Search results for "FITNESS"
showing 10 items of 1020 documents
The effect of particulate air pollution on life expectancy.
1998
Two recent US cohort studies suggest that current levels of particulate pollution in urban air are associated not only with short-term, but also with long-term increases in cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present analyses was to evaluate the change in life expectancy assuming the long-term increase in mortality rates as suggested by these studies. The method of competing causes of death was used and the effect of particulate air pollution on life expectancy was found to be notable in countries with high cardiovascular mortality like the US.
Readiness for health behavior changes among low fitness men in a Finnish health promotion campaign.
2016
Men have been a hard-to-reach population in health behavior programs and it has been claimed that they are less interested in health issues than women. However, less is known about that how ready men are to adopt new health behaviors. This study examined readiness for change in physical activity (PA) and eating behavior (EB) among low fitness and overweight working-aged Finnish men who participated in a PA campaign. Associations among perceived health knowledge, health behaviors, psychosocial factors and readiness for change were studied. Data comprised 362 men aged 18–64. Physical fitness was assessed with a body fitness index constructed on the basis of the Polar OwnIndex Test, a hand gri…
Physical Activity : Absolute Intensity vs. Relative-to-Fitness-Level Volumes
2017
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate in a real-life setting how moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity (PA) volumes differ according to absolute intensity recommendation and relative to individual fitness level by sex, age, and body mass index. Methods: A total of 23,224 Finnish employees (10,201 men and 13,023 women; ages 18–65 yr; body mass index = 18.5–40.0 kg·m−2) participated in heart rate recording for 2+ d. We used heart rate and its variability, respiration rate, and on/off response information from R-R interval data calibrated by participant characteristics to objectively determine daily PA volume, as follows: daily minutes of absolute moderate (3–<6 METs) and vigor…
Effects of 32-year leisure time physical activity discordance in twin pairs on health (TWINACTIVE study): aims, design and results for physical fitne…
2009
AbstractThe physically active lifestyle is associated with low future morbidity and mortality, but the causality between physical activity and health is not always clear. As some inherited biological characteristics and childhood experiences may cause selection bias in observational studies, we sought to take them into account by identifying 16 twin pairs (7 MZ, 9 DZ, mean age 60 years) discordant for leisure time physical activity habits for thirty years. We conducted detailed health-related examinations among these twin pairs. Our main aims were to study the effects of physical activity and genes on fitness and body composition, with special reference to body fat compartments, metabolic s…
Psychometric Properties of a Short Measure for Psychosocial Factors and Associations With Phase of Physical Activity Change Among Finnish Working-Age…
2017
Insufficient physical activity (PA) and poor physical fitness are risks for several noncommunicable diseases among working-aged men. PA programs have been launched to increase activity levels in the population but working-aged men have been underrepresented in these programs. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate validity of a short scale for psychosocial factors among Finnish working-aged men who participated in a PA campaign. The study examined also the associations between psychosocial factors and phase of PA change across fitness groups. Physical fitness was assessed with a body fitness index constructed on the basis of a handgrip test, the Polar OwnIndex Test, a…
Associations between sports participation, cardiorespiratory fitness, and adiposity in young adult twins.
2011
Exercise behavior, cardiorespiratory fitness, and obesity are strongly influenced by genetic factors. By studying young adult twins, we examined to what extent these interrelated traits have shared genetic and environmental etiologies. We studied 304 twin individuals selected from the population-based FinnTwin16 study. Physical activity was assessed with the Baecke questionnaire, yielding three indexes: sport index, leisure-time index, and work index. In this study, we focused on sport index, which describes sports participation. Body composition was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and cardiorespiratory fitness using a bicycle ergometer exercise test with gas exchange ana…
Childhood Sports Participation Is Associated With Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Men: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
2021
The aim of the study was to examine whether sports participation (SP), engagement in competitive sports (CS) and the type of sport undertaken at the age of 12 are associated with the physical and the mental components of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young adulthood. The data were collected using questionnaires prior to a compulsory military refresher training course in Finland. The sample consisted of 784 men (mean age 26 years). HRQoL was measured with RAND 36 and childhood sports participation with a series of questions. Data were analysed with logistic regression. Higher frequency of SP, participation in district level CS, performing team, endurance or extreme sports and pla…
Body structure and physical fitness assessed by the Senior Fitness Test: a cross-sectional study in a sample of Polish seniors
2021
Background: The Senior Fitness Test (SFT) measures the underlying physical parameters associated with functional ability, and identifies whether an older adult may be at risk of loss of functional fitness. Assessing the functional fitness performance of older adults is an essential element in the design of effective exercise programs. Aim of the study: The present study aimed to assess selected parameters of the body structure and functional fitness of the elderly using the SFT. Material and methods: 60 people (30 women and 30 men) were examined. The participants were divided into two age groups: the younger group (people up to 74 years old) and the older group (people over 75 years old). H…
The effects of light volleyball intervention programme in improving selected physical and psychological attributes of older adults in Hong Kong
2018
Previous research has demonstrated improvements in health outcomes through participation in light volleyball (LVB) among older adults in China (He, 2009). This study examined the effects of a 15-we...
Is physical activity a cause of longevity? It is not as straightforward as some would believe. A critical analysis
2018
There are discrepant findings between (A) observational follow-ups and (B) interventional studies that investigate possible causal association between high physical activity and low mortality. Participation in vigorous physical activity at a specific time-point is an indicator of good fitness and health, and is associated with a reduced risk of death. However, neither randomised controlled trials nor experimental animal studies have provided conclusive evidence to show that physical activity started during adulthood extends lifespan. Consequently, the undisputed health-related benefits of exercise have yet to translate into any proven causal relationship with longevity. Physical activity im…