Differential Effects of a Global Public Health Crisis on Physical Activity: Evidence From a Statewide Survey From the United States

Moving to an Activity-Friendly Community Can Increase Physical Activity

BACKGROUND

Creating activity-friendly communities (AFCs) is an important strategy to increase physical activity (PA). While cross-sectional links between community environments and PA are well documented, their causal relationships remain insufficiently explored.

METHODS

Using the accelerometer and survey data collected from adults who moved to an AFC (cases) and similar non-AFC-residing adults who did not move (comparisons), this pre-post, case-comparison study examines if moving to an AFC increases PA. Data came from 115 participants (cases = 37, comparisons = 78) from Austin, Texas, who completed 2 waves of 1-weeklong data collection. Difference-in-difference analyses and fixed-effect models were used to test the significance of the pre-post differences in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) between cases and comparisons, for the full sample and the subsample of 37 pairs matched in key covariates using the Propensity Score Matching method.

RESULTS

Average treatment effect generated based on Propensity Score Matching and difference-in-difference showed that moving to this AFC led to an average of 10.88 additional minutes of daily MVPA (76.16 weekly minutes, P = .015). Fixed-effect models echoed the result with an increase of 10.39 minutes of daily MVPA after moving to the AFC. We also found that case participants who were less active at baseline and had higher income increased their MVPA more than their counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that, among our study sample, moving to an AFC increased residents' PA significantly when compared to their premove level and the comparison group. This causal evidence suggests the potential of AFCs as sustainable interventions for PA promotion.

Examining the impacts of public transit on healthy aging through a natural experiment: study protocols and lessons learned from the Active El Paso project

This paper describes protocols and experiences from a seven-year natural-experiment study in El Paso, Texas, a border city of predominantly Latino/Hispanic population. The study focuses on how Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) impacts physical activity and thus plays a role in alleviating obesity and related chronic diseases that impact healthy aging. Our protocols describe a longitudinal and case-comparison study, which compared residents exposed to new BRT stations with those who were not. This paper also introduces lessons and experiences to overcome the following challenges: delays in the BRT opening (the main intervention), the COVID-19 pandemic, methodological challenges, participant recruitment and retention, and predatory survey takers. Our transdisciplinary approach was pivotal in addressing these challenges. We also proposed and tested multi-level intervention strategies to reduce modifiable barriers to transit use. Our most important takeaway for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers is the importance of being flexible and ready to adapt to new circumstances. Future natural-experiment researchers need to become more versatile in an increasingly volatile and uncertain world.

Concurrent Exercise Training: Long-Term Changes in Body Composition and Motives for Continued Participation in Women with Obesity

The purpose of this project was to examine the effect of a concurrent exercise program (sprint interval training and resistance exercise) on body composition in women with obesity and factors associated with continued exercise participation following the program. Twenty women (37.1 ± 7.4 y, height = 1.63 ± 0.09 m, weight = 98.22 ± 0.22 kg, BMI = 34.2 ± 2.50 kg/m2) participated in a 10-week exercise intervention consisting of a sprint interval treadmill protocol and resistance training three times a week totaling 30 sessions. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (iDXA) at pretest, 12 weeks, and six months post-intervention. Semi-structured interviews assessed participants’ perception of the program at both 12 weeks and six months. Participants significantly reduced fat mass (p < 0.001), gynoid fat mass (p < 0.010), android fat mass (p = 0.003), and visceral fat mass (p = 0.003) at 12 weeks post-test. At six months, participants maintained their reductions in fat mass (p = 0.015), visceral fat (p = 0.040) and gynoid fat mass (p = 0.032). There were no significant main time effects in lean mass (p = 0.099) or caloric intake (p = 0.053) at 12 weeks or six months. Themes that emerged from the semi-structured interviews at 12 weeks reflected enjoyment in the training, increases in competence and knowledge, as well as apprehension of continuing training on their own. At six months, themes that emerged reflected overcoming barriers, competence regarding high-intensity training, and a lack of competence to engage in resistance training. Sprint interval training coupled with resistance training is a feasible exercise protocol for women with obesity and results in reduced fat mass over six months. Improving women’s competence for training is imperative for continued participation.