Publications

The aim of this review was to consolidate and synthesize existing evidence regarding current knowledge and awareness of the Canadian Physical Activity (PA) and Sedentary Behaviour (SB) Guidelines. MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed publications pertaining to the guidelines. Content experts, key organizations (i.e., ParticipACTION and the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute), journal Web sites, and service organizations (i.e., the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and the Public Health Agency of Canada) were consulted for additional evidence. Scientific publications (n = 6) and research from ParticipACTION and the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute reported that awareness of the guidelines is low, especially with respect to the SB guidelines. Less than 10% of survey respondents from the Canadian population were aware of the PA guidelines, and less than 5% were aware of the SB guidelines. Information on the guidelines was available on 51% of public health unit and CSEP partner Web sites. Online metrics (e.g., downloads, site accessions) from CSEP, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and journal Web sites showed that online accession of the guidelines was high (e.g., all “highly accessed” on journal Web sites). This review showed that awareness of the Canadian PA and SB Guidelines is low among the general population but higher among the scientific and stakeholder communities. Governmental, nongovernmental, and stakeholder organizations should collaborate in creating sustained, long-term, and well-resourced communication plans to reach the Canadian population to raise awareness of PA and SB guidelines and should implement programs to facilitate their uptake.

<sec> <title>Introduction</title> Dans cette étude de suivi transversale, nous avons exploré la notoriété de ParticipACTION et le niveau d’activité physique chez les Canadiens après sept ans de campagnes. </sec> <sec> <title>Méthodologie</title> Une enquête à l’échelle de la population a été menée auprès de 7 282 adultes entre février 2014 et mai 2015. Elle a consisté en une série de questions destinées à évaluer la notoriété de ParticipACTION dans le Sondage indicateur de l’activité physique de 2014‑2015. Divers modèles de régression logistique pondérée ont été établis pour déterminer si cette notoriété était associée aux croyances à propos de l’activité physique, aux intentions et à l’activité physique pratiquée durant les loisirs. </sec> <sec> <title>Résultats</title> Environ 20 % des Canadiens avaient une connaissance spontanée de ParticipACTION et le taux de notoriété assistée de ParticipACTION était de 82 %. L’éducation, le revenu et le fait d’avoir des enfants étaient significativement corrélés à la notoriété au sein de la population canadienne. Le rapport de cotes (RC) ajusté de la notoriété (assistée et spontanée) de ParticipACTION était plus élevé chez les personnes à haut niveau de scolarité (RC = 1,57, IC à 95 % : 1,04 à 2,39; RC = 2,00, IC à 95 % : 1,24 à 3,24), à revenu élevé (RC = 3,92, IC à 95 % : 2,35 à 6,53; RC = 2,29, IC à 95 % : 1,44 à 3,62) et ayant des enfants (RC = 1,93, IC à 95 % : 1,40 à 2,66; RC = 1,70, IC à 95 % : 1,26 à 2,30). La notoriété de ParticipACTION était également positivement associée aux attentes en matière de résultats et à l’auto-efficacité, et négativement associée à l’activité physique durant les loisirs. </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusion</title> Le taux de notoriété non assistée de ParticipACTION est plus élevé qu’auparavant et, par ailleurs, les Canadiens inactifs sont plus nombreux que les Canadiens actifs à connaître l’organisme. Étant donné que ParticipACTION a principalement ciblé les parents d’enfants inactifs au cours des sept dernières années, il semble que l’organisme ait partiellement atteint ses objectifs en matière de communication. </sec>

The objective of this systematic review was to examine the relationships between objectively and subjectively measured sleep duration and various health indicators in children and youth aged 5–17 years. Online databases were searched in January 2015 with no date or study design limits. Included studies were peer-reviewed and met the a priori-determined population (apparently healthy children and youth aged 5–17 years), intervention/exposure/comparator (various sleep durations), and outcome (adiposity, emotional regulation, cognition/academic achievement, quality of life/well-being, harms/injuries, and cardiometabolic biomarkers) criteria. Because of high levels of heterogeneity across studies, narrative syntheses were employed. A total of 141 articles (110 unique samples), including 592 215 unique participants from 40 different countries, met inclusion criteria. Overall, longer sleep duration was associated with lower adiposity indicators, better emotional regulation, better academic achievement, and better quality of life/well-being. The evidence was mixed and/or limited for the association between sleep duration and cognition, harms/injuries, and cardiometabolic biomarkers. The quality of evidence ranged from very low to high across study designs and health indicators. In conclusion, we confirmed previous investigations showing that shorter sleep duration is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes. However, the available evidence relies heavily on cross-sectional studies using self-reported sleep. To better inform contemporary sleep recommendations, there is a need for sleep restriction/extension interventions that examine the changes in different outcome measures against various amounts of objectively measured sleep to have a better sense of dose–response relationships.

The primary aim of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) was to determine the relationships between lifestyle behaviours and obesity in a multi-national study of children, and to investigate the influence of higher-order characteristics such as behavioural settings, and the physical, social and policy environments, on the observed relationships within and between countries. The targeted sample included 6000 10-year old children from 12 countries in five major geographic regions of the world (Europe, Africa, the Americas, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific). The protocol included procedures to collect data at the individual level (lifestyle, diet and physical activity questionnaires, accelerometry), family and neighborhood level (parental questionnaires), and the school environment (school administrator questionnaire and school audit tool). A standard study protocol was developed for implementation in all regions of the world. A rigorous system of training and certification of study personnel was developed and implemented, including web-based training modules and regional in-person training meetings. The results of this study will provide a robust examination of the correlates of adiposity and obesity in children, focusing on both sides of the energy balance equation. The results will also provide important new information that will inform the development of lifestyle, environmental, and policy interventions to address and prevent childhood obesity that may be culturally adapted for implementation around the world. ISCOLE represents a multi-national collaboration among all world regions, and represents a global effort to increase research understanding, capacity and infrastructure in childhood obesity.

Computer simulation modeling makes it possible to project physical activity levels and the prevalence of related health outcomes. Such projections can help to inform programs that aim to increase physical activity levels and improve population health.The Population Health Model (POHEM) platform was used to develop a dynamic microsimulation model of physical activity among Canadian adults. Key parameters were derived from the National Population Health Survey (1994/1995 to 2006/2007) and the 2000/2001 Canadian Community Health Survey. To assess the validity of the physical activity module (POHEM-PA), estimates from the simulation projections were compared with results from nationally representative surveys.Trends over time in physical activity levels, chronic disease prevalence, and Health Utilities Index based on POHEM-PA projections were similar to those based on data from subsequent cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey.The addition of a physical activity module to POHEM provides a tool that can improve understanding of the complex dynamics underlying the relationship between physical activity and health outcomes as a population ages.

Background Physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous health benefits among children and youth. However, few studies have examined how active transportation (AT) and device-based measures of PA vary within and between countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Purpose This cross-sectional study sought to investigate the prevalence and correlates of AT and device-measured PA among children living in urban, peri-urban and rural areas in three African countries representing Eastern, Western and Southern regions of Africa. Methods 3,205 participants (53.3% girls; 46.7% boys) aged 10–12 years were recruited in Kenya, Nigeria and Mozambique. Data were collected using a child questionnaire, a parent/guardian questionnaire and PiezoRx® pedometers. ANCOVA and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine the correlates of AT and PA while controlling for gender, age, parent education and vehicle ownership. Results Participants accumulated an average of 45.6±23.5 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and 11,215±4,273 steps/day. Kenyan and Mozambican children were significantly more active than their Nigerian counterparts ( p &lt;0.001). Only 23% met the MVPA guidelines of 60 min/day. 65.1% of participants engaged in AT to school (and 67.8% for the trip back home) with no gender differences. Living in a rural area, lower parent education, lower vehicle ownership and higher motorcycle ownership were associated with higher odds of AT. Other correlates of AT were country-specific. Girls accumulated less daily MVPA than boys in all countries. MVPA was positively associated with living in less urbanized areas in Nigeria and Mozambique. In Kenya, lower parental education and AT were associated with higher MVPA. Nigerian children’s daily MVPA decreased with age and the number of parent-perceived barriers to AT. Conclusions Majority of children engaged in AT, but still failed to meet MVPA recommendations. Most correlates of AT and PA were country-specific, suggesting that strategies to encourage both behaviours should be informed by local evidence.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The primary aim of this study was to determine if screen use in early childhood is associated with overall vulnerability in school readiness at ages 4 to 6 years, as measured by the Early Development Instrument (EDI). Secondary aims were to: (1) determine if screen use was associated with individual EDI domains scores, and (2) examine the association between screen use and EDI domains scores among a subgroup of high screen users.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This prospective cohort study was carried out using data from young children participating in a large primary care practice-based research network in Canada. Logistic regression analyses were run to investigate the association between screen use and overall vulnerability in school readiness. Separate linear regression models examined the relationships between children’s daily screen use and each separate continuous EDI domain.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;A total of 876 Canadian participants participated in this study. Adjusted logistic regression revealed an association between increased screen use and increased vulnerability in school readiness (&lt;em&gt;p&lt;/em&gt; = 0.05). Results from adjusted linear regression demonstrated an association between higher screen use and reduced language and cognitive development domain scores (&lt;em&gt;p&lt;/em&gt; = 0.004). Among high screen users, adjusted linear regression models revealed associations between increased screen use and reduced language and cognitive development (&lt;em&gt;p&lt;/em&gt; = 0.004) and communication skills and general knowledge domain scores (&lt;em&gt;p&lt;/em&gt; = 0.042).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Screen use in early childhood is associated with increased vulnerability in developmental readiness for school, with increased risk for poorer language and cognitive development in kindergarten, especially among high users.&lt;/p&gt;

No abstract is provided for this article.