INTRODUCTION

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program spans four years and includes general education and professional courses. Student nurses attend lecture hours, clinical duties, and related learning experiences that might be affecting their time in attending to a healthy lifestyle. Health-promoting lifestyle is a multi-dimensional pattern of activities and perceptions that begins with self-motivation and assists in promoting self-improvement and health. The domains of health-promoting lifestyle are essential factors to further improve their way of dealing with daily challenges. Multiple factors can also influence student nurses’ lifestyles, including their separation from family, busy schedules, and dietary choices. A study highlights various factors affecting student nurses' lifestyles, underscoring the need for tailored health promotion strategies and curriculum enhancements. Research into these domains can better equip future healthcare leaders. Gender, year level, and living arrangements influence student nurses' lifestyles, prompting researchers to investigate the extent of health-promoting lifestyles among them and differences based on these factors. By addressing these domains and conducting further research, nursing education and practice can better prepare future healthcare leaders to promote health and lifestyle effectively within their communities.

To determine the extent of health-promoting lifestyle among student nurses and identify the significant differences according to gender, year level, and living arrangement. 

A quantitative, descriptive research design was used with 360 respondents, employing Yamane’s formula and quota sampling. The study adopted the Health-Promoting Lifestyle II questionnaire with a validity of 0.962.

Student nurses often engage in health promoting behaviors (mean=2.56). Male student nurses reported higher scores in health responsibility, physical activity, spiritual growth, and stress management compared to female students (p=0.40). Level IV students engaged in health-promoting activities more frequently than Level I students (p=0.74). Living arrangements did not significantly impact health-promoting lifestyles (p=0.99).

No significant difference in health-promoting lifestyles among student nurses. Respondents demonstrated the least health-promoting lifestyle behaviors in the domains of health responsibility, nutrition, and physical activity. In contrast, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management attained the highest mean scores.

BACKGROUND

Walking is widely recognized for its benefits in pain management, disability reduction, and psychological well-being, primarily due to its cost-effectiveness and accessibility. However, comprehensive qualitative insights into the full extent of its benefits remain insufficient. Chronic low back pain (CLBP) significantly impairs daily activities, requiring a multifaceted intervention approach, as advocated by the Biopsychosocial (BPS) model and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework.

This systematic review aims to evaluate the perceptions and experiences related to walking among adults suffering from CLBP, understand the barriers and facilitators influencing walking behaviors, analyze behavioral patterns, and examine internal motivators for walking.

This systematic review will include both published and unpublished qualitative studies with participants aged >18 with CLBP persisting > 3 months, where walking is utilized as the primary or secondary intervention. Databases, including PubMed, EBSCO Host, Science Direct, ProQuest, MEDLINE, Epistemonikos, Cochrane Database, and Web of Science, will be searched without language or year restrictions. The screening will involve an independent dual review of the title/abstract and full texts, followed by a critical appraisal. Data extraction and synthesis will employ a meta-aggregation approach, with findings assessed via the ConQual approach.

Synthesized findings will guide evidence-based practice. Recommendations will provide actionable insights to address gaps in qualitative research on walking, promoting a holistic, patient-centered approach to treatment.

CRD42024509069.

BACKGROUND

According to the World Health Organization, in 2016, there were more than 1.9 billion adults who were overweight. Of these, over 650 million were obese. Physical inactivity is one of the major risk factors for several non-communicable diseases. Healthcare workers who have direct contact with patients often influence their behaviors. However, health care workers who educate their patients but they themselves do not practice what they recommend, may be one of the barriers that can affect patient education and influence.

This research paper aimed to investigate the motivation to participate in physical activity among healthcare workers and to determine the association between the profile of respondents with the different types of motivation.

There was a total of 250 randomly selected respondents who were included in the study. Data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire utilizing the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2). Descriptive statistics was used to summarize sociodemographic information, physical activity levels and BREQ-2 profiles. T-test was used to analyze differences in gender while analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for levels of physical activity and professional category.

Female healthcare professionals have a higher average in amotivation (mean=0.56) while males have a higher average in intrinsic (mean=2.82) motivation. Nurses and ancillary services have higher average amotivation scores than physicians.

Health care workers who have high classification in physical activity have the highest average scores in terms of relative autonomy index, introjected, identified, and intrinsic scores. This demonstrates a positive association between motivation from internal regulation and increased physical activity.

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 is a pandemic that shut down businesses and industries worldwide. The spread of the disease changed social behavior as residents around the world were obliged to endure lockdown and quarantine measures, reducing their physical activity.

To determine the level of physical activity before and during the pandemic among physicians.

A cross-sectional study was carried out on 422 qualified physicians of the Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila. The data was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire.

Results of the study revealed a shift of lifestyle from physically active to sedentary in 42.4-57.11% of the respondents during the pandemic. There was no change between the activity levels at work before and during COVID while there was a change in the travel and recreational activities. The results also showed that significant factors including lack of energy, fear of injury, lack of skill, resources, social influences, support seeking activities, and positive alternatives affected their activity levels.

During the pandemic, overall physical activity level decreased. Similarly, factors that motivate health workers to be physically active or sedentary during the COVID-19 pandemic can affect their physical activity levels. Based on this study, the hospital can create guidelines to ensure physical activity among its doctors, especially during a pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Physical activity (PA) and fitness level are considered key factors in public health promotion, and as such, healthcare workers (HCW) need to be physically well because they are not only responsible for themselves, but of their clients as well. Therefore, we aim to determine the PA and health-related fitness (HRF) level of HCW in a tertiary hospital, disaggregated to age, sex, work assignments, and job tenure.

A cross-sectional research design was utilized to assess HCW from the administrative, medical, nursing, and paramedical cohorts. ALPHA-FIT Test Battery was used to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, lower extremity power and strength, upper body muscle endurance, balance, and body composition.

Our study concurred with the results of previous studies on HCW yielding lower PA levels compared with the general population. We tested 282 participants (administrative: 97; medical: 36; nursing: 55; paramedical: 94), mean age 37.4 years, 64.54% females, 52.13% perceived average health status. Ninety percent of the HCW had PA levels below the World Health Organization’s recommended levels. The ALPHA-FIT mean score per category revealed: one-legged stance, 2.67/3; figure-of-8 run, 2.45/3; shoulder-neck mobility, 4.58/5; modified push-up, 2.05/4; hand-grip strength, 2.5/5; jump and reach, 4/4; dynamic sit-up, 2.62/3; six-minute walk test, 475.38 meters covered. There were no significant differences in PA and HRF levels across cohorts except for modified sit-ups (p < 0.001) and figure-of-8 run (p = 0.012). The results showed significant inverse correlation between balance and shoulder-neck mobility and age (p < 0.001), and modified push ups (p = 0.004). Males had significantly higher sit-up scores (p < 0.001), one-legged stance scores (p = 0.001), and faster figure-of-8 run (p = 0.011), while females had better jump and reach scores (p < 0.001).

Physical activity levels of HCW did not meet the World Health Organization’s recommended PA levels. Healthcare professionals who are expected to be aware of the benefits of PA and HRF have shown low to midfit levels of grip strength, upper extremity endurance, core strength, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Information on PA and HRF may aid in policy making on employee wellness that could highly impact health service delivery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The built environment or physical environment consists of surroundings and conditions constructed by human activity. It includes urban design, neighborhoods, transportation, and smaller scale structures like the design and layout of rooms within buildings. The built environment can affect the physical, social, and functional wellbeing of older adults, both within their own homes and in the neighborhoods in which they live, and additionally plays a part in promoting healthy aging. This narrative review of the literature aims to present the ways in which the built environment can influence the functional ability of community-dwelling older adults, and affect their ability to live independently and age in place.

Narrative literature review and inductive thematic analysis.

Forty-five full-text, English language publications from peer-reviewed sources were selected for this review, with the majority (35) presenting quantitative research findings and originating from North America (28). Older adults in rural and developing countries were underrepresented in the literature, despite acknowledgement that health of the aging population is a worldwide problem. Three major themes emerged. First, the built environment affects older adults in the most fundamental way at home through design considerations, modifications, and technological advances promoting aging in place and accessibility. Secondly, built environments outside the home can affect older adults’ physical activity and overall function with regard to mobility, transportation, and activities of daily living. The majority (22 of 45 publications) focused on this theme. Finally, the built environment in neighborhoods can affect older adults’ perception of social support, their social participation, and quality of life.

As the built environment is created by humans and can be substantially modified, it possesses considerable potential for enhancing functional ability, social participation, and overall quality of life in community-dwelling older adults. It is possible to design a better person-environment fit, promoting safety, independence, optimal health, and quality of life. In order to support healthy aging, improvements in the built environment need to be accompanied by appropriate health and social policies, systems, and services. These changes require political will, as well as material resources that may not be readily available especially in the global South. A socioecological approach with adequate resources directed to older adults’ health and healthcare is necessary in order to achieve the ultimate goal of healthy aging in this population.

Humans ; Emotions ; Running

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of torso training on unstable surface on lower limb motor function in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with incomplete spinal cord injury caused by thoracolumbar fracture admitted in Ningbo Yinzhou No.2 Hospital from April 2020 to December 2021 were randomly divided into control group and study group, with 40 cases in each group. In addition to routine training, the control group received torso training on stable surface and the study group received torso training on unstable surface. The gait, lower limb muscle strength, balance function, lower limb function, mobility and nerve function of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: After treatment, the stride length, stride frequency and comfortable walking speed improved in the two groups (all P<0.05), and the improvements in study group were more significant (all P<0.05). The muscle strength of quadriceps femoris, gluteus maximus, hamstring, anterior tibialis and gastrocnemius were improved in the two groups (all P<0.05), and the improvements in study group were more significant (all P<0.05); the total trajectories of static eye opening and static eye closing gravity center movement in the two groups were significantly shorter (all P<0.05), and the improvements in the study group were more significant (all P<0.05). The dynamic stability limit range and the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) lower extremity motor score, Berg balance scale, modified Barthel index scale in the two groups were significantly higher (all P<0.05), and these scores in study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). Both groups showed a significant improvement in ASIA grade (all P<0.05), and the improvement in the study group was significantly better (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Torso training on unstable surface can effectively improve the gait and lower limb muscle strength of patients with incomplete spinal cord injury and improve the lower limb motor function.
Humans ; Walking/physiology* ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Gait/physiology* ; Lower Extremity ; Torso

A protective device was designed that can be worn on the elderly, which consists of protective airbag, control box and protective mechanism. The combined acceleration, combined angular velocity and human posture angle are selected as the parameters to determine the fall, and the threshold algorithm and SVM algorithm are used to detect the fall. The protective mechanism is an inflatable device based on CO₂ compressed air cylinder, and the equal-width cam structure is applied to its transmission part to improve the puncture efficiency of the compressed gas cylinder. A fall experiment was designed to obtain the combined acceleration and angular velocity eigenvalues of fall actions (forward fall, backward fall and lateral fall) and daily activities (sitting-standing, walking, jogging and walking up and down stairs), showing that the specificity and sensitivity of the protection module reached 92.1% and 84.4% respectively, which verified the feasibility of the fall protection device.
Humans ; Aged ; Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Activities of Daily Living ; Wearable Electronic Devices ; Walking ; Acceleration ; Algorithms

Objective: To investigate the prospective association of physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) mortality in CKD patients in China. Methods: Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the association of total, domain-specific, and intensity-specific physical activity with the risk of all-cause, CVD, and CKD mortality based on data from the baseline survey of China Kadoorie Biobank. Results: During a median follow-up of 11.99 (11.13, 13.03) years, there were 698 deaths in 6 676 CKD patients. Compared with the bottom tertile of total physical activity, participants in the top tertile had a lower risk of all-cause, CVD, and CKD mortality, with hazard ratios (HRs) (95%CIs) of 0.61 (0.47-0.80), 0.40 (0.25-0.65), and 0.25 (0.07-0.85), respectively. Occupational, commuting, and household physical activity were negatively associated with the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality to varying degrees. Participants in the top tertile of occupational physical activity had a lower risk of all-cause (HR=0.56, 95%CI: 0.38-0.82) and CVD (HR=0.39, 95%CI: 0.20-0.74) mortality, those in the top tertile of commuting physical activity had a lower risk of CVD mortality (HR=0.43, 95%CI: 0.22-0.84), and those in the top tertile of household physical activity had a lower risk of all-cause (HR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.45-0.82), CVD (HR=0.44, 95%CI: 0.26-0.76) and CKD (HR=0.03, 95%CI: 0.01-0.17) mortality, compared with the bottom tertile of corresponding physical activity. No association of leisure-time physical activity with mortality was observed. Both low and moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity were negatively associated with the risk of all-cause, CVD and CKD mortality. The corresponding HRs (95%CIs) were 0.64 (0.50-0.82), 0.42 (0.26-0.66) and 0.29 (0.10-0.83) in the top tertile of low intensity physical activity, and the corresponding HRs (95%CIs) were 0.63 (0.48-0.82), 0.39 (0.24-0.64) and 0.23 (0.07-0.73) in the top tertile of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity. Conclusion: Physical activity can reduce the risk of all-cause, CVD, and CKD mortality in CKD patients.
Humans ; Exercise ; Motor Activity ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; China ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic