Objective measured trend data are important for public health practice. However, these data are rare for an adult population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe time trends in pedometer-determined physical activity of Czech adults (25–65 years) from 2008 to 2013. Participants were Czech national citizens whose physical activity was assessed objectively using a Yamax Digiwalker SW-700 pedometer (Yamax Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) for seven consecutive days in the period 2008 to 2013. The final sample was 4647 Czech adults [M age 41.4 ± 10 years; M body mass index (BMI) 25.1 ± 3.7 kg/m2]. The results showed that men took more steps/day (M (Mean) = 10,014; 95% CI (Confidence Interval) = 9864–10,164) than women (M = 9448; 95% CI = 9322–9673) in all age and BMI groups. Mean steps/day declined from 2008 to 2013 by 852 steps/day in men and 1491 steps/day in women. In the whole sample, the proportion of participants who had a sedentary lifestyle (<5000 steps/day) increased by 5.8%; the proportion taking ≥10,000 steps/day decreased by 15.8%. In 2013, men and women were 2.67 and 2.05 times, respectively, more likely to have a physically inactive lifestyle (<7500 steps/day) than in 2008. Conversely, in 2008, men and women were 1.68 and 2.46 times, respectively, less likely to have very active lifestyle (>12,500 steps/day). In conclusion, this study suggests that there has been a substantial reduction in physical activity in Czech adults over time.

The pedometer is a widely used research tool for measuring the level and extent of physical activity (PA) within population subgroups. The sample used in this study was drawn from a population of university students to examine the influence of the monitoring interval and alternate starting days on step-count activity patterns. The study was part of a national project during 2008–2010. Eligible subjects (641) were selected from a sample of 906 university students. The students wore pedometers continuously for 7 days excluding time for sleep and personal hygiene. Steps per day were logged on record sheets by each student. Data gathering spanned an entire week, and the results were sorted by alternate starting days, by activity for an entire week, by activity for only the weekdays of the one-week monitoring interval and for the two-day weekend. The statistical analysis included ANOVA, intra-class correlation (ICC) analysis, and regression analysis. The ICC analysis suggested that monitoring starting on Monday (ICC = 0.71; 95%CI (0.61–0.79)), Tuesday (ICC = 0.67; 95%CI (0.59–0.75)) or Thursday (ICC = 0.68; 95%CI (0.55–0.79)) improved reliability. The results of regression analysis also indicated that any starting day except Sunday is satisfactory as long as a minimum of four days of monitoring are used.

commonly reported activity in leisure time and a main part of active transportation activities provides possibilities for public health initiatives in mainly adult and senior populations (Pelclová, 2015). However, walking day-today variability appears not to be random. Volume of steps/day depends on gender and may fluctuate by day of week (weekdays-weekends), type of day (workdays-non-workdays), and by sport/exercise participation (Tudor-Locke et al., 2004). Extensive evidence in studies on children indicated that girls were less active than boys (Riddoch et al., 2007) and both sexes were less active at weekends than on weekdays (Rowlands, Pilgrim, & Eston, 2008), with a tendency for girls' activity to drop off more steeply at the weekend

Východiska: Předchozí studie potvrdily vztah mezi zastavěným prostředím a pohybovou aktivitou u dospělé populace. Výzkumů, které by se tomuto vztahu věnovaly u dětí a adolescentů je však málo. Celosvětově uznávané modely změny chování opomíjejí tělesnou kondici a dostatečně nereflektují národní historický vývoj populace a také demografická, sociální a další specifika středoevropských podmínek. Cíle: Cílem projektu "Multifaktoriální výzkum zastavěného prostředí, aktivního životního stylu a tělesné kondice české mládeže" bylo: a) stanovení významných determinant, korelátů, mediátorů a moderátorů ve výzkumné triádě: podmínky prostředí -pohybově aktivní životní styl -tělesná kondice; b) verifikace internetových výzkumných technik pro sebehodnocení, evidenci a komplexní diagnostiku pohybově aktivního životního stylu adolescentů. Metodika: Výzkum byl realizován u adolescentů 7. a 8. ročníků základních škol (13-14 let) a 1. a 2. ročníků středních škol (15-16 let) s následným opakováním po půl roce v jarním (podzimním) období. Protokol zahrnul postupy pro sběr dat na individuální úrovni (struktura a objem pohybové aktivity pomocí dotazníkového šetření v systému INDARES a akcelerometru ActiGraph/krokoměru Yamax a testování tělesné kondice). Zastavěné prostředí a socioekonomický status byly hodnoceny subjektivně pomocí dotazníku IPEN Adolescent a u vybraných specifických souborů pro projekt IPEN Adolescent také pomocí geografických informačních systémů. Výsledky: Výsledky této studie poskytnou cenné informace o životním stylu, tělesné kondici a o zastavěném prostředí, ve kterém adolescenti tráví většinu svého času. Závěry: Závěry projektu poslouží jako doporučení do školní a komunální praxe. Zjištění role konkrétních prvků zastavěného prostředí ve vztahu k pohybové aktivitě adolescentů je nezbytné k podpoře jejich aktivního životního stylu.

BACKGROUND: International studies associate physical activity (PA) to other factors such as the environment, culture, and policy. External influences on lifestyle and PA, such as the effect of the physical and built environment, are discussed. Neighborhood environments seem to be one of the important aspects in prevention of unhealthy lifestyle and physical inactivity research. OBJECTIVE:The main objective is to analyze the relationship between PA and neighborhood environment of the adult population of the Czech Republic. The study tries to define the basic correlates of PA in relation to environmental and other socio-demographic factors. METHODS: Nationwide data collection of adult PA was done regionally in the Czech Republic between the years 2005-2009 using the IPAQ (long) and ANEWS questionnaires. RESULTS:The results show that males realize significantly more vigorous PA than females while females realize more moderate PA and walking than males. PA of residents of smaller communities is higher than those living in large cities. The level of weekly PA does not significantly affect the neighborhood walkability [H(3, 8708) = 19.60; p < .001; η 2 = .002]. CONCLUSIONS: The results clearly indicate the need to connect multiple sectors that affect the lifestyle of the general population. Possible solution is an interdisciplinary approach to the evaluation of the fundamental environmental factors influencing the level of PA (walkability; SES; participation in organized and voluntary PA; neighborhood safety; type of transportation; size of the community).