Katja Siefken

Medical School Hamburg | MSH · Department Performance, Neuroscience, Therapy & Health

Background: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries. Methods: We used data from the Global Observator...

Problem: Physical activity (PA) is a vital component for promoting physical and mental health and for preventing disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged populations from around the world on various levels to maintain and increase overall PA and subsequently led to a shift in physical activity and its health outcomes. This paper synthesizes th...

Since 2020, the world has been navigating an epidemiologic transition with both infectious diseases (COVID-19) and noncommunicable diseases intertwined in complex and diverse ways. In fact, the pandemics of physical inactivity, noncommunicable diseases, and COVID-19 coincide in a tragically impactful ménage à trois with their detrimental long-term...

Against the background of ever-rising non-communicable disease rates, an area that has received increased attention from sport-for-development practitioners and academics is sport-for-health (SFH). SFH projects attempt to contribute to the development of healthy lifestyle behavior and physically active societies through sport-related programs and i...

Volunteering as a peer tutor offers teaching experience to allied health students who will one day teach patients and colleagues. It also provides an opportunity for students to extend themselves personally and academically. Medical and nursing literature supports peer teaching, yet fewer publications describe the experience of allied health studen...

Issue addressed: Australian women are less likely to participate in recommended levels of weekly physical activity compared with men. Physical activity participation rates decrease with geographical remoteness. Research suggests that a lack of social support mechanisms within the home environment may act as a barrier for rural women to engage in p...

Introduction: A mental health crisis has hit university campuses across the world. This study sought to determine the prevalence and social determinants of depressive symptoms among university students in twelve countries. Particular focus was placed on the association between social capital and depressive symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study...

Purpose. Physical activity (PA) can protect from developing mental disorders. Knowledge regarding optimal PA intensity, type, context, and amount for mental health is sparse. this study aims to determine the relationship between leisure-time PA and prevalence of depression and anxiety, and whether associations vary by PA amount, context, intensity,...

In recent years, SFD programs have been specifically linked to healthy lifestyle development. In addition to positive social impacts, sport and regular physical activity (PA) have shown to be associated with benefits to overall physical health, including reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and osteoporosis. Health- related SFD program...

With increased globalization and modernization of people’s lives, lifestyle behavior has changed substantially in many countries around the world. This change has brought two key behavior modifications: a reduction in physical activity and an increase in unhealthy eating patterns. Consequently, non-communicable diseases have overtaken communicable...

Background The work of The Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GoPA! is the first global effort to compile standardized country-level surveillance, policy and research data for physical activity in order to better understand how countries and regions address promoting physical activity. GoPA! developed standardized country-specific physical a...

›Physical inactivity is a major global risk factor for the development of non-communicable diseases, affecting low-, middle- and high-income countries. Physical inactivity accounts for >5 million deaths per year globally, ranging from 1% of all deaths in Bangladesh to 19% in Malta. ›To promote physical activity on a global level, the Global Observa...

Report prepared for WHO Western Pacific Regional Office

Background: The epidemic of chronic diseases is threatening the health and wealth of the South Pacific region. This study is a response to the need for evidence-based solutions in increasing physical activity and healthy eating in the region. The first Pacific physical activity intervention that has been evaluated is presented. Methods: A team-base...

Background: The South Pacific region is experiencing significant rates of chronic diseases. Well-evaluated health promotion programmes are needed as a central piece of a strategic solution. Just as important as the evaluation itself is how that evaluation outcome can be communicated for future programme use by local programme planners. The objecti...

To Pacific peoples, Western individualistic pursuits may appear rude and uncultured. (Reynaud, 2006)

Background: The Pacific region has experienced rapid urbanization and lifestyle changes, which lead to high rates of noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevalence. There is no information on barriers and facilitators for healthy lifestyles in this region. In response, we present the first stage of a rigorous development of an urban Pacific health inter...

“It’s an emergency!” delegates declared in 2011 at the Pacific Island Forum in Fiji, convened by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the World Health Organization Office of the South Pacific.2 The emergency referred to the ever-increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Pacific Islands. The Pacific region is experiencing...

The World Health Organization and other international health promotion organisations and agencies have recognised physical inactivity as a major health risk factor. However, physical inactivity still receives less attention than other risk factors for non-communicable diseases (e.g. tobacco use, unhealthy diets and overweight). Therefore, in 2009 t...

Population non-communicable disease (NCD) risk is among the highest in the world in the Pacific region. Increasing physical activity (PA) levels may be effective in reducing NCD risk in the developing and culturally diverse Pacific region. To describe the current practice in promoting PA in the Pacific, program information was sourced from NCD repr...