Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living

Associations between Teacher Wellbeing and Social Support for Physical Activity in Two Urban School Districts during the early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Anne Escaron, Jonathan Vasquez, Rajan Sonik — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Given physical activity’s protective effects on mental health and the potential for school districts to support teachers in this area, we explore teacher wellbeing protective factors including social support for exercise. Specifically, we measured the association between social support for exercise and teacher wellbeing in racially and ethnically diverse urban school districts. Based on a prior partnership with 19 schools across 5 districts, we obtained approval from two districts to outreach to teachers (n=206) and invite them to complete the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire and the Social Support and Exercise Survey during the 2020-2021 academic year. We applied linear regression models for continuous variables with teacher wellbeing as the dependent variable and social support as the independent variable adjusting for teacher- and school-level factors. Teachers (n=121) across eight K-8th grade schools completed the survey. The majority of teachers identified as female (77%) and non-White (84%). In the adjusted analysis (n = 104), there was a positive association between family social support for exercise and teacher wellbeing (β = 0.31; P Value < 0.05). Thus for every unit increase in family social support for exercise, a small 0.31 unit increase in teacher wellbeing was predicted. Additional research is needed to better understand this relationship in marginalized school districts as it may yield insights to be applied through multiple channels. District representatives have an opportunity to positively influence teacher wellbeing, an important component to supporting student success, building educational equity, and closing the achievement gap.

Are E-Scooters a Threat to Active Travel?

Jerònia Cubells, Alexandra Bretones, Oriol Roig-Costa — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Electric scooters have emerged with the promise to shift citizens away from cars and thus are promoted by some as sustainable modes of transport that are sometimes equated to active travel modes. Yet, calling them "active modes" might be misleading, as riders often assume a sedentary position, contributing to less active lifestyles. In densely populated cities, e-scooters may not be the silver bullet for enhancing active commuting, as their sheer convenience sometimes nudges people away from walking. Furthermore, the aggressive riding associated with them can generate fears of injury among active travelers and consequently deter walking. Despite this, e-scooters' swiftness and convenience continue to attract users, contributing to riders’ travel satisfaction and wellbeing. All in all, e-scooters present a fascinating paradox – a mode of transport that's both sedentary and thrilling. Understanding this dichotomy is essential as we navigate the intricate intersection of mobility, well-being, and community health.

Are lifestyle behaviors associated with excellent self-rated health among American adolescents? A cross-sectional study

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Excellent self-rated health has been associated with decreased mortality and positive health outcomes in adults. However, less is known about youth populations. To evaluate lifestyle behaviors and their relationship with excellent self-rated health in an adolescent population in the United States. The FLASHE study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute, is a cross-sectional survey with publicly available self-reported data. The present study included complete data from 1250 adolescents (males N= 626, mean age = 14.5y, SD = 1.61y; and females N=624, mean age=14.4y, SD = 1.57y). Logistic regression models were used to analyze associations between lifestyle behavior exposures and the outcome of excellent self-rated health. Lifestyle exposures included: free-time physical activity; sedentary behavior time; beneficial and detrimental food intake; perception of the importance of family meals; meeting sleep duration guidelines, having trouble sleeping, and having a regular bedtime. In addition, potential confounders included weight status, smoking, sex, age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity in adjusted models.

Approximately 47% of males (n=295) and 35% of females (n=217) reported having excellent self-rated health. In the fully adjusted model, the frequency of beneficial food intake (OR=1.06, 95%CI=1.02–1.11 for each additional exposure, p=0.004); perception of the importance of family meals (OR=1.88, 95%CI=1.35–2.63, strongly agree vs. not agree, p<0.001); frequency of physical activity in free-time (OR=2.17, 95%CI=1.20–3.92, very often vs. none, p<0.001; ); and had no trouble sleeping (OR=0.42, 95%CI=0.27–0.64, yes vs. no, p<0.001), were significantly associated with excellent self-rated health. These results support the importance of enhancing future efforts to implement salutogenic interventions that address health behaviors to improve health outcomes in adolescents, focusing on everyday living situations and actively promoting health.

Running Toward Equity: Socioeconomic Diversity and Parental Perception of a Physical Activity-Based Positive Youth Development Program for Girls

Amy Eyler, Loni Parrish, Raul Gierbolini — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0800

The Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a national positive youth development program to promote self-confidence, resilience, and self-esteem for girls through physical activity. It also includes an opportunity for parent involvement in a 5K event at the end of the program. Given the evidence on the importance of family support and parent role modeling for children’s physical activity, the purpose of this study was to explore how parents from different socioeconomic backgrounds view their daughters’ participation in GOTR and their own attitudes toward physical activity. Parents were recruited from high and low resource sites for participation in online focus group discussions. Questions included perspective on their daughter’s participation in GOTR, their own physical activity, and participation in the GOTR 5K event. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed from two focus groups with parents from low resource sites (N=10) and two with parents from high resource sites (N= 15). A common theme across resource groups was that GOTR enhances self-confidence, communication skills, and physical activity. More parents from the high resource sites reported being physically active and having supportive environments than low resource site parents. While some parents noted intention to participate in the 5K with their daughter, more parents in the low resource group reported barriers to physical activity and participating in the 5K event. There is an opportunity to encourage and facilitate parental 5K participation to create a ripple effect for benefits of the GOTR program.