Physical Activity Levels, Correlates, and All-Cause Mortality Risk in People Living With Different Health Conditions

• Published in: Journal of physical activity & health Vol. 21; no. 4; p. 394
• Main Authors: Marks-Vieveen, Jenny M, Uijtdewilligen, Léonie, Motazedi, Ehsan, Stijnman, Dominique P M, van den Akker-Scheek, Inge, Bouma, Adrie J, Buffart, Laurien M, de Groot, Vincent, de Hollander, Ellen, Jelsma, Judith G M, de Jong, Johan, van Keeken, Helco G, Krops, Leonie A, van der Leeden, Marike, Loer, Stephan A, van Mechelen, Willem, van Nassau, Femke, Nauta, Joske, Verhagen, Evert, Wendel-Vos, Wanda, van der Woude, Lucas H V, Zwerver, Johannes, Dekker, Rienk, van der Ploeg, Hidde P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-04-2024
• Subjects: Cohort Studies; Exercise; Humans; Motor Activity; Self Report; Surveys and Questionnaires; physical (in)activity; chronic disease; preventive care; sedentariness
• ISSN: 1543-5474
• DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2023-0387

To better understand physical activity behavior and its health benefits in people living with health conditions, we studied people with and without 20 different self-reported health conditions with regard to (1) their physical activity levels, (2) factors correlated with these physical activity levels, and (3) the association between physical activity and all-cause mortality.
We used a subsample (n = 88,659) of the Lifelines cohort study from the Netherlands. For people living with and without 20 different self-reported health conditions, we studied the aforementioned factors in relation to physical activity. Physical activity was assessed with the Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Questionnaire, and mortality data were obtained from the Dutch death register.
People with a reported health condition were less likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a reported health condition (odds ratios ranging from 0.55 to 0.89). Higher body mass index and sitting time, and lower self-rated health, physical functioning, and education levels were associated with lower odds of meeting physical activity guidelines across most health conditions. Finally, we found a protective association between physical activity and all-cause mortality in both people living with and without different health conditions.
People living with different health conditions are generally less physically active compared with people living without a health condition. Both people living with and without self-reported health conditions share a number of key factors associated with physical activity levels. We also observed the expected protective association between physical activity and all-cause mortality.