| Physical activity from adolescence to adulthood and health-related fitness at age 31: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the Northern Finland birth cohort of 1966 | ||
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The proportion of inactive subjects at age 31 years who had participated in sports less often than once a week in adolescence was 41% for males and 30% for females (Table 7), whereas the average proportion of inactive males was 30% and females 24%. Those who participated in sports twice a week or more often at 14 years were less likely to be inactive at 31 years compared to those who participated in sports less often than once a week, independently of many adult social factors (Table 7). Not being a member of a sports club in adolescence was associated with later inactivity in the unadjusted analyses, but not after adjustment for physical activity level in adolescence. A low grade in school sports was associated with inactivity in adulthood among the males, independently of their level of physical activity in adolescence (Table 7).
Having children and having a low level of vocational education were associated with physical inactivity at 31 years in both sexes, independently of the other covariates (Table 7). Entrepreneurs were inactive more often than any other group: 47% of the males and 32% of the females being classified as such compared with 30% of the males and 24% of the females on average. This association persisted in the males, even after adjustment for other social factors in adulthood. On the other hand, the male students were less commonly inactive (17%) than the males on average (30%). Rural residence was associated with inactivity in males in the unadjusted analyses, but not after allowances were made for education, family status and work situation.
The proportion of physically inactive subjects at 14 years was greatest among those with low family social class (IV) (Table 8). Farmers’ sons were more commonly inactive than others, but this was not true for the daughters. Low social class (IV) at 14 years, however, was not associated with physical inactivity at age 31 years. Being a farmer’s son was associated with adult inactivity, but not after adjustment for the level of physical activity in adolescence (Table 8), while among the farmers’ daughters the association seemed to be the opposite, but not significant. Poor school achievement in adolescence was associated with physical inactivity in adulthood independently of the level of physical activity at 14 years (Table 8).
Table 7. Percentages of physically inactivea individuals at age 31 by background characteristics, and multivariate logistic regression analysis of physical inactivitya at age 31. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI).
| Explanatory factors | Males, N = 3,069 | Females, N = 3,600 | |||||
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| Inactive subjects | Unadjusted | Adjustedb | Inactive subjects | Unadjusted | Adjustedb | ||
| % | OR | OR (CI) | % | OR | OR (CI) | ||
| Participation in sports after school hours at age 14 | |||||||
| Daily | 22.1 | 0.41 | 0.57 (0.44–0.76) | 18.1 | 0.51 | 0.53 (0.40–0.70) | |
| Every other day | 25.5 | 0.49 | 0.67 (0.52–0.87) | 19.8 | 0.57 | 0.63 (0.48–0.81) | |
| Twice a week | 29.8 | 0.61 | 0.70 (0.54–0.90) | 22.4 | 0.67 | 0.69 (0.55–0.86) | |
| Once a week | 37.3 | 0.85 | 0.88 (0.66–1.17) | 25.4 | 0.79 | 0.83 (0.67–1.03) | |
| Less than once a week | 41.0 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 30.1 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Membership of a sports club at 14 years | |||||||
| Yes | 24.4 | 0.64 | 0.88 (0.73–1.05) | 21.8 | 0.82 | 1.00 (0.83–1.21) | |
| No | 33.4 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 25.5 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Grade in school sports at age 14 (scale 4–10) | |||||||
| 9–10 high | 20.8 | 0.63 | 0.69 (0.56–0.86) | 21.7 | 0.86 | 0.95 (0.78–1.16) | |
| 8 | 29.5 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 24.4 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| ≤ 7 low | 38.1 | 1.47 | 1.29 (1.07–1.56) | 27.3 | 1.16 | 1.08 (0.89–1.34) | |
| Children in family at age 31 | |||||||
| No children | 26.4 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 18.5 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| One or more | 32.4 | 1.34 | 1.47 (1.25–1.73) | 26.9 | 1.63 | 1.69 (1.40–2.04) | |
| Education at age 31 | |||||||
| University degree | 17.8 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 20.0 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| High | 22.8 | 1.37 | 1.23 (0.89–1.70) | 21.8 | 1.12 | 1.05 (0.81–1.36) | |
| Medium | 33.9 | 2.37 | 1.96 (1.44–2.65) | 27.2 | 1.50 | 1.33 (1.02–1.74) | |
| None | 42.9 | 3.47 | 2.14 (1.41–3.25) | 33.0 | 1.98 | 1.55 (1.05–2.29) | |
| Work situation at age 31 | |||||||
| Employed | 27.9 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 24.0 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Entrepreneur | 46.3 | 2.23 | 1.92 (1.51–2.43) | 31.5 | 1.45 | 1.30 (0.93–1.82) | |
| Full-time student | 15.9 | 0.49 | 0.50 (0.29–0.87) | 23.5 | 0.97 | 0.90 (0.62–1.32) | |
| Unemployed | 28.0 | 1.00 | 0.75 (0.57–0.97) | 23.1 | 0.95 | 0.81 (0.63–1.04) | |
| Child care leave | – | – | – | 23.8 | 0.98 | 0.80 (0.64–1.00) | |
| Other | 32.9 | 1.27 | 1.00 (0.68–1.48) | 23.6 | 0.98 | 0.80 (0.57–1.13) | |
| Place of residence at age 31 | |||||||
| Urban | 25.9 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 24.4 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Semi-urban | 32.4 | 1.37 | 1.00 (0.80–1.24) | 22.8 | 0.92 | 0.87 (0.70–1.08) | |
| Rural | 36.2 | 1.63 | 1.11 (0.92–1.35) | 25.1 | 1.04 | 0.93 (0.77–1.12) | |
| a Inactive at 31 years = brisk exercise less than once a week and light exercise less than four times a week.bAdjusted for all other explanatory variables in the table. | |||||||
Table 8. TPercentages of physically inactive subjects at 14a and 31byears by social class and school achievement at 14 years, and logistic regression analysis of physical inactivitya at 31 years. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95 % confidence intervals (CI).
| Explanatory factors | Males, N = 3,069 | Females, N = 3,600 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inactive subjects | Inactive subjects | ||||||||
| at 14 years | at 31 years | Un-adj. | Adjustedc | at 14 years | at 31 years | Un-adj. | Adjustedc | ||
| % | % | OR | OR (CI) | % | % | OR | OR (CI) | ||
| Social class of family at 14 years (father’s occupation) | |||||||||
| I and II, skilled professional | 13.5 | 29.4 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 24.9 | 24.1 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| III, skilled worker | 17.1 | 28.9 | 0.97 | 0.95 (0.79–1.14) | 30.4 | 25.6 | 1.08 | 1.06 (0.89–1.27) | |
| IV, unskilled worker | 20.4 | 28.3 | 0.95 | 0.88 (0.72–1.08) | 35.5 | 25.0 | 1.05 | 1.00 (0.82–1.22) | |
| Farmer | 24.2 | 35.7 | 1.34 | 1.18 (0.94–1.49) | 28.3 | 20.5 | 0.81 | 0.80 (0.63–1.02) | |
| Average grade at school at 14 years (scale 4–10) | |||||||||
| ≥ 9.0 high | 9.2 | 21.4 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 18.5 | 18.8 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| 8.0 – 8.9 | 13.6 | 23.2 | 1.11 | 1.09 (0.65–1.81) | 24.9 | 22.4 | 1.25 | 1.19 (1.01–1.63) | |
| 7.0 – 7.9 | 15.8 | 28.4 | 1.46 | 1.40 (0.85–2.31) | 32.0 | 26.6 | 1.57 | 1.47 (1.23–2.01) | |
| ≤ 6.9 low | 22.2 | 36.9 | 2.14 | 1.96 (1.19–3.24) | 47.0 | 31.4 | 1.98 | 1.75 (1.36–2.46) | |
| aInactive at 14 years = participation in sports after school hours less than once a week. bInactive at 31 years = brisk exercise less than once a week and light exercise less than four times a week. cAdjusted for the frequency of participation in sports after school hours at 14 years. | |||||||||