Sima Zach

Like mother like child: Three generations' patterns of exercise behavior.

This study examined the patterns of leisure time physical activity and factors influencing those patterns among family members in 3 generations. The purpose of the study was threefold: to examine physical activity patterns in 3 generations of middle-school students’ families; to examine the motives, obstacles, and incentives of family members who engage in physical activity; and to examine whether a link exists between motives for physical activity and activity patterns. Study participants were 908 people from 40 countries of origin, ages 12‐90, from 3 generations of 298 families. Physical activity patterns were measured by questionnaires. In addition, the type, frequency, intensity, and duration of physical activity done over the previous week were recorded. A physical activity level between 0 and 3 (0 no activity ,3 intensive activity), according to recommendations published by international health organizations, was determined for each participant. The level of physical activity sharply decreased with age. A significant correlation was found between the activity level of children and their mothers. No correlations were found for other family members.

Adolescents' physical activity habits--results from a national health survey.

BACKGROUND   The MABAT Youth National Health and Nutrition Survey was conducted in Israel by the Ministry of Health and the Center for Disease Control. This article presents results of physical activity (PA) habits in Israel, in relation to recommendations by world health organizations. METHODS   Participants were 6274 adolescents, grades 7-12, enrolled in a cross-sectional, representative, school-based survey. Sufficient level of PA was defined as any moderate and vigorous level of PA that adds up daily to 60 min/day. Light PA was considered to be an insufficient level of PA. RESULTS   Only 10.5% of the participants reported performing sufficient PA. Large gender differences were found, with 17.7% of boys versus only 4.6% of girls meeting the guidelines. CONCLUSIONS   Results highlight the need to develop programmes for school children in Israel to promote PA. Such programmes have been initiated in many countries that have a large percentage of adolescents with a sedentary lifestyle.

The menopausal transition: does it induce women's worries about aging?

Objective This study examines whether patterns of worries about aging change in women during the menopausal transition. Design A population-based sample of 261 Australian-born women aged 45–55 years at baseline participated in a longitudinal study. Data were collected at baseline and in the 5th year of annual follow-up interviews. Measures included the Attitudes to Aging Scale which is based on a scale developed by Kaufert and Syrotuik and contained the six-item version which examines worries about specific losses. Menopausal status was determined by menstrual status as follows: late reproductive, early menopausal transition, late menopausal transition, and postmenopause. Results Data analysis carried out by cross-tabulation found that 36% of participants did not change their attitudes over the 5-year follow-up period, 30% became more worried and 33% became less worried and there was no significant difference between those who had or had not experienced the menopausal transition. There was no significant association between the scores on the Attitudes to Aging Scale and changes in the self-rated health, work status and marital status. Conclusion The menopausal transition does not induce an overall increase in worries about aging.

Habitual physical activity is a meaningful predictor of well-being in mid-life women: a longitudinal analysis.

Objectives To examine whether physical-activity patterns over a period of 4 years are associated with well-being. Design A sample of 399 women aged 50–60 years participated in the study. Measures included rate of physical activity and other life style behaviors, well-being, health status, and interpersonal stress. Sufficient and insufficient exercisers were identified, and the association of this dichotomy with well-being, along with the contribution of the other variables, was examined. Results The distribution of physical-activity patterns remained stable over the 4 years of the study, with 40% of the women exercising leisurely and 15–20% exercising vigorously four to seven times a week. Approximately 50% of the women were considered sufficiently active in terms of public recommendations. Random effects regression analysis revealed that sufficient exercise along with a low frequency of daily hassles, relatively few menopausal symptoms, and a low level of interpersonal stress significantly contributed to the variability of well-being. Conclusions These data evoke the need for a better understanding of exercise behavior and its promising potential contribution to the well-being of middle-aged women.

Motivation dimensions for running a marathon: A new model emerging from the Motivation of Marathon Scale (MOMS)

Purpose The aim of this study was to test and expand the Motivation of Marathoners Scale (MOMS) model (Masters et al., 1993). Methods The MOMS questionnaire was distributed to 306 male and female marathon runners (age range: 20–77 years) with experience in marathon running (range: 1–44 runs). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the original model failed to fit the data. Hence, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to test the best factorial solution for the current data, and a subsequent CFA was performed on the revised factorial structure. Then, a series of EFAs using maximum likelihood factor extraction method were performed. Results The best structure solution for model-data fit resulted in 11 factors: psychological coping—emotional-related coping, psychological coping—everyday-life management, life meaning, self-esteem, recognition, affiliation, weight concerns, general health orientation—reduced disease prevalence and longevity, general health orientation—keep fit, competition, and personal goal achievement. Conclusion This study provides a sound and solid framework for studying motivation for physically demanding tasks such as marathon runs, and needs to be similarly applied and tested in studies incorporating physical tasks which vary in mental demands.

Academic achievements, behavioral problems, and loneliness as predictors of social skills among students with and without learning disorders

This study aimed to examine to what extent academic achievements, learning disorders, behavior problems and loneliness explain the variance of students’ social skills. The differences between students diagnosed with learning disorders and students without learning disorders in all four variables were examined. Participants were 733 elementary students (642 without LD; 91 with LD). Homeroom teachers assessed students’ academic achievements, behavior problems, and social skills. Students completed questionnaires regarding their loneliness feelings. Regression analysis showed that academic achievement and behavior problems explained approximately 70% of the students’ social skills variance, whereas LD did not, and loneliness explained social skills variance only among boys. These unexpected but encouraging findings are discussed in terms of the positive process of change that occurred since the announcement of the Israeli National Special Education Law of 1988, which made it possible for students with LD to be integrated in regular classes.

Internet use and leisure time physical activity of adults - A nationwide survey

We examined the relationships between physical activity and Internet use habits, using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model as a framework. The purpose was to examine how Internet access, digital use, and time spent online correlate with the odds of engaging in three types of PA: strenuous, moderate, and muscle-strengthening Data relied on the Annual Social Survey conducted by Israels Central Bureau of Statistics in 2010, with 6035 participants aged 20-65. Logistic regressions revealed that the odds of engaging versus not engaging in three types of physical activity were higher among Internet users compared to non-users. The odds of engaging versus not engaging in strenuous physical activity were higher among those who used the Internet for studying, social media, and downloading; in strengthening muscles were higher among those who used the Internet for seeking information and social media; and in moderate physical activity were higher among those who used the Internet for studying, compared to non-users. We suggest that the measured digital uses represent intention and action plans similar in their determinants to being physically active. Health care decision makers should increase availability of information on the Internet regarding a healthy lifestyle, concentrating on leisure-time physical activity habits. Engagement in three types of PA was higher among Internet users than non-users.Digital use stems from the intention to make plans for participating in PA, as described in the Theory of Planned Behavior.Participation in PA was higher among those engaging in digital uses for studying, social media, and seeking information.

Level of physical activity and anthropometric characteristics in old age—results from a national health survey

Advanced age is associated with degenerative changes in body composition. There is evidence suggesting that changes may vary upon differences in lifestyle, environment, or gender. Physical activity engagement is considered an important component of lifestyle definition. There are suggestions that engaging in physical activity might alleviate degenerative body compositional changes. The objective is to assess the relationship between adherence to recommended guidelines of physical activity and anthropometric parameters in Israeli older adults. Anthropometric measures, including height, weight, and waist circumference, were taken, and BMI was calculated, from a random sample of 1,663 elderly adults (799 men and 864 women), aged 74.31 (±6.05) years old. Participants reported their physical activity habits and, based on official guidelines recommendations, they were divided into sufficiently active, insufficiently active, and inactive groups. One-way ANOVA (level of physical activity) for both genders was conducted for each anthropometric variable. In both genders, an association between level of physical activity and weight, waist circumference, and BMI was found, with lower values among the sufficiently active. In addition, a relationship between level of physical activity and height was indicated among women, implying that the more active women were taller than the less active. In addition to the already known health benefits of physical activity in old age, it is possible that adherence to recommended guidelines of physical activity is associated with favorable anthropometric characteristics.

Psychological functioning and adherence to the recommended dose of physical activity in later life: results from a national health survey

BACKGROUND Official health organizations have established the dose of physical activity needed for preserving both physical and psychological health in old age. The objective of this study was to explore whether adherence to the recommended criterion of physical activity accounted for better psychological functioning in older adults in Israel. METHODS A random sample of 1,663 (799 men) Israelis reported their physical activity routine, and based on official guidelines were divided into sufficiently active, insufficiently active, and inactive groups. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used for assessing mental health and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for assessing cognitive functioning. RESULTS Factor analysis performed on the GHQ yielded two factors - positive and negative. Logistic regressions for the GHQ factors and for the MMSE were conducted for explaining their variance, with demographic variables entered first, followed by health and then physical activity. The explained variance in the three steps was Cox and Snell R2 = 0.022, 0.023, 0.039 for the positive factor, 0.066, 0.093, 0.101 for the negative factor, and 0.204, 0.206, 0.209 for the MMSE. CONCLUSIONS Adherence to the recommended dose of physical activity accounted for better psychological functioning beyond demographic and health variables; however, the additional explained variance was small. More specific guidelines of physical activity may elucidate a stronger relationship, but only randomized controlled trials can reveal cause-effect relationship between physical activity and psychological functioning. More studies are needed focusing on the positive factor of psychological functioning.

Prediction of standing height among Israeli older adults: Results from a national survey

Background: An accurate measurement of full height while standing is sometimes not possible among older adults, in particular among the frail elderly. For such cases, the use of knee height (KH) and ulna bone length (UL) has been suggested for standing height estimation. Studies have shown that predictive equations of height were ethnic-specific. Aim: This study attempted to develop representative equations to predict standing height based on KH, UL and waist circumference (WC) for older adult Israeli women and men. Subjects and methods: A random sample of 1500 older adults (aged 74.48 ± 6.09 years old). Participants were interviewed in their homes and measurements of Standing height, KH, UL and WC were taken. A quadratic regression analysis, for each sex separately, was performed to predict standing height based on age, KH, UL and WC. Results: The adjusted r 2 standing height prediction equations were 0.51 and 0.67 for women and men, respectively. Conclusions: The prediction of the standing height of frail elderly Israelis, by KH, UL, WC and age, may be an alternative method when actual standing height is difficult or not possible to measure.