Erik Sigmund - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Erik Sigmund

BMC Public Health, 2011

Background: An optimal level of physical activity (PA) in adolescence influences the level of PA ... more Background: An 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. Methods: The 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. Results: Overweight 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. Conclusion: In 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.

European Journal of Sport Science, 2014

The levels of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour are significant indicators of health... more The levels of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour are significant indicators of health behaviour and their monitoring is crucial in developing public policy in the area of health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention. The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence of PA and sedentary behaviour as well as age and gender differences in Czech adults (18-90 years old, N 1753; 48.4% male) participating in the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) cross-sectional study 2011. To assess the significant differences between self-reported PA and sedentary behaviour the MANOVA, a post hoc Fischer's least significant difference (LSD) test and logistic regression were used. The level of PA was classified according to the amount of MET-minutes per week as high, moderate or low. Irrespective of age and gender, 32.3% of adults reported a low level of PA; 21.3% of adults fell within the category of moderate level of PA and 46.4% of adults reported a high level of PA. The level of PA decreases with age; men are generally more physically active than women. More than 60% of adults across all age categories are assessed as 'sedentary'. The highest rate of sedentary behaviour was observed in adults over 65 years of age. The development of national strategies for PA promotion together with the development and verification of specific intervention programmes, especially for women, should be a priority in the Czech Republic.

BACKGROUND: Research confi rms that physical activity (PA) is irreplaceable in a healthy and phys... more BACKGROUND: Research confi rms that physical activity (PA) is irreplaceable in a healthy and physically active lifestyle. One of the key research questions is what the optimal level of everyday PA for health is and how it should be quantifi ed and interpreted. Formal concept analysis is one possible way of how to assess and describe the level of PA as related to personal data. OBJECTIVE: The main goal of this study was to introduce the method of Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) using data from the ANEWS questionnaire and data from the objective monitoring of a number of steps using the YAMAX SW-701 pedometer. A further aim was to adopt the most appropriate method within the FCA. METHODS: A random sample of 273 males aged 18–69 from selected regional centers participated in the study. RESULTS: The example of daily steps allows for the demonstration of how important it is to select a scale in FCA data analysis. It is better to use an ordinal scale for the daily number of steps (in our ex...

The paper presents a method for evaluation of questionnaires supported by formal concept analysis... more The paper presents a method for evaluation of questionnaires supported by formal concept analysis. Formal concept analysis provides an expert with a structured view on the data contained in the questionnaires. The method results from experiments with IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire). The structured view on the data provided by the method suggests various hypotheses which can later be tested. In addition, the structured view on data itself proved to be sufficiently informative to the expert. In addition to the method, the paper presents experiments with evaluation of IPAQ.

Fakulta tělesné kultury, Univerzita Palackého, Olomouc, ČR Předloženo v srpnu 2008 Provádění pohy... more Fakulta tělesné kultury, Univerzita Palackého, Olomouc, ČR Předloženo v srpnu 2008 Provádění pohybové aktivity (PA) dětí je vedle genetických predispozic podmí-něno a ovlivněno řadou proměnných, mezi něž patří také PA rodičů. Cílem této studie je s ohledem na pohlaví popsat vztahy mezi PA a sezením u 8–13letých dětí a jejich rodičů a zjistit, zda se účast v organizované PA podílí na celkově vyšší úrovni realizované PA. Úroveň realizované PA, doba sezení a účast v organizované PA byla u 193 dětí (84 děvčat a 109 chlapců) a jejich rodičů (183 matek a 157 otců) zjišťována prostřednictvím české standardizované verze IPAQ dotazníku. Mezi PA rodičů a jejich dětí nacházíme pozitivní vztahy, které jsou nejtěsnější u doby trvání chůze (r S =0,48–0,71 p<0,001). Delší doba realizace celkové PA se u dcer i synů a jejich matek i otců vztahuje ke kratší době každodenního sezení (r S =0,08–0,40). Delší doba každodenního sezení rodičů je asociována (r S =0,28–0,42 p<0,006) s delší dobou sezen...

The technological development of society has got, in addition to positive economic, social and ot... more The technological development of society has got, in addition to positive economic, social and other consequences, also some negative impacts. One of them is the extension of time spent in inactivity -sitting in front of the TV or PC monitor, in school, while studying or when entertaining oneself. This insufficiency of physical activity together with improper nutrition starting in childhood and continuing through the adolescent period manifests itself adversely in the area of physical fitness and health. The main aim of this study is to discover the structure and representation of inactivity in adolescent girls as related to carried out physical activity by analysing their normal school week routine and visualising some determinants important for positive changes in their life style and healthy habits. From our analysis we conclude: -The total volume of inactivity in girls who were classified according to the level of their body weight was stable and ranged from 4.86 to 5.21 hours per day. -Watching TV is the second longest type of inactivity, after sitting in school, including the normal school week routine in all groups of girls classified according to the level of their body weight. -The "absence" of sitting in school during weekend days is "substituted for" by the longer duration of the watching of TV as compared to weekdays (most evidently in obese girls and girls with a higher level of body weight). -Modified individual record monitoring including the structure of inactivity markedly improves the quality of analysis of the life style of children and youth. -Feedback service information about carried out physical activity and inactivity contributes to the motivation of participating students to perform physical activity optimally and allows schools to expertly intervene in the structure, content as well as duration of the learning process in physical education related to after-school activities of children and youth.

Regular, long-term and voluntary performance of physical activities (hereafter PA) in adulthood i... more Regular, long-term and voluntary performance of physical activities (hereafter PA) in adulthood is popularized, awakened and formed during childhood. The purpose of this study was to determine the trends in PA preferences, which could lead to improvement in the quality of physical education (hereafter PE) curriculum and the quality of lifestyle of chil - dren from the Moravia region. For

International Journal of Public Health, 2012

Objectives This study examines whether moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA), in at least ... more Objectives This study examines whether moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA), in at least 30-min school breaks (SB), helps to achieve the health-related amount of daily physical activity (PA) and whether these exercises influence after-school PA. Methods The ActiTrainer-based PA was monitored over two school days in 239 children aged from 9 to 10 (57.3% female; 20.1% overweight, and 19.2% obese), in Katowice, in February 2010. PA was assessed based on steps, heart rate, and duration of PA. Results MVPA, for 30 min during SB, represented an average of 1,258 steps for overweight girls and 1,620 steps for boys, and 1,336 steps for non-overweight girls and 1,758 steps for boys. Children with 30 min of MVPA during SB attained a higher daily amount of steps (p \ 0.001) and duration of overall PA (p \ 0.01), in comparison with less physically active children. Conclusion The daily 30 min of MVPA during SB amounts to 12.5% of the overall number of steps for girls and 16.3% for boys, thus contributing to higher school PA and overall PA and leading to the achievement of the health-related minimum of PA.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2010

This study assessed and compared the daily step counts recorded by two different motion sensors i... more This study assessed and compared the daily step counts recorded by two different motion sensors in order to estimate the free-living physical activity of 135 adolescent girls. Each girl concurrently wore a Yamax pedometer and an ActiGraph accelerometer (criterion measure) every day for seven consecutive days. The convergent validity of the pedometer can be considered intermediate when used to measure the step counts in free-living physical activity; but should be considered with caution when used to classify participants&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; step counts into corresponding physical activity categories because of a likelihood of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;erroneous&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; classification in comparison with the accelerometer.

The European Journal of Public Health, 2007

Background: Due to the increasing occurrence of obesity and low physical activity (PA) reported i... more Background: Due to the increasing occurrence of obesity and low physical activity (PA) reported in school children there is a need to investigate PA patterns of preschool children. Our aim was to identify the PA of preschool children in comparison to the PA of teenagers and young adults. Methods: PA of 104 Czech preschool children (aged 5-7 years), 1174 teenagers (aged 12-17 years) and 787 young adults (aged 18-24years) was determined using Caltrac accelerometery. PA was evaluated on the basis of activity energy expenditure (AEE -kcal kg À1 day À1 ). Subjects were monitored over 7 days to include a weekend. Results: The AEE in preschool children was significantly higher in comparison to all age groups of teenagers and young adults during both weekdays and at the weekend (P < 0.0001). On weekdays during leisure time, preschoolers were considerably more physically active than all categories of teenagers and young adults (P < 0.001). Preschoolers show similarities in PA level between weekdays and weekends, unlike the older age groups. Conclusion: It seems to appear that organized daily PA (2 Â 20 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.

European Journal of Pediatrics, 2014

This study uncovered the patterns of moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA) in normal-weigh... more This study uncovered the patterns of moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA) in normal-weight and overweight/obese children before, during, and after school lessons. ActiTrainer-based MVPA was assessed over 2 school days (with and without a physical education lesson [PEL] in a sample of three hundred thirty-eight 9-to 11-year-old children (50.3 % female; 29.6 % overweight/obese), in the Czech Republic, during spring 2012. MVPA was quantified based on the step count (number), MVPA duration, and MVPA heart-rate response (minutes). No differences in the MVPA based on the time during the school day were confirmed in normal-weight versus overweight/obese girls, whereas normal-weight boys significantly exceed their overweight/obese peers in step count and afterschool and daylong MVPA. Active participation in PEL contributes to a significantly higher step count, exercise duration, and MVPA heart-rate response in normal-weight and overweight/ obese boys (p <0.001) and normal-weight (p <0.001) and overweight/obese (p <0.04) girls during school time. Moreover, active participation in PEL significantly (p <0.04) increases the overall daily step count, duration, and MVPA heart-rate response in normal-weight boys and overweight/obese girls. Active exercise during PEL accounted for 16.7 % of the total number of steps, 25.1 % of overall MVPA duration, and 24.1 % of the MVPA heart-rate response in 9-to 11-year-old children. During days with a PEL, a significantly (p <0.02) higher number of overweight/obese girls and a higher number of normal-weight boys achieved the duration of 60 min/day of MVPA compared with days without a PEL. Conclusion: Adding one PEL or an equivalent amount of MVPA to the daily school routine appears to be a promising strategy to effectively increase daily MVPA, particularly among overweight/obese girls.

Child: Care, Health and Development, 2009

Background The transition from kindergarten to first year at school is associated with a variety ... more Background The transition from kindergarten to first year at school is associated with a variety of psychosocial changes in children. The aim of this longitudinal study was to identify the changes in children's physical activity (PA) upon entry to first year at school; and to identify the days of the school week that exhibit low PA. Methods We monitored the PA levels of 176 children twice: initially in kindergarten and again in first-year classes at school. The age (mean Ϯ standard deviation) of children at kindergarten was 5.7 Ϯ 0.5 years and 6.7 Ϯ 0.5 years at the first year of elementary school. We evaluated PA employing the activity energy expenditure (AEE -kcal/kg/day) from Caltrac accelerometer and daily amount of steps (STEPS) from Yamax pedometer. Participants were monitored over 7 days to include a weekend. Results The mean AEE was 11.5 in pre-school girls and 12.9 kcal/kg/day in boys; and STEPS were 9923 steps/day in girls and 11 864 in boys on weekdays. At weekends, it was 11.5 kcal/kg/day in girls and 12.7 kcal/kg/day in boys and 10 606 steps/day in girls and 11 182 steps/day in boys.The mean AEE and STEPS in first-grade girls and boys was 9.9 and 9.8 kcal/kg/day respectively, and 7911 and 8252 steps/day respectively on weekdays, and 8.8 and 9.0 kcal/kg/day and 6872 and 7194 steps/day respectively at weekends. First-grade school children had significantly lower PA than pre-school children on weekdays (P < 0.0001) and at weekends (P < 0.0001). Decline in PA on weekdays was during time spent at school (P < 0.0001) and not during after-school children's leisure time. Conclusion The parts of the week when first-grade school children show low PA are the times spent in lessons and in after-school nursery and at weekends. PA needs to be promoted using intervention programmes mainly during the after-school nursery programmes and at weekends.

BACKGROUND: The environment of a neighborhood (the availability of sports facilities, services, a... more BACKGROUND: The environment of a neighborhood (the availability of sports facilities, services, and transporta-tion) can infl uence physical activity (henceforth PA), however the infl uence of diff erent environments on PA have not been clearly described in the Czech Republic yet. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to identify the relationships between obesity and PA in Olomouc and the surrounding countryside depending on diff erences in the neighborhood environment. A further aim of the study is to form recommendations concerning physical activity enhancement and lifestyle. METHODS: PA was quantifi ed on the basis of the NQLS (Neighborhood Quality of Life Study) questionnaire, which includes the internationally standardized IPAQ long questionnaire in its second part. The study involved 241 valid questionnaires from the respondents from Olomouc (capital of Olomouc region, 100,000 inhabitants) and Prakšice (village close to Olomouc, less than 1,000 inhabitants) aged 15–60 (102 men an...

BMC Public Health, 2011

Background: An optimal level of physical activity (PA) in adolescence influences the level of PA ... more Background: An 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. Methods: The 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. Results: Overweight 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. Conclusion: In 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.

European Journal of Sport Science, 2014

The levels of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour are significant indicators of health... more The levels of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour are significant indicators of health behaviour and their monitoring is crucial in developing public policy in the area of health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention. The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence of PA and sedentary behaviour as well as age and gender differences in Czech adults (18-90 years old, N 1753; 48.4% male) participating in the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) cross-sectional study 2011. To assess the significant differences between self-reported PA and sedentary behaviour the MANOVA, a post hoc Fischer's least significant difference (LSD) test and logistic regression were used. The level of PA was classified according to the amount of MET-minutes per week as high, moderate or low. Irrespective of age and gender, 32.3% of adults reported a low level of PA; 21.3% of adults fell within the category of moderate level of PA and 46.4% of adults reported a high level of PA. The level of PA decreases with age; men are generally more physically active than women. More than 60% of adults across all age categories are assessed as 'sedentary'. The highest rate of sedentary behaviour was observed in adults over 65 years of age. The development of national strategies for PA promotion together with the development and verification of specific intervention programmes, especially for women, should be a priority in the Czech Republic.

BACKGROUND: Research confi rms that physical activity (PA) is irreplaceable in a healthy and phys... more BACKGROUND: Research confi rms that physical activity (PA) is irreplaceable in a healthy and physically active lifestyle. One of the key research questions is what the optimal level of everyday PA for health is and how it should be quantifi ed and interpreted. Formal concept analysis is one possible way of how to assess and describe the level of PA as related to personal data. OBJECTIVE: The main goal of this study was to introduce the method of Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) using data from the ANEWS questionnaire and data from the objective monitoring of a number of steps using the YAMAX SW-701 pedometer. A further aim was to adopt the most appropriate method within the FCA. METHODS: A random sample of 273 males aged 18–69 from selected regional centers participated in the study. RESULTS: The example of daily steps allows for the demonstration of how important it is to select a scale in FCA data analysis. It is better to use an ordinal scale for the daily number of steps (in our ex...

The paper presents a method for evaluation of questionnaires supported by formal concept analysis... more The paper presents a method for evaluation of questionnaires supported by formal concept analysis. Formal concept analysis provides an expert with a structured view on the data contained in the questionnaires. The method results from experiments with IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire). The structured view on the data provided by the method suggests various hypotheses which can later be tested. In addition, the structured view on data itself proved to be sufficiently informative to the expert. In addition to the method, the paper presents experiments with evaluation of IPAQ.

Fakulta tělesné kultury, Univerzita Palackého, Olomouc, ČR Předloženo v srpnu 2008 Provádění pohy... more Fakulta tělesné kultury, Univerzita Palackého, Olomouc, ČR Předloženo v srpnu 2008 Provádění pohybové aktivity (PA) dětí je vedle genetických predispozic podmí-něno a ovlivněno řadou proměnných, mezi něž patří také PA rodičů. Cílem této studie je s ohledem na pohlaví popsat vztahy mezi PA a sezením u 8–13letých dětí a jejich rodičů a zjistit, zda se účast v organizované PA podílí na celkově vyšší úrovni realizované PA. Úroveň realizované PA, doba sezení a účast v organizované PA byla u 193 dětí (84 děvčat a 109 chlapců) a jejich rodičů (183 matek a 157 otců) zjišťována prostřednictvím české standardizované verze IPAQ dotazníku. Mezi PA rodičů a jejich dětí nacházíme pozitivní vztahy, které jsou nejtěsnější u doby trvání chůze (r S =0,48–0,71 p<0,001). Delší doba realizace celkové PA se u dcer i synů a jejich matek i otců vztahuje ke kratší době každodenního sezení (r S =0,08–0,40). Delší doba každodenního sezení rodičů je asociována (r S =0,28–0,42 p<0,006) s delší dobou sezen...

The technological development of society has got, in addition to positive economic, social and ot... more The technological development of society has got, in addition to positive economic, social and other consequences, also some negative impacts. One of them is the extension of time spent in inactivity -sitting in front of the TV or PC monitor, in school, while studying or when entertaining oneself. This insufficiency of physical activity together with improper nutrition starting in childhood and continuing through the adolescent period manifests itself adversely in the area of physical fitness and health. The main aim of this study is to discover the structure and representation of inactivity in adolescent girls as related to carried out physical activity by analysing their normal school week routine and visualising some determinants important for positive changes in their life style and healthy habits. From our analysis we conclude: -The total volume of inactivity in girls who were classified according to the level of their body weight was stable and ranged from 4.86 to 5.21 hours per day. -Watching TV is the second longest type of inactivity, after sitting in school, including the normal school week routine in all groups of girls classified according to the level of their body weight. -The "absence" of sitting in school during weekend days is "substituted for" by the longer duration of the watching of TV as compared to weekdays (most evidently in obese girls and girls with a higher level of body weight). -Modified individual record monitoring including the structure of inactivity markedly improves the quality of analysis of the life style of children and youth. -Feedback service information about carried out physical activity and inactivity contributes to the motivation of participating students to perform physical activity optimally and allows schools to expertly intervene in the structure, content as well as duration of the learning process in physical education related to after-school activities of children and youth.

Regular, long-term and voluntary performance of physical activities (hereafter PA) in adulthood i... more Regular, long-term and voluntary performance of physical activities (hereafter PA) in adulthood is popularized, awakened and formed during childhood. The purpose of this study was to determine the trends in PA preferences, which could lead to improvement in the quality of physical education (hereafter PE) curriculum and the quality of lifestyle of chil - dren from the Moravia region. For

International Journal of Public Health, 2012

Objectives This study examines whether moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA), in at least ... more Objectives This study examines whether moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA), in at least 30-min school breaks (SB), helps to achieve the health-related amount of daily physical activity (PA) and whether these exercises influence after-school PA. Methods The ActiTrainer-based PA was monitored over two school days in 239 children aged from 9 to 10 (57.3% female; 20.1% overweight, and 19.2% obese), in Katowice, in February 2010. PA was assessed based on steps, heart rate, and duration of PA. Results MVPA, for 30 min during SB, represented an average of 1,258 steps for overweight girls and 1,620 steps for boys, and 1,336 steps for non-overweight girls and 1,758 steps for boys. Children with 30 min of MVPA during SB attained a higher daily amount of steps (p \ 0.001) and duration of overall PA (p \ 0.01), in comparison with less physically active children. Conclusion The daily 30 min of MVPA during SB amounts to 12.5% of the overall number of steps for girls and 16.3% for boys, thus contributing to higher school PA and overall PA and leading to the achievement of the health-related minimum of PA.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2010

This study assessed and compared the daily step counts recorded by two different motion sensors i... more This study assessed and compared the daily step counts recorded by two different motion sensors in order to estimate the free-living physical activity of 135 adolescent girls. Each girl concurrently wore a Yamax pedometer and an ActiGraph accelerometer (criterion measure) every day for seven consecutive days. The convergent validity of the pedometer can be considered intermediate when used to measure the step counts in free-living physical activity; but should be considered with caution when used to classify participants&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; step counts into corresponding physical activity categories because of a likelihood of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;erroneous&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; classification in comparison with the accelerometer.

The European Journal of Public Health, 2007

Background: Due to the increasing occurrence of obesity and low physical activity (PA) reported i... more Background: Due to the increasing occurrence of obesity and low physical activity (PA) reported in school children there is a need to investigate PA patterns of preschool children. Our aim was to identify the PA of preschool children in comparison to the PA of teenagers and young adults. Methods: PA of 104 Czech preschool children (aged 5-7 years), 1174 teenagers (aged 12-17 years) and 787 young adults (aged 18-24years) was determined using Caltrac accelerometery. PA was evaluated on the basis of activity energy expenditure (AEE -kcal kg À1 day À1 ). Subjects were monitored over 7 days to include a weekend. Results: The AEE in preschool children was significantly higher in comparison to all age groups of teenagers and young adults during both weekdays and at the weekend (P < 0.0001). On weekdays during leisure time, preschoolers were considerably more physically active than all categories of teenagers and young adults (P < 0.001). Preschoolers show similarities in PA level between weekdays and weekends, unlike the older age groups. Conclusion: It seems to appear that organized daily PA (2 Â 20 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.

European Journal of Pediatrics, 2014

This study uncovered the patterns of moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA) in normal-weigh... more This study uncovered the patterns of moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA) in normal-weight and overweight/obese children before, during, and after school lessons. ActiTrainer-based MVPA was assessed over 2 school days (with and without a physical education lesson [PEL] in a sample of three hundred thirty-eight 9-to 11-year-old children (50.3 % female; 29.6 % overweight/obese), in the Czech Republic, during spring 2012. MVPA was quantified based on the step count (number), MVPA duration, and MVPA heart-rate response (minutes). No differences in the MVPA based on the time during the school day were confirmed in normal-weight versus overweight/obese girls, whereas normal-weight boys significantly exceed their overweight/obese peers in step count and afterschool and daylong MVPA. Active participation in PEL contributes to a significantly higher step count, exercise duration, and MVPA heart-rate response in normal-weight and overweight/ obese boys (p <0.001) and normal-weight (p <0.001) and overweight/obese (p <0.04) girls during school time. Moreover, active participation in PEL significantly (p <0.04) increases the overall daily step count, duration, and MVPA heart-rate response in normal-weight boys and overweight/obese girls. Active exercise during PEL accounted for 16.7 % of the total number of steps, 25.1 % of overall MVPA duration, and 24.1 % of the MVPA heart-rate response in 9-to 11-year-old children. During days with a PEL, a significantly (p <0.02) higher number of overweight/obese girls and a higher number of normal-weight boys achieved the duration of 60 min/day of MVPA compared with days without a PEL. Conclusion: Adding one PEL or an equivalent amount of MVPA to the daily school routine appears to be a promising strategy to effectively increase daily MVPA, particularly among overweight/obese girls.

Child: Care, Health and Development, 2009

Background The transition from kindergarten to first year at school is associated with a variety ... more Background The transition from kindergarten to first year at school is associated with a variety of psychosocial changes in children. The aim of this longitudinal study was to identify the changes in children's physical activity (PA) upon entry to first year at school; and to identify the days of the school week that exhibit low PA. Methods We monitored the PA levels of 176 children twice: initially in kindergarten and again in first-year classes at school. The age (mean Ϯ standard deviation) of children at kindergarten was 5.7 Ϯ 0.5 years and 6.7 Ϯ 0.5 years at the first year of elementary school. We evaluated PA employing the activity energy expenditure (AEE -kcal/kg/day) from Caltrac accelerometer and daily amount of steps (STEPS) from Yamax pedometer. Participants were monitored over 7 days to include a weekend. Results The mean AEE was 11.5 in pre-school girls and 12.9 kcal/kg/day in boys; and STEPS were 9923 steps/day in girls and 11 864 in boys on weekdays. At weekends, it was 11.5 kcal/kg/day in girls and 12.7 kcal/kg/day in boys and 10 606 steps/day in girls and 11 182 steps/day in boys.The mean AEE and STEPS in first-grade girls and boys was 9.9 and 9.8 kcal/kg/day respectively, and 7911 and 8252 steps/day respectively on weekdays, and 8.8 and 9.0 kcal/kg/day and 6872 and 7194 steps/day respectively at weekends. First-grade school children had significantly lower PA than pre-school children on weekdays (P < 0.0001) and at weekends (P < 0.0001). Decline in PA on weekdays was during time spent at school (P < 0.0001) and not during after-school children's leisure time. Conclusion The parts of the week when first-grade school children show low PA are the times spent in lessons and in after-school nursery and at weekends. PA needs to be promoted using intervention programmes mainly during the after-school nursery programmes and at weekends.

BACKGROUND: The environment of a neighborhood (the availability of sports facilities, services, a... more BACKGROUND: The environment of a neighborhood (the availability of sports facilities, services, and transporta-tion) can infl uence physical activity (henceforth PA), however the infl uence of diff erent environments on PA have not been clearly described in the Czech Republic yet. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to identify the relationships between obesity and PA in Olomouc and the surrounding countryside depending on diff erences in the neighborhood environment. A further aim of the study is to form recommendations concerning physical activity enhancement and lifestyle. METHODS: PA was quantifi ed on the basis of the NQLS (Neighborhood Quality of Life Study) questionnaire, which includes the internationally standardized IPAQ long questionnaire in its second part. The study involved 241 valid questionnaires from the respondents from Olomouc (capital of Olomouc region, 100,000 inhabitants) and Prakšice (village close to Olomouc, less than 1,000 inhabitants) aged 15–60 (102 men an...