Mortality of Spanish Former Elite Soccer Players and Coaches

José Carlos Diz; Santiago Iglesias Sueiro; Eva Diz Ferreira; Miguel Adriano Sanchez-Lastra; Carlos Ayán

doi:10.1055/a-1308-3116

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2021; 42(07): 662-668
DOI: 10.1055/a-1308-3116

Clinical Sciences

Mortality of Spanish Former Elite Soccer Players and Coaches

José Carlos Diz

¹Department of Functional Biology and Health Sciences, Well-Move Research Group, Faculty of Education and Sports Sciences, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain

,

Santiago Iglesias Sueiro

²Department of Special Didactics, Faculty of Education and Sports Sciences, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain

,

Eva Diz Ferreira

³Department of Faculty of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

,

Miguel Adriano Sanchez-Lastra

⁴Department of Special Didactics, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain

,

Carlos Ayán

⁵Department of Special Didactics, Well-Move Research Group, Faculty of Education and Sports Sciences, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

We analyzed whether male Spanish elite soccer players live longer than the general population. Secondly, we compared their mortality with a cohort of soccer players who continued working as soccer elite coaches after retirement. Using age and calendar-date adjusted life tables, we analyzed the mortality hazard ratio of 1333 Spanish male players born before 1950, and who played in elite leagues from 1939, compared with the Spanish population. Using Cox proportional hazards model we compared their mortality with a cohort of 413 players who continued as coaches. Players showed significantly lower mortality than the general population, but this advantage decreased with advanced age, disappearing after 80 years. Coaches showed a similar pattern. Comparing players versus coaches, date of birth and years as professional were associated with survival, but debut age and player position were not. Unadjusted median survival time was 79.81 years (IQR 72.37–85.19) for players and 81.8 years (IQR 74.55–86.73) for coaches. Kaplan-Meier estimator adjusted for covariables showed no difference between cohorts (p=0.254). In conclusion, former Spanish male players showed lower mortality than the general population, but this effect disappeared after 80 years of age. Continuing their career as coaches after retirement from playing did not confer major benefits.

Key words

life expectancy - occupational physical activity - epidemiology

Full Text

References

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material