral support) or active control group (n=60; Fitbit-only). The intervention consists of the use of a Fitbit and a series of six behavioral support sessions (two group, four individual) to aid PCS in gradually replacing SB with light-intensity PA by increasing their daily step counts to 3,000 steps above their baseline values. The Fitbit-only control condition will receive a Fitbit and public health PA resources. The primary outcome is change in SB measured objectively using activPAL inclinometers. All secondary outcomes will be measured via self-report, except for PA which will be measuring using Fitbits. Data will be collected at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6-month post-intervention.

Discussion

Reducing SB and increasing light-intensity PA plays an important, yet often undervalued role in the health and well-being of PCS. This study will create a unique distance-based platform that can be used by clinical and community-based organizations as a low-cost, supportive care tool to improve health outcomes for PCS.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05214937. Registered January 28, 2022

Protocol version: v.1

Summertime physiological and thermal responses among activity levels in campus outdoor spaces in a humid subtropical city

We identified physiological and thermal responses to different activity levels on a campus during summertime in Xi'an, a humid subtropical city in China. Physiological responses and thermal comfort of 54 healthy college students while undertaking different physical activities (light, moderate and vigorous intensities) in six campus open spaces were investigated using meteorological measures, longitudinal questionnaire surveys and physiological parameters. Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) were chosen as the thermal indices, while blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and skin temperature (ST) were selected as physiological evaluation measures. Results demonstrated that: 1) Types and proportions of thermal symptoms were positively related to outdoor spatial characteristics and physical activity levels. The proportion of thermal discomfort increased 33, 50 and 83% as activity intensities increased from light through moderate to vigorous. 2) BP and HR reflected human activity levels. HR clearly represented metabolic trends. 3) ST accurately represented physiological responses among spaces across activity levels. However, mean skin temperature (MST) was poorly related to thermal sensation vote (TSV). 4) As activity intensity ranged from light through moderate to vigorous, neutral UTCI declined by 27.6 °C, 25.6 °C, 22.0 °C, and neutral PET declined by 26.1 °C, 22.1 °C, 11.9 °C. 5) Outdoor spaces shaded by trees or pavilions were more comfortable for outdoor activities than these with low or middle SVF during summer.