A self-efficacy questionnaire regarding leisure time physical activity: Psychometric properties among Iranian male adolescents

Full-Day Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Levels of Typically Developing Children and Adolescents in the Middle East: A Systematic Review

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) are important components of physical behaviour associated with long-term health outcomes. Environmental and cultural factors may influence physical behaviour. To explore full day PA and SB in children and adolescents (2-18 years old) in the Middle East, a systematic literature review was performed including 183 journal articles. A wide range of PA and SB outcomes were reported, in some cases making synthesis of results difficult. As a consequence, results were generally reported narratively (MVPA time, total PA, SB time). Meta-regression of daily step count revealed females took 4600 fewer steps than males, with 3000 fewer steps on weekdays than weekends, and overweight individuals taking 2800 fewer steps/day. Steps decreased with age. Meta-regression for TV viewing time demonstrated an increase by 0.04 h per year of age. Even though environmental and cultural conditions may be different, PA and SB of children and adolescents in the Middle East were largely comparable to those of Europeans and North Americans. The wide range of data collection instruments used (both self-report questionnaire and body-worn devices) and heterogeneity of data made synthesis of reported data across studies very difficult, suggesting a need for greater standardisation of data collection methods.

Assessing adolescent diet and physical activity behaviour, knowledge and awareness in low- and middle-income countries: a systematised review of quantitative epidemiological tools

PURPOSE

Quantitative epidemiological tools are routinely used to assess adolescent diet and physical activity (PA) constructs (behaviour, knowledge, and awareness) as risk factors for non-communicable diseases. This study sought to synthesize evidence on the quantitative epidemiological tools that have been used to assess adolescent diet and PA constructs in low to middle-income countries (LMIC).

METHODS

A systematised review was conducted using 3 databases (EbscoHost, Scopus and Web of Science).

RESULTS

We identified 292 LMIC studies assessing adolescent diet and PA. Identified studies predominantly explored behavioural (90%) constructs with a paucity of studies investigating knowledge and awareness. The majority of studies used subjective (94%) and self-administered (78%) tools. Only 39% of LMIC studies used tools validated for their contexts.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the need for more contextual tools for assessing adolescent diet and PA in LMICs. Diet and PA measurement tools used in future research will need to incorporate measures of knowledge and awareness for a more comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of diet and PA in adolescents. Furthermore, there is a need for more evidence on the reliability and validity of these tools for use, in both cross sectional and longitudinal studies, in LMIC contexts.

An Integrated mHealth Campaign to Reduce the Risk of Falling for Older Adults

The number of falls among older adults is rising due to an aging population worldwide. An integrated communication campaign utilizing mHealth (mobile health) encouraged older adults to perform strength, balance, and flexibility exercises to reduce their risk of falling. Campaign development was guided by a mixed-method approach which incorporated expert interviews ( N = 3), qualitative interviews ( N = 22), and a quantitative baseline pre-campaign survey ( N = 274) with older adults. We evaluated the campaign impact with a pre-post survey analysis (post n = 141). Impact was measured by knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors as key Social Cognitive Theory factors to exercise adoption. Results showed that respondents with campaign exposure had a significant increase in all factor scores from pre- to post-campaign survey, which was significantly higher in the group with campaign exposure. The impact evaluation illustrated how digital mobile channels effectively provide means to reach older adults to reduce their risk of falling.

Development and Validation of Iranian Adolescent’s Participation Assessment Tool

Background

Health promotion of children and adolescents through participation in purposeful and meaningful activities is one of the focuses of occupational therapy. In this study, in line with the Iranian culture, a tool for assessment of Iranian adolescents’ participation in daily occupations/activities was developed and validated.

Method

An exploratory sequential mixed method was used to develop and validate the tool. Content and structural validity and reliability of the initial version were estimated.

Results

During the validation process, the items were reduced to 54. Data were collected from 481 adolescents to investigate factor analysis. According to principal component analysis, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin index was 0.88, and the analysis yielded seven factors explaining 47.2% of the total variance. The tool showed excellent internal consistency and test–retest reliability.

Conclusion

This newly developed Participation Assessment Tool for Iranian adolescents is a valid and reliable measure for assessing the participation of this group in daily activities.

Persian participation measures for adolescents: A systematic review

Introduction

Enhancing participation is the focus of occupational therapy. Comprehensive and accurate assessment ensures that clinicians can tailor an intervention to the client’s needs. This systematic review was completed to identify Persian adolescents’ participation measures and critically appraise them. It would be helpful in the selection of the most appropriate instrument to use in adolescent-related research and clinical practice.

Method

Ten bibliographic databases, four Iranian and six international, without year limits were searched up to June 2019. A systematic search was directed according to COSMIN guidelines for systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures and PRISMA guidelines (Systematic review registration: CRD42017073581).

Results

Seven measures were extracted from the articles. Reviewing the content and psychometric properties of the measures as well as the methodological quality of the studies indicated that the Modified Activity Questionnaire is the only measure with consistent and moderately reliable results. It measures adolescent participation in leisure activities but not all domains of participation.

Conclusion

There may be a growing need for adapting existing Persian measures or developing new ones based on specific age features related to puberty-stage alongside cultural, social and academic demands, which have a significant effect on adolescents’ participation in meaningful occupations. High methodological quality in designing such studies also has great importance.