Lifetime physical activity and cancer incidence—A cohort study of male former elite athletes in Finland
Abstract Objectives Physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of certain cancers. Objective of this study was to assess the effect of physical activity on cancer incidence in former male athletes in older age. Design A cohort of 2448 elite male athletes and 1712 referents was followed-up for cancer incidence during 1986–2010 through the Finnish Cancer Registry. Methods Standardised incidence ratios were calculated with the general male population as the reference. Self-reported questionnaire-based data on covariates were used in Cox regression analyses comparing the risk of cancer in athletes and referents. Results The overall cancer incidence was lower in athletes than in the g…
Power of lower extremities and age were the main determinants on the agility test for adults in a cohort of men aged 66–91 years
Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between agility and personal factors, muscle strength and power, mobility, self-reported balance and physical activity among older men. Methods: Agility was measured by using the Agility Test for Adults (ATA). We studied 100 Finnish male former elite athletes (endurance n = 50; power n = 50) and 50 matched controls aged 66 to 91 years (mean age 75.5 years). The associations between agility and other variables were similar between three groups; thus, multiple linear regression analyses were done by using the pooled data of the participants. Results: On the basis of multiple linear regression analyses, combination of…
Physical activity, mood and the functioning of daily living
We studied whether factors related to type of sport participated in as young adults and level of and changes in physical activity later in life predict changes in mood as well as functioning during a 6-year follow-up. A cohort of male Finnish former athletes (N = 504), referents (N = 349) was followed up for changes in physical activity, in relation to subsequent self-reported mood and functioning of daily living in 1985, 1995, and 2001. The mean age of the cohort was 68.6 years in 2001. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess changes in mood and functioning between 1995 and 2001 in relation to baseline values and changes in exposure variables and covariates. A low level…
Physical and psychological functioning of daily living in relation to physical activity. A longitudinal study among former elite male athletes and controls
Background and aims: Physical exercise plays an important role in the prevention and reduction of disabilities in elderly people. The aim of this study was to determine the role of physical activity in the physical and psychological functioning of daily living in a cohort of former elite male athletes representing different sports, and controls of middle and old age. Methods: Subjects were 664 former elite male athletes (mean age 64.4 years) and 500 controls (62.0 years) in middle and old age. Subjects were mailed “Physical activity and health survey” questionnaires in 1985 and 1995. The primary outcomes — the physical and psychological functioning of daily living — were assessed in 1995 us…
Leisure Time Physical Activity and Sleep Predict Mortality in Men Irrespective of Background in Competitive Sports
Introduction: Physical activity and sleep are closely related behaviors with suggested synergistic influence on cardiovascular health. Physical activity potentially modifies associations between sleep and mortality. Our aim was to study the interrelationships between sleep, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), a history of sports, and mortality. Methods: A prospective cohort of former elite male athletes (n = 1,028), and age- and region-matched nonathlete men (n = 610) completed a health questionnaire in 1985. Their mortality was followed up until December 31, 2011. Analyses included Cox proportional hazards models with sleep duration and sleep quality as main predictors of all-cause and …