BACKGROUND Regular physical activity (PA) forms the basis for healthy growth and development. High volume of sedentary behavior (SB) on the other hand is harmful for health. The purpose of the study was to describe objectively measured PA and SB in Finnish school children. Furthermore, the study aimed at analyzing the association between PA, SB and perceived health status. METHODS The partici...

ISSUE ADDRESSED Studies examining children's after-school physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SB) often use arbitrary times to signify the period start and end. A standardised time is required for future research examining this period. The aim of the present study was to compare children's after-school behaviour using three definitions of the after-school period, namely (1) end of ...

One evening in Calcutta about the middle of October soon after dusk when the writer was sitting in his car, which was stationary at the time, he saw a small insect flying towards him. Before he realized what was happening the insect flew straight into the lower lid of his right eye. The sensation for the time being was as if a red-hot charcoal had been put in the eyelid and for about one minute...

Sedentary behavior is not a new topic, but trying to examine the direct links between sedentary behavior and health outcomes, independent of time spent in moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity, is a relatively new addition to the relationships between physical activity and health. Defining sedentary behavior as a risk factor and target for intervention opens up novel avenues for di...

BACKGROUND Interventions to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviours within the workplace have been previously investigated. However, the evolution of these constructs without intervention has not been well documented. This retrospective study explored the natural progression or time kinetics of physical activity, sedentary behaviours and quality of life in a professional skil...

OBJECTIVES To compare levels of physical activity (PA) assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) with PA measured with the SenseWear Pro Armband (SWA) in women with fibromyalgia, and to assess the test-retest reliability of the IPAQ. METHODS The study comprised a total of 183 women with fibromyalgia aged 51.1±8.2 years. Participants wore the SWA for 9 consecutive da...

BACKGROUND Accelerometers can obtain precise measurements of movements during the day. However, the individual activity pattern varies from day-to-day and there is limited evidence on measurement days needed to obtain sufficient reliability. The aim of this study was to examine variability in accelerometer derived data on sedentary behaviour and physical activity at work and in leisure-time dur...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to compare physical activity components in the long, self-administrated version of IPAQ with an accelerometer in a population sample. METHODS In total 980 subjects (18-65 years) wore an accelerometer (Actigraph) for 7 consecutive days and thereafter filled in the IPAQ. Measures of total physical activity, time spent in moderate and in vigorous activity as ...

BACKGROUND Sedentary time (too much sitting, as distinct from lack of exercise) is a prevalent risk to health among older adults. PURPOSE Examine the feasibility of an intervention to reduce and break up sedentary time in older adults. DESIGN A pre-experimental (pre-post) study. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS A total of 59 participants aged ≥60 years from Brisbane, Australia. Data were collected be...