Intensity of leisure-time physical activity and Cancer mortality in men

Jari A Laukkanen ¹, Rainer Rauramaa ², Timo H Makikallio ³, Adetunji T Toriola ⁴ and Sudhir Kurl ^5*

¹ 1Research Institute of Public Health, School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of, Finland
² Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, Kuopio, Finland, Department of Clinical Physiolog, Finland
³ 5Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Department of M, Finland
⁴ School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Finland,, Finland
⁵ Research Institute of Public Health, School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Finland

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sudhir.kurl{at}uku.fi.

Accepted 13 May 2009

Abstract

Objective: There is lack of evidence to show the role of exercise intensity in the prevention of cancer mortality since no previous studies have shown this relation. Thus, we assessed the relationship of leisure-time physical activity with cancer mortality.

Methods: Participants were from a population-based sample of 2560 men from Eastern Finland with no history of cancer at baseline. Physical activity was assessed using the 12-Month Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. During an average follow-up of 16.7 years, a total of 181 cancer related deaths occurred.

Results: An increase of 1.2 METs (one standard deviation in metabolic equivalents) in the mean intensity of leisure-time physical activity was related to a decrease (RR=0.85, 95 % CI 0.72 to 0.99) in cancer mortality mainly due to lung and gastrointestinal cancers, after adjustment for age, examination year, alcohol consumption, smoking, body mass index, and energy, fibre and fat intake. Men with leisure-time physical activity of more than 5.2 METs (highest quartile) had a lower (RR=0.63, 95 % CI 0.40 to 0.99) cancer mortality compared with men whose mean intensity of physical activity was less than 3.7 METs (lowest quartile). The mean intensity of physical activity was related to the risk of cancer death among men who exercised at least 30 minutes per day on average.

Conclusions: This prospective study indicates that the mean intensity of leisure-time physical activity is inversely associated with the risk of premature death from cancer in men.