The Relationship between Obesity and Physical Activity of Children in the Spotlight of Their Parents' Excessive Body Weight.

BACKGROUND: The study reveals the relationships between daily physical activity (PA) and the prevalence of obesity in family members separated according to the participation of their offspring in organized leisure-time physical activity (OLTPA), and answers the question of whether the participation of children in OLTPA is associated with a lower prevalence of obesity in offspring with respect to parental PA and body weight level. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 1493 parent-child dyads (915/578 mother/father-child aged 4-16 years) from Czechia selected by two-stage stratified random sampling with complete data on body weight status and weekly PA gathered over a regular school week between 2013 and 2019. RESULTS: The children who participated in OLTPA ≥ three times a week had a significantly lower (p < 0.005) prevalence of obesity than the children without participation in OLTPA (5.0% vs. 11.1%). Even in the case of overweight/obese mothers/fathers, the children with OLTPA ≥ three times a week had a significantly lower (p < 0.002) prevalence of obesity than the children without OLTPA (6.7%/4.2% vs. 14.9%/10.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative effect of regular participation in OLTPA and a child's own PA is a stronger alleviator of children's obesity than their parents' risk of overweight/obesity.

The Contribution of Organised Leisure-Time Activities in Shaping Positive Community Health Practices among 13-and 15-Year-Old Adolescents: Results from the Health Behaviours in School-Aged Children Study in Italy.

Background and Objective: Participation in organised out-of-school leisure-time activities (OLTAs) has been shown to have a positive impact on community health practices and to lessen inequities in social and environmental opportunities among youths. According to the social capital theory, OLTAs foster bridging ties that allow individuals to forge new, wider-ranging social connections, increasing social integration and opportunities for identity-related exploration. This study aimed to describe participation in different types of OLTAs and its association with perceived life satisfaction, physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and drunkenness in a representative sample of youths. Methods: A representative sample of 11-, 13- and 15-year-old students (n = 47,799) was recruited throughout all Italian regions within the Italian 2013/2014 Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Data were collected according to the HBSC study protocol. Participants were compared on outcomes according to OLTA participation type (i.e., non-sport, sport-only, and mixed vs. no-OLTA). In accordance with the study sampling procedures, hierarchical logistic regression models were used. Results: Participation in OLTAs was significantly associated with high life satisfaction in all ages (sport-only: odds ratio (OR) = 1.67, 1.48 and 1.55 for 11- 13- and 15-year-olds; mixed: OR = 1.95, 1.60 and 1.45, respectively). Youths participating in OLTAs were more likely to meet physical activity recommendations and report lower rates of tobacco use and drunkenness. Conclusions: Participation in OLTAs showed a favourable impact on health behaviours. Thus, community organisations and clubs, whether supported by public investments, could contribute to the enhancement of beneficial health practices, by engaging and serving the community as a whole and further reducing inequities in both social and environmental opportunities.

Body Fat Mediates Association between Active Living and Health among Adolescents.

The aim of this study was to explore the association of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and organized leisure-time activities with self-rated health among adolescents and whether these associations are mediated by body fat percentage. We used data on 888 adolescents (mean age 12.97, SD 1.20, 56.0% boys) from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in 2018 in Slovakia. We used logistic regression models to examine associations within self-reported data (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and organized leisure-time activities with self-rated health) and their mediation by anthropometric data (body fat percentage). The adolescents who were sufficiently physically active and with normal body fat were more likely to report good or excellent health (odds ratios-OR/95% confidence intervals-95% CI: 3.52/1.50-8.27 and 3.66/2.37-5.68). Similarly, the adolescents who were engaged in individual/team sport and with normal body fat were more likely to report good or excellent health (OR/95% CI: 2.04/1.31-3.17 and 3.66/2.37-5.68). Adjustment for body fat percentage reduced the association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and self-rated health by 27.6% and the association between leisure-time activities and self-rated health by 30.7%. Active living and normal body fat might contribute to better health in adolescence. Programs and efforts to increase physical activity and leisure-time activities in childhood and adolescence need to identify which aspects of these activities are important, effective, and crucial for the population of adolescents.

Excessive body weight of children and adolescents in the spotlight of their parents' overweight and obesity, physical activity, and screen time.

OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this study was to bridge the research gap in the countries of Central Europe using the family dyad approach to examine the associations of parents' overweight/obesity, physical activity (PA), and screen time (ST) with excessive body weight in their offspring. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 1101 parent-child dyads (648/453 mother/father-child aged 4-16) selected by two-stage stratified random sampling with complete data on body weight categories, weekly PA (Yamax pedometer), ST (family logbook) collected over a regular school/working week during the spring and autumn seasons between 2013 and 2019. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify which of parents' lifestyle indicators were associated with the overweight/obesity of their offspring. RESULTS: The mother's overweight/obesity significantly increases her children's odds of overweight/obesity. Concerning fathers, active participation in organized leisure-time PA and reaching 10,000 steps per day significantly reduce the odds of overweight/obesity in their children and adolescent offspring. CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative effect of parental participation in organized leisure-time PA with their own family-related PA can be a natural means of preventing the development of overweight/obesity in their offspring.

Unhealthy eating habits and participation in organized leisure-time activities in Czech adolescents.

A healthy lifestyle habits in adolescents consist of healthy eating patterns and active ways of spending leisure time. This study aimed to examine the relationship between organized leisure-time activities (OLTA) and eating habits in adolescence. Data from the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study on 10,494 Czech adolescents aged 11-15 years was used. The associations of participation in OLTA with ten specific eating habits were analyzed using logistic regression. Involvement in any type of OLTA was associated with higher consumption of daily breakfast, fruit, and vegetables and a lower intake of soft drinks. Participants in non-sport and sport and other activity reported lower rates of unhealthy eating habits (e.g., lower rates of eating crisps and eating in front of the TV or computer). Participation only in sport was related to more frequent eating at fast food restaurants but less frequent snacking in front of the computer and intake of crisps. CONCLUSION: Participation in OLTA was associated with healthier eating habits (e.g., consumption of fruit and vegetables) and a lower occurrence of unhealthy eating habits (e.g., consumption of soft drinks). Alternatively, our findings indicate that non-participation in OLTA can serve as an indicator of an unhealthy lifestyle in adolescence. What is Known • Unhealthy eating habits in youth tend to persist into adulthood and are related to adverse health consequences later in life. • The type of the leisure-time activity (participation in sport, non-sport, sport, and other activities) affects the strength of developmental outcomes in adolescents. What is New • Youth participating in non-sport activity and sport and other activity concurrently reported lower rates of unhealthy eating habits (e.g., eating junk food, eating in front of the TV/computer). • Non-participation in OLTA could be viewed as a potential risk factor for an unhealthy lifestyle in adolescents.

Health-related parental indicators and their association with healthy weight and overweight/obese children's physical activity.

BACKGROUND: Although it is accepted that parents play a key role in forming children's health behaviours, differences in parent-child physical activity (PA) have not previously been analysed simultaneously in random samples of families with non-overweight and overweight to obese preschool and school-aged children. This study answers the question which of the health-related parental indicators (daily step count (SC), screen time (ST), and weight status and participation in organized leisure-time PA) help their children achieve the step count recommendations. METHODS: A nationally representative sample comprising 834 families including 1564 parent-child dyads who wore the Yamax Digiwalker SW-200 pedometer for at least 8 h a day on at least four weekdays and both weekend days and completed a family log book (anthropometric parameters, SC, and ST). Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate whether parental achievement of the daily SC recommendation (10,000 SC/day), non-excessive ST (< 2 h/day), weight status, and active participation in organized PA were associated with children's achievement of their daily SC (11,500 SC/day for pre-schoolers and 13,000/11,000 SC/day for school-aged boys/girls). RESULTS: While living in a family with non-overweight parents helps children achieve the daily SC recommendation (mothers in the model: OR = 3.50, 95% CI = 2.29-5.34, p < 0.001; fathers in the model: OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.37-4.26, p < 0.01) regardless of their age category, gender, or ST, for families with overweight/obese children, only the mother's achievement of the SC recommendations and non-excessive ST significantly (p < 0.05) increase the odds of their children reaching the daily SC recommendation. The active participation of children in organized leisure-time PA increases the odds of all children achieving the daily SC recommendations (OR = 1.80-2.85); however, for overweight/obese children this remains non-significant. The participation of parents in organized leisure-time PA does not have a significant relationship to the odds of their overweight/obese or non-overweight children achieving the daily SC recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: The mother's health-related behaviours (PA and ST) significantly affect the level of PA of overweight/obese preschool and school-aged children. PA enhancement programmes for overweight/obese children cannot rely solely on the active participation of children in organized leisure-time PA; they also need to take other family-based PA, especially at weekends, into account.

La Asociación Alonso Quijano de Madrid: participación social en la salud mental / The Alonso Quijano of Madrid Association: social participation in mental health

Este artículo recoge las experiencias personales y asociativas con la Asociación Alonso Quijano de Madrid que he vivido desde el año 2002. La Asociación Alonso Quijano está inscrita en el registro de Asociaciones de la Comunidad de Madrid, se fundó en el año 1999. La Asociación Alonso Quijano es una Asociación para acompañar, apoyar y reflexionar en la experiencia de la locura. Desde su fundación el rol que asumen los participantes es el de ciudadanos con los mismos derechos y obligaciones y sin poner etiquetas. Es una asociación donde la participación de las personas con problemas de salud mental es muy relevante.(AU)

This article, brings together, the individual and collective experiences that I had the opportunity to experience with the Alonso Quijano of Madrid Association since 2002. The Alonso Quijano Association is registered in the Official Association Register of the Madrid Local Government,and was established in 1999. Alonso Quijano Association is an association to monitor, support and reflect on the experience of madness. Since its origins, the members asume the rol of citizens with the same rights and obligations without labelling anybody. It is an association where the involvement of people with mental health problems is very important.(AU)

La Asociación Alonso Quijano de Madrid: participación social en la salud mental / The Alonso Quijano of Madrid Association: social participation in mental health

Este artículo recoge las experiencias personales y asociativas con la Asociación Alonso Quijano de Madrid que he vivido desde el año 2002. La Asociación Alonso Quijano está inscrita en el registro de Asociaciones de la Comunidad de Madrid, se fundó en el año 1999. La Asociación Alonso Quijano es una Asociación para acompañar, apoyar y reflexionar en la experiencia de la locura. Desde su fundación el rol que asumen los participantes es el de ciudadanos con los mismos derechos y obligaciones y sin poner etiquetas. Es una asociación donde la participación de las personas con problemas de salud mental es muy relevante.

This article, brings together, the individual and collective experiences that I had the opportunity to experience with the Alonso Quijano of Madrid Association since 2002. The Alonso Quijano Association is registered in the Official Association Register of the Madrid Local Government,and was established in 1999. Alonso Quijano Association is an association to monitor, support and reflect on the experience of madness. Since its origins, the members asume the rol of citizens with the same rights and obligations without labelling anybody. It is an association where the involvement of people with mental health problems is very important.