Associations of discretionary screen time with mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer are attenuated by strength, fitness and physical activity: findings from the UK Biobank study
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Abstract
It is unclear whether the potential benefits of physical activity differ according to level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) or strength. The aim of this study was to determine whether the association between physical activity and mortality is moderated by CRF and grip strength sufficiently to inform health promotion strategies. 498 135 participants (54.7% women) from the UK Biobank were included (CRF data available in 67 702 participants). Exposure variables were grip strength, CRF, and physical activity. There was a significant interaction between total physical activity and grip strength (P < 0.0001) whereby the higher hazard of mortality associated with lower physical activity was greatest among participants in the lowest tertile for grip strength (hazard ratio, HR:1.11 [95% CI 1.09 1.14]) and lowest among those in the highest grip strength tertile (HR:1.04 [1.01 1.08]). These data provide novel evidence that strength, and possibly CRF, moderate the association between physical activity and mortality. The association between physical activity and mortality is strongest in those with the lowest strength (which is easily measured), and the lowest CRF, suggesting that these sub-groups could benefit most from interventions to increase physical activity.
Associations of discretionary screen time with mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer are attenuated by strength, fitness and physical activity: findings from the UK Biobank
2 Dec 2019
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