Eivind Andersen

Physical activity levels six months after a randomised controlled physical activity intervention for Pakistani immigrant men living in Norway

BackgroundTo our knowledge, no studies have aimed at improving the PA level in south Asian immigrant men residing in Western countries, and few studies have considered the relevance of SCT constructs to the PA behaviour of this group in the long term. The observed low physical activity (PA) level among south Asian immigrants in Western countries may partly explain the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in this group. We have shown previously in a randomised controlled trial, the Physical Activity and Minority Health study (PAMH) that a social cognitive based intervention can beneficially influence PA level and subsequently reduce waist circumference and insulin resistance in the short-term. In an extended follow-up of the PAMH study: we aimed 1) to determine if the intervention produced long-term positive effects on PA level six months after intervention (follow-up 2 (FU2)), and 2) to identify the social cognitive mediators of any intervention effects.MethodsPhysically inactive Pakistani immigrant men (n = 150) who were free of CVD and T2D were randomly assigned to a five months PA intervention or a control group. Six months after the intervention ended, we telephoned all those who attended FU1 and invited them for a second follow-up test (FU2) (n = 133). PA was measured using ActiGraph accelerometers. Statistical differences between groups were determined by use of ANCOVA.ResultsSignificant differences (baseline to FU2) between the groups were found for all PA variables (e.g., total PA level, sedentary time, PA intensity). Support from family and outcome expectancies increased more in the intervention group compared with the control group. Self-efficacy did not differ significantly between groups.ConclusionsOur results show that a multi component PA programme can increase PA over the short and long term in a group of immigrant Pakistani men. However, we could not identify the factors that mediated these changes in PA.Protocol ID07112001326, NCT ID: NCT00539903

Effect of a single bout of resistance exercise on postprandial glucose and insulin response the next day in healthy, strength-trained men.

Postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels are both risk factors for developing obesity, type-2 diabetes, and coronary heart diseases. To date, research has shown that a single bout of moderate-to high-intensity aerobic exercise performed ≤24 hours before a carbohydrate ingestion has a positive effect on the postprandial glucose and insulin response, but the reports on the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise are scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine if a bout of resistance exercise performed 14 hours before ingestion of a carbohydrate-rich meal might reduce the postprandial increment in blood glucose and plasma insulin concentration. Ten healthy, strength-trained, young men participated in a meal and resistance exercise experiment. All subjects ingested a carbohydrate-rich meal (1 g carbohydrate per kg body weight) after fasting for 12 hours either with no exercise the preceding 3 days or after a bout of resistance exercise performed 14 hours earlier. Blood glucose and plasma insulin were measured every 15 and 30 minutes, respectively, for 2 hours. The postprandial blood glucose response measured as the peak value, the slope (from time 0 to peak value), and the incremental area under the curve 0–60 min (IAUC0–60 min) was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced 14 hours after the resistance exercise compared with the control experiment (no exercise). However, total IAUC was not significantly influenced by a bout of previous resistance exercise. Also, the plasma insulin response did not differ between the 2 experiments. From the present study it would appear that a bout of resistance exercise can reduce the post-prandial glucose elevation for at least 14 hours.

Effects of reducing sedentary time on glucose metabolism in immigrant Pakistani men.

ABSTRACT Purpose This study aimed to examine the association between changes in objectively measured overall physical activity (PA) and changes in fasting and postprandial plasma insulin, C-peptide, and glucose concentrations in type 2 diabetes-prone immigrant Pakistani men living in Norway and to examine whether this association is explained by changes in moderate and vigorous PA (MVPA) or changes in sedentary time. Methods The current study is a secondary cohort analysis on data collected from the Physical Activity and Minority Health study, a randomized controlled trial aimed at increasing the PA level, and not sedentary time per se, in a group of sedentary immigrant Pakistani men (n = 150). For the present analyses, the two groups were merged and a cohort analysis was performed. Overall PA (counts per minute) and its subcomponents, sedentary time and MVPA, were measured with accelerometry. Outcome variables were measured after a 2-h standardized glucose tolerance test. Results Change in overall PA was significantly associated with postprandial log-transformed plasma insulin (β = −0.002; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.003 to 0.000; P = 0.008), C-peptide (β = −2.7; 95% CI, −4.9 to −0.5; P = 0.01), and glucose concentration (β = −0.006; 95% CI, −0.01 to −0.002; P = 0.002). Change in sedentary time was significantly and beneficially associated with changes in postprandial log-transformed plasma insulin (β = 0.002; 95% CI, 0.001–0.003; P = 0.001), C-peptide (β = 3.7; 95% CI, 1.5–6.0; P = 0.001), and glucose concentration (β = 0.006; 95% CI, 0.002–0.1; P = 0.002), independent of changes in MVPA, waist circumference, and other confounders. Conclusions Increasing overall PA by reducing sedentary time seems as important as increasing time spent at MVPA in relation to postprandial plasma insulin and glucose levels in diabetes-prone immigrant men.

The intervention process in the European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) trial: a mixed method protocol for evaluation

BackgroundEuroFIT is a gender-sensitised, health and lifestyle program targeting physical activity, sedentary time and dietary behaviours in men. The delivery of the program in football clubs, led by the clubs’ community coaches, is designed to both attract and engage men in lifestyle change through an interest in football or loyalty to the club they support. The EuroFIT program will be evaluated in a multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT), for which ~1000 overweight men, aged 30–65 years, will be recruited in 15 top professional football clubs in the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the UK. The process evaluation is designed to investigate how implementation within the RCT is achieved in the various football clubs and countries and the processes through which EuroFIT affects outcomes.MethodsThis mixed methods evaluation is guided by the Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance for conducting process evaluations of complex interventions. Data will be collected in the intervention arm of the EuroFIT trial through: participant questionnaires (n = 500); attendance sheets and coach logs (n = 360); observations of sessions (n = 30); coach questionnaires (n = 30); usage logs from a novel device for self-monitoring physical activity and non-sedentary behaviour (SitFIT); an app-based game to promote social support for physical activity outside program sessions (MatchFIT); interviews with coaches (n = 15); football club representatives (n = 15); and focus groups with participants (n = 30). Written standard operating procedures are used to ensure quality and consistency in data collection and analysis across the participating countries. Data will be analysed thematically within datasets and overall synthesis of findings will address the processes through which the program is implemented in various countries and clubs and through which it affects outcomes, with careful attention to the context of the football club.DiscussionThe process evaluation will provide a comprehensive account of what was necessary to implement the EuroFIT program in professional football clubs within a trial setting and how outcomes were affected by the program. This will allow us to re-appraise the program’s conceptual base, optimise the program for post-trial implementation and roll out, and offer suggestions for the development and implementation of future initiatives to promote health and wellbeing through professional sports clubs.Trial RegistrationISRCTN81935608. Registered on 16 June 2015.