IntroductionTraditional behavioural weight loss trials targeting improvements in physical activit... more IntroductionTraditional behavioural weight loss trials targeting improvements in physical activity and diet are modestly effective. It has been suggested that sleep may have a role in weight loss and maintenance. Improving sleep health in combination with physical activity and dietary behaviours may be one strategy to enhance traditional behavioural weight loss trials. Yet the efficacy of a weight loss intervention concurrently targeting improvements in physical activity, dietary and sleep behaviours remains to be tested.Methods and analysisThe primary aim of this three-arm randomised controlled trial is to examine the efficacy of a multicomponent m-Health behaviour change weight loss intervention relative to a waitlist control group. The secondary aims are to compare the relative efficacy of a physical activity, dietary behaviour and sleep intervention (enhanced intervention), compared with a physical activity and dietary behaviour only intervention (traditional intervention), on t...
Socioeconomic position (SEP) is a potential correlate of sedentary behavior in adolescents. The a... more Socioeconomic position (SEP) is a potential correlate of sedentary behavior in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between SEP and self-reported and objective measures of sedentary behavior in adolescents, using a life-course approach. Data from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study were analyzed (N=5249). Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between multiple SEP indicators (maternal education, family income, SEP composite, cumulative family income) at birth, 11, 15 and 18years, and five sedentary behavior outcomes (≥4h/day screen time; ≥4h/day TV; ≥2h/day computer; ≥2h/day video game; ≥12.7h/day objectively measured sedentary time) at 11, 15 and 18years, were examined. In cross-sectional analyses, higher SEP was positively associated with more screen time at ages 11 and 15years. There was a consistent and positive association between higher SEP with time spent using a computer, and with sedentary time assessed through accelerometry. SE...
Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2018
Few studies have examined the causal relationship between transport mode and body mass index (BMI... more Few studies have examined the causal relationship between transport mode and body mass index (BMI). We examined between-person differences and within-person changes in BMI by transport mode over four time points between 2007 and 2013. Data were from the How Areas in Brisbane Influence HealTh and AcTivity project, a population-representative study of persons aged 40-65 in 2007 (baseline) residing in 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia. The analytic sample comprised 9931 respondents who reported on their main transport for all travel purposes (work-related and non-work-related). Transport mode was measured as private motor vehicle (PMV), public transport, walking and cycling. Self-reported height and weight were used to derive BMI. Sex-specific analyses were conducted using multilevel hybrid regression before and after adjustment for time-varying and time-invariant confounders. Independent of transport mode and after adjustment for confounders, average BMI increased significantl...
There is a need to reduce physical inactivity and poor sleep health in the adult population to de... more There is a need to reduce physical inactivity and poor sleep health in the adult population to decrease chronic disease rates and the associated burden. Given the high prevalence of these risk behaviours, effective interventions with potential for wide reach are warranted. The aim of this two-arm RCT will be to test the effect of a three month personalised mobile app intervention on two main outcomes: minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity and overall sleep quality. In addition, between-group changes in health-related quality of life and mental health status will be assessed as secondary outcomes. The pre-specified mediators and moderators include social cognitive factors, the neighbourhood environment, health (BMI, depression, anxiety, stress), sociodemographic factors (age, gender, education) and app usage. Assessments will be conducted after three months (primary endpoint) and six months (follow-up). The intervention will provide access to a specifically deve...
Shift workers are at increased risk of a range of chronic diseases and there is evidence to sugge... more Shift workers are at increased risk of a range of chronic diseases and there is evidence to suggest that these risks can be ameliorated by physical activity. Little is known however about the efficacy of physical activity interventions in shift workers. The aim was therefore to critically review the literature to improve understanding of the efficacy of physical activity promotion initiatives for this occupational group. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of physical activity in shift workers was conducted in 2016-2017 following the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Only seven studies were found. None of the studies measured changes in physical activity behaviour or reported on the timing or setting of the intervention protocols. Instead, most focused on health-related outcomes including body composition, fitness and sleep. Almost all provided physical activity 'prescriptions' with walking or 'aerobic a...
Retirement is a life transition involving an obligatory change in how people use their time. Beca... more Retirement is a life transition involving an obligatory change in how people use their time. Because there are strong associations between use of time and health, different changes in time use following retirement may have different impacts on mental health. 105 participants were followed from 6 months before retirement to 12 months after retirement. At each time-point, use of time was quantified using a validated computerised 24-hour recall. Depression, anxiety and stress were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS21), well-being with the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS), life satisfaction with the Australian Unity Personal Well-being Index (AUPWI), and self-esteem with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Time-use data were analysed using compositional data analysis, which treats the 24-h day as a holistic "activity composition" rather than as individual activity domains. Time flow analytics were used to map patterns of change...
Medicine and science in sports and exercise, Jan 11, 2018
Insufficient physical activity (PA) and inadequate sleep quality (SQ) and sleep duration (SD) are... more Insufficient physical activity (PA) and inadequate sleep quality (SQ) and sleep duration (SD) are highly prevalent behaviours that increase the risk of developing many chronic health conditions. Evidence regarding bi-directional relationships between PA, SQ and SD is inconsistent. As changes in one of these behaviours may impact on the other, it is important to understand the nature of the bi-directional relationship between physical activity and sleep. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between changes in physical activity, sleep quality and sleep duration over a 2-year period in middle-aged adults. Participants were adults aged 42-72 years from Brisbane, Australia. Mail surveys were used to assess PA, SQ, SD, socio-demographic and health characteristics in 2011 and 2013 (n=3,649). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between patterns of change in PA, SQ and SD over the two years. Improving or maintaining...
This study aimed to identify how different patterns of physical activity, sleep duration and slee... more This study aimed to identify how different patterns of physical activity, sleep duration and sleep quality cluster together, and to examine how the identified clusters differ in terms of socio-demographic and health characteristics. Participants were adults from Brisbane, Australia, aged 42-72 years who reported their physical activity, sleep duration, sleep quality, socio-demographic and health characteristics in 2011 (n=5854). Two-step Cluster Analyses were used to identify clusters. Cluster differences in socio-demographic and health characteristics were examined using chi square tests (p<0.05). Four clusters were identified: 'Poor Sleepers' (31.2%), 'Moderate Sleepers' (30.7%), 'Mixed Sleepers/Highly Active' (20.5%), and 'Excellent Sleepers/Mixed Activity' (17.6%). The 'Poor Sleepers' cluster had the highest proportion of participants with less-than-recommended sleep duration and poor sleep quality, had the poorest health characteristic...
the aim of this study was to explore the associations between use of time and momentary hedonic a... more the aim of this study was to explore the associations between use of time and momentary hedonic affect ('enjoyment') in adults in the peri-retirement period. a total of 124 adults [61 males, 63 females; age 62 (4) years] completed a computerised use-of-time recall on 4 days at each of four time points (3-6 months pre-, 3, 6 and 12 months post-retirement), as well as surveys regarding self-reported health, well-being, sleep quality and loneliness. They reported how much they enjoyed each activity on a 0-10 scale. An individual Enjoyment Index was calculated as the time-weighted average of each participant's enjoyment ratings. Time-weighted enjoyment ratings were also calculated for nine mutually exclusive and exhaustive activity domains (Sleep, Chores, Work, Social, Screen Time, Self-care, Quiet Time, Transport, Physical Activity) and sub-domains. the mean (±SD) Enjoyment Index was 7.43 ± 0.61, and was significantly and positively associated with well-being (P = 0.003 to ...
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) complicates approximately 3-11% of pregnancies and increases ... more Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) complicates approximately 3-11% of pregnancies and increases the risk on prenatal morbidity and later development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour are thought to play a role in the development of GDM, independent of overweight and obesity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and the development of GDM using a population-based prospective cohort study. Data from the youngest (1973-1978) cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s Health (n=2913) were used to determine the influences of self-reported physical activity, and sedentary behaviour in 2000 and 2003 on the development of GDM over subsequent three year periods, with adjustment for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. In this cohort of Australian women, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in 2000 and 2003 were not associated with the development of GDM in the subsequent three years. In adjusted models, odds ratios for the development of GDM were 1.92 (95% CI 1.25-2.96) for overweight women (BMI 25-30 kg/m2) and 3.11 (1.92-5.03) for obese women (BMI≥30 kg/m2) compared with normal weight women. Those with lower education and women born in an Asian country also had higher risk of developing GDM than more highly educated and Australian born women, respectively. In conclusion, pre-pregnancy physical activity and sedentary behaviour appear to be less important in the development of GDM in this cohort than overweight and obesity.
Many adults are insufficiently physically active, have prolonged sedentary behaviour and report p... more Many adults are insufficiently physically active, have prolonged sedentary behaviour and report poor sleep. These behaviours can be improved by interventions that include education, goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback strategies. Few interventions have explicitly targeted these behaviours simultaneously or examined the relative efficacy of different self-monitoring methods. This study aims to compare the efficacy of two self-monitoring methods in an app-based multi-behaviour intervention to improve objectively measured physical activity, sedentary, and sleep behaviours, in a 9 week 2-arm randomised trial. Participants will be adults (n = 64) who report being physically inactive, sitting >8 h/day and frequent insufficient sleep (≥14 days out of last 30). The "Balanced" intervention is delivered via a smartphone 'app', and includes education materials (guidelines, strategies to promote change in behaviour), goal setting, self-monitoring and feedback suppor...
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015
This study examined the effects of Tai Chi, a low-impact mind-body movement therapy, on severity ... more This study examined the effects of Tai Chi, a low-impact mind-body movement therapy, on severity of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in centrally obese people with elevated depression symptoms. In total, 213 participants were randomized to a 24-week Tai Chi intervention program or a wait-list control group. Assessments were conducted at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks. Outcomes were severity of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, leg strength, central obesity, and other measures of metabolic symptom. There were statistically significant between-group differences in favor of the Tai Chi group in depression (mean difference = −5.6 units,P<0.001), anxiety (−2.3 units,P<0.01), and stress (−3.6 units,P<0.001) symptom scores and leg strength (1.1 units,P<0.001) at 12 weeks. These changes were further improved or maintained in the Tai Chi group relative to the control group during the second 12 weeks of follow-up. Tai Chi appears to be beneficial for reducing severit...
Energy expenditure rises above resting energy expenditure when physical activity is performed. Th... more Energy expenditure rises above resting energy expenditure when physical activity is performed. The activity-induced energy expenditure varies with the muscle mass involved and the intensity at which the activity is performed: it ranges between 2 and 18 METs approximately. Differences in duration, frequency and intensity of physical activities may create considerable variations in total energy expenditure. The Physical Activity Level (= total energy expenditure divided by resting energy expenditure) varies between 1.2 and 2.2–2.5 in healthy adults. Increases in activity-induced energy expenditure have been shown to result in increases in total energy expenditure, which are usually greater than the increase in activity-induced energy expenditure itself. No evidence for increased spontaneous physical activity, measured by diary, interview or accelerometer, was found. However, this does not exclude increased physical activity that can not be measured by these methods. Part of the differ...
Background:While there is emerging evidence that sedentary behavior is negatively associated with... more Background:While there is emerging evidence that sedentary behavior is negatively associated with health risk, research on the correlates of sitting time in adults is scarce.Methods:Self-report data from 7724 women born between 1973–1978 and 8198 women born between 1946–1951 were collected as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Linear regression models were computed to examine whether demographic, family and caring duties, time use, health, and health behavior variables were associated with weekday sitting time.Results:Mean sitting time (SD) was 6.60 (3.32) hours/day for the 1973–1978 cohort and 5.70 (3.04) hours/day for the 1946–1951 cohort. Indicators of socioeconomic advantage, such as full-time work and skilled occupations in both cohorts and university education in the mid-age cohort, were associated with high sitting time. A cluster of ‘healthy behaviors’ was associated with lower sitting time in the mid-aged women (moderate/high physical activity leve...
IntroductionTraditional behavioural weight loss trials targeting improvements in physical activit... more IntroductionTraditional behavioural weight loss trials targeting improvements in physical activity and diet are modestly effective. It has been suggested that sleep may have a role in weight loss and maintenance. Improving sleep health in combination with physical activity and dietary behaviours may be one strategy to enhance traditional behavioural weight loss trials. Yet the efficacy of a weight loss intervention concurrently targeting improvements in physical activity, dietary and sleep behaviours remains to be tested.Methods and analysisThe primary aim of this three-arm randomised controlled trial is to examine the efficacy of a multicomponent m-Health behaviour change weight loss intervention relative to a waitlist control group. The secondary aims are to compare the relative efficacy of a physical activity, dietary behaviour and sleep intervention (enhanced intervention), compared with a physical activity and dietary behaviour only intervention (traditional intervention), on t...
Socioeconomic position (SEP) is a potential correlate of sedentary behavior in adolescents. The a... more Socioeconomic position (SEP) is a potential correlate of sedentary behavior in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between SEP and self-reported and objective measures of sedentary behavior in adolescents, using a life-course approach. Data from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study were analyzed (N=5249). Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between multiple SEP indicators (maternal education, family income, SEP composite, cumulative family income) at birth, 11, 15 and 18years, and five sedentary behavior outcomes (≥4h/day screen time; ≥4h/day TV; ≥2h/day computer; ≥2h/day video game; ≥12.7h/day objectively measured sedentary time) at 11, 15 and 18years, were examined. In cross-sectional analyses, higher SEP was positively associated with more screen time at ages 11 and 15years. There was a consistent and positive association between higher SEP with time spent using a computer, and with sedentary time assessed through accelerometry. SE...
Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2018
Few studies have examined the causal relationship between transport mode and body mass index (BMI... more Few studies have examined the causal relationship between transport mode and body mass index (BMI). We examined between-person differences and within-person changes in BMI by transport mode over four time points between 2007 and 2013. Data were from the How Areas in Brisbane Influence HealTh and AcTivity project, a population-representative study of persons aged 40-65 in 2007 (baseline) residing in 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia. The analytic sample comprised 9931 respondents who reported on their main transport for all travel purposes (work-related and non-work-related). Transport mode was measured as private motor vehicle (PMV), public transport, walking and cycling. Self-reported height and weight were used to derive BMI. Sex-specific analyses were conducted using multilevel hybrid regression before and after adjustment for time-varying and time-invariant confounders. Independent of transport mode and after adjustment for confounders, average BMI increased significantl...
There is a need to reduce physical inactivity and poor sleep health in the adult population to de... more There is a need to reduce physical inactivity and poor sleep health in the adult population to decrease chronic disease rates and the associated burden. Given the high prevalence of these risk behaviours, effective interventions with potential for wide reach are warranted. The aim of this two-arm RCT will be to test the effect of a three month personalised mobile app intervention on two main outcomes: minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity and overall sleep quality. In addition, between-group changes in health-related quality of life and mental health status will be assessed as secondary outcomes. The pre-specified mediators and moderators include social cognitive factors, the neighbourhood environment, health (BMI, depression, anxiety, stress), sociodemographic factors (age, gender, education) and app usage. Assessments will be conducted after three months (primary endpoint) and six months (follow-up). The intervention will provide access to a specifically deve...
Shift workers are at increased risk of a range of chronic diseases and there is evidence to sugge... more Shift workers are at increased risk of a range of chronic diseases and there is evidence to suggest that these risks can be ameliorated by physical activity. Little is known however about the efficacy of physical activity interventions in shift workers. The aim was therefore to critically review the literature to improve understanding of the efficacy of physical activity promotion initiatives for this occupational group. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of physical activity in shift workers was conducted in 2016-2017 following the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Only seven studies were found. None of the studies measured changes in physical activity behaviour or reported on the timing or setting of the intervention protocols. Instead, most focused on health-related outcomes including body composition, fitness and sleep. Almost all provided physical activity 'prescriptions' with walking or 'aerobic a...
Retirement is a life transition involving an obligatory change in how people use their time. Beca... more Retirement is a life transition involving an obligatory change in how people use their time. Because there are strong associations between use of time and health, different changes in time use following retirement may have different impacts on mental health. 105 participants were followed from 6 months before retirement to 12 months after retirement. At each time-point, use of time was quantified using a validated computerised 24-hour recall. Depression, anxiety and stress were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS21), well-being with the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS), life satisfaction with the Australian Unity Personal Well-being Index (AUPWI), and self-esteem with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Time-use data were analysed using compositional data analysis, which treats the 24-h day as a holistic "activity composition" rather than as individual activity domains. Time flow analytics were used to map patterns of change...
Medicine and science in sports and exercise, Jan 11, 2018
Insufficient physical activity (PA) and inadequate sleep quality (SQ) and sleep duration (SD) are... more Insufficient physical activity (PA) and inadequate sleep quality (SQ) and sleep duration (SD) are highly prevalent behaviours that increase the risk of developing many chronic health conditions. Evidence regarding bi-directional relationships between PA, SQ and SD is inconsistent. As changes in one of these behaviours may impact on the other, it is important to understand the nature of the bi-directional relationship between physical activity and sleep. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between changes in physical activity, sleep quality and sleep duration over a 2-year period in middle-aged adults. Participants were adults aged 42-72 years from Brisbane, Australia. Mail surveys were used to assess PA, SQ, SD, socio-demographic and health characteristics in 2011 and 2013 (n=3,649). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between patterns of change in PA, SQ and SD over the two years. Improving or maintaining...
This study aimed to identify how different patterns of physical activity, sleep duration and slee... more This study aimed to identify how different patterns of physical activity, sleep duration and sleep quality cluster together, and to examine how the identified clusters differ in terms of socio-demographic and health characteristics. Participants were adults from Brisbane, Australia, aged 42-72 years who reported their physical activity, sleep duration, sleep quality, socio-demographic and health characteristics in 2011 (n=5854). Two-step Cluster Analyses were used to identify clusters. Cluster differences in socio-demographic and health characteristics were examined using chi square tests (p<0.05). Four clusters were identified: 'Poor Sleepers' (31.2%), 'Moderate Sleepers' (30.7%), 'Mixed Sleepers/Highly Active' (20.5%), and 'Excellent Sleepers/Mixed Activity' (17.6%). The 'Poor Sleepers' cluster had the highest proportion of participants with less-than-recommended sleep duration and poor sleep quality, had the poorest health characteristic...
the aim of this study was to explore the associations between use of time and momentary hedonic a... more the aim of this study was to explore the associations between use of time and momentary hedonic affect ('enjoyment') in adults in the peri-retirement period. a total of 124 adults [61 males, 63 females; age 62 (4) years] completed a computerised use-of-time recall on 4 days at each of four time points (3-6 months pre-, 3, 6 and 12 months post-retirement), as well as surveys regarding self-reported health, well-being, sleep quality and loneliness. They reported how much they enjoyed each activity on a 0-10 scale. An individual Enjoyment Index was calculated as the time-weighted average of each participant's enjoyment ratings. Time-weighted enjoyment ratings were also calculated for nine mutually exclusive and exhaustive activity domains (Sleep, Chores, Work, Social, Screen Time, Self-care, Quiet Time, Transport, Physical Activity) and sub-domains. the mean (±SD) Enjoyment Index was 7.43 ± 0.61, and was significantly and positively associated with well-being (P = 0.003 to ...
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) complicates approximately 3-11% of pregnancies and increases ... more Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) complicates approximately 3-11% of pregnancies and increases the risk on prenatal morbidity and later development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour are thought to play a role in the development of GDM, independent of overweight and obesity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and the development of GDM using a population-based prospective cohort study. Data from the youngest (1973-1978) cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s Health (n=2913) were used to determine the influences of self-reported physical activity, and sedentary behaviour in 2000 and 2003 on the development of GDM over subsequent three year periods, with adjustment for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. In this cohort of Australian women, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in 2000 and 2003 were not associated with the development of GDM in the subsequent three years. In adjusted models, odds ratios for the development of GDM were 1.92 (95% CI 1.25-2.96) for overweight women (BMI 25-30 kg/m2) and 3.11 (1.92-5.03) for obese women (BMI≥30 kg/m2) compared with normal weight women. Those with lower education and women born in an Asian country also had higher risk of developing GDM than more highly educated and Australian born women, respectively. In conclusion, pre-pregnancy physical activity and sedentary behaviour appear to be less important in the development of GDM in this cohort than overweight and obesity.
Many adults are insufficiently physically active, have prolonged sedentary behaviour and report p... more Many adults are insufficiently physically active, have prolonged sedentary behaviour and report poor sleep. These behaviours can be improved by interventions that include education, goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback strategies. Few interventions have explicitly targeted these behaviours simultaneously or examined the relative efficacy of different self-monitoring methods. This study aims to compare the efficacy of two self-monitoring methods in an app-based multi-behaviour intervention to improve objectively measured physical activity, sedentary, and sleep behaviours, in a 9 week 2-arm randomised trial. Participants will be adults (n = 64) who report being physically inactive, sitting >8 h/day and frequent insufficient sleep (≥14 days out of last 30). The "Balanced" intervention is delivered via a smartphone 'app', and includes education materials (guidelines, strategies to promote change in behaviour), goal setting, self-monitoring and feedback suppor...
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015
This study examined the effects of Tai Chi, a low-impact mind-body movement therapy, on severity ... more This study examined the effects of Tai Chi, a low-impact mind-body movement therapy, on severity of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in centrally obese people with elevated depression symptoms. In total, 213 participants were randomized to a 24-week Tai Chi intervention program or a wait-list control group. Assessments were conducted at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks. Outcomes were severity of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, leg strength, central obesity, and other measures of metabolic symptom. There were statistically significant between-group differences in favor of the Tai Chi group in depression (mean difference = −5.6 units,P<0.001), anxiety (−2.3 units,P<0.01), and stress (−3.6 units,P<0.001) symptom scores and leg strength (1.1 units,P<0.001) at 12 weeks. These changes were further improved or maintained in the Tai Chi group relative to the control group during the second 12 weeks of follow-up. Tai Chi appears to be beneficial for reducing severit...
Energy expenditure rises above resting energy expenditure when physical activity is performed. Th... more Energy expenditure rises above resting energy expenditure when physical activity is performed. The activity-induced energy expenditure varies with the muscle mass involved and the intensity at which the activity is performed: it ranges between 2 and 18 METs approximately. Differences in duration, frequency and intensity of physical activities may create considerable variations in total energy expenditure. The Physical Activity Level (= total energy expenditure divided by resting energy expenditure) varies between 1.2 and 2.2–2.5 in healthy adults. Increases in activity-induced energy expenditure have been shown to result in increases in total energy expenditure, which are usually greater than the increase in activity-induced energy expenditure itself. No evidence for increased spontaneous physical activity, measured by diary, interview or accelerometer, was found. However, this does not exclude increased physical activity that can not be measured by these methods. Part of the differ...
Background:While there is emerging evidence that sedentary behavior is negatively associated with... more Background:While there is emerging evidence that sedentary behavior is negatively associated with health risk, research on the correlates of sitting time in adults is scarce.Methods:Self-report data from 7724 women born between 1973–1978 and 8198 women born between 1946–1951 were collected as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Linear regression models were computed to examine whether demographic, family and caring duties, time use, health, and health behavior variables were associated with weekday sitting time.Results:Mean sitting time (SD) was 6.60 (3.32) hours/day for the 1973–1978 cohort and 5.70 (3.04) hours/day for the 1946–1951 cohort. Indicators of socioeconomic advantage, such as full-time work and skilled occupations in both cohorts and university education in the mid-age cohort, were associated with high sitting time. A cluster of ‘healthy behaviors’ was associated with lower sitting time in the mid-aged women (moderate/high physical activity leve...
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