51 research outputs found
A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring a Mediation Model of Nature Exposure and Quality of Life: The Roles of Nature-Based and Overall Physical Activity
No full textThis cross-sectional study examined whether physical activity (PA) in nature and overall PA mediate the relationship between nature exposure and quality of life (QoL) across four domains: physical, psychological, social, and environmental, while controlling for perceived financial security. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted, involving 924 adults aged 18 to 79 years (m = 40.0, SD = 12.4); 73.6% were women. Nature exposure, PA in nature, overall PA, and financial security were assessed using nationally language-validated self-report scales and questionnaires. QoL was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF, covering four domains. Mediation models were tested using the regression-based PROCESS macro with 5000 bootstrapped samples. Nature exposure was positively associated with both types of PA and all QoL domains, while financial security was positively linked to PA in nature. PA in nature significantly mediated the relationship between nature exposure and psychological QoL, but not the other domains. In contrast, overall PA was a significant mediator across all QoL domains. In all models, nature exposure and financial security remained significant direct predictors of QoL. Bootstrapped confidence intervals confirmed the significance of indirect effects through overall PA for physical, psychological, social, and environmental QoL. While nature exposure was independently associated with better QoL, this relationship was partly explained by PA. These findings highlight the broader role of PA in linking nature exposure to QoL and underscore the importance of supporting active lifestyles in nature to enhance QoL. To achieve a higher QoL, policies that increase access to and opportunities for nature-based physical activity should be implemented
Body image concerns and body weight overestimation do not promote healthy behaviour: evidence from adolescents in Lithuania /
No full textThe present study aimed to explore the associations between body image concerns, body weight evaluation, disordered eating, nutrition habits, self-esteem, and physical activity (PA) in a mixed sample of adolescents of both genders. Methods. A total sample of 579 adolescents (299, 51.6% were girls) participated in this study. The participants ranged in age from 14–16 years old (M = 15.0, SD = 0.4). Respondents provided their answers filling in the questionnaires consisting of a battery of self-report questionnaires. An analysis of covariance was employed to test the hypothesis about the differences in body image concerns in the groups of BMI and body weight estimation controlling for gender. Results. Adolescents with a higher body mass index (BMI) and those overestimating body weight reported a higher body dissatisfaction (BD), a drive for thinness (DT), social physique anxiety (SPA), disordered eating, and lower self-esteem, but there were no differences in PA. Body weight overestimation was more prevalent in girls, yet body weight underestimation was more prevalent in boys. In girls, a higher BMI and body weight overestimation were associated with having less sweets, a lower frequency of having breakfast and for just a lower BMI alone—with consuming less fats, spreads, and oils. In boys, the BMI was associated with consuming less fruits and berries. The boys’ body weight overestimation was related to a lower reported number of meals, a lower frequency of breakfast, and a lower consumption of milk, cheese, yogurt, fats, spreads, and oils. Body dissatisfaction in boys and girls was negatively related to the number of meals, DT is related to a lower breakfast consumption (in girls), SPA was related to a lower nutrition score (in boys), the number of meals (boys and girls), and a lower use of meat and vegetables (boys). Conclusions. Adolescents with a higher BMI and body weight overestimation demonstrated higher body image concerns, lower self-esteem and a poorer eating-related behavioural profile. Body image concerns and body weight overestimation did not promote healthy behaviour in adolescents. It is critical to promote a positive body image, adequate body weight evaluation, self-esteem, and a healthy lifestyle in health promotion and health education programs for adolescents of both genders and different BMIs
Nature exposure and positive body image: a cross–sectional study examining the mediating roles of physical activity, autonomous motivation, connectedness to nature, and perceived restorativeness /
No full textResearch shows that nature exposure is directly and indirectly associated with more positive body image, which is an important facet of well-being more generally. In this study, we tested the mediating roles of physical activity in nature, perceived restoration in nature, autonomous motivation, and connectedness to nature in explaining the association between nature exposure and positive body image. An online sample of 924 Lithuanian adults (age M = 40.0 years, 73.6% women) completed a survey that included the Nature Exposure (NE) Scale, the Body Appreciation Scale-2, a measure of frequency of physical activity in nature (PAN), the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2, the Restoration Outcome Scale, and the Connectedness to Nature Scale. Path analysis was conducted to examine hypothesized direct and indirect effects. Results showed that both greater NE (B = 0.564, SE = 0.057, p < 0.001) and autonomy in exercise motivation (B = 0.039, SE = 0.006, p < 0.001) were associated with more frequent PAN. Direct effects from exercise autonomy to nature restorativeness (B = 0.017, SE = 0.006, p = 0.004) and body appreciation (B = 0.041, SE = 0.004, p < 0.001) were observed. Associations were also found between connectedness to nature and body appreciation (B = 0.166, SE = 0.040, p < 0.001), nature restorativeness and body appreciation (B = 0.075, SE = 0.019, p < 0.001), and frequency of PAN and body appreciation (B = 0.064, SE = 0.019, p < 0.001). PAN mediated the relationship between NE and body appreciation. The final model was invariant across place of residence (urban vs. rural) and gender. Including self-determined physical activity in nature may increase the effectiveness of intervention programs aimed at promoting more positive body image
Relationship between eating habits, thin/muscular-body internalization, and physical activity in the sample of students at Kauno kolegija higher education institution X faculty
No full textStudentai nepasižymi tinkamais maitinimosi įpročiais dėl įvairių priežasčių, pavyzdžiui, išsikraustymas gyventi savarankiškai, finansinės problemos, didelis akademinis darbo krūvis, laiko stoka ir informacijos trūkumas apie tinkamą mitybą (Almoraie ir kt., 2024). Tiek merginos tiek vaikinai siekdami stereotipinių išvaizdos “idealų“ labai dažnai taiko sveikatai nepalankias maitinimosi ir fizinio aktyvumo strategijas (Alcaraz-Ibáñez ir kt., 2021). Tyrimo problema – koks yra ryšys tarp Kauno kolegijos X fakulteto studentų maitinimosi įpročių, liekno ir atletiško kūno siekio bei fizinio aktyvumo? Tyrimo metodai – taikyta kiekybinė tyrimo strategija. Tyrime dalyvavo 243 studentai iš Kauno kolegijos X fakulteto, kurių amžiaus vidurkis buvo 22,58 (SD = 6,5). Duomenims surinkti naudota anketa, sudaryta iš 6 blokų: socialinė demografinė informacija; KMI buvo nustatomas pagal studentų nurodytą ūgį ir svorį; netinkamų maitinimosi įpročių skalė (Grabauskas ir kt., 2015); tinkamų maitinimosi įpročių skalė (Durán ir kt., 2014); Lietuvoje validuoto SATAQ-4 klausimyno dvi poskalės: liekno ir atletiško kūno siekio (Baceviciene ir kt., 2020; Schaefer ir kt., 2015); fizinis aktyvumas (Godin, 2011). Duomenų analizei atlikti taikyta SPSS Statistics 28 ir Microsoft Office Excel programos. Aprašant kokybinius kintamuosius buvo apskaičiuoti procentiniai dažniai (proc.) ir absoliutieji dydžiai (N), pateikiant kiekybinių kintamųjų rezultatus nurodytas vidurkis (V) ir standartinis nuokrypis (SD). Kiekybinių dydžių vidurkių palyginimui taikytas nepriklausomų imčių t testas. Įvertinant ryšį tarp kintamųjų, buvo taikyta koreliacinė analizė. Rezultatai: studentų didesnis atletiško kūno siekis yra reikšmingai susijęs su dažnesniais tinkamais maitinimosi įpročiais ir didesniu fiziniu aktyvumu. Didesnis fizinis aktyvumas yra reikšmingai susijęs su studentų dažnesniais tinkamais ir retesniais netinkamais maitinimosi įpročiais. Raktiniai žodžiai: fizinis aktyvumas, liekno ir atletiško kūno siekis, maitinimosi įpročiai, studentaiStudents don’t have good eating habits for a variety of reasons, such as moving out on their own, financial problems, heavy academic workload, lack of time and lack of information on good nutrition (Almoraie et al., 2024). Woman and man often adopt unhealthy eating and physical activity strategies in pursuit of stereotypical appearance “ideals” (Alcaraz-Ibáñez et al., 2021). Research problem: what is the relationship between eating habits, thin/muscular-body internalization and physical activity in a sample of students at Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution X Faculty? Research methods: a quantitative research strategy was applied. 243 students of Kaunas kolegija Higher Education Institution X Faculty participated in the research, the average age of the respondents was 22.58 (SD = 6.5). A questionnaire consisting of 6 blocks was used to collect the data: socio-demographic information; BMI was calculated based on the height and weight reported by the students; a scale of unhealthy eating habits (Grabauskas et al., 2015); a scale of healthy eating habits (Durán et al., 2014); two subscales of the SATAQ-4 questionnaire validated in Lithuania: thin/muscular-body internalization (Baceviciene et al., 2020; Schaefer et al., 2015); physical activity (Godin, 2011). SPSS Statistics 28 and Microsoft Office Excel were used for data analysis. To describe the qualitative variables, percentage frequencies (%) and absolute frequencies (N) were calculated, while the results of quantitative variables were revealed by providing average (M) and standard deviation (SD). The independent samples t-test was used to compare the means of the quantitative variables. To assess the relationship between the variables correlation analysis was applied. Results: higher thin-body internalization is significantly associated with a higher body mass index; however, higher muscular-body internalization is significantly related to more frequent healthy eating habits and greater leisure-time activity among students. Keywords: eating habits, physical activity, students, thin/muscular-body internalizatio
Correlates of depressive symptoms in urban middle-aged and elderly Lithuanians.
No full textThe study aimed to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their correlates in urban middle-aged and elderly Lithuanian adults
Adjusted all-cause mortality risk in population aged 45–64 in relation to the presence of the dyslipidaemias and the other cardiovascular risk factors (Kaunas urban population linked mortality file (1983–2008)).
No full text<p>HR adjusted by age, study survey year, education, BMI, total cholesterol level, triglycerides level, HDL cholesterol level, blood pressure, AH, FG level, smoking and physical activity habits.</p><p>Abbreviations: CI - confidence interval; BMI – body mass index; HR - Hazard ratio; SBP – systolic blood pressure; DBP - diastolic blood pressure; FG - fasting glucose; TG – triglycerides; High HDL chol - High density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥1.03 mmol/L; Reduced HDL chol - High density lipoprotein cholesterol <1.03 mmol/L; Normal TG – triglycerides <1.70 mmol/L; Elevated TG - triglycerides ≥1.70 mmol/L; Normal FG - fasting glucose level <6.10 mmol/L; High FG - fasting glucose level ≥6.10 mmol/L; No AH – no arterial hypertension (SBP <140 and/or DBP <90 mm Hg); AH - arterial hypertension (SBP ≥140 and/or DBP ≥90 mm Hg and/or take medication for high blood pressure for at least 2 weeks); No obesity – BMI <30.0 kg/m<sup>2</sup>; Obesity - BMI ≥30.0 kg/m<sup>2</sup>.</p
Adjusted cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk in population aged 45–64 in relation to the presence of the dyslipidaemias and other cardiovascular risk factors (Kaunas urban population linked mortality file (1983–2008)).
No full text<p>HR adjusted by age, study survey year, education, BMI, total cholesterol level, triglycerides level, HDL cholesterol level, blood pressure, AH, FG level, smoking and physical activity habits.</p><p>Abbreviations: CI - confidence interval; BMI – body mass index; HR - Hazard ratio; SBP – systolic blood pressure; DBP - diastolic blood pressure; FG - fasting glucose; TG – triglycerides; High HDL chol - High density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥1.03 mmol/L; Reduced HDL chol - High density lipoprotein cholesterol <1.03 mmol/L; Normal TG – triglycerides <1.70 mmol/L; Elevated TG - triglycerides ≥1.70 mmol/L; Normal FG - fasting glucose level <6.10 mmol/L; High FG - fasting glucose level ≥6.10 mmol/L; No AH – no arterial hypertension (SBP <140 and/or DBP <90 mm Hg); AH - arterial hypertension (SBP ≥140 and/or DBP ≥90 mm Hg and/or take medication for high blood pressure for at least 2 weeks); No obesity - BMI<30.0 kg/m<sup>2</sup>; Obesity - BMI ≥30.0 kg/m<sup>2</sup>.</p
Overweight duration in older adults and cancer risk: a study of cohorts in Europe and the United States
No full textRecent studies have shown that cancer risk related to overweight and obesity is mediated by time and might be better approximated by using life years lived with excess weight. In this study we aimed to assess the impact of overweight duration and intensity in older adults on the risk of developing different forms of cancer. Study participants from seven European and one US cohort study with two or more weight assessments during follow-up were included (n = 329,576). Trajectories of body mass index (BMI) across ages were estimated using a quadratic growth model; overweight duration (BMI ≥ 25) and cumulative weighted overweight years were calculated. In multivariate Cox models and random effects analyses, a longer duration of overweight was significantly associated with the incidence of obesity-related cancer [overall hazard ratio (HR) per 10-year increment: 1.36; 95 % CI 1.12–1.60], but also increased the risk of postmenopausal breast and colorectal cancer. Additionally accounting for the degree of overweight further increased the risk of obesity-related cancer. Risks associated with a longer overweight duration were higher in men than in women and were attenuated by smoking. For postmenopausal breast cancer, increased risks were confined to women who never used hormone therapy. Overall, 8.4 % of all obesity-related cancers could be attributed to overweight at any age. These findings provide further insights into the role of overweight duration in the etiology of cancer and indicate that weight control is relevant at all ages. This knowledge is vital for the development of effective and targeted cancer prevention strategies
Overweight duration in older adults and cancer risk: a study of cohorts in Europe and the United States
No full textRecent studies have shown that cancer risk related to overweight and obesity is mediated by time and might be better approximated by using life years lived with excess weight. In this study we aimed to assess the impact of overweight duration and intensity in older adults on the risk of developing different forms of cancer. Study participants from seven European and one US cohort study with two or more weight assessments during follow-up were included (n = 329,576). Trajectories of body mass index (BMI) across ages were estimated using a quadratic growth model; overweight duration (BMI ≥ 25) and cumulative weighted overweight years were calculated. In multivariate Cox models and random effects analyses, a longer duration of overweight was significantly associated with the incidence of obesity-related cancer [overall hazard ratio (HR) per 10-year increment: 1.36; 95 % CI 1.12–1.60], but also increased the risk of postmenopausal breast and colorectal cancer. Additionally accounting for the degree of overweight further increased the risk of obesity-related cancer. Risks associated with a longer overweight duration were higher in men than in women and were attenuated by smoking. For postmenopausal breast cancer, increased risks were confined to women who never used hormone therapy. Overall, 8.4 % of all obesity-related cancers could be attributed to overweight at any age. These findings provide further insights into the role of overweight duration in the etiology of cancer and indicate that weight control is relevant at all ages. This knowledge is vital for the development of effective and targeted cancer prevention strategies
Impact of smoking and smoking cessation on cardiovascular events and mortality among older adults: Meta-analysis of Individual participant data from prospective cohort studies of the CHANCES consortium
No full textOBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of smoking and smoking cessation on cardiovascular mortality, acute coronary events, and stroke events in people aged 60 and older, and to calculate and report risk advancement periods for cardiovascular mortality in addition to traditional epidemiological relative risk measures. DESIGN: Individual participant meta-analysis using data from 25 cohorts participating in the CHANCES consortium. Data were harmonised, analysed separately employing Cox proportional hazard regression models, and combined by meta-analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 503 905 participants aged 60 and older were included in this study, of whom 37 952 died from cardiovascular disease. Random effects meta-analysis of the association of smoking status with cardiovascular mortality yielded a summary hazard ratio of 2.07 (95% CI 1.82 to 2.36) for current smokers and 1.37 (1.25 to 1.49) for former smokers compared with never smokers. Corresponding summary estimates for risk advancement periods were 5.50 years (4.25 to 6.75) for current smokers and 2.16 years (1.38 to 2.39) for former smokers. The excess risk in smokers increased with cigarette consumption in a dose-response manner, and decreased continuously with time since smoking cessation in former smokers. Relative risk estimates for acute coronary events and for stroke events were somewhat lower than for cardiovascular mortality, but patterns were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Our study corroborates and expands evidence from previous studies in showing that smoking is a strong independent risk factor of cardiovascular events and mortality even at older age, advancing cardiovascular mortality by more than five years, and demonstrating that smoking cessation in these age groups is still beneficial in reducing the excess risk. © 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
- …
