Identification Effects of Pedometer on Estrus of Holstein Cows during Peak Lactation Period

[Objective]The paper was to discuss identification effects of pedometer on estrus of Holstein cows during peak lactation period. [Method]The estrus of Holstein cows during peak lactation period were identified by manual observation and pedometer monitoring. [Result]Compared with manual observation,the detection rate of estrus in Holstein cows using pedometer monitoring was increased by 24. 01%,which reduced the labor cost and enhanced accuracy rate. [Conclusion]The research could provide reliable basis for estrus identification of cows.

Daily step-count and change in waist circumference during a workplace pedometer program

Background: The health benefit associated with a daily step-count target within pedometer programs is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine if the daily step-count attained during a four month pedometer-based workplace health program was associated with change in waist circumference (WC). Methods: 762 Australian adults enrolled in a workplace pedometer program were recruited from ten workplaces in 2008. At the end of the program (four months), 436 participants were eligible for the current analysis. Data included demographics, perceived physical activity change during the program, measured WC at baseline and follow-up, and reported daily pedometer step-counts throughout the program. The association between daily step count and change in WC was examined using linear regression. Results: WC improved by an average of –1.61cm (95% CI: –2.13, –1.09) by the end of the program. There was no relationship between daily step-count and the degree of change in WC. However, among participants reporting an increase in physical activity during the program a relationship between daily step count and change in WC was observed, such that those who undertook on average 10,000 steps or more per day improved their WC by –1.38cm (95%CI: –2.14, –0.63) more than those who did not achieve an average of 10,000 steps per day. Similarly, among individuals not meeting WC guidelines at baseline a greater daily step count was associated with a greater decrease in WC. Conclusions: Within a workplace pedometer program, reported daily step count was not associated with greater reductions in WC. However, it was a useful indicator of potential health benefits in those who increased their level of physical activity during the program. Pedometer programs need to communicate clearly the importance of both a step goal and improvement in step count to manage participant expectations about improvements in health markers.

The Health Benefits of a Pedometer-Based 100,000 Steps/Week Physical Activity Program

Purpose Pedometers can be an effective tool to increase step counts in a physically inactive population.In a more active population,pedometers may also be useful for further increasing physical activity and improving cardiovascular disease risk factors.Our purpose was to assess the adherence and determine the health impact of a 100,000 steps/week(14,286 steps/day)goal in a somewhat-active(7500-9999 steps/day)to active(10,000-12,500 steps/day)population.Methods Thirty-two apparently healthy subjects,13 males(age 44±14 years)and 19 females(age 39±13 years)who had a baseline activity level between 7500 and 12,500 steps/day,were studied.Participants were assessed prior to and 16 weeks after completing a 100,000 steps/week intervention.Pre-and post-assessments of health included body composition,rest-ing blood pressure,blood lipid profile,fasting blood glucose,and a 3-min walk test to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness.Results Fifty-three percent of participants adhered(≥90,000 steps/week)to the 100,000 steps/week physical activity program yet all participants increased their stepping by 23,303±11,480 steps/week.With increased stepping,significant improvements in body composition were observed.Improvements included reduced body mass index(pre:27.2±3.6 kg/m^(2);post:26.9±3.6 kg/m^(2);P=0.026),reduced total percent body fat(pre:35.7±9.9%;post:34.3±10.4%;P<0.001),and reduced waist circumference(pre:83.8±10.2 cm;post:81.5±10.0 cm;P=0.001).An unexpected increase was observed for low density lipoprotein cholesterol(pre:109.7±22.7 mg/dL;post:117.6±20.4 mg/dL;P<0.05).Conclusions Individuals who were previously somewhat-active or active can gain additional health benefits,particularly improvements in body composition,by increasing to 100,000 steps/week with the use of a pedometer.

Validation of the Simplified Chinese-character Version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form in Urban Community-dwelling Adults:a Cross-sectional Study in Hangzhou,China

Objective To assess the test-retest reliability and criterion validity of the Simplified Chinese-character version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Long form （IPAC）.-L） in urban community-dwelling adults in Hanghzou, China. Methods A total of 158 eligible participants aged 25-59 years from 6 neighbourhoods in two central districts of Hangzhou completed the IPAQ-L questionnaire twice within a 7-day interval. Half of the subjects wore pedometers during the first 7 days. Test-retest reliability was examined by comparing the first （Day 1） and the second （Day 9） survey of IPAQ-L Criterion validity was assessed by comparing IPAO,-L with pedometer data. Results Modest to good test-retest reliability was found with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.67 for total PA, 0.37 to 0.73 for specific dimensions, and 0.56 to 0.71 for different intensities of PA. Total PA measured by IPAO.-L was moderately correlated with exercise levels （partial r = 0.27, P = 0.020） and walking distance （partial r = 0.31, P = 0.007）, which were measured by a pedometer, after adjusting for gender, age, educational attainment and employment status. Conclusion Our results indicate that the IPAO.-L is a reliable and validated measure for assessing physica activity levels in this population and possibly the adult population in other mainland Chinese cities.

Longitudinal trajectories of physical activity in women using latent class growth analysis:The WIN Study

Purpose：This study aimed（1） to examine the longitudinal trajectories in objectively measured physical activity（PA）;（2） to identify unknown（i.e.,latent） subgroups with distinct trajectories;and（3） to examine the correlates of latent subgroups among community dwelling women.Methods：The study sample included a total of 669 women from the Women＇s Injury Study,a 5-year prospective cohort study conducted from2007 in the Southwest Central region of the US.Pedometer-based step-count data across 18 consecutive months were fitte to a latent growth model（LGM） and a latent class growth model（LCGM）.Baseline characteristics were regressed on latent class membership.Results：The longitudinal change in PA was best fi to a piecewise LGM with seasonal transitions.Significant y increased and decreased levels of PA were observed during the spring,fall,and winter,respectively（p〈0.001）.Three latent subgroups with distinct PA trajectories were identifie（low-active（46.8%）,somewhat-active（41.3%）,and active（11.9%））.Age and body fat percentage at the baseline significant y explained the likelihoods of being in low-active subgroup.Conclusion：Seasonal variations in PA among women were observed but may not be practically significant A relatively large portion of the sample showed low levels of PA for long periods.Intervention strategies should be considered for women who are overweight or obese,and aged 〉40 years old to promote PA during the life course.

Physical activity levels in American and Japanese men from the ERA-JUMP Study and associations with metabolic syndrome

Background:Metabolic syndrome(MetS) is a global health problem.Physical activity(PA) is a known modifiable risk factor for MetS and individual MetS components.However,the role of PA could differ between sub-populations due to differences in the variability of PA and other MetS risk factors.To examine these differences,multi-country studies with standardized outcome measurement methods across cohorts are needed.Methods:Cross-sectional PA levels(total and domain specific) in healthy middle-aged(44-56 years) men in the Risk Factor Assessment among Japanese and U.S.Men in the Post-World War Ⅱ Birth Cohort(ERA-JUMP) Study(n=730;American:n=417;Japanese:n=313;from population-representative samples in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania,USA,and Kusatsu,Shiga,Japan) were compared.The relationships between PA levels and MetS(overall and specific components) in/across the American and Japanese sub-cohorts(adjusting for age,smoking,and alcohol consumption)were also assessed using the same instruments(pedometer and validated questionnaire) to measure PA in both cohorts.Results:A total of 510 individuals provided complete data on PA(American:n=265;Japanese:n=245).The American cohort had significantly lower mean±SD steps/day(7878±3399 steps/day) vs.the Japanese cohort(9055±3797 steps/day)(p <0.001) but had significantly higher self-reported moderate-vigorous leisure PA(American:15.9(7.4-30.3) metabolic task equivalent hours per week(MET-b/week) vs.Japanese:4.0(0-11.3) METh/week,p <0.0001).In both sub-cohorts,each 1000 steps/day increase was associated with lower odds of having MetS(American:OR=0.90,95%CI:0.83-0.98;Japanese:OR=0.87,95%CI:0.79-0.95) and the individual MetS component of high waist circumference(American:OR=0.86,95%CI:0.79-0.94;Japanese:OR=0.87,95%CI:0.80-0.95).In the American cohort only,higher self-reported leisure PA(Met-b/week) was associated with lower odds of MetS and high waist circumference(OR=0.98,95%CI:0.97-0.99 for MetS and waist circumference,respectively).Conclusion:Higher total step counts/day had an important protective effect on MetS prevalence in both the Japanese and American cohorts,despite differences in PA levels and other MetS risk factors.The effect of steps/day(across all intensity levels) was much greater than domainspecific moderate-vigorous PA captured by questionnaire,suggesting the need for measurement tools that can best capture total movement when examining the effects of PA on MetS development.

Counting Steps in Research: A Comparison of Accelerometry and Pedometry

The objective of this study was to assess the validity of the step count functions in Actical accelerometers and activPAL inclinometers, compared with pedome-ter-derived step count data. Firstly, directly observed step counts over 3 treadmill speeds were compared with steps collected from 3 pedometers, accelerometers, and inclinometers in 10 adults. Secondly, step count data were derived from 22 participants who wore a pedome-ter, accelerometer, and inclinometer over 48 hours. Agreement between measurement tools was determined. All monitors appropriately measured steps in the labo-ratory conditions. In free living conditions, the mean percentage differences with pedometer-determined step counts were -7.3% and 7.0% for the Actical and ac-tivPAL monitors, respectively. With the exception of slow walking for the Actical units (ICC < 0.001), acceptable reliability was found within units for all treadmill speeds, and across units during the free living condition. The 95% prediction interval ranges were wide, ranging from -68.8% to 54.2% for the Acticals, and from -39.1% to 53.2% for the activPALs. Step counts gathered from Actical and activPAL units should not be used interchangeably with pedometer-derived step count data.

Contributing to a Healthy Older Population of the Future: Investigating the Daily Walking Steps of Working Adults in Hong Kong

Developing a healthy lifestyle during adulthood is one of the essential factors to prepare for healthy aging. This cross-sectional descriptive study investigated the daily walking steps of 893 working adults from nine occupation categories in Hong Kong. Their daily walking steps were measured using a pedometer. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the difference in daily walking steps between participants in different occupation category. Chi-square test was used to compare the difference in proportion of working adults in each occupation category who walked and did not walk 10,000 steps per day. Results reveal that the participants in average walked 8661 steps per day. “Plant and machine operators and assemblers” and “clerks” were the two least active groups. Participants from the nine occupation categories demonstrated a significant difference in the number of daily walking steps. Post hoc analysis revealed a significant difference between “plant and machine operators and assemblers” and “service workers and shop sales workers” (p < 0.01), as well as between “plant and machine operators and assemblers” and “craft and related workers” (p < 0.01). Participants from the nine occupation categories also demonstrated a significant difference in the proportion of those who walked and did not walk 10,000 steps per day. Owing to a large difference in number of participants in the nine occupation categories and other study limitations, further systematic investigation is indicated to confirm the study results. To summarize, working adults in Hong Kong are only somewhat active. Identifying the factors that deter the working adults from walking and the ways to promote walking among working adults is necessary to prepare a healthy older population of the future.

Physical Activity and Health-Promoting Lifestyle of Student Nurses in Malaysia

Studies have indicated that lack of regular physical exercise and not adhering to a health-promot- ing lifestyle among student nurses are barriers to their encouraging patients to exercise. On the other hand, nurses who personally embrace physical activity are more likely to encourage their patients to improve their health through physical activity or diet. As a result, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle among student nurses is important because this has a crucial role in their subsequently encouraging healthy lifestyles among their patients. The aims of this study were to determine the physical activity levels and health-promoting lifestyles among student nurses in Malaysia, and to investigate whether there was a correlation between the physical activity levels of student nurses and their lifestyle habits. Further investigation was also carried out to correlate lifestyle habits with physical activity during weekdays and at the weekends. This study involved 189 student nurses who were pursuing Diplomas and Bachelor Degrees in local government universities. The Yamax Digi-Walker pedometer was used to measure physical activity, while the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) II questionnaire was used to assess the health-pro- moting lifestyles of the participants. The HPLP II consisted of six sub-scales which included health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management. According to the results on physical activity, the student nurses had a mean of 8275.97 ± 2210.174 steps per day and were thus categorised as somewhat active. Additionally, the student nurses were found to be more active during weekends (M = 8389.75, SD = 2689.12) as compared to weekdays (M = 8230.46, SD = 2353.97). According to previous studies, both step counts are classified in the “somewhat active” category. Overall, the results for HPLP II showed that student nurses students in Malaysia had a positive health-promoting lifestyle with a score of 2.58 ± 0.34 on a 4-point Likert scale. The highest score was reported in spiritual growth, with a score of 2.92 ± 0.43. Meanwhile, physical activity was observed to be the lowest, with a score of 1.74 ± 0.39. The results found no correlation between physical activity and overall health-promoting lifestyle among student nurses in Malaysia (r = 0.06, n = 189, p < 0.37). However, there was a significant relationship between physical activity (measured by the pedometer) and physical activity habit (measured through the questionnaire) among the student nurses (r = 0.24, n = 189, p < 0.01). According to the findings, when the participants indicated in the questionnaire that they were active physically, the pedometer readings also showed a corresponding similarity in terms of their daily physical activities.

Comparisons of Subjective and Objective Measures of Free-Living Daily Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in College Students

Purpose To compare physical activity and sedentary behavior between four commonly used subjective and objective meas-ures:the 7-day Physical Activity Recall (7DPAR),International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ),pedometer,and accelerometer.Methods A total of 130 college students completed four measures for the same 7 days.Body composition was measured using a bioelectric impedance analyzer.Wilcoxon signed rank tests and Spearman correlations were performed to compare estimates between activity measures.The Spearman correlations between different activity measures were further examined separately for the higher and the lower body fat groups.Results Compared with accelerometer-derived data,both the 7DPAR and the IPAQ overestimated light physical activity(P < 0.001) while underestimated sedentary behavior (P < 0.001).Across comparisons,the highest correlation was found between accelerometers and pedometers on steps/day (r =0.72,P < 0.001).The 7DPAR and the IPAQ were correlated with each other for all physical activity variables and sedentary behavior (r =0.37-0.45).There were low correlations (r=0.20-0.47) between the 7DPAR,the IPAQ,and accelerometers in sedentary behavior,light physical activity,and vigorous physical activity.Higher correlations between different activity modalities were observed among individuals with lower body fat(r=0.41-0.80) than among those with higher body fat (r=0.31-0.65).Conclusions The 7DPAR and the IPAQ yielded comparable estimation of moderate physical activity relative to accelerom-eters.There were significant differences in sedentary time across activity measures.Body compositions should be considered when comparing the estimates of activity levels between subjective and objective instruments.