0000000000211625
AUTHOR
Xiaolin Yang
Type A Behaviour as a Determinant of Participation in Physical Activity and Sport Among Adolescents
As a part of an extensive research project 'Cardiovascular Risks in Young Finns ; this study examined the relationship between Type A behaviour and sports participation among adolescents. Subjects were 852 12- and 15-year-old boys and girls randomly selected from five Finnish university towns and their rural surroundings. Type A behaviour was categorized into two dimensions encompassing impatient- aggressive competitiveness (IAC) and responsible hard-driving (RHD). Level of participation in sport was measured by means of a short questionnaire. The results of the present study showed that active adolescents scored significantly higher on the RHD factor than passive adolescents in the four a…
Long-term determinants of changes in television viewing time in adults: Prospective analyses from the Young Finns Study
Purpose The long-term effects of sociodemographic and health characteristics on television viewing (TV) time changes have not been identified in adulthood. We aimed to examine the modifiable and non-modifiable determinants of changes in TV-time in young adults over 10 years. Methods Participants (N = 2929) aged 24-39 years were recruited between 2001 and 2011 from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Data were collected using questionnaires and a medical examination. The determinants of changes in TV-time were estimated using latent growth modeling for men and women separately. Results For men, inverse associations with initial levels of TV-time were observed for students becoming …
Associations of Leisure-Time Physical Activity Trajectories with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption from Childhood to Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.
A physically active lifestyle and a diet rich in vegetables and fruits have a central role in promoting health. This study examined the associations between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) trajectories and fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) from childhood to middle age. The data were drawn from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study with six age cohorts. Participants were 9 to 18 years (n = 3536
Continuity and changes in commuting mode and influence on physical activity, BMI and waist circumference among Finnish adults
Regular physical activity (PA) has been found to be important for cardiovascular health and longevity. However, notable proportion of adult population does not meet the national PA recommendations. Active transport is one domain of physical activity, that could be a time-efficient way to increase PA and reach the national recommendations. Additionally, it could have a positive effect to body composition. nonPeerReviewed
Distinct trajectories of physical activity and related factors during the life course in the general population: a systematic review
Background In recent years, researchers have begun applying a trajectory approach to identify homogeneous subgroups of physical activity (PA) in heterogeneous populations. This study systematically reviewed the articles identifying longitudinal PA trajectory classes and the related factors (e.g., determinants, predictors, and outcomes) in the general population during different life phases. Methods The included studies used finite mixture models for identifying trajectories of PA, exercise, or sport participation. Three electronic databases, PubMed (Medline), Web of Science, and CINAHL, were searched from the year 2000 to 13 February 2018. The study was conducted according to the PRISMA rec…
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…
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…
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…
Associations of parental physical activity trajectories with offspring's physical activity patterns from childhood to middle adulthood : The Young Finns Study
We investigated the association of parental physical activity (PA) trajectories with offspring's youth and adult PA. Self-reported PA data were extracted from the Young Finns Study with three follow-ups for parents between 1980 and 1986 and nine follow-ups for their offspring in youth between 1980 and 2011 (aged 9-39 years, n = 2402) and in adulthood in 2018. Accelerometer-derived PA was quantified in 2018-2020 (aged 43-58 years, n = 1134). Data were analyzed using mixture models and conducted in 2022. We identified three trajectories for fathers and mothers (high-stable activity, 20.2%/16.6%; moderate-stable activity, 50.5%/49.6%; and low-stable activity, 29.4%/33.7%) and four for youth ma…
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
Long-term determinants of changes in television viewing time in adults : Prospective analyses from the Young Finns Study
Purpose: The long‐term effects of sociodemographic and health characteristics on television viewing (TV) time changes have not been identified in adulthood. We aimed to examine the modifiable and non‐modifiable determinants of changes in TV‐time in young adults over 10 years.Methods: Participants (N = 2929) aged 24‐39 years were recruited between 2001 and 2011 from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Data were collected using questionnaires and a medical examination. The determinants of changes in TV‐time were estimated using latent growth modeling for men and women separately.Results: For men, inverse associations with initial levels of TV‐time were observed for students becoming…
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…
Tracking and Changes in Daily Step Counts among Finnish Adults
Purpose This study aimed to investigate the tracking and changes of steps per day in adults and their determinants over 13 yr. Methods A total of 2195 subjects (1236 women) 30-45 yr of age were randomly recruited from the ongoing Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 2007 and were followed up in 2020. Steps per day, including both total and aerobic steps per day, were monitored for seven consecutive days with a pedometer in 2007-2008 and 2011-2012 and with an accelerometer in 2018-2020. Tracking was analyzed using Spearman's correlation. Stability and changes of steps per day over time in both low-active and high-active groups (based on median values) were described by percentage agre…
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…
Longitudinal associations between parental and offspring's leisure-time physical activity: The Young Finns Study.
Purpose The longitudinal influence of parental leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on their offspring's LTPA is poorly understood. This study examined the longitudinal associations between parental LTPA and offspring's LTPA at two-time intervals. Method Child (offspring) participants (N=3596) were enrolled from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 1980. Their LTPA was self-rated through nine phases from baseline to 2018 and categorized by year into youth (1980-1986) and adult (1992-2018) LTPA. Parental LTPA was assessed with a single self-reported question at three phases from 1980 to 1986. Latent growth curve modeling stratified by gender was fitted to estimate the potential p…
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…
Longitudinal associations between parental and offspring’s leisure‐time physical activity : The Young Finns Study
Purpose The longitudinal influence of parental leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on their offspring’s LTPA is poorly understood. This study examined the longitudinal associations between parental LTPA and offspring’s LTPA at two-time intervals. Method Child (offspring) participants (N=3596) were enrolled from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 1980. Their LTPA was self-rated through nine phases from baseline to 2018 and categorized by year into youth (1980‒1986) and adult (1992‒2018) LTPA. Parental LTPA was assessed with a single self-reported question at three phases from 1980 to 1986. Latent growth curve modeling stratified by gender was fitted to estimate the potential p…
Parental Physical Activity Associates With Offspring's Physical Activity Until Middle Age: A 30-Year Study.
Background:Parents’ physical activity associates with their children’s physical activity. Prospective designs assessing this association are rare. This study examined how parents’ physical activity was associated with their children’s physical activity from childhood to middle adulthood in a 30-year prospective, population-based setting.Methods:Participants (n = 3596) were from the ongoing Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study started in 1980. Participants’ physical activity was self-reported at 8 phases from 1980 to 2011, and their parents’ physical activity at 1980. Analyses were adjusted for a set of health-related covariates assessed from 1980 to 2007.Results:High levels of mothers’ …
Physical Activity, Sleep, and Symptoms of Depression in Adults - Testing for Mediation
Abstract Purpose: Physical activity, sleep problems, and symptoms of depression contribute to overall well-being. The factors are reciprocally associated, but the nature of these associations remains unclear. The present study examined whether sleep problems mediated the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms. Methods: The eligible population (n = 3596) consisted of adults from the ongoing, population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study started in 1980. Participants’ leisure-time physical activity was assessed with physical activity index (2007) and sleep problems with Jenkins’ Sleep Questionnaire in 2007 and 2011. Depressive symptoms were measured using mo…
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…
Associations Between Trajectories of Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Television Viewing Time Across Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.
Background: The purpose of this study was to examine trajectories of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and television-viewing (TV) time and their associations in adults over 10 years. Methods: The sample comprised 2934 participants (men, 46.0%) aged 24–39 years in 2001 and they were followed up for 10 years. LTPA and TV time were assessed using self-report questionnaires in 2001, 2007, and 2011. Longitudinal LTPA and TV-time trajectories and their interactions were analyzed with mixture modeling. Results: Three LTPA (persistently highly active, 15.8%; persistently moderately active, 60.8%; and persistently low active, 23.5%) and 4 TV time (consistently low, 38.6%; consistently moderate,…
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
Smoking and Physical Activity Trajectories from Childhood to Midlife.
Introduction: Despite substantial interest in the development of health behaviors, there is limited research that has examined the longitudinal relationship between physical activity (PA) and smoking trajectories from youth to adulthood in a Finnish population. This study aimed to identify trajectories of smoking and PA for males and females, and study the relationship between these trajectories from youth to adulthood. Methods: Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify trajectories of smoking and PA separately for males and females among 3355 Finnish adults (52.1% females). Participants&rsquo
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…
Parenthood and changes in physical activity from early adulthood to mid‐life among Finnish adults
This study examined longitudinal associations between parenthood-related factors and physical activity from young adulthood to midlife over a 19-year follow-up period. Participants (n=761) at the ongoing Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study responded to a self-report questionnaire in their adulthood (in 1992, 2001, 2007 and 2011). Participants were classified as meeting or not meeting an aerobic physical activity recommendation. Parenthood related factors included the age of having their first child, as well as the number and age of the children. Analyses of Generalized Estimation Equations were performed and adjusted for several demographic and health-related covariates. Both mothers a…
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 …
Income and Physical Activity among Adults: Evidence from Self-Reported and Pedometer-Based Physical Activity Measurements
This study examined the relationship between income and physical activity by using three measures to illustrate daily physical activity: the self-reported physical activity index for leisure-time physical activity, pedometer-based total steps for overall daily physical activity, and pedometer-based aerobic steps that reflect continuous steps for more than 10 min at a time. The study population consisted of 753 adults from Finland (mean age 41.7 years; 64% women) who participated in 2011 in the follow-up of the ongoing Young Finns study. Ordinary least squares models were used to evaluate the associations between income and physical activity. The consistency of the results was explored by us…
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…
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…
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…
The association of childhood commuting modes and physical activity in adult age
Background Physically active lifestyle prevents and contributes to managing non-communicable diseases. Childhood physical activities have shown to associate with physically active lifestyle in adulthood. More research on which childhood physical activity modes associate with physical activity in later life is still needed. Within the present study, we examined how physically active commuting to school in childhood contributed to overall physical activity in adulhood. Methods The participants (N = 3596) were from the population-based, longitudinal Cardiovascular Risks in Young Finns Study. Questionnaires were used in assessing subjects' childhood (1980) and adulthood (2001-2018) physical act…
Life-course leisure-time physical activity trajectories in relation to health-related behaviors in adulthood: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study
Background Evidence on whether leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) facilitates individuals’ adoption of multiple healthy behaviors remains scarce. This study investigated the associations of diverse longitudinal LTPA trajectories from childhood to adulthood with diet, screen time, smoking, binge drinking, sleep difficulties, and sleep duration in adulthood. Methods Data were drawn from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Participants were aged 9–18 years (N = 3553; 51% females) in 1980 and 33–49 years at the latest follow-up in 2011. The LTPA trajectories were identified using a latent profile analysis. Differences in self-reported health-related behaviors across the LTPA trajec…
Associations of active commuting to school in childhood and physical activity in adulthood
AbstractThis study examined whether active commuting to school in childhood and adolescence predicted active commuting to work and overall physical activity (PA) in adulthood. Participants from the Young Finns Study (N = 2436) were aged 9–18 years in 1980 and followed up until 2018/2020. Their commuting modes to school were assessed with a self-reported questionnaire in 1980. Adulthood PA was assessed through self-reports regarding commuting modes to work (2001–2018), leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) (2001–2018), and objectively measured daily steps (2007–2018/2020). Associations between childhood commuting and adulthood PA were evaluated using regression analyses and multilevel models…
Trajectories of Physical Activity Predict the Onset of Depressive Symptoms but Not Their Progression: A Prospective Cohort Study
This prospective, community-based study examined trajectories of physical activity from childhood to adulthood and whether these trajectories contributed to depressive symptoms in adulthood to a greater degree than adulthood physical activity. Participants (n=3596) were from the ongoing Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study which started in 1980. Depressive symptoms were measured with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) in 2012, and physical activity was assessed from 1980 to 2011 with self-reports. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, childhood negative emotionality, socioeconomic factors, previous depressive symptoms, social support, body mass index, and smoking status (1980–2007). High…
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 …
Lifestyle Risk Factors Increase the Risk of Hospitalization for Sciatica: Findings of Four Prospective Cohort Studies
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of lifestyle risk factors on the risk of hospitalization for sciatica and to determine whether overweight or obesity modifies the effect of leisure-time physical activity on hospitalization for sciatica. METHODS: We included 4 Finnish prospective cohort studies (Health 2000 Survey, Mobile Clinic Survey, Helsinki Health Study, and Young Finns Study) consisting of 34,589 participants and 1259 hospitalizations for sciatica during 12 to 30 years of follow-up. Sciatica was based on hospital discharge register data. We conducted a random-effects individual participant data meta-analysis. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding facto…