Criterion Validity and Reliability of 2 Brief Physical Activity Questionnaires in Ethnically Diverse Adults.

PURPOSE: The study compares moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) as evaluated by the Exercise Vital Signs (EVS) and Physical Activity Vital Signs (PAVS) questionnaires to accelerometry, and evaluates the reliability of the questionnaires in ethnically diverse adults. METHODS: Ninety-nine participants (mean age 38.1 y; 49.5% women; Hispanics 43.8%; European American 18.8%; African American 14.6%) were included in the analyses. Participants wore an accelerometer at the hip for at least 7 days and completed the EVS and PAVS questionnaires at the beginning (T1) and at the end (T2) of the 7 days. Associations between the questionnaires and accelerometry were examined using Spearman rho. The reliability of the questionnaires was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient. Sensitivity and specificity were also calculated. RESULTS: Weak positive correlations were observed between the accelerometer MVPA and the EVS MVPA at T2 (ρ = .263, P = .013), and the PAVS MVPA at T2 (ρ = .327, P = .003). The sensitivity of the EVS and PAVS was 73.2% and 82.6%, respectively. The specificity for each questionnaire was 35.3%. The reliability for the EVS questionnaire (intraclass correlation coefficient = .855; 95% CI, .791-.901; P < .001) was good, while the reliability of the PAVS questionnaire (intraclass correlation coefficient = .652; 95% CI, .511-.758; P < .001) was moderate. CONCLUSION: Caution should be used when utilizing the EVS and PAVS questionnaires in ethnically diverse adults.

The effects of exercise on lipid profile and blood glucose levels in people living with HIV: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Exercise is commonly prescribed to improve lipid profile and glucose levels in people living with HIV (PLWH). This systematic review was performed in order to examine the effects of exercise interventions on lipid profile and glucose levels on PLWH. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of exercise on blood glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), HDL and LDL published up to November 2017 were reviewed. Two reviewers assessed inclusion and exclusion criteria, methodological quality and extracted the data. The PEDro scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Nine RCTs involving 638 PLWH met inclusion criteria. The median PEDro scale score was 5 out of 10. Three combined aerobic exercise + resistance exercise studies (AE+RE) showed improvements in blood glucose levels, one study showed improvements in HDL, one showed improvements in TG, and one showed improvements in TC. The AE only study reported improvements in HDL, while the RE only study reported improvements in TG, TC, HDL and LDL. Exercise can be effective for the improvement of some metabolic parameters, especially blood glucose and HDL. However, due to methodological issues, small number of studies and differences in exercise protocols, these findings should be interpreted with caution.

Validity and Reliability of the Exercise Vital Sign Questionnaire in an Ethnically Diverse Group: A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Exercise Vital Sign (EVS) questionnaire in an ethnically diverse sample. Participants (N = 39) were asked to wear an accelerometer at the hip for at least 7 days and to complete the EVS at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of the wear period. The EVS questionnaire validity was determined against accelerometry, and bias was calculated as the mean difference between measures. The sensitivity and specificity of the EVS questionnaire were also evaluated. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between EVS responses at T1 and T2. The mean difference in EVS- and accelerometer-determined time in MVPA was 24 min/wk. The reliability for the questionnaire was excellent (ICC = 0.98). The EVS specificity and sensitivity at T2 were 56% and 78%, respectively. The EVS questionnaire may be an acceptable measure of weekly MVPA time compared to accelerometry in an ethnically diverse sample; however, further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Association Between Physical Activity, Depression, and Diabetes in Urban-Dwelling People Living with HIV.

Physical activity (PA) may improve physical and mental health in people living with HIV (PLWH). However, the associations between PA participation and physical and mental health problems of PLWH in urban settings remain largely unknown. Our objective was to determine the relationships between PA and physical and mental health in urban-dwelling PLWH. There were 289 adult PLWH who responded to an electronic survey including questions on PA and current physical and mental health. The associations between physical and mental health and PA were investigated using linear and logistic regression. A large proportion of participants met recommended volumes of PA. Eighty-three percent of respondents reported symptoms of severe mental distress. Diabetes mellitus was associated with a lower total volume of PA (p = .035). Similarly, depression was negatively associated with muscle-strengthening exercise participation (p = .030). Sufficient amounts of aerobic activity and/or muscle strengthening exercise are associated with better physical and mental health.