Work, travel, or leisure: comparing domain-specific physical activity patterns based on rural-urban location in Canada

BACKGROUND

Physical activity occurs across various domains including leisure/recreation, for transportation, or for work or household reasons. Rural and urban active living environments are characterized by different opportunities for physical activity within each domain which may translate into different patterns of behavior. The aim of this study was to compare rural-urban differences in physical activity across different domains, and explore interactions between sociodemographic factors, physical activity domains, and rurality.

METHODS

We used self-reported data collected across three physical activity domains (active transportation, recreation, occupational/household) and relevant sociodemographic variables from the Canadian Community Health Survey. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors, we did two separate cross-sectional analyses: 1) binary logistic regression to determine the odds of reporting any activity in each domain, and 2) ordinary least squares regression using the sub-samples reporting > 0 min per week of activity to compare how much activity was reported in each domain.

RESULTS

Our final survey weighted sample of Canadian adults (mean age 47.4 years) was n = 25,669,018 (unweighted n = 47,266). Rural residents were less likely to report any active transportation (OR = 0.59, 95% CI [0.51, 0.67], p < .0001). For recreational physical activity, rural males had lower odds (OR = 0.75, 95% CI [0.67, 0.83], p < .0001) and rural females had higher odds (OR = 1.19, 95% CI [1.08, 1.30], p = .0002) of reporting any participation compared to urban residents. Rural males (OR = 1.90, 95% CI [1.74, 2.07], p < .0001) and females (OR = 1.33, 95% CI [1.21, 1.46], p < .0001) had higher odds of reporting any occupational or household physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Urban residents tend to participate in more active transportation, while rural residents participate in more occupational or household physical activity. Location-based differences in physical activity are best understood by examining multiple domains and must include appropriate sociodemographic interactions, such as income and sex/gender.

Physical activity domains and patterns with risk of depressive symptoms: A cross-sectional study in China

BACKGROUND

The health benefits of domain-specific physical activity (PA) on depressive symptoms were inconclusive. Few studies explored PA patterns and depressive symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the associations of PA domains and patterns with depressive symptoms.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study in China with 5047 adults. Latent class analysis was applied to identify the PA patterns and logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

The ORs (95 % CIs) for the active versus inactive groups were 0.79 (0.69-0.91) for leisure-time PA, 0.57 (0.49-0.65) for transport PA, 0.95 (0.82-1.09) for household PA, and 1.38 (1.18-1.62) for occupational PA. We found non-linear associations between leisure-time PA, transport PA and depressive symptoms, with the lowest risk at 11 METs-h/week of leisure-time PA (equal to 147 min/week moderate PA or 88 min/week vigorous PA) and 23 METs-h/week of transport PA. There was a marginal inverse association with household PA for men while not for women. We identified four PA patterns and found a lower risk of depressive symptoms associated with "low occupational PA pattern" versus "moderate PA level pattern" (0.45 (0.38-0.52)).

LIMITATIONS

Given the cross-sectional design, causality cannot be inferred.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study supported an inverse association of leisure-time PA and transport PA with depressive symptoms and a positive association of occupational PA. The observed inconsistent association of household PA among men and women, and the finding that "low occupational PA pattern" was associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms warrant further investigation.

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.

Adolescent and Young Adult Recreational, Occupational, and Transportation Activity: Activity Recommendation and Weight Status Relationships

PURPOSE

Physical activity can occur in many settings, or domains, including recreation, occupation, and transportation. We described patterns of adolescent and young adult (YA) activity in each domain, and the extent that accounting for different domains impacts activity recommendation adherence. We also examined activity domain associations with weight status.

METHODS

We examined physical activity among 11,157 adolescents and YAs in recreational, occupational, and transportation domains in the 2007-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We calculated proportions meeting weekly activity recommendations (adolescents: 420 minutes; YAs: 150 minutes) by domain. We compared adjusted odds of performing any activity in each domain by weight status. All estimates are weighted and stratified by age (adolescents: 12-19 years; YAs: 20-29 years) and sex.

RESULTS

Most adolescents (90.9%) and YAs (86.7%) reported activity in at least one domain. Recreational activity accounted for an average of 60.2% (adolescents) and 42.5% (YAs) of an individual's total activity. Approximately half of YAs (50.2%) reported any occupational activity, which accounted for 44.6% (males) and 37.4% (females) of total activity minutes. Transportation accounted for 18.1% (adolescents) and 16.2% (YAs) of total activity. Activity recommendation adherence estimates increased when adding domains: recreation alone (34.9% adolescents, 45.6% YAs); recreation and occupation (47.2% adolescents, 68.7% YAs); and recreation, occupation, and transportation (53.5% adolescents, 74.7% YAs). Weight status was generally not associated with activity domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents and YAs accumulate substantial occupational and some transportation-related physical activity, resulting in more youth meeting activity recommendations when accounting for these activity domains than recreation alone.

Associations between self-reported and objectively measured physical activity and overweight/obesity among adults in Kota Bharu and Penang, Malaysia

BACKGROUND

For the past decades, Malaysia has seen an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity which leads to significant health threats. Physical activity is beneficial in maintaining healthy body weight. The objective of this study was to measure physical activity of adults in Malaysia using objective measurement (accelerometer) and self-reported methods, as well as to determine their associations with (body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measurements.

METHODS

Four-hundred and ninety Malaysian adults (n = 490) aged 20 to 65 years old participated in this cross-sectional study. Their body weight, height, and WC measurements were measured according to standard procedures. Physical activity was assessed objectively with accelerometers for five to seven consecutive days. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to estimate the amount of time spent on various domains of physical activity. Mixed models were used to determine the associations between physical activity variables and both BMI and WC.

RESULTS

The mean value of objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was 13.5 min per day, in which male participants recorded a significantly higher amount of time compared to females. On the other hand, the mean self-reported total physical activity was 380 min per week; male participants reported a significantly higher amount of time on physical activity in the occupation/work and leisure/recreation domains while female participants spent significantly more time in the domestic/household chores domain. We also observed that the mean values of objectively measured total MVPA, self-reported time spent on walking for leisure/recreation, and total time amount of time spent on MVPA for leisure/recreation were significantly higher among participants with BMI of less than 25 kg/m2. The final statistical model yielded a significant negative association between objectively measured total MVPA and BMI, but not with WC measurement. No significant association was reported between self-reported total physical activity with BMI and WC measurement.

CONCLUSIONS

Objectively measured MVPA was inversely associated with BMI, but not WC measurement. No significant association was observed between self-reported total physical activity and physical activity time measures across domains with both BMI and WC measurement.

Children's physical activity during a segmented school week: results from a quasi-experimental education outside the classroom intervention

Background

Movement integration (MI) into traditional classroom teaching is a promising opportunity for children to increase physical activity (PA). Education outside the classroom (EOtC) can be regarded as MI, and has increased children’s PA in case studies. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of EOtC on children’s PA by segmenting weekly activity-related behavior into a range of day types and domains.

Methods

In a quasi-experimental design, 33 classes were recruited and participants’ PA was objectively measured using accelerometers taped to the lower back. In total, 361 (10.89 ± 1.03 years) participants with 7 days of 24 h wear time per day were included in a day type PA analysis, and 194 of these participants (10.46 ± 0.99 years) provided information on time spent in specific domains (e.g. EOtC or recess) and were included in a domain-specific PA analysis. Differences in proportion of time spent in PA intensities were tested using mixed-effects regression models.

Results

More moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) occurred on days with physical education (PE) than days with EOtC (girls 0.79%, p = .001, CI = .26% to 1.31%; boys 1.35%, p = .003, CI = .32% to 2.38%), while no difference was found between EOtC days and school days without EOtC and PE. Light physical activity (LPA) was higher on EOtC days than school days without EOtC and PE (girls 2.43% p < .001, CI = 1.21% to 3.65%; boys 2.08%, p < .001, CI = .69% to 3.47%) and PE days (girls 2.18%, p < .001, CI = .80% to 3.56%; boys 2.40%, p < .001, CI = .83% to 3.96%). Comparing EOtC and classroom domains, boys proportionally spent 7.95% (p < .001, CI = 3.00% to 12.90%) more time in MVPA while no difference (p = 1.000) was measured for LPA, and girls had no difference (p = .176) in MVPA, but spent 9.76% (p < .001, CI = 7.12% to 12.41%) more time in LPA.

Conclusions

EOtC was implemented without the provision of additional resources and with positive effects on PA. Findings suggest EOtC as a way to provide children with an additional opportunity to accumulate PA within the existing school setting.