PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Physical Activity

Physical Activity

Introduction

The many benefits of physical activity for health and well-being are well documented? and much is known about factors influencing physical activity of children and adults. and 2 In many countries? promoting life-long physical activity has long been an important goal of physical education curricula and sport policy.

The significance of the type of physical activity or sports discipline for the continuation of physical activity later in life has received little attention in longitudinal studies. In physical education? the concept of “carry-over value”20 and 21 implies that activities in which people participate in adulthood should be learned at a young age. Scientific evidence for carry-over value? however? is scarce. In short-term tracking of physical activity in adolescents? it was found that the stability of participation was greatest among cross-country skiers? and higher among team-sport participants than nonparticipants. The results of a recent Finnish study support in part the carry-over hypothesis that adolescent participation in relatively intensive endurance sports? such as cross-country skiing? running? and orienteering? was associated with participation in endurance sports in adulthood. On the other hand? participation in ice hockey in adolescence is a fairly good predictor of a high level of adult physical activity? although only a small number of adult men actually play ice hockey.

Methods

The data were obtained from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study? an extensive multidisciplinary longitudinal research project that started in 1980 when baseline measurements of cohorts of randomly sampled boys and girls aged 3? 6? 9? 12? 15? and 18 years were carried out. The measurements were repeated in 1983? 1986? 1989? 1992? and 2001. In 2001? the subjects were aged 24? 27? 30? 33? 36? and 39 years. In this study? the main data concern the years 1980? 1983? 1986? and 2001; however? the tracking correlations for 1989? 1992? and 2001 will also be presented. All six age cohorts are included? but only from ages =9 (see Table 3). The sample was taken from the communities surrounding five university towns in Finland with medical schools (Helsinki? Kuopio? Oulu? Tampere? and Turku). The sampling procedure has been discussed in greater detail elsewhere. and 24 At the baseline in 1980? a total of 2309 subjects participated in the physical activity measurements? and of these? 1563 (68%) participated again in 2001. There were no significant differences in the baseline physical activity index between participants and dropouts in 2001. The data were analyzed in 2003 and 2004.

Table 3

Tracking correlations (Spearmans rank order) of PAI by gender and birth cohort

Years of tracking

Birth cohort

Age

Males

Females

9-year interval from 1992 to 2001

1977

15 to 24

0.**

0.**

1974

18 to 27

0.**

0.**

1971

21 to 30

0.**

0.**

1968

24 to 33

0.**

0.**

1965

27 to 36

0.**

0.**

1962

30 to 39

0.**

0.**

12-year interval from 1989 to 2001

1977

12 to 24

0.**

0.*

1974

15 to 27

0.**

0.*

1971

18 to 30

0.**

0.**

1968

21 to 33

0.**

0.**

1965

24 to 36

0.**

0.**

1962

27 to 39

0.**

0.**

15-year interval from 1986 to 2001

1977

9 to 24

0.**

0.*

1974

12 to 27

0.**

0.*

1971

15 to 30

0.**

0.**

1968

18 to 33

0.**

0.**

1965

21 to 36

0.**

0.**

1962

24 to 39

0.**

0.**

18-year interval from 1983 to 2001

1974

9 to 27

0.**

-0.

1971

12 to 30

0.**

0.

1968

15 to 33

0.*

0.**

1965

18 to 36

0.**

0.**

1962

21 to 39

0.**

0.**

21-year interval from 1980 to 2001

1971

9 to ...