The Health Status of Retired American Football Players

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 1674-1679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Nicholas ◽  
James A. Nicholas ◽  
Calvin Nicholas ◽  
Jennifer R. Diecchio ◽  
Malachy P. McHugh

Background Despite a perception that retired professional football players have poor health, there are little supporting data. Hypothesis Retired football players have poor health compared with age-matched population norms. Study Design Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 4. Methods Thirty-six of 41 members of the 1969 Super Bowl winning team were contacted 35 years after that event (3 were deceased, and no contact information was available for 2). Players completed an SF-36 health survey and a medical history and football-specific questionnaire. Each player's football-related injury history before 1969 was documented from medical records. It was estimated that there was 80% power to detect a 10% difference in physical and mental health scores between the retired football players (age, 62 ± 3 y) and population norms (n = 741) at an alpha level of 0.05. Results SF-36 scores for physical and mental health were not different from age-matched norms (physical health P = .69; mental health P = .49). The most prevalent medical conditions were arthritis (24 of 36 players), hypertension (13 of 36 players), and chronic low back pain (13 of 36 players). SF-36 physical health scores were 21% lower in players with arthritis (P < .01) and back pain (P < .05) compared with the other players. Physical health scores were 19% above normal for players without arthritis (P < .01) and not different from normal for players with arthritis (6% lower; P = .6). Four of 8 players who had major ligamentous injuries to the knee before 1969 had total knee arthroplasty in the intervening years, compared with 3 of the remaining 28 players (P < .05). The men played professional football for 8.3 ± 3.8 years, and 33 players (94%) reported having had “very fulfilling” (n = 24) or “somewhat fulfilling” (n = 9) careers. Conclusion These professional football players had long and fulfilling careers with no apparent long-term detrimental effects on physical or mental health scores despite a high prevalence of arthritis.

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1416-1424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Krarup Lenger ◽  
Mette Asbjoern Neergaard ◽  
Mai-Britt Guldin ◽  
Mette Kjaergaard Nielsen

Background: The health of caregivers can be affected during end-of-life caregiving. Previous cross-sectional studies have indicated an association between poor health status and prolonged grief disorder, but prospective studies are lacking. Aim: To describe physical and mental health status in caregivers of patients at the end of life, and to investigate whether caregivers’ health status during caregiving predict prolonged grief disorder. Design: A population-based prospective survey was conducted. Health status was measured in caregivers during caregiving (SF-36), and prolonged grief disorder was assessed 6 months after bereavement (Prolonged Grief-13). We calculated mean scores of health status and explored the association with prolonged grief disorder using logistic regression adjusted for age, gender and education. Setting/participants: The health in caregivers of patients granted drug reimbursement due to terminal illness in Denmark in 2012 was assessed during caregiving and 6 months after bereavement ( n = 2125). Results: The SF-36 subscale ‘role-physical’ concerning role limitations due to physical health, the ‘mental health’ component score, and all ‘mental health’ subscales showed significantly worse health in the participants than in the general population. Both poor physical health (adjusted OR: 1.05 (95% CI: 1.04–1.07)) and poor mental health (adjusted OR: 1.09 (95% CI: 1.07–1.11)) predicted prolonged grief disorder. Conclusion: Caregivers scored lower on one physical subscale and all mental health measures than the general population. Prolonged grief disorder was predicted by poor physical and mental health status before bereavement. Future research is needed on the use of health status in systematic assessment to identify caregivers in need of support.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara A. Jahnke ◽  
Christopher K. Haddock ◽  
Nattinee Jitnarin ◽  
Christopher M. Kaipust ◽  
Brittany S. Hollerbach ◽  
...  

Intro. Both discrimination and harassment directly impact mental and physical health. Further, workplace discrimination degrades workplace culture and negatively impacts health behaviors, job-related outcomes, and family dynamics. Women represent a small proportion of the fire service and are often the targets of discrimination/harassment, yet little research documents the impact of such experiences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between chronic work discrimination and/or harassment and women firefighters’ (FFs) physical and mental health, substance abuse, and job efficacy, stress, and satisfaction. Methods. Snowball sampling was used to solicit participation from women career FFs. Participants completed an online survey regarding physical and mental health, health behavior, job efficacy/stress/satisfaction, and family well-being. Logistic regression examined the impact of work discrimination-harassment severity on dichotomous variables. Results. 1,773 had complete data on their experiences with work-related discrimination and harassment. Women reported experiencing verbal (37.5%) and written (12.9%) harassment, hazing (16.9%), sexual advances (37.4%), and assaults (5.1%) in the fire service. FFs in the highest tertile of work discrimination-harassment severity reported over 40% more poor health days in the last 30 days (OR=1.42; 95%CI=1.33-1.51; p<0.001). Women who experienced moderate and severe discrimination/harassment had negative mental health outcomes including higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. Those who experienced high rates of discrimination and/or harassment also were more likely to report issues with alcohol consumption. Conclusion. The impact of discrimination and harassment, related negative physical and mental outcomes, low levels of job satisfaction, and negative impact of these experiences on family/home stress likely take a significant toll on women in the fire service. Findings confirm and extend previous work suggesting there is a need to improve the mental and physical health of women FFs. Future work should examine the prospective relationship between discrimination/harassment and poor health outcomes and potential policies/practices to reduce these negative behaviors.


Author(s):  
Sam Parsons ◽  
Alice Sullivan ◽  
Emla Fitzsimons ◽  
George Ploubidis

Poor physical health and behavioural and emotional problems in childhood have a lasting impact on well-being in adolescence and adulthood. Here we address the relationship between poor parent and child physical and mental health in early childhood (age 5) and conduct, hyperactivity and emotional problems in mid-childhood (age 10/11). We compare results across two generations of British children born 30 years apart in 1970 (n = 15,856) and 2000/2 (16,628). We take advantage of rich longitudinal birth cohort data and establish that a child’s own poor health was associated with conduct, hyperactivity and emotional problems in mid-childhood in both generations, and that with the exception of conduct problems in the 1970 cohort these relationships remained when family socio-economic status and individual characteristics were accounted for. Poor maternal mental health was similarly associated with conduct, hyperactivity and emotional problems in both generations; poor parental physical health with a child having later hyperactivity and emotional problems in the younger generation. Results also indicated that earlier behaviour problems had more influence on later problems for children in the more recent cohort. Given the increasing proportion of children and adolescents with mental health problems and that socio-economic disadvantage increases physical and mental well-being concerns within families, policy solutions must consider the holistic nature of a child’s family environment to prevent some children experiencing a ‘double whammy’ of disadvantage. The early years provide the best opportunity to promote children’s resilience and well-being and minimise the development of entrenched negative behaviours and their subsequent costs to society.<br /><br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Poor parental physical and mental health each have a negative association with behavioural adjustment in (two generations of British) children.</li><br /><li>A child’s poor health has a negative association with later behavioural adjustment in (two generations of British) children.</li><br /><li>The relationships remain even after family background and a child’s earlier behaviour scores are taken into account.</li></ul>


2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 1747-1757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gajan Sivakumaran ◽  
Rachel Margolis

Abstract Objectives This article examines patterns of self-rated physical and mental health by sexual orientation among middle-aged and older adults in Canada, a rapidly growing subpopulation shown to be at risk of poor health. Method We use the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 2015–2016) to estimate logit models predicting fair/poor self-rated physical and mental health by sexual orientation among middle-aged and older adults, stratifying by sex and age group. Results We find no differences in physical health for gay men and lesbian women compared with their heterosexual counterparts. However, middle-aged gay men are disadvantaged in terms of mental health, but not women. Bisexual women are disadvantaged in terms of physical health, and for mental health in some model specifications. Respondents who did not know their sexual orientation have poorer health across some measures of health and age groups. Discussion Our findings add to the paucity of research on older sexual minorities in Canada. They highlight the importance of separating out sexual minority groups because bisexual women have distinct health profiles. In addition, this is the first study to examine the health of respondents who “do not know” their sexual orientation, and future research should distinguish between different explanations for their poor health.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e036775
Author(s):  
Liam D. A. Paget ◽  
Haruhito Aoki ◽  
Simon Kemp ◽  
Mike Lambert ◽  
Clint Readhead ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo determine (1) the prevalence of ankle osteoarthritis (OA) among former professional football and rugby players, (2) assess the association between ankle injuries or ankle surgeries with ankle OA, and (3) compare the mental and physical quality of life (QoL) between former professional football and rugby players with and without OA.MethodsWe conducted a questionnaire-based observational study with a cross-sectional design. Former professional football and rugby players were recruited by the Football Players Worldwide and the International Rugby Players. Information concerning ankle OA, sustained ankle injuries and ankle surgeries was gathered (medical record or most recent medical professional). Health-related QoL was assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical and mental health scores.ResultsOverall, 553 former professional football (n=401) and rugby (n=152) players were enrolled in the study (response rate of 56%). Ankle OA prevalence among former professional football and rugby players was 9.2% and 4.6%, respectively. Football players were more likely to suffer from ankle OA following every ankle injury and/or surgery. Football and rugby players with ankle OA had similar PROMIS physical and mental health scores to the norm for the general population.ConclusionFormer professional football and rugby players had higher ankle OA prevalence than the general population (3.4%). Football players are more likely to suffer from ankle OA following every ankle injury and/or surgery. No clinically relevant difference was seen for physical or mental health-related QoL among football and rugby players. Preventive measures for ankle injuries are recommended.


Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne H Lo ◽  
Anne M Chang ◽  
Janita P Chau ◽  
Glenn E Gardner

Introduction: Health-related quality of life is a significant outcome of stroke survivors’ recovery. The 49-item English version of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale (SSQOL) (Williams et al., 2009) is a stroke-specific assessment of stroke survivors’ health-related quality of life in 12 domains. However there has been no Chinese version of the scale for Chinese stroke survivors in Hong Kong. Aim: To examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale (SSQOL-C) in stroke survivors. Methods: SSQOL was translated into Chinese and blind back-translated by independent bilingual baccalaureate nursing students. Content validity was reviewed by an expert panel which consisted of one nurse academic, one nurse manager, three advanced practice nurses, and two registered nurses. A cross-sectional study was conducted to validate the translated version. A convenience sample of 135 adult stroke survivors were recruited from three community centres and a stroke support group in Hong Kong. Internal consistency analysis was performed. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between SSQOL-C, SF-36, and Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) to determine the convergent validity. Results: Content validity index of SSQOL-C was 0.99. SSQOL-C had high internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94 for the total scale, and between 0.65 and 0.90 for the 12 domains. The total SSQOL-C scores showed significant positive correlations with SF-36 physical health (r=0.58, p<0.01) and mental health (r=0.54, p<0.01) component scores, and FAI score (r=0.59, p<0.01). SSQOL-C physical subtotal scores showed significant positive correlations with SF-36 physical health (r=0.55, p<0.01) and mental health (r=0.43, p<0.01) component scores, and FAI score (r=0.54, p<0.01). SSQOL-C psychosocial subtotal scores showed significant positive correlations with SF-36 physical health (r=0.52, p<0.01) and mental health (r=0.56, p<0.01) component scores, and FAI score (r=0.56, p<0.01). Conclusion: The results showed SSQOL-C had good content and convergent validity, and reliability in Chinese stroke survivors. Further evaluation of factor structure of SSQOL-C will be conducted to determine its validity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512505178p1-7512505178p1
Author(s):  
Buwen Yao ◽  
Sandy Takata ◽  
Shawn C. Roll

Abstract Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. We examined the relationships between participation in different extracurricular activities and the overall physical and mental health in college students across a 2-year period. Participation in certain occupations was associated with positive mental health, whereas other occupations were linked to poorer physical health. Exploration and promotion of participation in extracurricular occupations should be considered to support student health. Primary Author and Speaker: Buwen Yao Contributing Authors: Sandy Takata, Shawn C. Roll


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-184
Author(s):  
Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk ◽  
Alai Tan ◽  
Andreanna Pavan Hsieh ◽  
Kate Gawlik ◽  
Cynthia Arslanian-Engoren ◽  
...  

Background Critical care nurses experience higher rates of mental distress and poor health than other nurses, adversely affecting health care quality and safety. It is not known, however, how critical care nurses’ overall health affects the occurrence of medical errors. Objective To examine the associations among critical care nurses’ physical and mental health, perception of workplace wellness support, and self-reported medical errors. Methods This survey-based study used a cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design. A random sample of 2500 members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses was recruited to participate in the study. The outcomes of interest were level of overall health, symptoms of depression and anxiety, stress, burnout, perceived worksite wellness support, and medical errors. Results A total of 771 critical care nurses participated in the study. Nurses in poor physical and mental health reported significantly more medical errors than nurses in better health (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.31 [0.96-1.78] for physical health, 1.62 [1.17-2.29] for depressive symptoms). Nurses who perceived that their worksite was very supportive of their well-being were twice as likely to have better physical health (odds ratio [95% CI], 2.16 [1.33-3.52]; 55.8%). Conclusion Hospital leaders and health care systems need to prioritize the health of their nurses by resolving system issues, building wellness cultures, and providing evidence-based wellness support and programming, which will ultimately increase the quality of patient care and reduce the incidence of preventable medical errors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Thomson ◽  
Maureen Wilson-Genderson ◽  
Laura A Siminoff

Abstract Background Informal caregivers play a fundamental role in the care of hematological cancer patients, but less is known about how secondary caregivers are involved. We assessed the presence or absence of a secondary caregiver, the types of caregiving activities performed by primary and secondary caregivers and examined whether the presence of a secondary caregiver was associated with primary caregiver characteristics and wellbeing over time. Methods A case series of hematological cancer patient-caregiver dyads (n = 171) were recruited from oncology clinics in Virginia and Pennsylvania and followed for 2 years. Multi-level models were developed to examine the associations between presence of a secondary caregiver and the primary caregivers’ well-being. Results Most (64.9%) primary caregivers reported having secondary caregivers. Multilevel models showed primary caregivers without help had higher baseline mental and physical health, but experienced deteriorating physical health overtime, compared to supported primary caregivers. Supported primary caregivers reported improvements in mental health over time that was associated with improvements in physical health. Conclusions Primary caregivers in good physical and mental health at the beginning of their caregiving journey but who have the least assistance from others may be at greatest risk for detrimental physical health effects long term. Attention to the arrangement of caregiving roles (i.e., who provides what care) overtime is needed to ensure that caregivers remain healthy and well supported.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 621-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashleigh Coser ◽  
Kelley J. Sittner ◽  
Melissa L. Walls ◽  
Tina Handeland

American Indian (AI) communities experience a disproportionate rate of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cumulative exposure to stress. Although this link is well researched among various populations, it has not been examined among AI communities. Path analysis was used to examine a multiple-mediator model to explain how caregiver stress influences self-reported mental and physical health among 100 AI participants with T2D. Caregiver stress was negatively associated with physical and mental health. Physical health was positively associated with family/community connectedness and mental health was positively associated with both family support and connectedness. The relationship between caregiver stress and mental health was partially mediated by family/community connectedness; caregiver stress had no indirect effects on physical health via either hypothesized mediator. Findings demonstrate the importance of integrating individuals’ connection to family and community and its influence on caregiver stress and mental health in intervention programs targeting diabetes management and care among AI communities.


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