A comprehensive physical activity promotion programme at elementary school: the effects on physical activity, physical fitness and psychosocial correlates of physical activity. Physical activity and skills intervention: SCORES cluster randomized controlled trial. A Longitudinal Study of the Family Physical Activity Environment and Physical Activity among Youth Correlates of preschool children’s objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior: a cross-sectional analysis of the SPLASHY study Physical activity and depression in adolescents: cross-sectional findings from the ALSPAC cohort An internet-supported school physical activity intervention in low socioeconomic status communities: results from the Activity and Motivation in Physical Education (AMPED) cluster randomised controlled trial Changes in enjoyment, self-efficacy, and motivation during a randomized trial to promote habitual physical activity adoption in bariatric surgery patients. Sustained effects of physical activity on bone health: Iowa Bone Development Study. Walk2Bactive: A randomised controlled trial of a physical activity-focused behavioural intervention beyond pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cross-sectional and prospective associations between moderate to vigorous physical activity and sedentary time with adiposity in children Can we skill and activate children through primary school physical education lessons? "Move it Groove it"--a collaborative health promotion intervention. A school-based physical activity program to improve health and fitness in children aged 6–13 years ("Kinder-Sportstudie KISS"): study design of a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN15360785] A Novel Approach to Characterize Physical Activity Patterns in Preschool-Aged Children Volume and intensity of physical activity in a large population-based cohort of middle-aged and older Australians: prospective relationships with weight gain, and physical function. MVPA Is Associated with Lower Weight Gain in 8–10 Year Old Children: A Prospective Study with 1 Year Follow-Up Relationship between physical functioning and physical activity in the lifestyle interventions and independence for elders pilot. Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time: cross-sectional and prospective associations with adiposity in the Millennium Cohort Study
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of a comprehensive physical activity ( PA ) promotion programme in elementary schools on children 's total PA levels , leisure-time PA , physical fitness and psychosocial correlates of PA . DESIGN A pre-test-post-test design over two school years . SETTING AND SUBJECTS Sixteen elementary schools ( 764 children , mean age : 11.2 + /- 0.7 years ) were r and omly assigned to the intervention condition ( n = 8) and the control condition ( n = 8) . The intervention included a health-related physical education programme , an extracurricular PA promotion programme and classroom-based PA education lessons . In the total sample , leisure-time PA , psychosocial correlates of PA and physical fitness were measured using a PA question naire and the Eurofit test battery . In a sub- sample , total PA levels were measured using an accelerometer . RESULTS According to accelerometer data , children 's moderate PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) levels decreased less in the intervention schools than in the control schools ( P < 0.01 ) . The average time spent on MVPA decreased by 9 min per day in the intervention schools compared with 33 min per day in the control schools . Children in the intervention schools reported significantly more moderate PA in leisure time than the controls ( P < 0.05 ) . No overall improvement of physical fitness and no effects on the psychosocial correlates of PA were found . CONCLUSIONS The comprehensive PA promotion programme was successful in preventing a decline in children 's  total activity levels . Furthermore , the intervention increased children 's PA engagement in leisure time . Therefore , implementation needs to be encouraged PURPOSE  Physical activity ( PA  ) declines dramatically during adolescence , and activity levels are consistently lower among children living in low-income communities . Competency in a range of fundamental movement skills ( FMS ) may serve as a protective factor against the decline in PA typically observed during adolescence . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 12-month multicomponent PA and FMS intervention on children attending primary schools in low-income communities . METHODS The Supporting Children 's Outcomes using Rewards , Exercise , and Skills intervention was evaluated using a cluster r and omized controlled trial . The sample included 25 classes from eight primary schools located in low-income communities . Participants were 460 children ( 54.1 % girls ) age 8.5 ± 0.6 yr . Primary outcomes were objective ly measured PA ( ActiGraph GT3X and GT3X+ accelerometers ) , FMS competency ( Test of Gross Motor Development 2 , six locomotor and six object control skills ) , and cardiorespiratory fitness ( 20-m multistage fitness test ) assessed at baseline , midprogram ( 6-months ) , and at posttest ( 12 months ) . Linear mixed models , adjusted for sex , age , body mass index z-score , socioeconomic status , ethnicity , and school class as a r and om factor , were used to assess the effect of the intervention . RESULTS At midprogram , there were no significant intervention effects for any of the outcomes . At posttest ( study 's primary time point ) , there were intervention effects for daily moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) ( adjusted mean difference , 12.7 min·d of MVPA ; 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) , 5.0 - 20.5 ) , overall FMS competency ( 4.9 units ; 95 % CI , -0.04 to 9.8 ) , and cardiorespiratory fitness ( 5.4 laps ; 95 % CI , 2.3 - 8.6 ) . CONCLUSIONS A school-based multicomponent PA and FMS intervention maintained daily MVPA , improved overall FMS competency , and increased cardiorespiratory fitness among children attending primary schools in low-income communities Purpose . Although the family environment is a potentially important influence on children 's  physical activity ( PA )  , prospect i ve data investigating these associations are lacking . This study aim ed to examine the longitudinal relationship between the family environment and PA among youth . Design . A 5-year prospect i ve cohort study . Setting . Nineteen r and omly selected public schools in Melbourne , Australia . Subjects . Families of 5- to 6-year-old ( n = 190 ) and 10- to 12-year-old ( n = 350 ) children . Measures . In 2001 , parents reported their participation in PA , family-based PA , and support and reinforcement for their child 's PA . In 2001 , 2004 , and 2006 ,  moderate to vigorous intensity PA ( MVPA )  was assessed among youth using accelerometers .  Weekend and “ critical window ” ( after school until 6:00 P.M. ) MVPA were examined because we hypothesized that the family environment would most likely influence these behaviors . Analysis . Generalized estimating equations predicted average change in MVPA over 5 years from baseline family environment factors . Results . Maternal role modeling was positively associated with boys ' critical window and weekend ( younger boys ) MVPA .  Paternal reinforcement of PA  was positively associated with critical window and weekend MVPA among all boys , and paternal direct support was positively associated with weekend MVPA ( older boys ) . Among girls , maternal coparticipation in PA predicted critical window MVPA , and sibling coparticipation in PA was directly associated with weekend MVPA ( younger girls ) . Conclusions . Longitudinal relationships , although weak in magnitude , were observed between the family environment and MVPA among youth . Interventions promoting maternal role modeling , paternal reinforcement of and support for PA , and maternal and sibling coparticipation in PA with youth are warranted . ( Am J Health Promot 2011;25[3]:159–167 . Background Identifying ways to promote physical activity and decrease sedentary time during childhood is a key public health issue . Research on the putative influences on preschool children ’s  physical activity ( PA ) and  sedentary behavior  ( SB ) is limited and has yielded inconsistent results . Our aim was to identify correlates of PA and SB in preschool children . Methods Cross-sectional data were drawn from the Swiss Preschoolers ’ Health Study ( SPLASHY ) , a Swiss population -based cohort study . Of 476 two to six year old children , 394 ( 54 % boys ) had valid PA data assessed by accelerometry .  Information on exposure data was directly measured or extracted from parental question naires . Multilevel linear regression modeling was used to separately assess associations between 35 potential correlates and  total PA ( TPA ) , moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) and SB . Results In total , 12 correlates from different domains were identified . TPA and MVPA were greater in boys than girls , increased with age and were positively associated with gross motor skills . Children from single parent families had a higher level of TPA and spent less time sedentary than those living with two parents . Time spent outdoors was positively associated with TPA and negatively with SB . The child ’s activity temperament was related all three outcomes , whereas parental sports club membership , living area per person and neighborhood safety were associated with SB only . Fixed and r and om factors in the final models accounted for 28 % , 32 % and 22 % of the total variance in TPA , MVPA and SB , respectively . Variance decomposition revealed that age , sex and activity temperament were the most influential correlates of both , TPA and MVPA , whereas the child ’s activity temperament , time outdoors and neighborhood safety were identified as the most important correlates of SB . Conclusions A multidimensional set of correlates of young children ’s  activity behavior has been identified . Personal factors had the greatest influence on PA , whereas environmental-level factors had the greatest influence on SB . Moreover , we identified a number of previously unreported , potentially modifiable correlates of young children ’s PA and SB . These factors could serve to define target groups or become valuable targets for change in future interventions .Trial registration Current Controlled Trials IS RCT N41045021 ( date of registration : 21.03.14 ) Purpose Few studies have examined the association between physical activity ( PA ) , measured objective ly , and  adolescent depressive symptoms .  The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between objective measures of PA ( total PA and time spent in moderate and vigorous PA ( MVPA ) ) and adolescent depressive symptoms . Methods Data on 2,951 adolescents participating in ALSPAC were used .  Depressive symptoms were measured using the self-report Mood and Feelings Question naire ( MFQ )  ( short version ) . Measures of  PA  were based on accelerometry . The association between PA and MFQ scores was modelled using ordinal regression . Results Adolescents who were more physically active ( total PA or minutes of MVPA ) had a reduced odds of depressive symptoms [ ORadj  total PA  ( tertiles ) : medium 0.82 ( 95 % CI : 0.69 , 0.97 ) ; high 0.69 ( 95 % CI : 0.57 , 0.83 ) ] ; ORadj per 15 min MVPA  : 0.92 ( 95 % CI : 0.86 , 0.98 ) . In a multivariable model including both  total PA  and the percentage of time spent in MVPA , total PA  was associated with depressive symptoms ( ORadj  total PA  ( tertiles ) : medium 0.82 ( 95 % CI : 0.70 , 0.98 ) ; high 0.70 ( 95 % CI : 0.58 , 0.85 ) but the percentage of time spent in  MVPA  was not independently associated with depressive symptoms [ ORadj MVPA ( tertiles ) medium 1.05 ( 95 % CI : 0.88 , 1.24 ) , high 0.91 ( 95 % CI : 0.77 , 1.09 ) ] . Conclusions The total amount of PA undertaken was associated with  adolescent depressive symptoms , but the amount of time spent in MVPA , once total PA was accounted for , was not . If confirmed in longitudinal studies and r and omised controlled trials , this would have important implication s for public health messages Objective Quality physical education ( PE ) is the cornerstone of comprehensive school physical activity ( PA ) promotion programmes . We tested the efficacy of a teacher professional learning intervention , delivered partially via the internet , design ed to maximise opportunities for students to be active during PE lessons and enhance adolescents ’ motivation towards PE and PA . Methods A two-arm cluster r and omised controlled trial with teachers and Grade 8 students from secondary schools in low socioeconomic areas of Western Sydney , Australia .  The Activity and Motivation in Physical Education ( AMPED ) intervention for secondary school PE teachers  included workshops , online learning , implementation tasks and mentoring sessions . The primary outcome was the proportion of PE lesson time that students spent in  moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) , measured by accelerometers at baseline , postintervention ( 7–8 months after baseline ) and maintenance ( 14–15 months ) . Secondary outcomes included observed PE teachers ’ behaviour during lessons , students ’ leisure-time PA and students ’ motivation . Results Students ( n=1421 ) from 14 schools completed baseline assessment s and were included in linear mixed model analyses . The intervention had positive effects on students ’ MVPA during lessons . At postintervention , the adjusted mean difference in the proportion of lesson time spent in MVPA was 5.58 % ( p<0.001 , approximately 4 min/lesson ) . During the maintenance phase , this effect was 2.64 % ( p<0.001 , approximately 2 min/lesson ) . The intervention had positive effects on teachers ’ behaviour , but did not impact students ’ motivation . Conclusions AMPED produced modest improvements in MVPA and compares favourably with previous interventions delivered exclusively face-to-face . Online teacher training could help facilitate widespread dissemination of professional learning interventions . Trial registration number ACTRN12614000184673 BACKGROUND The Bari-Active trial found that a physical activity ( PA ) intervention ( PAI ) , versus st and ard presurgical care control ( SC ) , produced significant increases in daily bout-related moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA , in≥10-min bouts ) preoperatively . The present study examined whether PAI also produces superior improvements in psychological and /or motivational processes that may be important for PA adoption . OBJECTIVES Compare PAI and SC on baseline to postintervention changes in PA-related enjoyment , self-efficacy , and motivations , and examine whether greater bout-related MVPA changes are associated with greater improvements in these variables . SETTING University hospital , United States . METHODS Participants ( 87 % female ; body mass index = 45.0±6.5 kg/m(2 ) ) were r and omly assigned to 6 weeks of PAI ( n = 40 ) or SC ( n = 35 ) . PAI received weekly counseling sessions to increase daily walking exercise . At baseline and postintervention , both groups completed 7-day objective PA monitoring and question naires to evaluate changes in bout-related MVPA and PA enjoyment , self-efficacy , and motivation . RESULTS Retention was 84 % at postintervention . Intent-to-treat analyses showed that PAI on average reported more favorable changes than SC in PA enjoyment , self-efficacy , amotivation ( i.e. , lack of PA motivation ) , and identified and intrinsic regulations ( i.e. , more autonomous PA motivations ; P<.01 ) . In PAI completers ( n = 33 ) , changes in bout-related MVPA and psychological/motivational variables were unrelated . CONCLUSION PAI produced greater improvements in PA-related enjoyment , self-efficacy , and motivations  than SC . The lack of association between objective ly measured PA changes and psychological/motivational processes highlights the need for future research to identify which processes are most important for PA adoption and maintenance in bariatric surgery patients , and to determine whether the method used to measure PA affects the pattern of association Studies of youth athletics and interventions have shown some maintenance of bone mineral content ( BMC ; g ) after cessation of training , but less is known about sustained effects of everyday physical activity ( PA ) . Using a prospect i ve cohort , this report examined potential effects of  childhood PA  on  adolescent BMC . Participants ( N=156 boys , 170 girls ) had exams at ages 5 , 13 , and 15 . Body size and maturity were determined using anthropometry . Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA ( MVPA ) and vigorous-intensity PA ( Vigorous PA ) were measured using accelerometry .  BMC of the spine and hip was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry . Mixed regression models tested whether PA at age 5 affected BMC at ages 13 and 15 after adjustment for age ( year ) , height ( cm ) , weight ( kg ) , maturity ( pre-peak height velocity or post ) , and activity level ( min/day ) . Analysis was repeated to control for age 5 BMC . On average , boys participated in 59 , 52 , and 38 min of MVPA and 13 , 17 , and 11 min of Vigorous PA at ages 5 , 13 , and 15 , respectively . MVPA ( β=0.799 ) and Vigorous PA ( β=1.338 ) at age 5 predicted later spine BMC ( p<0.05 ) . MVPA ( β=0.480 ) at age 5 predicted hip BMC . Girls participated in 47 , 33 , and 26 min of MVPA and 10 , 9 and 7 min of Vigorous PA at ages 5 , 13 , and 15 , respectively . Neither MVPA nor Vigorous PA  predicted later spine BMC . MVPA ( β=0.302 ) at age 5 predicted hip BMC . After controlling for BMC at age 5 as well as the other covariates , the effect of MVPA ( β=0.695 ) and Vigorous PA ( β=1.079 ) at age 5 remained significant for boys at the spine . For girls , neither MVPA nor Vigorous PA at age 5 predicted spine or hip BMC . Children 's early PA  appears to have a modest effect on  adolescent BMC at the critical regions of spine and hip ; benefits may be greater for geometric changes , which future studies should include The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a physical activity (PA)-focused behavioural intervention during and after  pulmonary rehabilitation ( PR ) on PA levels ( primary aim ) , health-related outcomes and self-efficacy ( secondary aims ) of patients with COPD . Thirty-two patients were r and omly assigned to an experimental group ( EG ) or control group ( CG ) . The EG received a PA-focused behavioural intervention during PR ( 3 months ) and follow-up support ( 3 months ) . The CG received PR ( 3 months ) . Daily PA was collected : number of steps ; time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) , total PA and sedentary activities ( SA ) . Secondary outcomes comprised exercise capacity , muscle strength , health-related quality of life ( HRQOL ) and self-efficacy . Measures were collected at baseline , 3 and 6 months . Compared with the CG , the EG improved the number of steps ( p = 0.006 ) and time spent in MVPA ( p = 0.007 ) , total PA ( p = 0.014 ) and SA ( p = 0.018 ) at 3 months . Differences were maintained after follow-up support ( 0.025 ≤ p ≤ 0.040 ) , except for SA ( p = 0.781 ) . Exercise capacity , muscle strength and HRQOL were increased at 3 and 6 months ( p ≤ 0.002 ) with no between-group differences ( 0.148 ≤ p ≤ 0.987 ) . No changes were observed in self-efficacy ( p = 0.899 ) . A PA-focused behavioural intervention during and after PR may improve patients ' PA levels . Further research is warranted to assess the sustainability of the findings Background : Physical activity ( PA ) and sedentary time ( SED ) have both been suggested as potential risk factors for adiposity in children . However , there is paucity of data examining the temporal associations between these variables . Objective : This study aim ed to analyze the cross-sectional and prospect i ve associations between PA , SED and body composition in children . Methods : A total of 510 children ( age at baseline 10.1±0.8 , age at follow-up 11.8±0.9 ) from six Portuguese schools from the Oeiras Municipality participated in this study .  PA and SED were measured by accelerometry and trunk fat mass ( TFM ) and body fat mass ( BFM )  were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry .  Fat mass index ( FMI ) was calculated as BFM divided by height squared . Several regression models adjusted for age , sex , maturity status , follow-up duration , baseline levels of the outcome variable and SED or moderate to vigorous PA ( MVPA ) were performed . Results : MVPA ( min per day ) was cross-sectionally inversely associated with adiposity indexes ( FMI , TFM and BFM ) . Adiposity indexes were inversely associated with time in MVPA . In prospect i ve analyses , MVPA was associated with a lower levels of FMI ( β=−0.37 , 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) : −0.49 to −0.26 , P<0.001 ) , TFM ( β=−0.20 , 95 % CI : −0.29 to −0.10 , P<0.001 ) and BFM ( β=−0.37 , 95 % CI : −0.49 to −0.26 , P<0.001 ) . When the model was adjusted for age , sex , maturity status and for baseline levels of the outcome variables MVPA remained a significant predictor of lower adiposity indexes ( FMI : β=−0.09 , 95 % CI : −0.16 to −0.01 , P<0.05 ; TFM : β=−0.08 , 95 % CI : −0.15 to −0.01 , P<0.05 ; BFM : β=−0.07 , 95 % CI : −0.15 to 0.00 , P<0.05 ) . Adiposity was not associated  with MVPA when modeled as the exposure in prospect i ve analyses . SED was not related with adiposity indexes , except for the relationship with FMI . Conclusions : In cross-sectional and prospect i ve analyses , MVPA is associated with lower adiposity independent of covariates and SED . Results suggest that promoting MVPA is important for preventing gain in adiposity in healthy children BACKGROUND Physical education ( PE ) lessons are an ideal setting to improve child fundamental movement skills ( FMSs ) and increase physical activity ( PA ) for optimal health . Despite this , few studies have assessed the potential to do both simultaneously . The " Move It Groove It " primary school intervention in New South Wales , Australia , had this opportunity . METHODS A whole school approach to implementation included establishment of school project teams , a teacher " buddy " system , project Web site , teacher training workshops , and small grants for equipment . The quasi-experimental evaluation involved 1,045 year 3 and 4 children ( aged 7 to 10 years ) in nine intervention and nine control rural primary schools ( 53 % boys/47 % girls ) . It utilised pre- and postobservational surveys of ( 1 ) mastery or near mastery levels for each of eight FMSs , ( 2 ) proportion of PE lesson time spent in moderate to vigorous PA ( MVPA ) and vigorous PA ( VPA ) , and ( 3 ) teacher- and lesson-related context ual covariates . Data were analysed by hierarchical logistic multiple regression . RESULTS For FMSs , overall mastery or near mastery level at baseline was 47 % ranging from 22.7 % for the overarm throw among girls to 75.4 % for the static balance among boys . The intervention delivered substantial improvements in every FMS for both genders ranging from 7.2 % to 25.7 % ( 13 of 16 comparisons were significant ) . For PA level , mean MVPA at baseline was 34.7 % . Baseline MVPA for boys was 38.7 % and for girls was 33.2 % . The intervention was associated with a nonsignificant 4.5 % increase in MVPA and a significant 3.0 % increase in VPA . This translates to a gain of < 1 minute of MVPA per average 21-minute lesson . CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to show that by modifying existing PE lessons , significant improvements in FMS mastery can be gained without adversely affecting children 's MVPA and VPA . To increase PA levels , we recommend increasing the number of PE lessons per week Background Childhood obesity is the result of a long lasting imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure . A major contributing factor is physical inactivity which is closely linked to bone health , cardiovascular disease risk , fitness and psychological factors . The school seems to provide an excellent setting to enhance levels of  physical activity ( PA ) .  However , there is insufficient data from previous school-based intervention trials on how to enhance overall PA . It is also unknown whether an intervention aim ed at increasing PA is effective in improving the children 's health . The purpose of this paper is to outline the design of a school-based r and omized , controlled trial ( RCT ) aim ing to increase overall PA and to improve fitness and health in 6- to 13-year-old children . Methods / Design 15 schools were r and omized to the intervention ( n = 9 ) or the control ( n = 6 ) group , stratified by geographic region ( urban vs. rural ) and by age ( 1st and 5th grade ) . Participation was given for all children in the intervention group since in this group the intervention was part of the normal school curriculum . The intervention during one academic year consisted of : 1 . two additional physical education classes per week given by trained physical education teachers adding up to a total of five PA classes per week , 2 . short PA breaks ( 2–5 min each ) during academic lessons , 3 . PA home work , and 4 . adaptation of recreational areas around the school . All children underwent  anthropometric measurements , blood pressure assessment , fitness testing , measurement of PA  and they filled out question naires . At least 70 % of all children agreed to blood sampling and measurements of body composition and bone mineral measurements by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry . The primary endpoints of the study after one year were an increase in total PA by accelerometry , an increase in aerobic fitness measured by the 20 m shuttle run , a decrease in percent body fat derived from skinfold measurements and an increase in quality of life as assessed by the child health question naire in the intervention group compared to the control group . Secondary outcomes were overall fitness , differences in body composition including body fat distribution , cardiovascular risk factors , psychosocial health , bone mineral content and density of femur , lumbar spine and total body and food intake . Discussion Our preliminary data suggest that the children were representative of Swiss children with respect to sex , socio-demographic status , and body mass index . Short-term results can be expected by the beginning of 2007 . We hypothesized that our intervention will lead to an increase in PA , fitness and overall health . Based on our data , we aim to provide important information regarding the influence of such an intervention on these outcome measures in school-aged children and to provide nationwide guidelines to improve PA in children Objective Routine moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) is associated with better health outcomes ; the purpose of this work was to evaluate healthy preschooler physical activity patterns with objective measurement . Methods and Procedures An objective prospect i ve study of fifty normally-developing children 3–5 years old who were ≥50th and < 95th BMI percentile and enrolled in a family-based healthy lifestyle study in 2011–2012 . Participants wore a tri-axial accelerometer for 7 continuous days . Outcome measures consisted of wear time examining four common MVPA patterns : isolated spurt ( IS ) , isolated sustained activity ( ISA ) , clustered spurt ( CS ) , and clustered sustained activity ( CSA ) . Results Participants were 4.3 years , 56 % female , 52 % African-American , and 26 % overweight . Forty-five children met wear time criteria . On average , children spent 14.5 % of wake-wear time in MVPA , requiring 11.3 hours to complete 90 % of their daily MVPA . Children spent the majority of MVPA in CS ( 62.1 % , followed by CSA ( 20.1 % ) . Remaining MVPA was spent in IS ( 15.5 % ) and ISA ( 2.3 % ) . Conclusion It takes most of the waking day for preschoolers to attain their PA . They engage in short spurts of small duration , in four common MVPA patterns . Utilizing this method could better characterize preschooler physical activity needs in practice and policy guidelines OBJECTIVES To examine prospect ively whether higher proportions of vigorous physical activity ( VPA ) , independent of total activity volume , are associated with better outcomes in weight maintenance and physical function . METHODS We used three-year longitudinal data ( 2006/07 - 2009/10 ) of adults 45 and older ( n=32,087 ; 59.5±9.3years ) from New South Wales , Australia . Logistic regression models examined odds of weight gain and functional decline by volume and intensity of physical activity . RESULTS On average , body weight increased by 0.66 kg ( SD=5.83 , p<0.001 ) ; a vali date d physical function score ( MOS-PF ) decreased by 4.79 ( SD=12.56 , p<0.001 ) . There was a 10 % reduction in the odds of weight gain for participants who reported 300min/week or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) compared to less than 150min of MVPA . The proportion of MVPA that was vigorous was not associated with weight change . With the physical functioning outcome , there were independent protective effects from volume and intensity of physical activity . Independent of total MVPA , each 1 % increase in the proportion of total activity that was vigorous was associated with a 0.3 % decrease in the odds of decline in physical function . CONCLUSION These prospect i ve findings indicate that VPA per se plays an important role in the prevention of functional decline Background Studies relating physical activity ( PA ) to  weight gain in children have produced mixed results , although there is some evidence for stronger associations with more intense physical activities . The present study tested the hypothesis that weight gain over one year in 8–10 year olds would be more strongly predicted by moderate and vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) than total physical activity ( total PA ) or sedentary behaviour . Methodology Participants were 280 children taking part in the Physical Exercise and Appetite in Children Study ( PEACHES ) .  Weight status was assessed using body mass index ( BMI ) , fat mass index ( FMI ) , and waist circumference ( WC ) in school Year 4 ( baseline ; age 8.7 yrs ) and Year 5 ( follow-up ; age 9.7 yrs ) .  Physical activity  was measured at baseline using the Actigraph GT1 M accelerometer to assess total PA ( mean accelerometers counts per minute ) , MVPA ; ≥4000 counts per minute ) and sedentary time  ( < 100 counts per minute ) . Principal Findings After adjustment for baseline BMI , SES , sex and ethnicity , MVPA  was significantly associated with follow – up BMI ( adjusted β = −0.07 ; p = 0.002 ) . This association was independent of total PA or sedentary time  . Similar results were observed for FMI ; again MVPA was significantly associated with follow up FMI ( β = −0.16 ; p = 0.001 ) independent  of total PA or sedentary time . The pattern was similar for WC ( β = −0.07 ) , but the association between MVPA and WC did not reach significance at p = 0.06 . Conclusion The results of this study strongly support promotion of MVPA in children OBJECTIVES To determine whether participation in usual moderate-intensity or more-vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) is associated with physical function performance and to identify sociodemographic , psychosocial , and disease-related covariates that may also compromise physical function performance . DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of baseline variables of a r and omized controlled intervention trial . SETTING Four academic research centers . PARTICIPANTS Four hundred twenty-four older adults aged 70 to 89 at risk for mobility disability ( scoring < 10 on the Short Physical Performance Battery ( SPPB ) ) and able to complete the 400-m walk test within 15 minutes . MEASUREMENTS  Minutes of MVPA ( dichotomized according to above or below 150 min/wk of MVPA ) assessed according to the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors question naire , SPPB score , 400-m walk test , sex , body mass index ( BMI ) , depressive symptoms , age , and number of medications . RESULTS The SPPB summary score was associated with minutes of MVPA ( ρ=0.16 , P=.001 ) . In multiple regression analyses , age , minutes of MVPA , number of medications , and depressive symptoms were associated with performance on the composite SPPB ( P<.05 ) . There was an association between 400-m walk time and minutes of MVPA ( ρ=-0.18 ; P<.001 ) . In multiple regression analyses , age , sex , minutes of MVPA , BMI , and number of medications were associated with performance on the 400-m walk test ( P<.05 ) . CONCLUSION Minutes of MVPA , sex , BMI , depressive symptoms , age , and number of medications are associated with physical function performance and should all be taken into consideration in the prevention of mobility disability Objective To examine whether physical activity ( PA ) and sedentary time ( ST ) in primary school-aged children are associated with adiposity at the start of secondary school , and whether these associations differ by sex or ethnic group . Design Nationally representative prospect i ve cohort study . Setting Children born across the UK , between 2000 and 2002 . Participants 6497 singleton children . Outcome measures Measures of adiposity ( body mass index ( BMI ) , fat mass index ( FMI ) and fat free mass index (FFMI))—obtained at 7 and 11 years . Explanatory measures  Total daily PA ( mean counts per minute ( cpm ) ) ; minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) ; and ST .  All assessed at 7 years using accelerometers . Results In cross-sectional analyses , total PA was inversely associated with FMI ( 3.7 % ( 95 % CI 2.7 % to 4.7 % ) reduction per 150 cpm increase ) , as was MVPA ( 4.2 % ( CI 3.2 % to 5.2 % ) reduction per 20 min/day increase ) . Associations were stronger in black and South Asian ethnic groups . Total PA and MVPA were not associated with FFMI . ST was positively associated with FMI ( 1.3 % ( CI 0.2 % to 2.3 % ) increase per 50 min/day increase ) and inversely associated with FFMI ( 0.5 % ( CI 0.2 % to 0.7 % ) reduction per 50 min/day increase ) . Longitudinally , MVPA at age 7 years remained inversely associated with FMI at age 11 years ( 1.5 % ( CI 0.4 % to 2.6 % ) reduction per 20 min/day increase ) . No association was found between total PA and ST and any of the later adiposity measures . Conclusions 7-year-old children who are more physically active are less likely to be obese at that age and at age 11 years . These associations were particularly evident in children from black or South Asian ethnicity at age 7 years and in boys at age 11 years . Measurements of fat mass provide valuable insights into ethnic differences in associations between adiposity and activity
Overall , total PA was favourably associated with physical , psychological/social , and cognitive health indicators .
Relationships were more consistent and robust for higher ( e.g. , MVPA ) versus lower ( e.g. , LPA ) intensity PA .
All patterns of activity ( sporadic , bouts , continuous ) provided benefit .
LPA was favourably associated with cardiometabolic biomarkers ; data were scarce for other outcomes .
These findings continue to support the importance of at least 60 min/day of MVPA for disease prevention and health promotion in children and youth , but also highlight the potential benefits of LPA and total PA .
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) is essential for disease prevention and health promotion .
Emerging evidence suggests other intensities of physical activity ( PA ) , including light-intensity activity ( LPA ) , may also be important , but there has been no rigorous evaluation of the evidence .
The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the relationships between objective ly measured PA ( total and all intensities ) and health indicators in school-aged children and youth .
Online data bases were search ed for peer- review ed studies that met the a priori inclusion criteria : population ( apparently healthy , aged 5 - 17 years ) , intervention/exposure/comparator ( volumes , duration s , frequencies , intensities , and patterns of objective ly measured PA ) , and outcome ( body composition , cardiometabolic biomarkers , physical fitness , behavioural conduct/pro-social behaviour , cognition/academic achievement , quality of life/well-being , harms , bone health , motor skill development , psychological distress , self-esteem ) .