Differences in Vigorous and Moderate Physical Activity by Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Age, Education, and Income among U.S. Adults

Changes in physical activity among Canadian adults more than 6 months into the COVID-19 pandemic: a secondary analysis of the INTERACT cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the effect of (a) the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) COVID-19 restriction stringency on daily minutes of device-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

DESIGN

Physical activity data were collected from the INTerventions, Equity, Research and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) cohorts in Montreal, Saskatoon and Vancouver before (May 2018 to February 2019, 'phase 1') and during the pandemic (October 2020 to February 2021, 'phase 2'). We estimated the effect of the two exposures by comparing daily MVPA measured (a) before vs during the pandemic (phase 1 vs phase 2) and (b) at different levels of COVID-19 restriction stringency during phase 2. Separate mixed effects negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between each exposure and daily MVPA, with and without controlling for confounders. Analyses were conducted on person-days with at least 600 min of wear time. Effect modification by gender, age, income, employment status, education, children in the home and city was assessed via stratification.

SETTING

Montreal (Quebec), Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) and Vancouver (British Columbia), Canada.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Daily minutes of MVPA, as measured using SenseDoc, a research-grade accelerometer device.

RESULTS

Daily minutes of MVPA were 21% lower in phase 2 (October 2020 to February 2021) compared with phase 1 (May 2018 to February 2019), controlling for gender, age, employment status, household income, education, city, weather and wear time (rate ratio=0.79, 95% CI 0.69, 0.92). This did not appear to be driven by changes in the sample or timing of data collection between phases. The results suggested effect modification by employment, household income and education. Restriction stringency was not associated with daily MVPA between October 2020 and February 2021 (adjusted rate ratio=0.99, 95% CI 0.96, 1.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Between October 2020 and February 2021, daily minutes of MVPA were significantly lower than 2 years prior, but were not associated with daily COVID-19 restriction stringency.

Physical activity positively impacts disability outcomes during transition from midlife to early older age irrespective of body mass index

We examined the effects of physical activity (PA) and body mass index (BMI) longitudinal patterns (trajectories) on subjective measures of mobility, function, and disability in adults and assessed whether effects of PA trajectories on function varied due to BMI. Group-based trajectory analyses were used to determine patterns of change in PA and BMI using data from the Health and Retirement Study 1931-1941 birth cohort (n = 10,507). Physical function was assessed by Mobility Limitations (0-5 scale) and Large Muscle Function (0-4 scale) Indexes, as well as with score for activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), with higher scores being worse. Our analyses estimated four distinct PA trajectories: decreasing, (2) fluctuating, (3) stable high, and (4) emergent (previously low/sedentary with increased PA over the study period). Worse mobility limitations, large muscle function, ADLs, and IADLs were associated with Decreasing and Fluctuating PA groups. Better outcomes were associated with Emergent and Stable High PA groups. The five BMI trajectories were stable normal/overweight, modest decreasing, fluctuating, steep decreasing, and increasing. No significant interaction existed between PA and BMI trajectories for Mobility Limitations (P= 0.577), Large Muscle Function (P= 0.511), ADLs (P= 0.600), and IADLs (P= 0.152). These findings may empower clinicians to promote messages to midlifers that meaningful changes in PA can improve function in older age.

"I feel terrible and need to exercise to find any sort of joy": What COVID stay-at-home orders tell us about exercise as vitality politics and entertainment in the United States

During COVID-19 stay-at-home orders (SaHOs), people faced drastic shifts in their work and home lives. These shifts, in combination with the temporary closure of gyms and fitness centers, led to exercise-routine disruption. We conducted a survey to assess how people were affected by SaHOs in terms of exercise-routine change, feelings about exercise, perceived physical and mental health, as well as exercise-routine plans once SaHOs were lifted. In this article, we examine why affluent white American women exercised before and during COVID-19 SaHOs. The article focuses on the role of pleasure and entertainment as key components of exercise practices for these women. We found that changes in motivation reveal that exercise regimens are part of contemporary vitality politics, or current cultural and subjective desires and abilities to manipulate and optimize biological human processes, that include both health and entertainment. Therefore, we argue that exercise is a meaningful cultural, entertainment, and biopolitical activity.

Multilevel correlates of domain-specific physical activity among rural adults - a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Increasing physical activity (PA) in rural communities is a vital prevention tactic in multiple chronic diseases; however, little is known on the multilevel correlates of PA rural areas. A better understanding of domain-specific PA adds context for promoting PA in rural communities. The current study sought to determine factors associated with domain-specific and overall moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in rural communities.

METHODS

Surveys were conducted across 14 rural mid-Western communities, with the final analytical sample including 1241 adults (ages 19-96, M = 57.0 [SD = 16.7], 67.8% female, 83.8% white). Generalized linear models with negative binomial distributions examined the relation between demographics, trail use, and perceptions of the neighborhood environment, with domain-specific and overall MVPA, measured via the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Rural residents reported an average of 617 total minutes of weekly MVPA (SD = 1141), with 58.5% meeting MVPA guidelines. Higher age, female gender, and higher educated individuals had lower levels of overall and occupational MVPA. Females, higher education, and perceived indoor recreational access were associated with lower levels of transportation-related MVPA, while trail use was associated with increased transportation MVPA. Higher age and female gender respondents had lower levels of recreational MVPA, while trail users and those who perceived favorable indoor recreational access had higher levels of recreational MVPA.

CONCLUSIONS

PA primarily occurred in the occupational domain among this sample of rural mid-Western adults. Findings highlight the need for multilevel interventions to address PA across multiple domains in rural communities, especially among females and older adults.

Different domains of physical activity: The role of leisure, housework/care work, and paid work in socioeconomic differences in reported physical activity

Inequality in socioeconomic status (SES)—education, income, and occupation—may further exacerbate the health gap between the “haves” and “have nots” by shaping health behaviors such as physical activity. For example, those in higher socioeconomic positions are consistently found to engage in more physical activity according to public health reports that focus on leisure activity. However, previous research investigating the role of SES in shaping engagement in housework, childcare, and paid work suggests different opportunities for physical activity. This discrepancy in how researchers ask questions about physical activity and the pathways people take to healthy activity raises the question: Do socioeconomic differences in physical activity look different when we look at other domains of physical activity beyond leisure? And, does how we measure SES matter? We draw on data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to assess the roles of education, income, and occupation in the amount of time individuals spend in different types of physical activity. Results demonstrate that socioeconomic differences in physical activity change depending on the activity domain and, therefore, when all domains of physical activity are accounted for compared to leisure-only. Further, the measurement of SES matters: key indicators of SES (education, income, and occupation) have varying associations with levels and types of physical activity. Findings from this research have important implications for the assessment of physical activity across SES, ultimately impacting survey research and public health.

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Leisure questions of physical activity may not capture socioeconomic impacts on access and opportunity for activity.

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Less educated report more time in house/care and paid work compared to more educated.

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Higher income is associated with more reported leisure and less house/care work.

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Different occupations report significantly different amounts of activity at paid work.

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Socioeconomic differences in activity are contingent on domain of activity and SES indicator.

Which activities count? Using experimental data to understand conceptualizations of physical activity

US health surveys consistently report that men and those with higher socioeconomic status (SES) engage in more physical activity than women and lower SES counterparts, using questions that ask about physical activity during leisure time. However, social characteristics such as gender and SES shape understandings of and access to leisure-based physical activity as well as other domains where healthy activity is available – namely house work, care work, and paid work. Thus, the physical activity of US adults may look different when what counts as physical activity expands beyond leisure activity.

The current study uses Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform to conduct a 2-by-2-by-2 factorial experiment that crosses three types of physical activities: leisure, house or care work, and paid work. We find that physical activity questions that prime respondents – that is, ask respondents – to consider house/care work or paid work lead to increased minutes reported of physical activity compared to not priming for physical activity, while asking about leisure is no different from having no physical activity primed. The effect on reported physical activity of priming with house/care work is stronger for women than men, demonstrating support for gendered specialization of time spent in the house and care work domain. The effects on reported physical activity of priming with house/care work and paid work are stronger for those with less education compared to more education, consistent with socioeconomic divisions in access to physical activity in house/care work and employment. This study highlights the contingence of our understanding of the physical activity of US adults on both its measurement in surveys and the social forces which shape understanding of and access to physical activity.

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Leisure questions may not capture gender and socioeconomic patterns shaping access to and opportunity for physical activity.

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Priming for house/care work or paid work increases minutes reported of physical activity compared to no prime.

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The effect on physical activity of priming respondents for house/care work is stronger for women than men.

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The effects on physical activity of priming with house/care work and paid work are stronger for those with less education.

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Understandings of physical activity of US adults relies on measurement and the social forces shaping access and opportunity.

A systematic literature review of sport and physical activity participation in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrant populations

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants face significant health risks as they adapt to new cultures. These risks are exacerbated by their limited participation in preventative behaviours such as sports and physical activity. The review aimed to identify studies that examined the correlates of sport and physical activity participation in migrants. The systematic review identified 72 papers, including 6 interventions, 18 qualitative and 48 quantitative studies. The 44 identified correlates highlight the complexities involved in working with migrants. The correlates were grouped in four themes using the social ecological model; acculturation, demographic, psychosocial and environmental/organisational. The social ecological model identified general correlates such as social support and safety. However, there were unique correlates relating to individuals who are facing cultural changes such as acculturation and language. Overall, there is a lack of contextualisation of CALD migrants' sport and physical activity experiences because many studies fail to consider acculturation comprehensively.

Effect of university physical education courses on intention for physical activity adherence in Korea

Individuals' intentions of adopting physical activity as part of their lifestyle changed after university physical education courses in Korea. Male students (N = 264) taking physical education courses at a university in Korea were tested on the first and last day of a semester using a physical activity adherence questionnaire. The results showed that the intention to continue physical activity increased after taking the courses.

Correlation between physical activity and self-rated health status of non-elderly adults with disabilities

OBJECTIVES

Physical activity participation is a promising pathway for reducing chronic disease risk and improving health outcomes of adults with disabilities. The objective of this study was to examine physical activity participation as a potential predictor of self-rated health status of a unique sub-population of non-elderly, non-assistive device using adults with disabilities.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study analyzed population-based data from the 2007 U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. A sample of 46,883 adults with disabilities was examined. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether physical activity participation predicted self-rated health status controlling for age, gender, income level, health insurance status, BMI, smoking status, education level, and heart disease, arthritis, asthma and diabetes diagnoses.

RESULTS

Physical activity participation was significantly associated with self-rated health status. Those who participated in no physical activity were more likely to report fair or poor health by a factor of 3.3 (95% CI: 2.6-4.2) compared to those who met national recommendations for physical activity. Only 43.1% met one or both of the recommended physical activity guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS

Adequate physical activity participation is correlated to better health status among adults with disabilities not associated with aging. Physical activity promotion is warranted for this population.