Relation Between Cardiovascular Risk Factors at Adult Age, and Physical Activity During Youth and Adulthood: The Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle, Fitness and Health

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between sports participation/physical activity during youth (13 - 18 years of age) and adulthood (30 - 40 years of age), and cardiovascular risk factors (body fat and fat distribution, blood pressure, lipoprotein levels and cardiorespiratory fitness) at 40 years of age. Subjects were 166 Flemish males from “The Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle, Fitness and Health”. Physical activity was assessed by means of a sports participation inventory and the Tecumseh community Health Study Questionnaire. In addition to correlation and multiple stepwise regression analyses, different groups (at risk, not at risk) were contrasted on sports participation/physical activity parameters using ANOVA. Long-term exposure during adulthood to daily physical activity was slightly related to a low/high risk profile for waist circumference, percent body fatness, triglycerides and peak V˙O₂. Sports participation during adolescence was not related to levels of cardiovascular risk factors at 40 years of age.

Sports participation - questionnaires - body fat (distribution) - blood pressure - lipoproteins

References

• 1 Alpert B S, Wilmore J H. Physical activity and blood pressure in adolescents.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 1994;  6 361-380
• 2 Armstrong N, Simons-Morton B. Physical activity and blood lipids in adolescents.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 1994;  6 381-405
• 3 Baecke J AH, Burema J, Frijters J ER. A short questionnaire for the measurement of habitual physical activity in epidemiological studies.  Am J Clin Nutr. 1982;  36 936-942
• 4 Bar-Or O, Baranowski T. Physical activity, adiposity, and obesity among adolescents.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 1994;  6 348-360
• 5 Baranowski T, Bouchard C, Bar-Or O, Bricker T, Heath G, Kimm S Y, Malina R, Obarzanek E, Pate R, Strong W B. Assessment, prevalence, and cardiovascular benefits of physical activity and fitness in youth.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1992;  24 S237-247
• 6 Beunen G P, Malina R M, van ‘t Hof M A, Simons J, Ostyn M, Renson R, van Gerven D. Adolescent growth and motor performance: a longitudinal study of Belgian boys. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1988: 102
• 7 Beunen G, Ostyn M, Simons J, Renson R, Claessens A L, Vanden Eynde B, Lefevre J, Vanreusel B, Malina R M, van't Hof M A. Development and tracking in fitness components: Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle, Fitness and Health.  Int J Sports Med. 1997;  18 S171-178
• 8 Blair S N. Physical activity, physical fitness, and health.  Res Q Exerc Sport,. 1993;  64 365-376
• 9 Bouchard C, Shephard R J, Stephens T. The consensus statement. In: Bouchard C, Shephard RJ, Stephens T (eds) Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health: International proceedings and Consensus Statement. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1994: 9-76
• 10 Caspersen C J. Physical activity epidemiology, concepts, methods and applications to exercise science.  Exerc Sports Sci Rev. 1989;  17 423-473
• 11 Haskell W I, Montoye H J, Orenstein D. Physical activity and exercise to achieve health-related physical fitness components.  Pub Health Rep. 1985;  100 202-212
• 12 Hollman W, Venrath H. Die Beinflussung von Herzgröße, maximale O₂-Aufname und Ausdauergrenze durch ein Ausdauertraining mittlerer und hoher Intensität.  Sportarzt. 1963;  9 189
• 13 Katzmarzyk P T, Malina R M. Contribution of organized sports participation to estimated daily energy expenditure in youth.  Pediatr Exerc Sci. 1998;  10 378-386
• 14 Kemper H CG. The Amsterdam Growth Study: a Longitudinal Analysis of Health, Fitness, and Lifestyle. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1995: 278
• 15 Kemper H CG, van Mechelen W. Physical fitness and the relationship to physical activity. In: Kemper HCG (ed) The Amsterdam Growth Study: a Longitudinal Analysis of Health, Fitness, and Lifestyle. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1995: 174-188
• 16 Lauer R M, Lee J, Clarke W R. Factors affecting the relationship between childhood and adult cholesterol levels: the Muscatine Study.  Pediatrics. 1988;  82 309-318
• 17 Lefevre J, Philippaerts R M, Delvaux K, Thomis M, Vanreusel B, Vanden Eynde B, Claessens A L, Lysens R, Renson R, Beunen G. Daily physical activity and physical fitness from adolescence to adulthood: a longitudinal study.  Am J Hum Biol. 2000;  12 487-497
• 18 Paffenbarger R S Jr, Hyde R T, Wing A L. Physical activity and physical fitness as determinants of health and longevity. In: Bouchard C, Shephard RJ, Stephens T, Sutton JR, McPherson BD (eds) Exercise, Fitness, and Health. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1990: 33-48
• 19 Paffenbarger R S Jr, Hyde R T, Wing A L, Lee I M, Jung D L, Kampet J B. The association of changes in physical-activity level and other lifestyles characteristics with mortality among men.  New Engl J Med. 1993;  328 538-545
• 20 Philippaerts R, Lefevre J. Reliability and validity of three physical activity questionnaires in Flemish males.  Am J Epidemiol. 1998;  29 982-990
• 21 Philippaerts R M, Lefevre J, Delvaux K, Thomis M, Vanreusel B, Vanden Eynde B, Claessens A L, Lysens R, Beunen G. Associations between daily physical activity and physical fitness in Flemish males: a cross-sectional study.  Am J Hum Biol. 1999;  11 587-597
• 22 Philippaerts R M, Westerterp K R, Lefevre J. Doubly labelled water validation of three physical activity questionnaires.  Int J Sports Med. 1999;  20 284-289
• 23 Raitakari O T, Porkka K V, Taimela S, Telama R, Rasanen L, Viikari J S. Effects of persistent physical activity and inactivity on coronary risk factors in children and young adults: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.  Am J Epidemiol. 1994;  140 195-205
• 24 Reiff G G, Montoye H G, Remington R D, Napier J A, Metzner H L, Epstein F H. Assessment of physical activity by questionnaire and interview.  J Sports Med Phys Fitn. 1967;  7 135-142
• 25 Renson R, Vanreusel B. The sociocultural and physical activity inventories. In: Simons J, Beunen GP, Renson R, Claessens ALM, Vanreusel B, Lefevre JAV (eds) Growth and Fitness of Flemish Girls: the Leuven Growth Study. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1990: 41-46
• 26 Sallis J F, Patterson T L, Buono M J, Nader P R. Relation of cardiovascular fitness and physical activity to cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adults.  Am J Epidemiol. 1988;  127 933-941
• 27 SAS Institute .Sas Procedures Guide. Cary, NC; SAS Institute 1990
• 28 Shepard R J. Physical activity and reduction of health risks: How far are the benefits independent of fat loss.  J Sports Med Phys Fit. 1994;  34 91-98
• 29 Staessen J A, Fagard R, Amery A. Life style as a determinant of blood pressure in the general population.  Am J Hypertens. 1994;  7 685-694
• 30 Twisk J WR, van Mechelen W, Kemper H CG, Post G B. The relation between “long-term exposure” to lifestyle during youth and young adulthood and risk factors for cardiovascular disease at adult age.  J Adolesc Health. 1997;  20 09-319
• 31 Van‘t Hof M A, Kowalski C J. Analysis of mixed-longitudinal data sets. In: Prahl-Andersen B, Kowalski CJ, Heydendael SP (eds) A Mixed-Longitudinal Interdisciplinary Study of Growth and Development. New York; Academic Press 1979: 161-170
• 32 Vanreusel B, Renson R, Beunen G, Claessens A, Lefevre J, Lysens R, Vanden Eynde B. A longitudinal study on youth sport participation and adherence to sport in adulthood.  Int Rev Sociol Sport. 1997;  32 373-387
• 33 Webber L S, Hunter S M, Johnson C C, Srinivasan S R, Berenson G S. Smoking, alcohol, and oral contraceptives. Effects on lipids during adolescence and young adulthood-Bogalusa Heart Study.  Ann NY Acad Sci. 1991;  623 135-154