PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Sedentary Behavior”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources

The type A behavior pattern, physical fitness, and psychophysiological reactivity.

Joint effects of the Type A behavior pattern and aerobic fitness were examined with regard to heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) changes elicited by laboratory challenges. Sixty-one college students were classified as Type A or B using the Structured Interview (SI), and as physically fit or sedentary using self-reports of activity level and estimated VO2max values obtained on a step test. Subjects were challenged with the SI, presentation of a snake, mental arithmetic, a cold pressor task, and two competitive card games. Significant A-B differences were found only on the SI and the card games. During the SI: As displayed significantly greater BP increases than Bs; sedentary subjects showed greater BP increases than fit subjects; and sedentary As revealed greater BP increases than either fit As, fit Bs, or sedentary Bs. In contrast, during the competitive games, physically fit As showed reliably greater BP increases than either sedentary As, sedentary Bs, or fit Bs. Since the physically fit subjects were almost exclusively varsity athletes and the sedentary subjects were college students who reported following a sedentary lifestyle, the differences between sedentary and fit groups may have been due to differences in aerobic fitness or to the improved ability of competitive athletes or those engaged in fitness training to match arousal level to task requirements.

Adolescent↗

Exercise, physical fitness, and dietary habits of first-year female nursing students.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the practice of regular physical exercise, the anthropometrical and physiological characteristics, and the dietary habits of a group of female nursing students (n=46) and of a control group of female students from other disciplines (n=58) attending the University of the Basque Country. To this end, diets and leisure-time physical exercise were analyzed and the following variables were measured: body mass index, body composition, blood pressure, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), and explosive muscle strength. Results show that the percentage of sedentary students was higher among first-year nursing students (50%) than among other matched students (43.6%). Regular physical exercise in nursing students was found to be positively correlated with higher absolute (p < .01) and relative VO2 max (p < 0.05) and with lower diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). Analysis of the diets of the nursing students showed that their energetic intake was deficient and was very low in carbohydrates and very high in fat and protein. Statistically significant differences between the two groups in anthropometric indices were not observed. The competence to provide adequate nutritional and preventive physical exercise recommendations was higher among active final-year nursing students than among sedentary final-year nursing students. Overall, the results of the present study highlight the need for a greater emphasis on the benefits of regular physical exercise and an adequate nutritional education early in the nursing educational program to encourage students to adopt healthier behaviors and to provide more effective preventive physical exercise and nutritional counseling for their future patients.

Adolescent↗

Voluntary wheel running improves recovery from a moderate spinal cord injury.

Recently, locomotor training has been shown to improve overground locomotion in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). This has triggered renewed interest in the role of exercise in rehabilitation after SCI. However, there are no mouse models for voluntary exercise and recovery of function following SCI. Here, we report voluntary wheel running improves recovery from a SCI in mice. C57Bl/10 female mice received a 60-kdyne T9 contusion injury with an IH impactor after 3 weeks of voluntary wheel running or 3 weeks of standard single housing conditions. Following a 7-day recovery period, running mice were returned to their running wheels. Weekly open-field behavior measured locomotor recovery using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale and the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) locomotor rating scale, a scale recently developed specifically for mice. Initial experiments using standard rung wheels show that wheel running impaired recovery, but subsequent experiments using a modified flat-surface wheel show improved recovery with exercise. By 14 days post SCI, the modified flat-surface running group had significantly higher BBB and BMS scores than the sedentary group. A repeated measures ANOVA shows locomotor recovery of modified flat-surface running mice was significantly improved compared to sedentary animals (p < 0.05). Locomotor assessment using a ladder beam task also shows a significant improvement in the modified flat-surface runners (p < 0.05). Finally, fibronectin staining shows no significant difference in lesion size between the two groups. These data represent the first mouse model showing voluntary exercise improves recovery after SCI.

Animals↗

Effect of television advertisements for foods on food consumption in children.

The impact of television (TV) advertisements (commercials) on children's eating behaviour and health is of critical interest. In a preliminary study we examined lean, over weight and obese children's ability to recognise eight food and eight non-food related adverts in a repeated measures design. Their consumption of sweet and savoury, high and low fat snack foods were measured after both sessions. Whilst there was no significant difference in the number of non-food adverts recognised between the lean and obese children, the obese children did recognise significantly more of the food adverts. The ability to recognise the food adverts significantly correlated with the amount of food eaten after exposure to them. The overall snack food intake of the obese and overweight children was significantly higher than the lean children in the control (non-food advert) condition. The consumption of all the food offered increased post food advert with the exception of the low-fat savoury snack. These data demonstrate obese children's heightened alertness to food related cues. Moreover, exposure to such cues induce increased food intake in all children. As suggested the relationship between TV viewing and childhood obesity appears not merely a matter of excessive sedentary activity. Exposure to food adverts promotes consumption.

Advertising↗

Learning upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger ribonucleic acid: a mechanism to facilitate encoding and circuit maintenance?

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes neuron survival, enhances sprouting, protects neurons against insult, and may be involved in several aspects of learning and memory. In this study, rats trained to locate a submerged platform in a water maze had elevated levels of BDNF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in the hippocampus (p < .05), a structure associated with spatial memory. BDNF mRNA expression increased after 3 and 6 days but not after 1 day of training in the water maze. A yoked control group that swam without the platform present, to control for physical activity, showed a trend for elevated BDNF mRNA at an intermediate level between the learning and sedentary groups. Other cortical and subcortical areas did not show a significant increase in BDNF mRNA after learning or activity (p > .05). These findings suggest that learning can impact BDNF mRNA expression localized to the brain areas involved in the processing of spatial information. Furthermore, behaviors such as physical activity and learning may help maintain and protect neurons at risk in aging and neurodegenerative disease via increased BDNF expression.

Analysis of Variance↗

Relationship of body mass index and physical activity to health care costs among employees.

This study examined the relationship between physical activity and health care costs by different weight groups. The study sample consisted of 23,490 active employees grouped into normal weight, overweight, and obese categories. After adjustment for covariates, physically moderately active (1 to 2 times/week) and very active (3 + times/week) employees had approximately $250 less paid health care costs annually than sedentary employees (0 time/week) across all weight categories. The difference was approximately $450 in the obese subpopulation. The maximum possible savings was estimated to be 1.5% of the total health care costs if all obese sedentary employees would adapt a physically active lifestyle. As a strategy to control escalating health care costs, wellness programs should facilitate engagement in moderate physical activity of at least 1 to 2 times a week among sedentary obese people and help them to maintain this more active lifestyle.)

Body Mass Index↗

Normative beliefs of school children concerning regular exercise.

The main purpose of the study was to examine societal norms toward exercise as perceived by school children. To this end, the normative beliefs of specific referents (parents, teachers, and friends) and the motivation to comply with the beliefs of these specific referents were measured in 698 students of both sexes attending grades seven-nine. Results indicated major changes in both normative beliefs and motivation to comply with "significant others" as the children move from grade seven to nine. There also were substantial differences between the results for active and sedentary children. Teachers seem to provide a stable norm, less influenced by the age, sex, and level of physical activity of the student.

Attitude↗

Does timing and sequencing of transitions to adulthood make a difference? Stress, smoking, and physical activity among young Australian women.

The major changes of the transition to adulthood are argued to be stressful, and health-related behaviors such as smoking and physical activity may be adopted, consolidated, or abandoned at this time. On the other hand, research has suggested that the normative transitions of emerging adulthood, although involving considerable change, may be associated with low stress because they are perceived as both positive and normal at this life stage. This article examines relations between the timing and sequencing of life transitions and stress and health-related behaviors, focusing on the transition to young adulthood among Australian women. A total of 853 women aged 22 to 27 provided information about the timing and sequencing of 6 life transitions: moving out of home, stopping full-time education, starting full-time work, having the first live-in relationship, marriage, and motherhood-and stress, smoking, and physical activity. Most had moved out of home, stopped full-time education, and started full-time work, but only 14% had undertaken all 6 transitions. Overall, 70% of participants had made transitions "in order." Overall, the findings suggest that the relations between timing and sequencing of transitions, and indicators of health, are moderate for smoking, but small for stress and for physical activity. These effects remained after controlling for socioeconomic status of the participants' families of origin. Matching current social norms for the timing and sequencing of life changes may be of less importance for women's well-being than is commonly believed. Although the significant relations between early or "out of order" transitions and smoking are of concern, the smaller relations with stress and with sedentariness suggest that such transitions may have limited negative consequences, and support the view that individuals are active in choosing the life path that is appropriate for them and their circumstances.

Adult↗

State-specific changes in physical inactivity among persons aged > or = 65 years--United States, 1987-1992.

Regular physical activity can provide important health benefits, even when such activities are initiated later in life (1,2). Despite these benefits, most older persons in the United States have sedentary lifestyles (3). One of the national health objectives for the year 2000 is to reduce to 22% the proportion of adults aged > or = 65 years who engage in no leisure-time physical activity (objective 1.5a) (4). This report uses data from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to summarize state-specific trends during 1987-1992 in the prevalence of physical inactivity during leisure time among persons aged > or = 65 years and projects state-specific prevalences for 1997.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Aged↗

Acute effects of knowledge-based work on feeding behavior and energy intake.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of knowledge-based work (KBW) on feeding behavior and spontaneous energy intake with the use of a repeated measures/within-subjects design. We used a two-session protocol including an ad libitum buffet preceded by either rest in a sitting position for 45 min or a cognitive task (reading a document and writing a summary of 350 words using a computer) over the same time period. In this regard, 15 healthy Laval University female students (mean age = 24.1+/-2.2 years, mean BMI = 24.0+/-4.3 kg/m2) were recruited to participate in this study. Anthropometric variables, energy expenditure, heart rate, blood pressure, food intake (dietary record), and appetite sensation markers were measured at each testing session, and two questionnaires [Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)] were administered. In addition, a buffet-type meal was used to measure spontaneous energy intake and macronutrient preferences. We found that the mean energy expenditure of the two conditions was about comparable (difference of 13 kJ between the two tasks) whereas the mean ad libitum energy intake after the KBW task exceeded that measured after rest by 959 kJ (p < 0.01). Although a higher absolute energy intake was observed for the three macronutrients after the KBW task (p < 0.05), no specific preference was detected, as reflected by the comparable percent of energy from each macronutrient in the two conditions. No significant difference in appetite sensation markers was observed between the two conditions, although the subjects ate more in the buffet-type meal after the KBW task. Furthermore, the subjects did not compensate by decreasing food intake for the rest of the day, suggesting a net caloric surplus. We also observed negative correlations between cognitive dietary restraint (TFEQ) and spontaneous energy intake in both conditions. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that mental work solicited by KBW has the potential to induce a higher spontaneous energy intake. This also raises the possibility that KBW adds a new component to sedentariness that might further accentuate the positive energy balance that is more likely to occur when one is inactive.

Adult↗

Effect of prolonged use of altrenogest on behaviour in mares.

Oral administration of altrenogest for oestrus suppression in competition horses is believed to be widespread in some equestrian disciplines, and can be administered continuously for several months during a competition season. To examine whether altrenogest has any anabolic or other potential performance enhancing properties that may give a horse an unfair advantage, we examined the effect of oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg), given daily for a period of eight weeks, on social hierarchy, activity budget, body-mass and body condition score of 12 sedentary mares. We concluded that prolonged oral administration of altrenogest at recommended dose rates to sedentary mares resulted in no effect on dominance hierarchies, body mass or condition score.

Administration, Oral↗

Effect of prolonged use of altrenogest on behaviour in mares.

Oral administration of altrenogest for oestrus suppression in competition horses is believed to be widespread in some equestrian disciplines, and can be administered continuously for several months during a competition season. To examine whether altrenogest has any anabolic or other potential performance enhancing properties that may give a horse an unfair advantage, we examined the effect of oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg), given daily for a period of eight weeks, on social hierarchy, activity budget, body-mass and body condition score of 12 sedentary mares. It was concluded that prolonged oral administration of altrenogest at recommended dose rate to sedentary mares had no effect on dominance hierarchies, body-mass or condition score.

Administration, Oral↗

Body fatness in active individuals reporting low lipid and alcohol intake.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate body fatness in subjects complying with common public health guidelines for lipid and alcohol intake as well as physical activity participation. SUBJECTS: A sample of 358 male subjects who participated in phase 1 of the Quebec Family Study. DESIGN: The association between adiposity, lipid and alcohol intake and physical activity participation was analyzed in the overall sample. A comparison of body fatness in individuals adhering or not to public health recommendations was also performed. RESULTS: Significant positive correlations were observed between the percentage of dietary energy as lipid and adiposity indicators. Accordingly, subjects classified as low-fat consumers displayed significantly lower levels of fat mass and subcutaneous adiposity compared to high-fat consumers. When subjects reporting low lipid and alcohol intake and regular participation in vigorous physical activities were compared to those exhibiting opposite behaviors, the between-group difference in subcutaneous adiposity was doubled and this was essentially explained by an increase in the difference for truncal subcutaneous adiposity. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the adherence to a lifestyle characterized by high-fat and alcohol intake as well as sedentariness promotes fat gain, particularly in the trunk area.

Adult↗

Health behaviors in elderly people. A 5-year follow-up of 75-year-old people living in three Nordic localities. Smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and healthy eating, and attitudes to their importance.

Few studies about health behavior among elderly persons in the Nordic countries are available, and our knowledge about longitudinal changes is especially limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of selected health behaviors as reported at age 75 years in Finland, Sweden and Denmark together with answers regarding attitudes to such habits, and study longitudinal changes between 75 and 80 years. The study population included 499 men and 704 women born in 1914/15 and examined in 1989/90 in Jyväskylä (Finland), Göteborg (Sweden), and Glostrup (Denmark). Survivors were re-examined in 1994/95. A self-administered validated questionnaire developed from the Danish Nationwide Health Surveys was given to the participants during a home visit and checked when the subjects came to the laboratory examination. The Danes had the highest proportion of smokers and persons with daily alcoholic beverage consumption and the smallest proportion of healthy eaters, but the Swedes had the most sedentary life-style. Women had the healthiest life-style. Between ages 75 and 80 years, the proportion of participants who tried to improve their health decreased, but there was no change in believing the importance of one's own effort in maintaining health. The free-time physical activity decreased, but there was no change in the attitude towards physical activity. There were major cross-national differences among the three Nordic localities, but the health behaviors were rather stable, though the proportion of participants who tried to improve their health decreased. Not more than 60 to 70% of the subjects believed that their own efforts are important to health.

Aged↗

Overweight adults in the United States: the behavioral risk factor surveys.

Using data on 19,405 adults from telephone interviews across the US, 1981-1983, we examined the sociodemographic characteristics, health-risk behaviors, body image, and dieting of overweight adults classified by the 1959 Metropolitan Life Insurance tables for weight and height. By self-report, 23% were overweight vs 29% in 1960-62. This modest decline in overweight remained after age-adjusting the 1981-1983 rate to the 1960 population. In 1981-1983, more blacks and Hispanics than whites were overweight [rate ratio (RR) = 1.43]. After adjustment for age and education, more over- than average-weight adults had uncontrolled hypertension, were binge drinking, and had a sedentary lifestyle. Among overweight men and women, 72% and 52%, respectively, were not dieting. Overweight adults acknowledging they were overweight were dieting more often than those without this perception (RR = 1.53). Results are discussed in light of research documenting weight gain and overweight as independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality.

Adult↗

Who plays bingo in later life? The sedentary lifestyles of 'little old ladies'.

UNLABELLED: Bingo is a popular past time with less than 20% of seniors, but the prevailing stereotype of bingo players describes elderly women with nothing better to do, smoking heavily while gambling away their limited income day after day. Little research has actually explored the lifestyles of seniors who frequent the bingo halls or identified social factors explaining who plays and why. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to clarify the social context and lifestyle characteristics of seniors who regularly invest money on bingo. DESIGN AND METHODS: A 30-min telephone survey was conducted randomly with quotas for gender and urban/rural location with 400 Albertans aged 65+. Next, a strategic sample of 44 bingo players was added to the population sample to strengthen the dependent variable for regression analyses. Multiple regression analyses were used to define key characteristics of bingo players among 10 social or contextual factors and 5 lifestyle variables. RESULTS: Being female, more elderly, living in rental accommodation, receiving federal income supplements and reporting more health problems were significant predictors of more money typically spent on bingo (18% variance explained), and these findings lend support to the "little old lady" stereotype. However, sedentary living, rather than smoking, was the only significant and predictive lifestyle pattern, suggesting that the lifestyle vices projected about bingo players are not entirely accurate. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly women of marginal means do dominate the game of bingo in terms of money spent, but their gaming lifestyle apparently has less to do with habits of smoking, eating poorly, drinking alcohol, or having excessive leisure time, and more to do with sedentary recreation that is socially delimited by their gender, age, income and health.

Age Distribution↗

Obesity prevention in children: physical activity and nutrition.

The current environmental experience of young children includes few opportunities for physical activity and an overabundance of high calorie foods. Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition challenge children who are predisposed to metabolic disorders. Obesity is a logical response to this challenge. To prevent clinically significant obesity and later metabolic disease in predisposed youth, all sectors of society must work together to support strategies to change public opinion and behavior across the life span. Parental education in all medical settings is strongly recommended, especially if the parent(s) are obese, beginning with the first pregnancy visit to the physician. Schools should be primary targets for efforts to educate parents concerning the reduction of TV, computer games, and unhealthy snacks. Schools should be encouraged to adopt vending machine policies that promote healthy drinks and food in appropriate portion sizes and discouraged from providing unhealthy food as rewards for positive behavior or academic accomplishment. Schools should provide daily physical education and frequent periods of unstructured play in young children. Clinical treatment should be both encouraged and financially supported in children who are already overweight. Community wide efforts to increase awareness and promote environments that encourage physical activity and healthy nutrition are needed.

Child↗