Research articles
Physical activity from childhood to adulthood: A 21-year tracking study

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Background

The aim of this study was to investigate stability of physical activity from childhood and adolescence to adulthood in multiple age cohorts, and analyze how well adult physical activity can be predicted by various physical activity variables measured in childhood and adolescence.

Methods

The data were drawn from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. The study was started in 1980, when cohorts of randomly sampled boys and girls aged 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 years (total of 2309 subjects) were examined for the first time. The measurements were repeated in 1983, 1986, 1989, 1992, and 2001. In 2001, the subjects (n =1563, 68%) were aged 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, and 39 years, respectively. Physical activity was measured by means of a short self-report questionnaire that was administered individually in connection with a medical examination. On the basis of a questionnaire, a physical activity index (PAI) was calculated. There were no significant differences in the 1980 PAI between participants and dropouts in 2001.

Results

Spearman℉s rank order correlation coefficients for the 21-year tracking period varied from 0.33 to 0.44 in males, and from 0.14 to 0.26 in females. At shorter time intervals the correlation was higher. On average, the tracking correlation was lower in females than in males. Persistent physical activity, defined as a score in the most active third of the PAI in two or three consecutive measurements, increased the odds that an individual would be active in adulthood. Odds ratios for 3-year continuous activity versus continuous inactivity varied from 4.30 to 7.10 in males and 2.90 to 5.60 in females. The corresponding odds ratios for 6-year persistence were 8.70 to 10.80 and 5.90 to 9.40.

Conclusions

It was concluded that a high level of physical activity at ages 9 to 18, especially when continuous, significantly predicted a high level of adult physical activity. Although the correlations were low or moderate, we consider it important that school-age physical activity appears to influence adult physical activity, and through it, the public health of the general population.

Introduction

The many benefits of physical activity for health and well-being are well documented, and much is known about factors influencing physical activity of children and adults.1, 2 In many countries, promoting life-long physical activity has long been an important goal of physical education curricula and sport policy. Research concerning the tracking of physical activity from childhood and adolescence to adulthood has produced new knowledge during the past 2 decades, but we still know rather little about how physical activity in childhood predicts an active lifestyle in adulthood.

Most studies in which adult physical activity has been predicted by earlier physical activity have focused on people aged 13 to 20 years. In all of these studies, the correlation between physical activity in adolescence and in adulthood has been low, although significant, ranging from 0.05 to 0.20.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Previous results from the Young Finns Study also included 9-year-olds but, due to the limited 12-year follow-up period, true adult physical activity could not be predicted. Thus, data based on longitudinal studies that track physical activity in people aged <13 years to adulthood continue to be lacking.

Some of the general features of continuous physical activity are known. However, the results of previous longitudinal studies give little information about the influence of various types of physical activity on later activity. There is some evidence that participation in organized sports at a young age is a good predictor of physical activity in adulthood.4, 7, 11 Results obtained from retrospective studies confirm this.12, 13, 14, 15, 16 Also, fitness in children and adolescents seems to account for physical activity engaged in by adults, which may indicate that vigorous fitness-oriented exercise at a young age is important.3, 17, 18, 19

The significance of the type of physical activity or sports discipline for the continuation of physical activity later in life has received little attention in longitudinal studies. In physical education, the concept of “carry-over value”20, 21 implies that activities in which people participate in adulthood should be learned at a young age. Scientific evidence for carry-over value, however, is scarce. In short-term tracking of physical activity in adolescents, it was found that the stability of participation was greatest among cross-country skiers, and higher among team-sport participants than nonparticipants.22 The results of a recent Finnish study support in part the carry-over hypothesis that adolescent participation in relatively intensive endurance sports, such as cross-country skiing, running, and orienteering, was associated with participation in endurance sports in adulthood. On the other hand, participation in ice hockey in adolescence is a fairly good predictor of a high level of adult physical activity, although only a small number of adult men actually play ice hockey.8

In most previous tracking studies, only one age cohort has been followed. In this study, it was possible to follow six cohorts, and thus to study tracking at different phases of the life span.

To date, tracking studies have investigated the correlation between cross-sectional measurements in youth and in adulthood. The effect of continuous physical activity in childhood and youth on adult physical activity has not been studied. Here, continuous physical activity means a score in the most active third of the physical activity index (PAI) in two or three consecutive measurements.

The aim of this study was to investigate how physical activity tracks from childhood and adolescence to adulthood in several age cohorts, to determine how well adult physical activity can be predicted by persistent physical activity in childhood and adolescence, and to reveal the influence of the type of sport practiced in youth on adult physical activity.

Section snippets

Methods

The data were obtained from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, an extensive multidisciplinary longitudinal research project that started in 1980 when baseline measurements of cohorts of randomly sampled boys and girls aged 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 years were carried out. The measurements were repeated in 1983, 1986, 1989, 1992, and 2001. In 2001, the subjects were aged 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, and 39 years. In this study, the main data concern the years 1980, 1983, 1986, and 2001; however,

Results

Table 3 shows the Spearman℉s rank order correlation coefficients of PAI for the tracking intervals of 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 years. The 21-year tracking coefficients from youth to adulthood vary from 0.33 to 0.44 in males, and from 0.14 (nonsignificant) to 0.26 in females. A similar gender difference can also be seen for the 18, 15, 12, and 9 tracking periods. Among males, all the coefficients are significant. Among females, the coefficients for the periods from age 9 to 24, 12 to 30, and 15 to

Discussion

The aim of this study was to investigate tracking of leisure-time physical activity from childhood and youth to adulthood. The strong points of the study were the long observation period (21 years), and the use of six age cohorts, which allowed tracking to be studied across different life phases. Physical activity from age 9 to 18 significantly predicted adult physical activity, and continuous physical activity at school age considerably increased the probability of being active in adulthood.

Conclusion

Physical activity at the age of 9 to 18 significantly predicts adult physical activity. Persistent physical activity at a young age considerably increases the probability of being active in adulthood. School physical education, organized sports, and other programs influencing physical activity among young people should be given all possible support in efforts to develop and implement effective physical activity programs.

What this study adds…

Previous studies have shown a significant link

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