Intrapersonal and social environment correlates of leisure-time physical activity for cancer prevention: a cross-sectional study among Canadian adults. Journal: J Phys Act Health| Pages: 790-800 |Date: May 2014 | Authors: Aparicio-Ting FE, Friedenreich CM, Kopciuk KA, Plotnikoff RC, Bryant HE. BACKGROUND: Little is known about the intrapersonal and social factors associated with sufficient physical activity (PA) for cancer prevention, which is greater than for cardiovascular health. METHODS: 1087 and 1684 randomly selected men and women, age 35-64, completed self-administered questionnaires on PA behavior and psycho-social characteristics. Using gender-stratified logistic regression, we investigated correlates of compliance with Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology PA guidelines for general health (150 min/wk), and the American Cancer Society (ACS; 225 min/wk) and World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AIRC; 420 min/wk) guidelines for cancer prevention. RESULTS: Only 39% and 19% of men and women met ACS and WCRF/AICR guidelines, respectively. Self-efficacy, scheduling PA and friend social support were positively correlated with recommended PA for cancer prevention. In men, poor self-rated health and perceived negative outcomes were negatively correlated and hypertension was positively correlated with meeting cancer prevention guidelines. For women, not being married and having a companion for PA were positively correlated with meeting cancer prevention guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Few adults participate in sufficient PA for cancer risk reduction. Multidimensional public health strategies that incorporate intrapersonal and social factors and are tailored for each gender are needed to promote PA for cancer prevention.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25078523

Leisure-time physical activity does not attenuate the association between occupational sedentary behaviour and obesity: Results from the Tomorrow Project in Alberta, Canada. Journal: J.Phys.Act.Health | Date: April 2015 | Authors: Nicholas JA, Lo Siou G, Lynch BM, Robson PJ, Friedenreich CM, Csizmadi I. BACKGROUND: Sedentary behaviour has been proposed as a risk factor for obesity that is distinct from physical inactivity. This study aimed to examine the association between occupational sedentary behaviour and obesity, and to determine if this association is independent of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). METHODS: Fully-employed participants enrolled between 2001 and 2008 to the Tomorrow Project, a prospective cohort study in Alberta, Canada, were studied (n=12,409). Associations between occupational sedentary behaviour and waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) were examined using multiple binary and multinomial logistic regressions. RESULTS: In men, a positive association was observed between daily occupational sedentary hours and WC, WHR, BMI and with high risk profiles that incorporated both BMI and WC (P<0.01). Controlling for vigorous-intensity LTPA in all models strengthened associations between sedentary behaviour and measures of obesity. In contrast, inverse associations were observed for occupational sedentary hours and WHR for women (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In fully-employed men, occupational sedentary behaviour was positively associated with obesity risk that was not attenuated by physical activity. In women, an increase in obesity risk was not observed with sedentary behaviour. Gender differences in the health effects of sedentary behavior require further study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25830327

Linking Canadian population health data: maximizing the potential of cohort and administrative data Journal: Can J Public Health| Pages: 258-261 |Date: March 2013 | Authors: Doiron D, Raina P, Fortier I Linkage of data collected by large Canadian cohort studies with provincially managed administrative health databases can offer very interesting avenues for multidisciplinary and cost-effective health research in Canada. Successfully co-analyzing cohort data and administrative health data (AHD) can lead to research results capable of improving the health and well-being of Canadians and enhancing the delivery of health care services. However, such an endeavour will require strong coordination and long-term commitment between all stakeholders involved. The challenges and opportunities of a pan-Canadian cohort-to-AHD data linkage program have been considered by cohort study investigators and data custodians from each Canadian province. Stakeholders acknowledge the important public health benefits of establishing such a program and have established an action plan to move forward. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23823892

Prevalence of meeting physical activity guidelines for cancer prevention in Alberta Journal: Chronic Dis Inj Can|Date: September 2012 | Pages: 216-226 | Authors: Aparicio-Ting FE, Friedenreich CM, Kopciuk KA, Plotnikoff RC, Bryant HE. INTRODUCTION: Guidelines for recommended physical activity (PA) levels have been developed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) for health benefits and by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) for cancer prevention benefits. METHODS: We examined if these guidelines were met using a sample of 14 294 Albertan participants of the Tomorrow Project, aged 35 to 64 years, enrolled from 2001 to 2005. We used logistic regression to examine correlates of leisure PA behaviour. RESULTS: An estimated 55%, 42%, 26% and 23% of participants met CSEP, ACS, USDHHS, and WCRF/AICR guidelines, respectively. Women were less likely than men to meet ACS (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-0.93), USDHHS (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.50-0.89) and WCRF/AICR (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.47-0.85) guidelines, and being obese was correlated with not meeting USDHHS (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.32-0.65) and WCRF/AICR guidelines (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.63-0.98). CONCLUSION: Albertans, particularly women and obese individuals, are not sufficiently active for cancer prevention benefits. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23046804

The Sedentary Time and Activity Reporting Questionnaire (STAR-Q): reliability and validity against doubly labeled water and 7-day activity diaries. Journal: Am J Epidemiol | Pages: 424-435| Date: August 2014 | Authors: Csizmadi I, Neilson HK, Kopciuk KA, Khandwala F, Liu A, Friedenreich CM, Yasui Y, Rabasa-Lhoret R, Bryant HE, Lau DC, Robson PJ. We determined measurement properties of the Sedentary Time and Activity Reporting Questionnaire (STAR-Q), which was designed to estimate past-month activity energy expenditure (AEE). STAR-Q validity and reliability were assessed in 102 adults in Alberta, Canada (2009-2011), who completed 14-day doubly labeled water (DLW) protocols, 7-day activity diaries on day 15, and the STAR-Q on day 14 and again at 3 and 6 months. Three-month reliability was substantial for total energy expenditure (TEE) and AEE (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.84 and 0.73, respectively), while 6-month reliability was moderate. STAR-Q-derived TEE and AEE were moderately correlated with DLW estimates (Spearman’s ρs of 0.53 and 0.40, respectively; P < 0.001), and on average, the STAR-Q overestimated TEE and AEE (median differences were 367 kcal/day and 293 kcal/day, respectively). Body mass index-, age-, sex-, and season-adjusted concordance correlation coefficients (CCCs) were 0.24 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.07, 0.36) and 0.21 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.32) for STAR-Q-derived versus DLW-derived TEE and AEE, respectively. Agreement between the diaries and STAR-Q (metabolic equivalent-hours/day) was strongest for occupational sedentary time (adjusted CCC = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.85) and overall strenuous activity (adjusted CCC = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.76). The STAR-Q demonstrated substantial validity for estimating occupational sedentary time and strenuous activity and fair validity for ranking individuals by AEE. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25038920

Understanding Health Eating Behaviour Within the Context of the Modern Food Environment Date: 2013 | Authors: Tarra L Penney The prevention of chronic disease requires understanding and intervention related to both individual and environmental level determinants. However, traditional approaches to chronic disease prevention and management have primarily been focused at the individual level, with limited attention toward environmental level influences on health behaviour. This lack of comprehensiveness is partially due to a paucity of complex theoretical frameworks for clarifying the influences of personal cognitive, and broader environmental, variables on a range of health behaviours. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to expand and test a popular health behaviour theory, Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), to include influences of the perceived food environment on healthy eating behaviour. This study involved two phases. Phase 1 expanded SCT to include a perceived food environment construct through review of the food environment literature. Phase 2 conducted a cross-sectional study of 201 adults (age 35 to 69 years) using an online survey to test the expanded SCT informed by phase 1. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) to compare the traditional and expanded SCT model. Results demonstrated no significant model fit, with no improvement in oveall fit with the inclusion of the perceived food environment. However, the expansion of SCT to include perceived food environment attributes altered the pathways of influence within the social cognitive model, suggesting that the presence of perceived environment measures is important for understanding how perceived environments might mediate the effect of personal cognitive influences on eating behaviour. These findings have implications for food environment research, the development of ecological theories, the field of health promotion and the prevention of chronic disease. http://dalspace.library.dal.ca/handle/10222/35463