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/competitions. PA trajectories were analyzed using group-based trajectory modeling. Childhood (age 12 years), young adulthood (age 24 years), and early midlife (age 37 years) determinants were analyzed. Five PA trajectories were identified: persistently active (6.6%), decreasingly active (13.9%), increasingly active (13.5%), persistently low active (51.4%, reference group), persistently inactive (14.6%). In childhood, rural residential area (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21-0.96) and high academic performance (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.58-3.00) associated with persistently active group. In early midlife, smoking (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.07-2.58) associated with persistently inactive group, regular alcohol drinking (OR 2.91; 95% CI 1.12-7.55) with persistently active group and having children (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.27-3.38) with decreasingly active group. High adulthood education associated with both decreasingly (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.05-3.35) and increasingly (OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.19-3.68) active groups. We identified five PA trajectories from childhood into midlife. Most prominent determinants were academic achievement, education, having children and health habits (i.e. smoking/alcohol use).

Adolescence physical activity is associated with higher tibial pQCT bone values in adulthood after 28-years of follow-up--the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

High peak bone mass and strong bone phenotype are known to be partly explained by physical activity during growth but there are few prospective studies on this topic. In this 28-year follow-up of Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study cohort, we assessed whether habitual childhood and adolescence physical activity or inactivity at the age of 3-18 years were associated with adult phenotype of weight-bearing tibia and the risk of low-energy fractures. Baseline physical activity and data on clinical, nutritional and lifestyle factors were assessed separately for females and males aged 3-6-years (N=395-421) and 9-18-years (N=923-965). At the age of 31-46-years, the prevalence of low-energy fractures was assessed with a questionnaire and several tibial traits were measured with pQCT (bone mineral content (BMC; mg), total and cortical cross-sectional areas (mm(2)), trabecular (for the distal site only) and cortical (for the shaft only) bone densities (mg/cm(3)), stress-strain index (SSI; mm(3), for the shaft only), bone strength index (BSI; mg(2)/cm(4), for the distal site only) and the cortical strength index (CSI, for the shaft only)). For the statistical analysis, each bone trait was categorized as below the cohort median or the median and above and the adjusted odds ratios (OR) were determined. In females, frequent physical activity at the age of 9-18-years was associated with higher adulthood values of BSI, total and cortical areas, BMC, CSI and SSI at the tibia independently of many health and lifestyle factors (ORs 0.33-0.53, P≤0.05; P-values for trend 0.002-0.05). Cortical density at the tibial shaft showed the opposite trend (P-value for trend 0.03). Similarly in males, frequent physical activity was associated with higher values of adult total and cortical areas and CSI at the tibia (ORs 0.48-0.53, P≤0.05; P-values for trend 0.01-0.02). However, there was no evidence that childhood or adolescence physical activity was associated with lower risk of low energy fractures during the follow-up. In conclusion, frequent habitual physical activity in adolescence seems to confer benefits on tibial bone size and geometry in adulthood.

Sustained involvement in youth sports activities predicts reduced chronic job strain in early midlife.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the long-term effects of youth leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and sports participation on the prevalence of chronic work stress in adulthood. METHODS: Participants (326 men and 338 women) aged 9 to 18 years were initially enrolled in 1980 and followed until 2007. Data were collected using questionnaires and bicycle ergometry in a subgroup. RESULTS: High youth LTPA and sports participation predicted lower chronic job strain in both sexes. The association was mediated by type A leadership. Participation and persistence in organized youth sports followed a similar pattern. In the subgroup, adult physical fitness only partly accounted for the association. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained involvement in youth physical activity and sport lasting at least 3 years is associated with reduced chronic job strain in adulthood. The association was partially explained by type A leadership and physical fitness.

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 measured in 2001 by indicators of job demands and job control. RESULTS: Baseline LTPA was inversely associated with job strain (P < 0.001) and job demands (P < 0.05) and directly associated with job control (P < 0.05) in both sexes in a model adjusted for the change in 9-year LTPA, age, educational level, occupational status and smoking. Compared with persistently active participants, persistently inactive participants had a 4.0-fold higher job strain after adjustment for the confounders. Similarly, persistently inactive participants had a 2.7-fold higher job demands and a 1.8-fold lower job control. Decreasing physical activity was independently associated with high job strain (P < 0.01) and with low job control (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Participation in regular LTPA during leisure may help young adults to cope with job strain. A long-term benefit of LTPA may play a role in the development of mental well-being.

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, 2005). The main results showed that the participation rate in MVPA increased during the study period. The increase was not continuous, but showed an upward trend during the years 2001-2005. The study also revealed that boys participated in MVPA more than girls. However, the gender difference decreased during the study period. Age differences in MVPA were rather small and they decreased during the study period. However, perceived intensity of physical activity was higher among older than younger groups, whereas participation in MVPA was more frequent in younger than older groups. The results supported the findings of some previous studies that reported that especially in Finland the vigorous physical activity among young people had consistently increased. This study gave more information about this phenomenon because the study period was longer, 26 years, and the sample also included older, 16- and 18-year-old boys and girls.

Sustained participation in youth sport decreases metabolic syndrome in adulthood.

OBJECTIVE: to explore the effect of organized youth sport on metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. DESIGN: Longitudinal study data from the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study. SUBJECTS: 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. MEASUREMENTS: 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 measurement point, and then classified into four groups: Persistent athlete, Starter, Leaver and Non-athlete. A mean score of youth sport was assessed by calculating the average of four consecutive measurements (1980-1989). MetS risk in 2001 was defined as a categorical variable based on the guidelines of the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR) and as a continuous MetS-score variable by summing the z-scores of individual metabolic variables. RESULTS: In males and females, intense participation in youth sports over 3 years was inversely and significantly associated with clustered MetS score and prevalence of MetS defined by EGIR in adulthood (P<0.05). The association remained significant after adjustment for age, baseline clustered MetS score, smoking and total caloric intake and after additional adjustments for adult leisure-time physical activity. Starters during 3 years were less likely to have MetS than non-athletes. Leavers were at a higher risk for MetS than persistent athletes. These associations were attenuated in males by adjustment for all potential confounders. Similar associations were found using EGIR MetS as an outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained participation in organized sport lasting at least 3 years in youth is associated with reduced risk for developing MetS in adulthood.

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

OBJECTIVE: To test a potential model of the relationship between physical activity and obesity from youth to adulthood. DESIGN: Longitudinal study data from the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study. SUBJECTS: 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. MEASUREMENTS: 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. RESULTS: Structural equation analysis (LISREL) indicated that the prevalence of abdominal obesity in adulthood was directly affected by adult physical activity (beta (beta)=-0.16, t=-4.02, P< 0.05 for men, beta=-0.12, t=-3.35, P<0.05 for women) and indirectly via youth physical activity (beta=-0.10, t=-4.68, P< 0.05 for men, beta=-0.07, t=-4.54, P<0.05 for women). Obesity tracked significantly from youth to adulthood (beta=0.41, t=11.13, P<0.05 for men, beta=0.34, t=9.39, P<0.05 for women). Youth physical activity might reduce body weight in youth but was not directly associated with adult abdominal obesity in either men or women. The model accounted 19% of abdominal obesity in men and 13% in women. The path from youth physical activity to adult obesity through youth obesity seemed to be stronger than the path through adult physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study lends general support to the hypothesized model that abdominal obesity in adulthood is directly related to adult physical activity and youth overall obesity in both sexes. Youth physical activity had an indirect effect on abdominal obesity through the maintenance of physical activity in adulthood. Participation in and maintaining physical activity from youth to adulthood may have an important role in reducing obesity in adulthood.

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 respective 10-year coefficient was 0.26 (0.32), and that in the 28-year follow-up was 0.18 (0.20). The stability of PA decreased rapidly from 1973 to 1983 and more slowly thereafter. Changes along the follow-up reflect a polarization of the distributions of PA within the sample. Age and an initially low level of activity were the strongest predictors of inactivity. The stability coefficient of smoking and alcohol consumption was twice as high as that of PA. Stimulant use was a greater factor in the individual's lifestyle than PA.

Leisure time physical activity and strenuousness of work as predictors of physical functioning: a 28 year follow up of a cohort of industrial employees.

AIMS: To examine associations of leisure time physical activity and physical strenuousness of work with physical functioning 28 years later. METHODS: A cohort (n = 902) of metal industry employees was studied for exercise and housework activity in 1973 and 1978, and for BMI, current smoking, strenuousness of work, grip strength, and chronic diseases in 1973. Of the 670 survivors in 2000, 529 (79%) responded to all studied items in a follow up questionnaire including the SF-36 Physical Functioning (PF) scale. Belonging to the lower quartile of the PF scale denoted poor functioning. RESULTS: Vigorous exercise and housework activity were inversely associated with poor PF 28 years later in both white-collar and blue-collar workers. Engaging in activities of any intensity was similarly associated among the blue-collar workers. In a multiple logistic regression model including as independent variables age, sex, occupational class, the number of chronic diseases, vigorous leisure time physical activity, BMI, physical work strenuousness, and smoking (all measured at baseline), the risk of poor PF at follow up was decreased by vigorous leisure time physical activity and increased by high physical strenuousness of work, high BMI, and smoking. The effect of work strenuousness was mainly due to that among the blue-collar group. Allowing for baseline grip strength did not materially alter the results. CONCLUSION: Vigorous leisure time physical activity decreased the risk of poor physical functioning as perceived considerably later in life, while high work strenuousness, smoking, and overweight increased it. Among blue-collar workers a beneficial association was observed with all leisure time activity, including that of lower intensity.

Decline of physical activity from youth to young adulthood in Finland.

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 medical examination. The questionnaire consisted of items concerning frequency and intensity of physical activity, way of spending leisure-time, and participation in organized sports. Using five items an index of physical activity was calculated. RESULTS: The results showed a remarkable decline after the age of 12 in frequency of physical activity and sport participation, in particular. The self-reported intensity of physical activity increased with age. In younger age groups, the boys were more active than girls according to all variables, but the decline of activity was steeper among male than female subjects, and after the age of 15 the female subjects participated in physical activity more frequently than male subjects. CONCLUSION: Reasons for the decline need to be further studied, and interventions are needed to assist young people in maintaining healthful levels of physical activity.

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 that early physical activity, in particular, was the best predictor of adult physical activity in all groups, with the exception of the 21-year-old women. The social and health-related factors such as occupation, employment status and smoking also predicted physical activity in some age-gender groups.

Associations between physical activity and risk factors for coronary heart disease: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Risk factors such as high serum cholesterol concentration measured in young adulthood predict premature coronary heart disease (CHD) in the middle-aged. The objective of this study was to analyze the associations between physical activity and CHD risk factors--body composition, blood pressure, serum lipids, apolipoproteins, and insulin--in children and young adults. The design was a cross-sectional study of atherosclerosis precursors in children and young adults using a cohort of children and young adults (N = 2,358) aged 9 to 24 years to determine indices of physical activity, measurements of anthropometric characteristics, blood pressure, serum lipids, apolipoproteins A-I and B, and insulin. The results show that a high level of physical activity was associated with high serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and HDL2-C concentrations, and low levels of serum triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein B and insulin in males. However, in females, the influence of physical activity was evident only on TG level. In both genders, physical activity was inversely associated with obesity. In all these associations, a significant dose-related relationship was observed. We found no association between physical activity and blood pressure. In conclusion, physical activity is associated with a favorable serum lipid profile already during childhood and early adulthood in a dose-related manner, particularly in males. The promotion of physical activity is important in childhood in preventing obesity and premature cardiovascular disease.

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 Finnus," 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 carried out with the same subjects in 1983, 1986, 1989, and 1992. Accordingly, in 1992 they were 21, 24, 27, and 30 years of age. These data concern only the measurements taken in 1980, 1989, and 1992. Physical activity was measured by means of a short questionnaire. A sum index of physical activity (PAI) was computed with the help of five variables. RESULTS: The correlations between the indices derived in 1980 and 1989, and between those derived in 1980 and 1992, were, with the exception of one group, significant but low varying within a nine-year interval from .18 to .47, and within a 12-year interval from .00 to .27. Corresponding multiple correlations varied from .18 to .53 and from .18 to .30. Participation in competitive sport and the physical education grade were the best predictors of later physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: The results gave support to the conclusion that persistent participation in sport in particular increases the probability of a higher level of physical activity in later life.

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 were measured using a short questionnaire. Tracking was analysed by Spearman's rank order correlations and by simplex model. The tracking correlations within a 3-year interval of all individual variables were significant but rather low. The tracking correlations of the sum index of physical activity comprising five variables varied from 0.50 to 0.80 among boys and from 0.40 to 0.61 among girls. Simplex models that fitted the data very well showed higher stability coefficients than rank order correlations. With one exception the correlations of physical activity index within the 12-year interval were significant but low.

Patterns of intense physical activity among 15- to 30-year-old Finns. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

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 with a self-administered questionnaire in 2255 adolescents and young adults (1015 males and 1240 females). The proportion of subjects undertaking the volume of physical activity believed to benefit the cardiorespiratory system appropriately was 19%. The proportion was higher in males than in females (26 vs 13%). The proportion of active subjects became smaller in older age groups in both sexes. Half the study population (51% of the males; 48% of the females) reported frequent leisure-time physical activity less than once a month. In conclusion, Finnish adolescents and young adults have low levels of physical activity on the average, and many young Finns seldom undertake the volume of physical activity believed to benefit the cardiopulmonary system. Young males seem to be physically more active than females.

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 with 3-year correlations of the index ranging from 0.35 to 0.54 in boys and from 0.33 to 0.39 in girls. Tracking was better in older age groups. Two groups of adolescents (active and sedentary groups) were formed at baseline according to high and low values of the index, respectively. Approximately 57% of those classified as inactive remained inactive after a 6-year follow-up. The corresponding value for active subjects was 44% (p < 0.01, active vs. inactive). The long-term effects of physically active and sedentary life-styles were studied by comparing groups of young adults who had remained active or inactive in every three examinations. Serum insulin and serum triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower in active young men. They had a more beneficial high density lipoprotein to total cholesterol ratio and thinner subscapular skinfolds. Among young women, significant differences were seen in adiposity (subscapular skinfold) and in serum triglyceride concentration. Physical activity was also related to less smoking in both sexes and, among young men, to lower consumption of saturated fatty acids and to higher polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio of the diet. In regression analyses adjusted for the 6-year change in obesity, smoking status, and diet, the change in physical activity was inversely associated with changes in serum insulin and triglycerides in boys. Independent association with triglycerides disappeared when insulin change was added to the model, suggesting that the effect may partly be mediated through insulin metabolism. The authors conclude that the level of physical activity tracks significantly from adolescence to young adulthood. Physical inactivity shows better tracking than does physical activity, and subjects who are constantly inactive express a less beneficial coronary risk profile compared with those who are constantly active.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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 more frequent among white-collar than blue-collar workers. However, heavier forms of drinking were more common in male blue-collar than white-collar groups, while the opposite was true among women. Dietary habits in white-collar groups were closer to the "official" recommendations than in the respective blue-collar groups in both years. White-collar men were physically more active at the time of the first investigation, and even more so ten years later. Among women, social class differences were in the same direction, but less marked. In conclusion, in the early 1970s the health-related habits examined were, in most instances, less favourable among blue-collar than white-collar workers. No consistent pattern of change in these habits was observed in the 10-year follow-up. At the end of the follow-up, many of the "inequalities" still persisted.

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 older group, sum indices of physical activity were made. Internal consistency coefficients (Kuder--Richardson) varied in the younger group from .57 to .63 and in the older group from .56 to .79. Most Finnish children and adolescents were physically active during their leisure-time. For comparison of passive and active children, screening for passive ones was difficult. Differences between East and West Finland associated with many risk factors, were not detected in the physical activity patterns of children and adolescents. On the other hand, the physical activity pattern was significantly determined by the local environment. In sparsely populated areas, young people were more inactive than in densely populated areas.