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Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for the health and wellness of individuals and societies. During an infectious disease pandemic, such as the one caused by COVID-19, social distancing, quarantines, and lockdowns are used to reduce community spread of the disease. Unfortunately, such nonpharmacological interventions or physical risk mitigation measures also make it challenging to engage in PA. Reduced PA could then trigger physiological changes that affect both mental and physical health. In this regard, women are more likely to experience physical and psychological distress. PA is a safe and effective nonpharmacological modality that can help prevent and manage several mental and physical health problems when performed correctly. PA might even confer benefits that are directly related to decreasing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in women. In this review, we summarize why optimal PA must be a priority for women during the COVID-19 pandemic. We then discuss chronic COVID-19 illness and its impact on women, which further underscores the need for worldwide preventive health strategies that include PA. Finally, we discuss the importance of vaccination against COVID-19 for women, as part of prioritizing preventive healthcare and an active lifestyle.

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INTRODUCTION: Life expectancy in the US is 78.6 years, and although people are living longer, they are also living with chronic diseases. As women age, they are more susceptible to chronic disease including mental health conditions and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) dementia. Therefore, practical and cost effective ways to prevent the onset of cognitive, mental and physical ailments and increase the quality of life among aging populations is timely and warranted. The purpose of this study in aging adult women was to explore if prayer is associated with electrical brain activity patterns consistent with meditation and therefore a likely pro-health behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 33 healthy women (Mage = 80.1, SD = 8.3) were recruited from a Midwestern Catholic Sisters community. Participants completed 6 consecutive, counterbalanced electroencephalogram (EEG) sessions: three resting sessions and three praying sessions equating to 18 min of recorded EEG data for each participant. Differences in alpha power and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) between praying and resting conditions and the influence of age on the association between inter-individual differences in alpha power were explored. RESULTS: Results indicated significant higher alpha power detected in electrodes positioned in the occipital area for praying sessions compared to resting sessions. Additionally, we found significant positive correlations between FAA values and age of the participants for both conditions (rest: r = 0.436, p = 0.016; pray: r = 0.434, p = 0.017), indicating more approach-related brain activity in older participants. CONCLUSIONS: Taken collectively, our results suggest that prayerful meditation increased alpha power and that positive and approach-related (left frontal-central) brain activity increased as Sisters aged. Future studies should explore the mediating role of age as it relates to meditation and cognitive outcomes.

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Obesity among children is highly prevalent and can lead to risk factors for chronic disease in adulthood. Key organizations have called on schools to play a larger role by increasing children's physical activity and nutrition by adopting an overall culture of health. This study examined the impact of a socioecological theory driven school-wide nutrition and physical activity intervention on 5th graders' central adiposity and obesity level. In 2015-2016, in the Midwest region of U.S., four treatment and two control schools, including 628 (377 treatment) 5th grade children participated in an eight-month intervention. Children in the treatment schools participated in a comprehensive healthy school transformation program consisting of six components. Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and used as the measure of obesity. ANCOVA revealed a significant difference in WHtR among treatment and control groups at time two (T2) FMI(1,6148.14) = 4.43, p = .035, R2 = 0.64, R2Treament = 0.01, with no significant differences based on age, sex, and race. Additionally, the ANCOVA for BMI revealed a marginally significant lower BMI among the treatment than comparison group students FMI(1, 614) = 3.575, p = .059, R2 = 0.01 (Mdiff = -0.23, 95%CI upper boundary: -0.03). The healthy school intervention led to significant differences in obesity levels, regardless of age, sex, or race, across the 8-month program between 5th grade children in treatment and non-treatment schools. This supports the ability of schoolwide programs to significantly and positively impact student health and chronic disease prevention.

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BACKGROUND: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effect of acute maximal exercise (VO2max test) on salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA) responses in adolescent females. A secondary aim was to examine the relationship between resting SIgA levels and VO2max, physical activity, body composition, and diet. METHODS: Fifty healthy female adolescents completed a laboratory-based VO2max test, assessment of body composition via hydrodensitometry, a validated physical activity questionnaire (PAQ-A), and a three-day food diary. Unstimulated saliva was collected before, and 5 and 120 minutes after VO2max testing. Absolute SIgA (µg/mL) concentration was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Secretion rate of SIgA (µg/min) was calculated by multiplying absolute SIgA concentration by saliva flow rate (SFR, µL/min). RESULTS: A significant increase in absolute SIgA concentration (146.8±59.2 µg/mL) was noted immediately after VO2max testing (P<0.05) and returned to pre-exercise levels (120.1±54.1 µg/mL) by 120-min post-exercise (P>0.05). No significant VO2max test effects were observed for SIgA secretion rate and SFR (P>0.05). VO2max values (41.92±6.36 mL/kg/min) were correlated with body fat percentage (r=-0.59; P<0.01), PAQ-A total score (r=0.48; P<0.01), and acute changes in absolute SIgA levels (r=0.28; P<0.05). No significant associations were observed between dietary measures and resting SIgA levels or SFR (P>0.05) except for dietary fiber which correlated with resting absolute SIgA concentration (r=0.29; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that acute graded maximal exercise results in a transient increase in absolute SIgA concentration and that these changes are associated with individual VO2max values.

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OBJECTIVE: Affective associations are key predictors of health-relevant action that can mediate the relationships between cognitive variables and health behavior. Little data, however, has examined affective associations in high-risk groups, the individuals with the greatest need for intervention. Further, few studies have examined the unique predictive ability of positive and negative affective associations. METHODS: The present study assessed positive affective associations, negative affective associations, cognitive beliefs, subjective norms, and reports of 4 obesity-related behaviors (physical activity, fruit consumption, vegetable consumption, and soft drink consumption) across a cross-sectional (n = 1,499) and a longitudinal sample (n = 104) of predominantly African American adolescents of low socioeconomic status from the inner city of urban Detroit. RESULTS: In both samples, positive (not negative) affective associations were the strongest and most consistent predictor of health behavior. Analyses also suggested that positive affective associations mediate the relationships between cognitive beliefs, subjective norms, and health behavior. Interaction tests revealed no evidence that the link between positive affective associations and health behavior is moderated by negative affective associations, cognitive beliefs, subjective norms, sex, or age. CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with affective association research and support the development of health interventions for urban minority youth aimed at changing positive (rather than negative) affective associations. The consistency across behaviors and the lack of reliable interactive effects suggests that changing positive affective associations may benefit urban youth regardless of behavior domain, age, sex, negative affective associations, subjective norm, and cognitive beliefs. (PsycINFO Database Record

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We examined the changes in salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and the incidence of upper respiratory syndrome (URS) throughout a college cross-country season as well as the acute effect of a VO 2max test on SIgA. Subjects were 22 cross country athletes (XC) (20.7±0.3 years) and 23 matched controls (C) (20.4±0.2 years). Saliva samples were collected pre and post VO2max and at four training time points (August - November). Weekly logs indicating S&S of URS from which a total symptom score (TSS) was calculated were collected. There was a significant decrease in SIgA F(1,43)=10.742, p<0.001 and the secretion rate of SIgA F(1,43)=15.617, p<0.001 for XC at time points two through four. XC was also significantly lower than controls in those two variables across those time points. The secretion rate of SIgA and URS were negatively correlated at time point four R2=0.443, F(4,22)=26.9, p=0.001. There was a significant acute post exercise decrease in the secretion rate of SIgA, pre (M=21.44, SEM=3.95) and post (M=14.5, SEM=3.0), t(1,21)=2.185, p=0.039. Prolonged training resulted in decreased mucosal SIgA.

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BACKGROUND: Teacher burnout is regarded as a serious problem in school settings. To date, studies on teachers' stress and burnout have largely centred on teachers' own characteristics, socialization, and behaviours, but few have explored the connection between teachers' burnout and students' motivation via their own perceptions of teachers' behaviour and emotional well-being. AIMS: This study adopted Maslach et al.'s (2001, Annu. Rev. Psychol., 52, 397) job burnout construct and self-determination theory to investigate the relationships between teachers' burnout and students' autonomous motivation over one-semester physical education classes. SAMPLE: A total of 1,302 high school students and their 33 physical education teachers in 20 high schools from two school districts in a major Midwest metropolitan area in the United States. The two school districts were demographically similar. METHODS: Students and physical education teachers completed questionnaires assessing relevant psychological constructs. There were two time points for collecting students' data. One was at the beginning of a fall semester, and the other was at the end of that semester. Hierarchical linear modelling analyses were conducted. RESULTS: It was revealed that teachers' emotional exhaustion was negatively related to students' perceived teacher autonomy support (TAS); in turn, there was a negative relationship between teachers' feeling of depersonalization and students' autonomous motivation development even when controlling for inadequate TAS. CONCLUSION: The dimensions of teachers' burnout might play different roles in the transmission from teachers to students. Teachers' status of burnout is an important environmental factor associated with students' quality of motivation.

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Although nutrition-related health education policies exist at national, state and local levels, the degree to which those policies affect the everyday practices of health education teachers who are charged with executing them in schools is often unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the nutrition-related health education policy matrix that affected one urban school district, the health education teachers' awareness of those policies, the impact of nutrition policies on teachers' instruction and challenges teachers perceived in executing comprehensive nutrition education. The study used interpretive ethnography to examine the educational contexts and perspectives of 27 health educators from 24 middle schools in one urban district in the Midwestern United States. Data were collected through school observations, interviews with key personnel and document collection. We found that a network of nutrition-related education policies governed health education teachers' instruction, but that teachers were uniformly unaware of those policies. Without institutional coherence and clear directives, health education teachers taught little nutrition content, primarily due to poor training, professional development, instructional resources and administrative accountability. The results are discussed in light of the enormous challenges in many urban schools and the need for nutrition education professional development.

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PURPOSE: Determine the effects of 16 weeks of strength training on measures of functional ability in elderly who are functionally limited. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental trial in which elderly volunteers were assigned to either an exercise group or a control group. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-seven participants (65-93 years) living independently but with some functional limitations. INTERVENTION: Thirteen different strength training exercises using Thera-Band resistive bands (Hygenic Corporation, Akron, Ohio). The program was 16 weeks in duration, and the frequency was three times per week. Participants exercised in a group setting one time per week and were given a home exercise book to follow for two additional sessions per week. MEASURES: Functional ability was operationalized to include a variety of measures related to functional ability that impact activities of daily living, morbidity, and mortality in the elderly, including upper- and lower-body strength and gait. ANALYSIS: Intervention effects were analyzed using a 2 (groups: exercise group vs. control group) × 3 (time: baseline vs. mid vs. post) analysis of variance. RESULTS: The exercise group demonstrated significant improvements in upper-body strength as measured by biceps curl (F[2,140] = 39.870; p < .05) and lower-body strength as measured by chair sit-to-stand (F[2,124] = 25.887; p < .05). Gait velocity (F[2,140] = 37.317; p < .05) and step length (F[2,140] = 4.182; p < .05) both increased for the exercise group at week 9, but this increase disappeared by week 17. Compared with minimal changes in the control group, the exercise group demonstrated significant improvements in upper-body strength as measured by biceps curl and lower-body strength as measured by chair sit-to-stand. CONCLUSION: Some measures of function ability were improved after a 16-week structured exercise program for functionally limited elderly. Because functional ability has been inversely correlated with short-term morbidity and the need for assisted living among older adults, providing opportunities to exercise is crucial to future functioning and independence of the elderly population.

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OBJECTIVE: To compare dietary knowledge, behaviors and self-efficacy of black middle school students of low socioeconomic status with their white counterparts of higher socioeconomic status. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, school-based survey. SETTING: Large metropolitan area in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Middle school students (1,208 of low socioeconomic and 978 of higher socioeconomic status). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Dietary behaviors, dietary knowledge, and dietary self-efficacy were assessed by questionnaire. ANALYSIS: Differences between black students of low socioeconomic status and white students of higher socioeconomic status in the above variables. RESULTS: Black students of low socioeconomic status scored significantly lower than did white students of higher socioeconomic status on several of the variables. They were more likely to consume empty calorie food, meat, and fried food and less likely to eat fruit, vegetables, dairy products, and grains; they were less knowledgeable about dietary variables; and they had significantly lower self-efficacy regarding their ability to change dietary habits. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study suggest that black students of low socioeconomic status should be targeted for early intervention related to dietary behaviors. This age group is amenable to change, and interventions designed specifically for them may result in lifetime reductions in risk of morbidity and mortality.

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This study applied self-determination theory to investigate the effects of students' autonomous motivation and their perceptions of teacher autonomy support on need satisfaction adjustment, learning achievement, and cardiorespiratory fitness over a 4-month personal conditioning unit. Participants were 253 urban adolescents (121 girls and 132 boys, ages = 12-14 years). Based on a series of multiple regression analyses, perceived autonomy support by teachers significantly predicted students'need satisfaction adjustment and led to learning achievement, especially for students who were not autonomously motivated to learn in physical education. In turn, being more autonomous was directly associated with cardiorespiratory fitness enhancement. The findings suggest that shifts in teaching approaches toward providing more support for students' autonomy and active involvement hold promise for enhancing learning.

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BACKGROUND: This was a pilot study to determine the impact of the Michigan Model (MM) Nutrition Curriculum on nutrition knowledge, efficacy expectations, and eating behaviors in middle school students. METHODS: The study was conducted in a large metropolitan setting and approved by the Institutional Review Board. The participants for this study were divided into an intervention group (n = 407) and a control group (n = 169). An MM instructor trained health teachers in the use of the curriculum, and the teacher subsequently taught the curriculum to students in the intervention group. A valid and reliable questionnaire was used to determine pre-post differences. It consisted of 3 subscales assessing eating habits, nutrition knowledge, and efficacy expectations toward healthy eating. Subscale scores were analyzed using a 2 groups (intervention vs control) x 2 times (pre vs post) analysis of variance. RESULTS: The intervention group increased their nutrition knowledge at post. There was also a significant main effect for groups in the subscales "Eating Behaviors" and "Efficacy Expectations Regarding Healthy Eating." Subsequent post hoc analysis revealed that the intervention group was significantly more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and less likely to eat junk food than the control group. Students in the intervention group also felt more confident that they could eat healthy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot study suggest that the MM Nutrition Curriculum delivered by trained professionals resulted in significant positive changes in both nutrition knowledge and behaviors in middle school children. Further research needs to be conducted to determine the long-term impact.

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The authors of this study examined the effects of a 16-week exercise program designed to increase aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and muscular endurance in older adults who reported and exhibited limited functional ability. Participants were randomly assigned to either an exercise (n=39) or a control (n=34) group. Dependent variables tested included measures of fitness (aerobic exercise capacity and isokinetic strength testing of the legs and arms) and measures of functional capacity (time to and off the floor, stair test, chair stand, and bicep curl). At the end of the program, there were significant differences between the exercise and control groups in arm strength, chair stand, and biceps curl. The results of this study indicate functionally limited older adults who maintain a structured exercise program for 16 weeks exhibit increased functional ability.

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The purpose of the study was to determine whether resistance training (RT) or a combination of resistance and aerobic training (CT) resulted in the most improvement in measures of functional ability in functionally limited elders. Elderly adults who exhibited some limits in functional ability were randomly assigned to either a CT, RT, or control (C) group. Both RT and CT exercised three times per week for 16 weeks. At Weeks 0 and 17, participants completed six measures of strength and six functional tests. A 3 (group) x 3 (time) ANOVA with repeated measures on the time factor was used to analyze the results. CT and RT scored significantly better than C at Week 17 for biceps curl, elbow extension, chair stand, and time up the stairs. These findings demonstrate that RT and CT are both effective at increasing measures of strength and functional ability in elderly adults who begin exercise with functional limitations.

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Increasing physical activity is often prescribed to improve blood lipids; however, the efficacy of exercise in improving blood lipids in older adults is not clear. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of different exercise modes on blood lipid levels in previously sedentary older adults engaging in a 16-week exercise intervention. One hundred thirty-one subjects (mean age 74.6+/-6 years) were randomly assigned to a resistance training group, aerobic walking group, combined exercise group, or nonexercising control group. Blood lipids were measured at baseline, 8 weeks, and postintervention. Exercise mode did not impact blood lipids. All groups had lower lipid levels over time. Total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides were significantly lower. The decrease in all groups, including the controls, may be due to a seasonal effect in older adults that has been documented in younger individuals.

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The purpose of this study was to determine if high school females differed in individual measures of health-related physical fitness, barriers to exercise, or activity level based on ethnicity or socioeconomic status. A cross-sectional sample consisting of African American (28%), Hispanic (23%), and white (49%) female high school students, 46% from low socioeconomic groups and 54% from moderate or high socioeconomic groups (n = 1314, age = 16.2 +/- 0.9) participated in this study. A 15-question survey instrument assessed barriers to exercise and activity level. The FITNESSGRAM fitness test assessed aerobic capacity and body mass index (BMI), and skinfold calipers were used to assess percent body fat. Significant differences between African Americans, Hispanics, and whites were found on the following dependent variables: BMI, percent fat, mile run, perceived barriers to exercise, and activity level. Significant differences between socioeconomic groups were found on the following dependent variables: percent fat, mile run, activity level, and perceived barriers to exercise. These results suggest that students of minority and low socioeconomic groups should be given separate and different interventions regarding health-related fitness.

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PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was: (a) to evaluate secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) over a 12-month time period in college football players, and (b) to assess which of the commonly used standard methods of reporting s-IgA, either alone or in combination, serves as the best predictor of incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). METHODS: One hundred college-aged males (75 varsity college football athletes, 25 nonfootball controls) were studied at eight points over a 12-month period. Resting mucosal IgA, protein and osmolality levels were determined from saliva using established procedures. In addition, incidence of URTI over the 12-month study duration was calculated from completed standard research logs. Repeated-measures ANOVA were conducted on the dependent variables and eight separate stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict the dependent variable "number of colds" by the independent variables, s-IgA, saliva flow rate, secretion rate of s-IgA, protein, s-IgA:protein, osmolality and s-IgA:osmolality at each data collection point. RESULTS: There was a significant main effect for group, time, and the group x time interaction for s-IgA, the secretion rate of s-IgA, and the number of colds. In the regression model, the only variable that made a significant contribution to the variance at all time points was the secretion rate of s-IgA. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that a season of training in American football results in a significant decrease in both s-IgA and the secretion rate of s-IgA as well as an increase in the incidence of URTI. Among the various methods commonly employed to express s- IgA levels, the secretion rate of s-IgA may be the most useful clinical biomarker to predict the incidence of URTI.

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This study compared the efficacy of 16 weeks of either resistance training, aerobic walking, or combined resistance training and aerobic walking on the performance of functional tasks among adults age 65 years and older with limited functional ability. One hundred thirty-one older adult individuals were randomized into four groups: resistance training, aerobic walking, combined resistance and aerobic walking groups, or a nonexercise control group. Each of the exercise groups documented 70% compliance with their respective exercise intervention, which included three weekly exercise sessions. At baseline, and 8 and 16 weeks following baseline, all participants completed six assessments of their functional ability. Analysis of covariance indicated that all three exercise intervention groups significantly improved measures of functional ability, with the resistance group demonstrating the most consistent gains over the six measures. These findings indicate that older adults who are functionally limited can improve their functional ability through a variety of types of exercise.

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Successful aging includes the ability to perform functional tasks. This ability to perform functional tasks, or functional ability, is influenced by musculoskeletal and cardiovascular functioning and the presence and severity of symptoms of chronic disease. Empirical evidence indicates that musculoskleletal and cardiovascular functioning and symptoms of chronic disease in later life are strongly related to lifestyle choices involving physical activity and nutritional intake. Previous researchers have demonstrated that increases in physical activity and appropriate changes in nutritional intake can be effective interventions to prevent and treat symptoms of chronic disease and improve musculoskeletal and cardiovascular functioning. As a result of this evidence, several organizations have developed physical activity and nutritional intake recommendations aimed at maintaining or increasing the functional ability of older adults. These physical activity recommendations include engaging in cardiorespiratory, flexibility, strength, and balance training 3 to 5 days per week. Broad nutritional recommendations for older adults include a low-fat, plant-based diet including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, 8 glasses of water per day, and a vitamin and mineral supplement.

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