Publications

The current physical literacy level of Canadian children is unknown. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Learn to Play - Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) project, which is anchored in the Canadian consensus statement definition of physical literacy, aimed to help establish the current physical literacy level of Canadian children.The CAPL was used to assess the physical literacy (and component domains: Daily Behaviour, Physical Competence, Knowledge and Understanding, and Motivation and Confidence) of Canadian children aged 8-12 years. Data were collected from 11 sites across Canada, yielding a sample of 10,034 participants (5030 girls). Descriptive statistics by age and gender were calculated and percentile distributions of physical literacy scores, including each domain and individual measure, were derived.The mean age of participants was 10.1 ± 1.2 years. Total physical literacy scores (out of 100) were on average 63.1 ± 13.0 for boys and 62.2 ± 11.3 for girls. For boys and girls respectively, domain scores were 19.9 ± 4.7 and 19.3 ± 4.1 (out of 32) for Physical Competence; 18.6 ± 7.9 and 18.5 ± 7.4 (out of 32) for Daily Behaviour; 12.7 ± 2.8 and 12.2 ± 2.6 (out of 18) for Motivation and Confidence; and 11.8 ± 2.8 and 12.2 ± 2.6 (out of 18) for Knowledge and Understanding. Physical Competence measures were on average 28.1 ± 8.4 cm (sit-and-reach flexibility), 33.5 ± 9.4 kg (grip strength, right + left), 23.4 ± 14.1 laps (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run [PACER] shuttle run), 61.8 ± 43.8 s (isometric plank), 19.0 ± 3.8 kg/m2 (body mass index), 67.3 ± 10.8 cm (waist circumference), and 20.6 ± 3.9 out of 28 points for the Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment (CAMSA), with scores for boys higher than girls and older children higher than younger children for grip strength, PACER, plank, and CAMSA score. Girls and younger children had better scores on the sit-and-reach flexibility than boys and older children. Daily pedometer step counts were higher in boys than girls (12,355 ± 4252 vs. 10,779 ± 3624), and decreased with age.These results provide the largest and most comprehensive assessment of physical literacy of Canadian children to date, providing a "state of the nation" baseline, and can be used to monitor changes and inform intervention strategies going forward.

Context Opportunities for young people to be sedentary have increased during leisure time, study time, and transportation time. Purpose This review paper focuses on sedentary behaviors among young people aged 2–18 years and includes evidence of the relationship between sedentary behavior and health risk indicators, an overview of public health recommendations, the prevalence of key sedentary behaviors, evidence of correlates of sedentary behavior and the effectiveness of interventions to reduce sedentary behaviors. Evidence acquisition Although this is a narrative style review and not systematic, where possible, findings from relevant review papers were summarized and a search of more recent literature was performed using computer-based databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, ERIC, PsycINFO, Social Science Index, SportDiscus, and Health Reference Center – Academic. Evidence synthesis Young people spend 2–4 hours per day in screen-based behaviors and 5–10 hours per day sedentary. Ethnicity, sociodemographic status, having a TV set in the bedroom, and parental behavior appear to be the most consistent correlates of TV viewing time; however, few recent studies aiming to reduce TV viewing or sedentary time among young people have been successful. Conclusions A growing body of evidence supports the development of public health recommendations to limit the time spent in screen-based behaviors. More research is needed to examine the prospective and experimental evidence of associations between overall sedentary time and health, determinants of sedentary behaviors other than screen-based behaviors, and interventions to reduce overall sedentary time or even alternative sedentary behaviors, such as transport- or education-related sitting time.

No abstract is provided for this article.

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth (Guidelines) recommend that children and youth Sweat, Step, Sleep, and Sit the right amounts. This integrated movement approach shifts from traditional guidelines' that focus on isolated behaviours. An innovative online activity hub - Build Your Best Day (BYDB) was developed in 2016 in partnership with Guideline stakeholders to disseminate the Guidelines among parents. Using the Hierarchy of Effects Model (HOEM) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), the objective of this study was to determine if BYBD was an effective and cost-effective means of Guideline dissemination. Effectiveness was measured by HOEM measures, parental support and hub utilization. An online survey was administered to three different cohorts of parents (n=1208, 939, 751) at three time points (3-, 12-, and 17-months post BYDB release). ANOVA's were used to analyze survey responses. To assess the hub's utilization, data from Google analytics were collected and analyzed. Costs consist of personnel, and hub development. The results revealed negligible changes in social cognitions (e.g. attitudes, intentions) over time (p>.05). Parental support for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity increased over the three timepoints (p

PURPOSE: To compare differences in physical literacy (PL) domain scores between Canadian children meeting Canada’s physical activity (PA) guidelines and those not meeting the guidelines. METHODS: Children (n = 2,215) aged 8-12 years, with parental consent, from seven Canadian provinces had their PL levels measured by trained research staff using the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL). The CAPL is valid, reliable, and consists of 4 domains (physical competence; daily behaviour; knowledge and understanding; and motivation and confidence) that provide a composite PL score—scoring was adjusted for age in all domains and for sex in the physical competence domain. Weekly PA levels were measured by pedometers that were worn by participants for a minimum of 3 valid days (≥10 h wear time/day). Children were grouped for analysis based on those meeting Canadian PA guidelines (≥12,000 steps ≥6 days/week) and those not meeting the guidelines. All comparisons were performed using ANCOVAs to control for age, sex and seasonality differences in PA. RESULTS: After controlling for age, sex and seasonality, children meeting PA guidelines had significantly higher physical competence (F = 67.92, p<0.0001) and motivation and confidence (F = 21.01, p<0.0001) domain scores compared to children not meeting the guidelines. No differences were observed in children meeting PA guidelines compared to children not meeting the guidelines for the knowledge and understanding domain (F = 78.21, p = 0.53). CONCLUSION: These results reinforce the importance of Canadian children meeting PA guidelines, as there seem to be favourable associations with physical competence measures and motivation and confidence scores.

Objective. This article compares prevalence estimates of excess weight among Canadian children and youth according to three sets of body mass index (BMI) reference cut-points. The cut-points are based on growth curves generated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). A secondary objective is to compare estimates by method of data collection. Methods. Prevalence estimates of overweight and obesity were produced for 2- to 17-year-olds using the three sets of BMI cut-points. Estimates are based on data from 8 661 respondents from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey and 1 840 respondents from the 1978/79 Canada Health Survey. In both surveys, the height and weight of children were measured. Results. The 2004 prevalence estimate for the combined overweight/obese category is higher (35%) when based on the WHO cut-points compared with the IOTF (26%) or CDC (28%) cut-points. Estimates of the prevalence of obesity are similar based on WHO and CDC cut-points (13%), but lower when based on IOTF cut-points (8%). Absolute differences in excess weight estimates between 1978/79 and 2004 are similar based on the three sets of cut-points, but the relative increase is greater when based on the IOTF cut-points. Estimates vary substantially by method of data collection. Conclusion. When interpreting prevalence estimates of overweight and obesity for children and youth, it is important to consider the definitions used and the method of data collection.Key words:: Adolescentsbody mass indexbody weightchildrengrowthobesityoverweightreference standards Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

The aims of this study were as follows: to estimate the mortality and years of life lost, assessed by disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), due to breast cancer attributable to physical inactivity in Brazilian women; to compare the estimates attributable to physical inactivity and to other modifiable risk factors; and to analyse the temporal evolution of these estimates within Brazilian states over 25 years (1990-2015), compared with global estimates. Databases from the Global Burden of Disease Study for Brazil, Brazilian states, and other parts of the world were used. Physical inactivity has contributed to a substantial number of deaths (1990: 875; 2015: 2,075) and DALYs (1990: 28,089; 2015: 60,585) due to breast cancer in Brazil. Physical inactivity was responsible for more deaths and DALYs (~12.0%) due to breast cancer than other modifiable risk factors (~5.0%). The Brazilian states with better socioeconomic indicators had higher age-standardized rates of mortality and morbidity due to breast cancer attributable to physical inactivity. From 1990 to 2015, mortality due to breast cancer attributable to physical inactivity increased in Brazil (0.77%; 95%U.I.: 0.27-1.47) and decreased (-2.84%; 95%U.I.: -4.35 - -0.10) around the world. These findings support the promotion of physical activity in the Brazilian female population to prevent and manage breast cancer.

Sixteen, cross-trained, premenopausal women participated in an endurance, resistance, and control session to compare hormone responses. The resistance session included 3 sets of eight exercises at 10 RM intensity. The endurance session consisted of a 40-min cycling protocol at 75% of maximal heart rate. During the control session, subjects rested for 35 min. Serum DHEA, estradiol, testosterone, growth hormone, IGF-I, cortisol, and plasma lactate concentrations were measured pre-exercise, post-exercise, and 30 min into recovery. Differences in intensity variables existed between the three sessions. Endurance exercise elicited increases in growth hormone, estradiol, and testosterone compared to the control session, and growth hormone increased after the resistance compared to the control session. The exercise protocols used in this study indicate that an acute bout of exercise can stimulate the endocrine system in premenopausal females. In addition, these results indicate that differences exist between these two exercise protocols when compared to a control session. Key words: dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, estradiol, growth hormone, IGF-I

No abstract is provided for this article.

This paper provides a brief overview of the Canadian physical activity communications and social marketing organization "ParticipACTION"; introduces the "new" ParticipACTION; describes the research process leading to the collection of baseline data on the new ParticipACTION; and outlines the accompanying series of papers in the supplement presenting the detailed baseline data.Information on ParticipACTION was gathered from close personal involvement with the organization, from interviews and meetings with key leaders of the organization, from published literature and from ParticipACTION archives. In 2001, after nearly 30 years of operation, ParticipACTION ceased operations because of inadequate funding. In February 2007 the organization was officially resurrected and the launch of the first mass media campaign of the "new" ParticipACTION occurred in October 2007. The six-year absence of ParticipACTION, or any equivalent substitute, provided a unique opportunity to examine the impact of a national physical activity social marketing organization on important individual and organizational level indicators of success. A rapid response research team was established in January 2007 to exploit this natural intervention research opportunity.The research team was successful in obtaining funding through the new Canadian Institutes of Health Research Intervention Research (Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention) Funding Program. Data were collected on individuals and organizations prior to the complete implementation of the first mass media campaign of the new ParticipACTION.Rapid response research and funding mechanisms facilitated the collection of baseline information on the new ParticipACTION. These data will allow for comprehensive assessments of future initiatives of ParticipACTION.

This article examines sedentary behaviours (television viewing, computer use and reading) in relation to obesity among Canadian adults aged 20 to 64 years.The analysis is based on 42,612 respondents from the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey Cross-tabulations were used to compare the prevalence of obesity by time engaged in sedentary behaviours. Multiple logistic regression models were used to determine if associations between sedentary behaviours and obesity were independent of the effects of sociodemographic variables, leisure-time physical activity and diet.Approximately one-quarter of men (25%) and women (24%) who reported watching television 21 or more hours per week were classified as obese. The prevalence of obesity was substantially lower for those who averaged 5 or fewer hours of television per week (14% of men and 11% of women). When examined in multivariate models controlling for leisure-time physical activity and diet, the associations between time spent watching television and obesity persisted for both sexes. Frequent computer users (11 or more hours per week) of both sexes had increased odds of obesity, compared with those who used computers for 5 or fewer hours per week. Time spent reading was not related to obesity.