Health characteristics and health behaviours in male former contact sports participants : comparison with general population controls in a Finnish cohort study
Batty, G. D., Bell, S., Kujala, U. M., Sarna, S. J., & Kaprio, J. (2024). Health characteristics and health behaviours in male former contact sports participants : comparison with general population controls in a Finnish cohort study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-222931
Published in
Journal of Epidemiology and Community HealthDate
2024Copyright
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024.
Background
Athletes who have a history of participation in contact sports appear to subsequently experience elevated rates of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia but have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and selected cancers. We quantified the occurrence of little-examined cardiometabolic and mental health outcomes, plus associated lifestyle factors, in a group of former contact sports athletes and a general population sample.
Methods
In this cohort study, male former elite athletes active between 1920 and 1965 in soccer (N=303), boxing (N=281), and wrestling (N=318) were recruited using sports yearbooks and the administrative records of sports associations. A population control group was identified using data from a compulsory medical examination (N=1712). All study members were linked to hospital registers (1970–2015) and a self-completion questionnaire was circulated in 1985.
Results
Across 12 health outcomes, the general pattern of association was null. On the few occasions when statistically significant differences did occur, there were in fact more favourable health characteristics and behaviours in former athletes. For instance, in comparison to population controls, we found a lower prevalence of ever having smoked cigarettes in all contact sports groups (range in odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 0.32 (0.21, 0.48) to 0.52 (0.36, 0.75)).
Conclusion
In this study, male retired contact sports athletes had similar cardiometabolic and mental health profiles to those of population controls.
...
Publisher
BMJ Publishing GroupISSN Search the Publication Forum
0143-005XKeywords
Publication in research information system
https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/244251624
Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
- Liikuntatieteiden tiedekunta [3151]
Additional information about funding
GDB is supported by the UK Medical Research Council (MR/P023444/1; MR/X003434/1) and the US National Institute on Aging (1R56AG052519-01; 1R01AG052519-01A1); SB by Cancer Research UK (A27657); and JK by the Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics (336823 and 352792).License
Related items
Showing items with similar title or keywords.
-
Dementia in former amateur and professional contact sports participants : population-based cohort study, systematic review, and meta-analysis
Batty, G. David; Frank, Philipp; Kujala, Urho M.; Sarna, Seppo J.; Valencia-Hernández, Carlos A.; Kaprio, Jaakko (Elsevier, 2023)Background Although there is growing evidence that former professional athletes from sports characterised by repetitive head impact subsequently experience an elevated risk of dementia, the occurrence of this disorder in ... -
Suicide and depression in former contact sports participants : population-based cohort study, systematic review, and meta-analysis
Batty, G. David; Frank, Philipp; Kujala, Urho M.; Sarna, Seppo J.; Kaprio, Jaakko (Elsevier BV, 2023)Background Former participants in sports characterised by low intensity repetitive head impact appear to have elevated rates of later dementia, but links with other psychological health outcomes such as depression and ... -
Physical activity, use of alcohol and smoking in middle-aged and aging men : A longitudinal study among Finnish male former athletes and controls
Kontro, Titta K.; Tolvanen, Asko; Sarna, Seppo; Kaprio, Jaakko; Kujala, Urho M. (Taylor & Francis, 2021)It is not known whether decrease in physical activity (PA) is associated with binge drinking among former athletes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reciprocal associations between PA and use of alcohol ... -
Healthy ageing from birth to age 84 years in the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, Finland : a longitudinal study
Mikkola, Tuija M.; Kautiainen, Hannu; von Bonsdorff, Mikaela B.; Wasenius, Niko S; Salonen, Minna K.; Haapanen, Markus J.; Kajantie, Eero; Eriksson, Johan G. (Elsevier, 2023)Background The true prevalence of healthy ageing on a population level is unknown. In this study we aimed to examine the upper limit for the prevalence of healthy ageing, by quantifying the probability of surviving and ... -
Psychosocial and health behavioural characteristics of longitudinal physical activity patterns : a cohort study from adolescence to young adulthood
Aira, Tuula; Vasankari, Tommi; Heinonen, Olli J.; Korpelainen, Raija; Kotkajuuri, Jimi; Parkkari, Jari; Savonen, Kai; Toivo, Kerttu; Uusitalo, Arja; Valtonen, Maarit; Villberg, Jari; Vähä-Ypyä, Henri; Kokko, Sami P. (Biomed Central, 2023)Background: The decline in physical activity (PA) during adolescence is well-established. However, while some subgroups of adolescents follow the general pattern of decreased activity, others increase or maintain high or ...