Factors associated with six-year weight change in young and middle-aged adults in the Young Finns Study

Objective. To examine factors associated with weight change and obesity risk in young and middle-aged adults. Subjects/methods. The Young Finns Study with its 923 women and 792 men aged 24–39 years at baseline were followed for six years. Variables associated with the weight change were investigated with regression models. Results. The average weight change was 0.45 kg/year in women and 0.58 kg/year in men. In women, weight change was steady across all ages. In men, weight changes were more pronounced in younger age groups. In women (weight gain > 2 kg, n = 490), medication for anxiety, low occupational status, high baseline BMI (body mass index), high intake of sweet beverages, high chi…

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Sustained participation in youth sport decreases metabolic syndrome in adulthood.

to explore the effect of organized youth sport on metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. Longitudinal study data from the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study. A total of 1493 males (n=704) and females (n=789) aged 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 years were randomly selected from five university towns and their rural surroundings in 1980. They were followed up for 21 years. In 2001 they were 24, 27, 30, 33, 36 and 39 years old. Youth sports participation data (participation in sport-club training and competitions) were assessed in 1980 and 1983 using a self-report questionnaire completed in connection with a medical examination. Participants were divided into athletes and non-athletes at each m…

Physical Activity in Childhood and Adolescence as Predictor of Physical Activity in Young Adulthood

Background Despite the general belief that physical activity in childhood and youth is an important prerequisite for the physical activity in adulthood, there is not much information based on reliable longitudinal studies about the continuity of physical activity from childhood and adolescence to adulthood. Methods As a part of a national-level research program called “Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns,” we studied to what extent leisure-time physical activity at the age of 9, 12, 15, and 18 predicts physical activity nine and 12 years later. A total of 610 9-year-old, 624 12-year-old, 572 15-year-old, and 503 18-year-old boys and girls were studied in 1980. A follow-up measurement was car…

Cohort profile: the cardiovascular risk in Young Finns Study.

In Finland, coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence was very high in the 1960s and 1970s. In line with this high incidence, the Seven Countries Study showed that the level of serum cholesterol in Finns was also the highest among the investigated countries in the 1960s. Because several studies indicated that the atherosclerotic process starts early in life, and in accord with the World Health Organization Recommendation of 1978 which stated that studies assessing atherosclerosis precursors in children should be initiated, a program was launched in Finland in the late 1970s to study cardiovascular risk in the youth. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study was designed as a collaborative e…

Daily steps among Finnish adults: Variation by age, sex, and socioeconomic position

Aims: The aim of this study was to provide descriptive population-based pedometer data from adults aged 30-45 years in Finland, and to compare daily step counts with evidence-based indices. Methods: The data was collected from 1853 participants in 7 consecutive days in winter 2007—08 in part of 27-year follow up of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Results: The participants took (mean±standard deviation) 7499 ± 2908 steps/day. Step counts included 1925 ± 2052 aerobic steps/day gathered in bouts of at least 10 min continuous ambulatory activity. Women had more total steps than men ((7824 ± 2925 vs. 7089 ± 2774; p < 0.001). Although participants had higher mean total steps on …

Tracking of Television Viewing Time during Adulthood: The Young Finns Study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the tracking of television viewing (TV) time as an indicator of sedentary behavior among adults for a period of 25 yr. Methods: A random sample of 1601 subjects (740 men) age 18, 21, and 24 yr participated in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 1986. TV time during leisure time was measured with a single self-report question at baseline and in 2001, 2007, and 2011. Tracking of TV time was analyzed using Spearman rank correlations and simplex models. Level and change of TV time were examined using linear growth modeling. Results: The 4- and 6-yr integrated TV time stability coefficients, adjusted for measurement errors, were Q0.60…

Secular trends in youth physical activity and parents' socioeconomic status from 1977 to 2005.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between youth physical activity and family socioeconomic status (FSES) over 28 years. As a part of the Finnish Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey a random sample of 12-, 15- and 18-year-old boys and girls participated in a nation-wide survey by answering questions every second year, from 1977 to 2005, on, among other things, leisure time physical activity and sport participation. Father’s education represented FSES. The results showed that there were no significant or only small differences between the high and low FSES groups in unorganised physical activity during the study period. Participation in physical activities organized…

Decline of physical activity from youth to young adulthood in Finland

TELAMA, R., and X. YANG. Decline of physical activity from youth to young adulthood in Finland. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 32, No. 9, pp. 1617‐1622, 2000. Purpose: As a part of a nation-level research program, Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns, the aim of this study was to analyze age-related decline of physical activity among Finnish young people. Methods: The number of subjects at the beginning of the study in 1980 was 2309, representing both genders and ages 9, 12, 15, and 18. The follow-up measurements were repeated in 1983, 1986, and 1989. Thus, the data cover ages from 9 to 27. To measure physical activity, a short self-report questionnaire was administrated in connection with med…

Atherosclerosis precursors in Finnish children and adolescents. X. Leisure-time physical activity.

As part of the more extensive project concerned with atherosclerosis precursors in Finnish children, this article aims at describing the method developed for epidemiological estimation of habitual physical activity, discussing the reliability and validity of the method and reporting the results of the application of this strategy in the measurement of habitual physical activity among 3 to 18-year-old Finnish boys and girls. The questionnaire for the measurement of physical activity was addressed to the parents of 3- and 6-year-old subjects (younger group) and to the subjects themselves in 9- to 18-year-olds (older group). Using four variables in the younger group and nine variables in the o…

Childhood Nutrition in Predicting Metabolic Syndrome in Adults

OBJECTIVE Our aim was to study the associations of childhood lifestyle factors (the frequency of consumption of vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, butter use on bread, and physical activity) with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study cohort consisted of 2,128 individuals, 3–18 years of age at the baseline, with a follow-up time of 27 years. We used the average of lifestyle factor measurements taken in 1980, 1983, and 1986 in the analyses. Childhood dietary factors and physical activity were assessed by self-reported questionnaires, and a harmonized definition of MetS was used as the adult outcome. RESULTS Childhood vegetable consumption frequency…

Questionnaire-assessed moderate to vigorous physical activity of the Finnish youth in 1979-2005

The purpose of the study was to investigate the time trend of questionnaire-assessed moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among 12-18-year-old Finnish boys and girls from 1979 to 2005. The MVPA was defined as "at least moderately breathtaking and sweating in leisure time physical activities more than 3 times week." Data were based on the Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey, which is a biannual, nation-wide survey on adolescent health and health-related lifestyle in Finland. The nationally representative samples were drawn from the Finnish Population Register Centre. The numbers of participants varied from 2832 to 8390 and the response rates from 91% (girls, 1981) to 58% (boys, 2…

Prospective relationship of change in ideal cardiovascular health status and arterial stiffness: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Background In 2010, the American Heart Association defined ideal cardiovascular health as the simultaneous presence of 4 favorable health behaviors (nonsmoking, ideal body mass index, physical activity at goal, and dietary pattern that promotes cardiovascular health) and 3 favorable health factors (ideal levels of total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose). The association between a change in ideal cardiovascular health status and pulse wave velocity, a surrogate marker of cardiovascular disease, has not been reported. Methods and Results The study cohort consisted of 1143 white adults from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study who were followed for 21 years since basel…

Factors explaining the physical activity of young adults: the importance of early socialization.

As a part of the large project Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns, the purpose of the present study was to examine how adult physical activity is influenced by early physical activity and current social and health-related factors. A total of 2411 children and adolescents aged 9, 12, 15 and 18 years were randomly selected from five university towns and their rural surroundings in 1980. They were followed up for 12 years by means of questionnaires. In 1992 they were 21, 24, 27 and 30 years old. The results showed that early physical activity and current social and health-related behaviours were significantly related to the level of adult physical activity. Multivariable analyses indicated tha…

LASERI-seurantatutkimus: Liikunta-aktiivisuus lapsuudesta aikuisuuteen ja sen yhteydet muihin elintapoihin

LASERI-tutkimuksessa kartoitetaan nyt, miten liikunta-aktiivisuus elämän eri vaiheissa on yhteydessä muihin elintapoihin. Voisiko liikuntaaktiivisuuden lisääntyminen olla reitti esimerkiksi parempiin ravintotottumuksiin tai vähäisempään tupakointiin? nonPeerReviewed

Childhood Environmental and Genetic Predictors of Adulthood Obesity: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Obesity from childhood to adulthood is associated with adverse health later in life. Increased youth BMI is a risk factor for later obesity, but it is unknown whether identification of other risk factors, including recently discovered genetic markers, would help to identify children at risk of developing adult obesity.Our objective was to examine the childhood environmental and genetic predictors of adult obesity.We followed 2119 individuals of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study for up to 27 yr since baseline (1980, age 3-18 yr).We evaluated adult obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m(2)].The independent predictors (P0.05) of adult obesity included childhood BMI, C-reactive pro…

Longitudinal physical activity trajectories from childhood to adulthood and their determinants : The Young Finns Study

Determining lifelong physical activity (PA) trajectories and their determinants is essential to promote a physically active lifestyle throughout the life-course. We aimed to identify PA trajectories from childhood to midlife and their determinants in a longitudinal population-based cohort. This study is a part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. From 1980, a population-based cohort (N = 3596; 1764 boys/1832 girls, age 3-18 years) has been followed up for 31 years. PA indices were formed based on self-reported data (between age 9-49 years) on frequency, duration, and intensity of leisure (during childhood) or high-intensity (at later age) PA and on sports club participation/comp…

Physical activity and participation in sports of young people in Finland

As a part of a larger research programme called Cardiovascular Risks in Young Finns, this longitudinal study is concerned with physical activity and participation in, and dropout from, sport among children and adolescents in Finland, the interrelationship between participation in sports and family and living environment and the impact of the physical activity experienced in childhood and adolescence on later interest in physical activity. The data were gathered in 1980 from 3596 boys and girls who were 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 years of age. The measurements were carried out in 1983, 1986 and 1989. The present study will be concerned with the 9-year-old and older subjects only. Physical activi…

Associations of partnering transition and socioeconomic status with a four-year change in daily steps among Finnish adults

Aim: The aim of this prospective four-year follow-up study was to examine how socioeconomic status (SES) and change in marital status are associated with the change in pedometer-measured physical activity (PA) in adulthood among participants in the ‘Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study’. Methods: Questionnaires were completed and pedometers worn at baseline in 2007 and again at follow-up in 2011 by 1051 Finnish adults (62.3% female, aged 30–45 years in 2007). A latent change score model was used to examine mean change in daily total steps, aerobic steps and non-aerobic steps during weekdays and weekend days between 2007 and 2011. Results: In women re-coupling or finding a new partner wa…

Parents' Physical Activity, Socioeconomic Status and Education as Predictors of Physical Activity and Sport among Children and Youths - A 12-Year Follow-Up Study

The purpose of this study was to examine parental influences on children's participation in sport and their later physical activity. The population for the study consisted of a random sample of 1881 9- to 15-year-old boys and girls who were exposed to the extensive research program called "Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns" in 1980. They and their parents have been followed up for twelve years at three-year intervals by means of a short questionnaire concerning physical activity and other factors. The results indicated that the fathers' physical activity in 1980 was related to their children's habitual physical activity in the same year, and gave in boys and girls a significant prediction…

Does Childhood Temperamental Activity Predict Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior over a 30-Year Period? Evidence from the Young Finns Study

We examined associations between childhood temperamental activity, physical activity (PA), and television (TV) viewing over a 30-year period. The participants (1220 boys and 1237 girls) were aged 3, 6, 9, and 12 years in 1980 and were followed until 2011. Temperamental activity was evaluated by participants' mothers at baseline. The PA was assessed based on maternal ratings of the child from ages 3 to 6 and via self-report age from the age of 9 across all measurements. TV viewing was assessed using self-reports taken from 2001 to 2011. The associations between temperamental activity and the level and change of PA and TV viewing were determined using linear growth modeling stratified by gend…

Life-time risk factors and progression of carotid atherosclerosis in young adults: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study.

Aims The aim of this study is to evaluate whether childhood risk factors are associated with a 6-year change in carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in young adulthood independent of the current risk factors. Methods and results The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns cohort consisted of 1809 subjects who were followed-up for 27 years since baseline (1980, age 3–18 years) and having carotid IMT measured both in 2001 and 2007. Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed repeatedly since childhood. A genotype risk score was calculated using 17 newly identified genetic variants associating with cardiovascular morbidity. The number of childhood risk factors (high LDL-cholesterol, low HDL-cholester…

Effects of persistent physical activity and inactivity on coronary risk factors in children and young adults. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

The tracking of physical activity and its influence on selected coronary heart disease risk factors were studied in a 6-year (original survey in 1980, with follow-ups in 1983 and 1986) study of Finnish adolescents and young adults as part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. The subjects in this analysis were aged 12, 15, and 18 years at baseline. Physical activity was assessed with a standardized questionnaire, and a sum index was derived from the product of intensity, frequency, and duration of leisure time physical activity. Complete data on physical activity index from each study year were available on 961 participants. Significant tracking of physical activity was observed …

Convergent Validity of a Physical Activity Questionnaire against Objectively Measured Physical Activity in Adults: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Background: Traditionally, a self-reported questionnaire has been a cost-effective method of gathering information about physical activity (PA). An objective measurement, such as the use of a pedometer, can be used to validate the findings of a PA questionnaire in a large population. Objective: The study objective was to determine the convergent validity of a PA questionnaire against objectively measured PA in adults obtained with the use of a pedometer. Methods: Data from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS) were collected from 1853 participants aged 30 - 45 years. The participants completed a self-reported questionnaire that included items on leisure time, commuting and habi…

Associations of partnering transition and socioeconomic status with a four-year change in daily steps among Finnish adults.

Aim: The aim of this prospective four-year follow-up study was to examine how socioeconomic status (SES) and change in marital status are associated with the change in pedometer-measured physical activity (PA) in adulthood among participants in the ‘Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study’. Methods: Questionnaires were completed and pedometers worn at baseline in 2007 and again at follow-up in 2011 by 1051 Finnish adults (62.3% female, aged 30–45 years in 2007). A latent change score model was used to examine mean change in daily total steps, aerobic steps and non-aerobic steps during weekdays and weekend days between 2007 and 2011. Results: In women re-coupling or finding a new partner wa…

Testing a model of physical activity and obesity tracking from youth to adulthood: the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study

To test a potential model of the relationship between physical activity and obesity from youth to adulthood.Longitudinal study data from the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study.A total of 1319 boys (n=626) and girls (n=693) aged 9, 12, 15 and 18 years were randomly selected from five university towns and their rural surroundings in 1980. They were followed up for 21 years. In 2001 they were 30, 33, 36 and 39 years old.Physical activity was assessed by a short questionnaire at two measurement points. Obesity was measured by body mass index (BMI) and sum of skinfolds in 1980 and BMI and waist circumference in 2001.Structural equation analysis (LISREL) indicated that the prevalence of abd…

Keski-ikäinen tarvitsee lisää askeleita arkeensa

Harrastamme enemmän liikuntaa, mutta lihomme siitä huolimatta. Kehitys on samansuuntaista kaikkialla länsimaissa. Keski-iässä tarvitaankin lisää askeleita arkeen, jotta painonnousu pysyy kurissa. nonPeerReviewed

Physical Inactivity from Youth to Adulthood and Risk of Impaired Glucose Metabolism

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) is important in the prevention and treatment of impaired glucose metabolism. However, association of physical inactivity during the transition between childhood and adulthood with glucose metabolism is unknown. Therefore, we studied the association of persistent physical inactivity since childhood with glucose metabolism in adulthood. Methods: Data were drawn from the ongoing, Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study with repeated follow-ups between 1980 and 2011 (baseline age, 3-18 yr; n = 3596). Impaired glucose metabolism was defined as having impaired fasting glucose (6.1-6.9 mmol·L-1) or type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Leisure-time PA habits were repe…

Trends in leisure time physical activity among young people in Finland, 1977—2007

The decline in physical activity among young people has been discussed in the media during recent decades, although the scientific evidence for this has been scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate trends over 30 years in leisure time physical activity of Finnish boys and girls aged 12, 14, 16 and 18 years from 1977 to 2007. The data were obtained from the Finnish Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey. In the survey nationwide samples have been drawn every second year (number of respondents has varied from 2832 to 8390) since 1977. Leisure time physical activity was measured through questions concerning organized sport and unorganized leisure time physical activity. Participation…

The benefits of sustained leisure-time physical activity on job strain

Background The long-term effects of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on job strain have not been assessed in a large prospective population-based cohort study. Aims To examine the relationship between the LTPA and the prevalence of job strain. Methods The participants were 861 full-time employees (406 men and 455 women), aged 24―39 years in 2001, from the ongoing Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. LTPA was assessed using a self-report questionnaire in 1992 and in 2001. The participants were grouped into four categories according to tertiles of LTPA index at two time points: persistently active, increasingly active, decreasingly active and persistently inactive. Job strain was me…

Long-term Leisure-time Physical Activity and Serum Metabolome

Background— Long-term physical inactivity seems to cause many health problems. We studied whether persistent physical activity compared with inactivity has a global effect on serum metabolome toward reduced cardiometabolic disease risk. Methods and Results— Sixteen same-sex twin pairs (mean age, 60 years) were selected from a cohort of twin pairs on the basis of their >30-year discordance for physical activity. Persistently (≥5 years) active and inactive groups in 3 population-based cohorts (mean ages, 31–52 years) were also studied (1037 age- and sex-matched pairs). Serum metabolome was quantified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We used permutation analysis to estimate the …

Stability of habitual physical activity and sport participation: a longitudinal tracking study

Although one of the most important aims of physical education and public sport policy is to encourage life-long habitual physical activity, very little is known of the stability or tracking of physical activity. As a part of a larger research project called Cardiovascular Risks in Young Finns, the purpose of the study reported here was to investigate the stability (tracking) of leisure-time physical activity and sport participation at intervals of 3, 6, 9 and 12 years from age 9 to 30. The subjects, chosen by stratified random sample, represent five geographical areas of the country and eight gender-age cohorts (9, 12, 15 and 18 years old in 1980). Physical activity and sport participation …

Teachers' Behavior and Pupils' Achievement Motivation as Determinants of Intended Helping Behavior in Physical Education

The present two-wave longitudinal study examined the extent to which physical education (PE) teachers' democratic and socially supportive behavior, pupils' goal orientations, and the perceived motivational climate in PE explained differences in pupils' intended helping behavior by gender in PE classes. The results of 105 boys and 109 girls based on structural equation modeling revealed at both time points that the PE teachers' democratic and socially supportive behavior was positively related to pupils' concurrent perceptions of the motivational climate as task-involving as well as their higher concurrent intended helping behavior in PE. Pupils' prior perceptions of the motivational climate…

Patterns of intense physical activity among 15- to 30-year-old Finns

Previous studies have reported increasing trends in physical activity in the Finnish population. These reports have not, however, included the perspective of cardiorespiratory stress in adolescent and young adults. We examined the present patterns of physical activity among Finnish adolescents and young adults in 1992. We specifically assessed whether the young people experience the volume of physical activity that is believed to stress the cardiorespiratory system appropriately in order to increase the level of fitness. The subjects in the present study were participants of a large multicenter study of atherosclerosis precursors in children and young adults. Physical activity was measured …

Factors associated with six-year weight change in young and middle-aged adults in the Young Finns Study

Objective. To examine factors associated with weight change and obesity risk in young and middle-aged adults. Subjects/methods. The Young Finns Study with its 923 women and 792 men aged 24–39 years at baseline were followed for six years. Variables associated with the weight change were investigated with regression models. Results. The average weight change was 0.45 kg/year in women and 0.58 kg/year in men. In women, weight change was steady across all ages. In men, weight changes were more pronounced in younger age groups. In women (weight gain > 2 kg, n = 490), medication for anxiety, low occupational status, high baseline BMI (body mass index), high intake of sweet beverages, high chi…

Active commuting from youth to adulthood and as a predictor of physical activity in early midlife: The Young Finns Study

Abstract Objective The aims of the study were to describe the stability of active commuting (AC) behavior (i.e., walking and cycling) over 27 years and examine the relationship between AC and physical activity (PA) from youth to early midlife. Methods The mode and distance of travel were assessed using a self-reported questionnaire at five consecutive measurements between 1980 and 2007, when 2072 individuals were followed up from youth (9–18 years) to adulthood (30–45 years). PA was also measured using a questionnaire. Results The prevalence of AC declined sharply with age, particularly after 12 years, while AC distances to work or place of study increased substantially. AC was concurrently…

Physical Inactivity from Youth to Adulthood and Risk of Impaired Glucose Metabolism

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) is important in the prevention and treatment of impaired glucose metabolism. However, association of physical inactivity during the transition between childhood and adulthood with glucose metabolism is unknown. Therefore, we studied the association of persistent physical inactivity since childhood with glucose metabolism in adulthood. METHODS: Data were drawn from the ongoing, Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study with repeated follow-ups between 1980 and 2011 (baseline age, 3-18 yr; n = 3596). Impaired glucose metabolism was defined as having impaired fasting glucose (6.1-6.9 mmol·L) or type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Leisure-time PA habits were repeat…

Longitudinal physical activity trajectories from childhood to adulthood and their determinants: The Young Finns Study

Determining lifelong physical activity (PA) trajectories and their determinants is essential to promote a physically active lifestyle throughout the life-course. We aimed to identify PA trajectories from childhood to midlife and their determinants in a longitudinal population-based cohort. This study is a part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. From 1980, a population-based cohort (N = 3596; 1764 boys/1832 girls, age 3-18 years) has been followed up for 31 years. PA indices were formed based on self-reported data (between age 9-49 years) on frequency, duration, and intensity of leisure (during childhood) or high-intensity (at later age) PA and on sports club participation/comp…

Social Class and Changes in Health-Related Habits in Finland in 1973–1983

The aim of this project was to study social class differences with respect to various health-related habits and especially to note the changes in these habits after a 10-year follow-up period. From this study conclusions can be drawn as to whether health education efforts and increased interest in personal health has been more widely adopted by the more educated groups than the less educated groups, whose morbidity and mortality rates are higher. The sample consisted of 902 white-collar and blue-collar workers. Smoking was found to be more common among blue-collar workers in both years. Smoking rates had declined in all groups except female blue-collar workers. Occasions of drinking were m…

Factors associated with six-year weight change in young and middle-aged adults in the Young Finns Study.

To examine factors associated with weight change and obesity risk in young and middle-aged adults.The Young Finns Study with its 923 women and 792 men aged 24-39 years at baseline were followed for six years. Variables associated with the weight change were investigated with regression models.The average weight change was 0.45 kg/year in women and 0.58 kg/year in men. In women, weight change was steady across all ages. In men, weight changes were more pronounced in younger age groups. In women (weight gain2 kg, n = 490), medication for anxiety, low occupational status, high baseline BMI (body mass index), high intake of sweet beverages, high childhood BMI, high salt (NaCl and/or KCl) use, l…

The role of obesity and physical activity in non-specific and radiating low back pain: The Young Finns study

Objective To study the effects of obesity, physical activity, and change in physical activity on the incidence of low back pain and explore whether obesity modifies the effects of physical activity. Methods As part of the ongoing Young Finns Study, 1224 subjects aged 24–39 years free from low back pain during the preceding 12 months at baseline in 2001 were included. Obesity was defined based on the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, and physical activity was assessed by the metabolic equivalent of task (MET) index in 2001 and 2007. Results Abdominal obesity, defined by an increased waist circumference, was associated with an increased incidence of radiating low back pain (adjus…

Stability and prediction of physical activity in 5-, 10-, and 28-year follow-up studies among industrial employees.

The aim of the study was to examine the stability of voluntary and household physical activity (PA) and to compare it with that of the use of the most common stimulants. The prospective cohort study comprised of follow-ups at 5, 10, and 28 years at baseline in 1973 in four plants of an industrial corporation in Finland. A systematic, non-proportional sample (n=902, age range 18-64 years) stratified for age, gender, and occupational status was drawn from the employees. Scores of PA were based on a questionnaire and interviews. Logistic regression models with proportional odds assumptions were counted. The 5-year stability (Spearman's rho) of PA time was 0.44 (PA intensity 0.44), the respecti…

Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns

This report describes the general outline and progress of a multicentre study on risk factors of coronary heart disease and their determinants in children and adolescents. "Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns" comprises a cross-sectional study of 3 to 18-year old subjects in 1980, and follow-up studies in 1983 and 1986 in various parts of Finland, and in 1989 in one of the study areas (Turku). The number of participants in 1980 was 3596 (83.1%) of those invited. In 1983 and 1986 83.2% and 77.8% of them, respectively, participated. The study programme has comprised questionnaire data on, for example, general health and living conditions, physical activity, eating habits, smoking, and psycholo…

Changes in Daily Steps and Body Mass Index and Waist to Height Ratio during Four Year Follow-Up in Adults: Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Aims: Over the study years, there was a significant increase in body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) in middle aged Finnish adults. Methods: Data were obtained from 1033 Finnish adults from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 2007 and 2011. Cohort study participants wore an Omron Walking Style One (HJ-152R-E) pedometer for five days and were grouped into those who increased, maintained and decreased their steps between 2007 and 2011. Paired samples t-test was used to compare body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) change values between the change groups in study years. Results: Among study population BMI and WtHR increase between study years was …

Physical Activity from Childhood to Adulthood and Cognitive Performance in Midlife

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) has been suggested to protect against old-age cognitive deficits. However, the independent role of childhood/youth PA for adulthood cognitive performance is unknown. This study investigated the association between PA from childhood to adulthood and midlife cognitive performance. Methods: This study is a part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Since 1980, a population-based cohort of 3596 children (age, 3–18 yr) have been followed up in 3- to 9-yr intervals. PA has been queried in all study phases. Cumulative PA was determined in childhood (age, 6–12 yr), adolescence (age, 12–18 yr), young adulthood (age, 18–24 yr), and adulthood (age, 24–37…

Tracking of physical activity from early childhood through youth into adulthood.

The aim of the study was to investigate the tracking of physical activity (PA) from preschool age to adulthood in six age cohorts of males and females.A random sample of 3596 boys and girls age 3-18 yr participated in the Cardiovascular Risks in Young Finns Study in 1980. The follow-up measurements were repeated in 1986, 1992, 2001, and 2007. The PA was measured by mother's report in 3- and 6-yr-olds and self-report in 9-yr-olds and older. Tracking of PA was analyzed using the Spearman rank-order correlation and a simplex model.Mother-reported PA at age 3 and 6 yr significantly predicted self-reported PA in youth and in young adulthood, and there was a significant indirect effect of mother …