Background:National and international strategies to increase physical activity emphasize environmental and policy changes that can have widespread and long-lasting impact. Evidence from multiple countries using comparable methods is required to strengthen the evidence base for such initiatives. Because some environment and policy changes could have generalizable effects and others may depend on each country’s context, only international studies using comparable methods can identify the relevant differences.Methods:Currently 12 countries are participating in the International Physical Activity and the Environment Network (IPEN) study. The IPEN Adult study design involves recruiting adult participants from neighborhoods with wide variations in environmental walkability attributes and socioeconomic status (SES).Results:Eleven of twelve countries are providing accelerometer data and 11 are providing GIS data. Current projections indicate that 14,119 participants will provide survey data on built environments and physical activity and 7145 are likely to provide objective data on both the independent and dependent variables. Though studies are highly comparable, some adaptations are required based on the local context.Conclusions:This study was designed to inform evidence-based international and country-specific physical activity policies and interventions to help prevent obesity and other chronic diseases that are high in developed countries and growing rapidly in developing countries.

BackgroundAn optimal level of physical activity (PA) in adolescence influences the level of PA in adulthood. Although PA declines with age have been demonstrated repeatedly, few studies have been carried out on secular trends. The present study assessed levels, types and secular trends of PA and sedentary behaviour of a sample of adolescents in the Czech Republic.MethodsThe study comprised two cross-sectional cohorts of adolescents ten years apart. The analysis compared data collected through a week-long monitoring of adolescents' PA in 1998-2000 and 2008-2010. Adolescents wore either Yamax SW-701 or Omron HJ-105 pedometer continuously for 7 days (at least 10 hours per day) excluding sleeping, hygiene and bathing. They also recorded their number of steps per day, the type and duration of PA and sedentary behaviour (in minutes) on record sheets. In total, 902 adolescents (410 boys; 492 girls) aged 14-18 were eligible for analysis.ResultsOverweight and obesity in Czech adolescents participating in this study increased from 5.5% (older cohort, 1998-2000) to 10.4% (younger cohort, 2008-2010). There were no inter-cohort significant changes in the total amount of sedentary behaviour in boys. However in girls, on weekdays, there was a significant increase in the total duration of sedentary behaviour of the younger cohort (2008-2010) compared with the older one (1998-2000). Studying and screen time (television and computer) were among the main sedentary behaviours in Czech adolescents. The types of sedentary behaviour also changed: watching TV (1998-2000) was replaced by time spent on computers (2008-2010).The Czech health-related criterion (achieving 11,000 steps per day) decreased only in boys from 68% (1998-2000) to 55% (2008-2010). Across both genders, 55%-75% of Czech adolescents met the health-related criterion of recommended steps per day, however less participants in the younger cohort (2008-2010) met this criterion than in the older cohort (1998-2000) ten years ago. Adolescents' PA levels for the monitored periods of 1998-2000 and 2008-2010 suggest a secular decrease in the weekly number of steps achieved by adolescent boys and girls.ConclusionIn the younger cohort (2008-2010), every tenth adolescent was either overweight or obese; roughly twice the rate when compared to the older cohort (1998-2000). Sedentary behaviour seems relatively stable across the two cohorts as the increased time that the younger cohort (2008-2010) spent on computers is compensated with an equally decreased time spent watching TV or studying. Across both cohorts about half to three quarters of the adolescents met the health-related criterion for achieved number of steps. The findings show a secular decrease in PA amongst adolescents. The significant interaction effects (cohort × age; and cohort × gender) that this study found suggested that secular trends in PA differ by age and gender.

BACKGROUNDThis study investigates school lifestyle among adolescents in terms of physical activity (PA) structure: (1) adolescents participating in a physical education lesson (PEL) versus (2) aggregate recess time exceeding 60 minutes.METHODSThe research was conducted in 24 secondary schools in the Czech Republic (boys N = 208, girls N = 433). For the whole day (1-3 days) participants wore the ActiTrainer accelerometer, which monitored PA, and heart rate. A total of 1122 school days were recorded.RESULTSBoth boys and girls participating in a PEL reported significantly better results compared with nonparticipating individuals regarding all indicators of volume and intensity of school PA (SPA). In most SPA indicators, longer aggregate recess time (>60 minutes) had a statistically significant effect, particularly on the volume of SPA. The recommended 500 steps/hours for SPA was achieved by 83% of boys participating in PEL and 69% of girls. In contrast just 32% of nonparticipating boys and 31% of girls reached this level. With longer recess time the recommendation was met by 43% of boys (42% of girls) compared with 26% of boys (23% of girls) with shorter recess time.CONCLUSIONSAn increase in SPA and an improved lifestyle in adolescents on school days are significantly supported more by PELs than by longer recess time.

Health-enhancing physical activities (PA) performed outdoors could markedly contribute to the adoption of a healthy lifestyle in adolescence. The differences between PA preferences and actual opportunities for these PA are an issue that has received frequent attention. To date, the extent to which these differences are reflected in adolescents meeting PA recommendations and their well-being has not been explored. In total, 10,086 respondents took part in an on-line research project regarding PA preferences. Of them, 2446 also completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Long Form) and the World Health Organization (WHO) W-5 questionnaire to assess well-being. Finally, 1278 of these respondents were involved in objective PA monitoring using pedometers. The study aimed to explore the prevalence and trends regarding outdoor PA. Moreover, we assessed whether the agreement between preferred PA and PA actually undertaken was associated with higher odds for meeting PA recommendations and achieving a higher level of well-being. Of a selection of outdoor activities, Czech and Polish boys preferred cycling, swimming, and downhill skiing, while girls preferred swimming activities, skating, and cycling. The agreement between preferred and PA actually undertaken was associated with higher odds for meeting the weekly PA recommendations and higher levels of well-being both in boys and girls. Evaluation of outdoor PA preferences and taking these preferred activities into account when forming conditions for them was important in the efficient promotion of the physical and mental health of adolescents.

It seems to appear that organized daily PA (2x20 min of exercising on carpet, 50-70 min of walking outdoors) in preschool children along with enough space for spontaneous PA establishes prerequisites for their further healthy development.

Background/ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore differences in rates of achieving the weekly physical activity (PA) recommendation between adolescents who preferred fitness PA and those who did not. Furthermore, we investigated the types of PA practiced by adolescents.MethodsIn total, 9513 participants from the Czech Republic and Poland, aged 15–18 years took part in the study between 2009 and 2016. Out of this source sample, 4977 self-reported their weekly PA using the IPAQ-Long Form, and 1348 objectively monitored their weekly PA using pedometers and recorded the type of PA.ResultsBoys ranked fitness PA third, after team and individual sports. For girls, the preference for fitness PA grew at the expense of dance and outdoor PA. Among Czech and Polish boys as well as Czech girls, those who preferred fitness PA were more likely to achieve the recommended weekly PA level than those who did not prefer fitness PA. We did not find a significant difference in other types of PA and rates of achieving the recommendation of 11,000 steps/day. Preference for fitness PA was associated with an increased likelihood (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.12–1.52; p < 0.001) of achieving the recommendation for PA.ConclusionsWhen promoting adolescents’ PA, it is necessary to consider preferred PA types. The PA recommendation was met by almost 33% of adolescents who indicated a preference for fitness PA, but only by 22% of those not preferring fitness activities. Organized PA is also important for meeting PA recommendations.

Purpose: School physical activity (SPA) is a significant component of daily PA. We investigated differences in PA between boys and girls in two differing education systems-Poland and the Czech Republic-which have four and two physical education lessons (PELs) per week, respectively. Method: This project was conducted from 2012-2016 at 17 Polish and 23 Czech secondary schools (N = 921; mean age = 16.2 ± 0.7 years). ActiTrainer accelerometers were used to monitor participants' PA and heart rate during school days. Weekly PA was measured using pedometers. Subjective levels of weekly PA were self-reported on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long form. Results: The Polish education system enabled adolescents to meet the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous PA more likely than did the Czech system. SPA also represented a higher portion of daily PA in the Polish (vs. Czech system); however, the differences in total daily step count between Polish and Czech adolescents were non-significant. SPA accounted for 30-37% of the daily PA (as measured by step count) of Polish girls (23-30% of Czech girls) and 28-39% of Polish boys (25-37% of Czech boys). Conclusions: Participation in PELs was associated with a higher rate of meeting SPA recommendations in both countries. Compared with the Czech Republic, more PELs in the Polish education system was associated with increased daily vigorous PA and a greater portion of SPA in daily PA. Differences in overall daily and weekly moderate-to-vigorous PA between Polish and Czech adolescents were non-significant.

Active commuting (AC) to school represents a great opportunity to incorporate walking or cycling into adolescents’ everyday routine. The objective of the study was to describe changes in AC in Czech adolescents across a 10-year period in different built environments. Data from the 2001 and 2011 Czech Census of Population and Housing were used to examine the mode of transportation taken to school in 6236 adolescents. Changes in AC over time were analyzed for low and high walkable areas separately in two Czech regional cities, Olomouc and Hradec Králové. Between 2001 and 2011, the proportion of adolescents actively commuting to school decreased by 47%, from an absolute rate of 49.1% to 26%. The proportion of active commuters fell in low walkable areas by 61% and in high walkable areas by 39%. The results indicated that adolescents in 2011 were 2.7 times less (OR = 0.365, p < 0.001) likely to actively commute than in 2001. The AC behavior in Czech adolescents has a negative tendency to replicate travel-to-school patterns in adolescents previously described in more developed countries. The findings might serve as a recommendation for municipal policy.