Physical Activity, Aerobic Fitness, and Self-rated Health

1. Physical Activity, Aerobic Fitness, and Self-rated Health L. Eriksen1, J. S. Tolstrup1, M. Grønbæk1, J. W. Helge2 & T. Curtis11National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 2 University of Copenhagen Higher levels of self-reported physical activity and aerobic fitness are associated with lower incidence of coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. Comparable individuals who are equally physically active may have different levels of aerobic fitness, mainly due to a genetic component of aerobic fitness. Self-rated health is an important independent predictor of coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. Only a few studies have investigated the relationship between aerobic fitness and self-rated health and the results are diverging. Furthermore, to our knowledge, no studies have looked at physical activity and aerobic fitness in combined analysis. To address the associations between physical activity, aerobic fitness (separately as well as combined), and self-rated health. Cross-sectional data were collected in a population-based health examination study conducted in 2007-2008. 4,369 men and 6,044 women aged 18-82 years, apparently healthy, were included in the analyses. Physical activity in leisure time, including transportation, was based on self-reported questionnaire data with four categories: sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous. Aerobic fitness (ml O2 min-1 kg-1) was estimated from a progressive maximal exercise test and is included in the analyses as sex and age specific tertiles or quintiles. Self-rated health was assessed through questionnaire with the response categories very good, good, fair, poor, and very poor. We defined optimal self-rated health as very good or good self-rated health. A strong positive dose-response relationship was found between physical activity level as well as aerobic fitness and self-rated health among both men and women (table 1). Within physical activity levels, odds ratios (OR) for optimal self-rated health increased with increasing aerobic fitness, and vice versa. Hence, moderate/vigorous physically active participants with high aerobic fitness had the highest OR for optimal self-rated health compared with sedentary participants with low aerobic fitness (OR=11.2, 95% CI:8.57 to 14.6) (figure 1). Table 1 : Odds ratios* (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for optimal self-rated health in men (N=4,369) and women (N=6,044), according to aerobic fitness in quintiles and physical activity level INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVE *Adjusted for age, education, BMI, smoking status, social network, and aerobic fitness and physical activity respectively MATERIAL AND METHODS Figure 1: Odds ratios* (OR) for optimal self-rated health (N=10,413) according to physical activity and aerobic fitness† RESULTS CONCLUSIONS Aerobic fitness level adds to the association between physical activity and optimal self-rated health: the OR for optimal self-rated health increases with increasing levels of aerobic fitness irrespective of physical activity level. The fact that data is cross-sectional precludes any strong conclusions on causality. It is plausible that increased aerobic fitness and physical activity would improve self-rated health but also likely that individuals with optimal self-rated health tend to improve their aerobic fitness by being physically active. However, this study suggests that an active lifestyle increases well-being beyond that of coronary heart disease protection. • *Adjusted for sex, age, education, BMI, smoking status, and social network • †Due to a small number in combinations of aerobic fitness and physical activity, the categories moderate and vigorous were gathered into one category and aerobic fitness was included as tertiles. National Institute of Public Health, Universityof Southern Denmark Contact: lue@niph.dk