Transgender individuals face stigma, discrimination, and other barriers impacting their ability to engage in physical activity (PA). We aim to review current literature on PA among transgender individuals. A systemic literature search of research studies from 2010–2023 was conducted. Studies must have reported a measure of PA and gender, be original research, and focus on transgender participants’ PA. Rates of PA for transgender individuals were lower compared to cisgender or sexual minority individuals. Transgender women were less likely to engage in PA than other groups. Qualitative results suggest transgender oppression, stigma, discrimination, body image, unwelcoming environments (gyms, locker rooms, swimming pools), and the dichotomous structure of sport contribute to lower rates of PA among transgendered individuals. Disparities in PA for transgender individuals exist. Policy, environment, and system changes are needed to reduce transgender stigma in sport and PA settings. Current legislation is being developed and implemented in the United States regarding the place of transgender individuals in sport and PA. These results should inform public discourse on the topic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the closure of schools and may have inadvertently resulted in decreased physical activity for youth. Emerging evidence suggests that school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic could have hastened the inactivity of youth, possibly due to a lack of structure outside of school and increased access to sedentary activities. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess changes in physical activity from pre–school closure (before the pandemic) to post–school closure (during the pandemic) among youth in spring 2020. Methods: This study used a natural experimental design; youth were enrolled in a physical activity study prior to the lockdown, which was enforced due to the pandemic. The number of device-assessed steps per day and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity minutes per week were measured by using a Garmin Vivofit 4 (Garmin Ltd) accelerometer over 8 weeks. Mixed effects models were used to compare physical activity variables, which were measured before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Youth were primarily Hispanic or Latinx (8/17, 47%) and female (10/17, 59%). The number of daily steps decreased by 45.4% during the school closure, from a pre–school closure mean of 8003 steps per day to a post–school closure mean of 4366 steps per day. Daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity decreased by 42.5%, from a pre–school closure mean of 80.18 minutes per week to a post–school closure mean of 46.13 minutes per week. Conclusions: Youth are engaging in roughly half as much physical activity during the school closure as they were prior to the school closure. If additional evidence supports these claims, interventions are needed to support youths’ engagement in physical activity in the Midwest.

Introduction: Employment is particularly beneficial for persons living with HIV (PLWH). However, PLWH experiencing internalized stigma or anticipating that they may experience stigma may be less likely to seek employment due to additional barriers associated with HIV. The purpose of this study was to understand the associations between internalized and anticipated stigma and employment barriers for PLWH. Methods: Participants (N = 712) from 12 sites across the United States were recruited and interviewed about barriers to employment, HIV stigma, and several other factors related to health. A series of unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models were conducted using cross-sectional data. Results: Adjusted models suggest that greater anticipated stigma was related to increased employment barriers (β = 0.12, p = 0.04). Mental and physical health functioning also positively predicted employment barriers (β = -0.18, p <0.001; β = -0.40, p <0.001, respectively). Discussion: Employment among PLWH has beneficial impacts on HIV-related health outcomes. This study suggests that anticipated stigma may limit and individual’s willingness to seek out employment, or may cause them to leave employment. Internalized stigma may not play as large of a role in employment as anticipated stigma for PLWH. HIV-related stigma reduction interventions focused on community-level and employers are essential to improve employment opportunities for PLWH.

Introduction. Physical activity (PA), particularly low-impact activities like bicycling, can improve health in older adults. However, bicycling rates are lower in the Midwest than other regions in the United States. Therefore, it is important to identify unique social, personal, and environmental factors that inhibit or promote bicycling, and how these are associated with PA. The influences of these factors were explored using the social ecological model. Method. A cross-sectional online survey was developed using previously validated local and national bicycling questionnaires, then distributed to Midwestern bicyclists 50 years and older. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to understand the influences of social, personal, and environmental barriers and promoters on bicycling patterns. All models were conducted separately by gender, and accounted for age, race, education, marital status, income, and employment. Results. Social promoters (B = 0.386, p = .002), such as having friends/family that bicycle were associated with greater PA. Personal promoters (B = −0.311, p = .006) such as needing to lose weight were associated with reduced PA. Environmental factors had no associations with PA. However, individual environmental components, such as number of vehicles on the roads, were significantly associated with PA for both males and females. Females reported more barriers than males. The overall model accounted for 16.1% of the total variance in PA levels. Conclusion. Interventions to promote PA via bicycling in older adults should focus on social factors, while also reducing personal-level factors for males. Interventions for females could focus on reducing specific personal, social, and environmental barriers.

Background: With rates of childhood obesity continually increasing, effective physical activity and nutrition interventions are needed. Formative research is used to tailor interventions to different cultural and geographic contexts and can be vital in adapting intervention strategies in the face of significant disruptive circumstances (like COVID-19). Objective: We conducted formative research via in-person and web-based focus groups among middle schoolers and parents to better understand the facilitators and barriers to physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption and to inform the design of a large intervention for a low-income, urban setting in the US Midwest. Methods: We conducted 2 phases of qualitative focus groups with parents (n=20) and 6th-9th grade middle schoolers (n=23). Phase 1 was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, and phase 2 was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020. Focus groups were transcribed and thematically coded using the Dedoose software. Results: The main facilitators of physical activity prior to the pandemic included the opportunity to have fun, peer influence, competition (for some), and incentives, while the main barriers to physical activity were time constraints and social discomfort. The main facilitators of eating fruits and vegetables included parental influence, preparation technique, and convenience, while barriers included dislike of vegetables, time constraints, and preparation or freshness. During the pandemic, facilitators of physical activity remained the same, while additional barriers to physical activity such as lack of motivation and limited time spent outside of the home were reported. For fruit and vegetable consumption, both facilitators and barriers remained the same for both time periods. Additionally, for some participants, the pandemic offered an opportunity to offer more fruits and vegetables to middle schoolers throughout the day. Conclusions: Some themes identified were common to those reported in previous studies, such as peer influence on physical activity and parental influence on fruit and vegetable consumption. Novel themes such as lack of motivation to be active and limited time outside the home helped improve intervention adaptation, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. The continuity of formative research after a major unexpected change in the intervention context can be essential in targeting areas of an intervention that can be retained and those that need to be adjusted.