Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.3
Journals
IJERPH
Special Issues
Physical Activity Promotion for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood...
ijerph-logo
Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Physical Activity Promotion for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 13280

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francesca Gallè

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, 80133 Naples, Italy
Interests: public health; epidemiology; infectious diseases prevention; behavioral risk; health promotion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giuliana Valerio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Via Medina 40, 80133 Naples, Italy
Interests: exercise; health-related physical fitness; childhood obesity treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last few decades, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in children. Since obese children tend to become obese adults, facing an increased risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many other chronic diseases, combating pediatric obesity represents an important public health issue. Physical activity and exercise, together with a healthy diet, are widely recognized to be fundamental tools for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its cardiometabolic consequences. Therefore, several exercise-based interventions have been implemented in different settings to promote physical activity in children. Some of these have also been included by institutions in national or local health promotion programs. Furthermore, a good understanding of the role that impaired physical function and obesity-related stigma play in physical activity and exercise may help us to design treatment strategies tailored to obese youth.

This Special Issue seeks papers considering interventions focused on physical activity for the prevention or the treatment of childhood obesity. Epidemiological, clinical, and cost-effectiveness studies are welcome. High-quality narrative and systematic reviews will also be considered.

Prof. Francesca Gallè
Prof. Giuliana Valerio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical activity
  • exercise
  • children
  • adolescents
  • overweight
  • obesity
  • cardiometabolic risk
  • insulin resistance
  • lifestyle
  • health-related physical fitness
  • prevention
  • treatment

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 349 KiB  
Article
Children’s and Families’ Determinants of Health-Related Behaviors in an Italian Primary School Sample: The “Seven Days for My Health” Project
by Francesco Sanmarchi, Francesco Esposito, Sofia Marini, Alice Masini, Susan Scrimaglia, Angelo Capodici, Fabrizio Arrichiello, Filippo Ferretti, Marilisa Rangone, Francesca Celenza, Emilia Guberti, Domenico Tiso, Antonello Lorenzini and Laura Dallolio
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(1), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010460 - 1 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2201
Abstract
Childhood obesity is an established health problem, and there is a growing need for health promotion interventions focused on healthy behaviors in collaboration with parents and schools. The Mediterranean diet (MD) could help to tackle obesity, but it is essential to maintain a [...] Read more.
Childhood obesity is an established health problem, and there is a growing need for health promotion interventions focused on healthy behaviors in collaboration with parents and schools. The Mediterranean diet (MD) could help to tackle obesity, but it is essential to maintain a good level of physical activity (PA) and limit time spent in sedentary activities (ST). To explore family determinants, adherence to the MD and PA levels as potential predictors of a child’s health-related behaviors, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of 368 Italian primary school children with a mean age of 8.95 years (SD = 1.43). Data were collected from May to June 2017 using a weekly diary, an interactive tool to assess the child’s and parents’ lifestyle. The child’s degree of adherence to the MD was calculated using the KIDMED index. Adherence to the MD was high, medium and poor in 5.2%, 62.5% and 32.3% of children, respectively. Higher maternal educational level was positively associated with children’s MD and PA (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated to ST. Maternal fruit and vegetable consumption was positively related to the MD and negatively related to ST (p < 0.05). Maternal PA was positively associated with the MD (p < 0.001). Paternal PA, and fruit and vegetable consumption, were positively associated with children’s PA (p < 0.05). Our results underline the need for future studies, mainly focused on school-based and family-based interventions, to promote healthy lifestyles and nutritional habits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity Promotion for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity)
6 pages, 499 KiB  
Article
Validity of the Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children: An Actigraphic Study
by Lorenzo Tonetti, Alicia Carissimi, Marco Fabbri, Marco Filardi, Sara Giovagnoli, Monica Martoni and Vincenzo Natale
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 11900; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211900 - 12 Nov 2021
Viewed by 1833
Abstract
This study aimed to provide evidence of the validity of the Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children against an external-objective criterion of the 24 h motor activity pattern assessed through actigraphy. A total of 107 children (60 females; mean age 10.25 ± 0.48) [...] Read more.
This study aimed to provide evidence of the validity of the Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children against an external-objective criterion of the 24 h motor activity pattern assessed through actigraphy. A total of 107 children (60 females; mean age 10.25 ± 0.48) were originally enrolled. Children wore the actigraph model Actiwatch AW64 (Cambridge Neurotechnology Ltd., Fenstanton, UK) for seven days, 24 h per day, around the non-dominant wrist. At the beginning of the actigraphic recording, participants filled in the Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children. Functional Linear Modeling was used to examine variation in the 24 h motor activity pattern according to the total score in the Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children. Higher physical self-efficacy was significantly related to greater levels of motor activity in the afternoon. Overall, this pattern of results supports the validity of the Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children against the external-objective criterion of the 24 h motor pattern. The Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children could represent a promising endpoint for studies assessing the effectiveness of physical activity promotion interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity Promotion for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 360 KiB  
Article
The Determinants of Health-Related Quality of Life in a Sample of Primary School Children: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
by Alice Masini, Davide Gori, Sofia Marini, Marcello Lanari, Susan Scrimaglia, Francesco Esposito, Francesco Campa, Alessia Grigoletto, Andrea Ceciliani, Stefania Toselli and Laura Dallolio
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 3251; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063251 - 21 Mar 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3320
Abstract
Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in childhood is a multidimensional construct with many sub dimensions of subjective experience, including physical activity (PA), psychological well-being, social interaction, and school performance, that represents a fundamental health outcome to assess a child’s physical and psycho-social [...] Read more.
Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in childhood is a multidimensional construct with many sub dimensions of subjective experience, including physical activity (PA), psychological well-being, social interaction, and school performance, that represents a fundamental health outcome to assess a child’s physical and psycho-social functioning. Our study aims to explore the potential predictors of children’s health-related quality of life, using a convenience sample from the Imola Active Break Study (I-MOVE), considering demographic, anthropometric measures, PA level measured by Actigraph accelerometers, parent-reported/self-reported HRQoL, and body image. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 151 primary school children in Italy. HRQoL was assessed using the Italian version 4.0 of the Paediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) questionnaire. Results: Children who spent more time partaking in moderate PA were associated with a higher total PedsQL score (p < 0.03). Mother’s body mass index (BMI) was the only variable statistically significant associated with the physical health domain of PedsQL. Parent’s proxy-report perception concerning children’s psychosocial health was statistically relevant. The children’s gender, age, and BMI had no association with any of the HRQoL outcomes. Discussion: Parent proxy-report psychosocial health and mother’s BMI should be considered as predictors of HRQoL for the psychosocial and physical domain. PA should be implemented in order to improve the HRQoL of primary school children. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity Promotion for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity)

Review

Jump to: Research

12 pages, 562 KiB  
Review
Exergames in Childhood Obesity Treatment: A Systematic Review
by Federica Valeriani, Carmela Protano, Daniela Marotta, Giorgio Liguori, Vincenzo Romano Spica, Giuliana Valerio, Matteo Vitali and Francesca Gallè
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4938; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094938 - 6 May 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4851
Abstract
In the last decade, active video games (exergames) have been proposed in obesity prevention and treatment as a potential tool to increase physical activity. This review was aimed to assess the possible role of exergames in reducing weight-related outcomes among overweight/obese children and/or [...] Read more.
In the last decade, active video games (exergames) have been proposed in obesity prevention and treatment as a potential tool to increase physical activity. This review was aimed to assess the possible role of exergames in reducing weight-related outcomes among overweight/obese children and/or adolescents. The databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus were interrogated to detect controlled studies involving healthy overweight/obese children and adolescents in interventions based exclusively on exergames. Out of a total of 648 articles found, 10 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The included studies differ for duration, setting and type of intervention, frequency of active game sessions, and outcomes considered. Seven out of ten studies reported better outcomes in children/adolescents involved in the interventions, with significant differences between groups in four, while three studies found better outcomes in control groups. These results suggest a possible positive effect of active video games on weight-related outcomes in obese children and adolescents. However, further research is still needed to define if they can be effectively used in childhood obesity treatment and which may be the most effective approach. The potentiality of the new digital media in this field should be explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity Promotion for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop