scholarly journals Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Chronic Pain and Leisure Time Physical Activity Among US Adults: A NHANES Study

Author(s):  
Masataka Umeda ◽  
Youngdeok Kim

Gender disparities in chronic pain are well documented in the literature. However, little is known regarding the relationship between physical activity (PA) and gender disparities in chronic pain. This study described gender differences in prevalence of chronic pain and PA, and identified a type of leisure time PA that individuals frequently chose in a nationally representative sample of US adults (N = 14,449). Data from the National Health Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004 were analyzed. Individuals were categorized into no chronic pain (NCP), localized chronic pain (LCP), and widespread chronic pain (WCP) groups based on responses to a pain questionnaire. A self-report PA questionnaire was used to estimate the time spent in different types of PA. Women showed higher prevalence of LCP and WCP compared to men. Men spent more hours per week for leisure time PA compared to women, but men and women showed similar prevalence of sufficient PA to meet a PA recommendation (≥150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA) across chronic pain categories. However, the prevalence of sufficient PA was substantially higher among men and women with NCP compared to men and women with LCP and WCP. Additionally, both men and women chose walking as the primary type of leisure time PA. Together, gender disparities exist in the prevalence of chronic pain and hours spent for leisure time PA. More research is needed to explore the role of increasing leisure time PA, such as walking, in reducing gender disparities in chronic pain.

Pain Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3094-3101
Author(s):  
Rahman Shiri ◽  
Tea Lallukka ◽  
Ossi Rahkonen ◽  
Päivi Leino-Arjas

Abstract Objective To estimate the effects of excess body mass and leisure time physical activity on the incidence and persistence of chronic pain. Design A prospective cohort study. Methods As a part of the Finnish Helsinki Health Study, we included three cohorts of employees of the City of Helsinki (18,562 observations) and defined incident chronic pain as having pain in any part of the body for more than three months at follow-up in participants without chronic pain at baseline (N = 13,029 observations). Persistent chronic pain was defined as having pain for more than three months at both baseline and follow-up (N = 5,533 observations). Results Overweight (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06–1.31) and obesity (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.45–1.88) increased the incidence of chronic pain. Moreover, overweight (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.02–1.32) and obesity (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.26–1.74) increased the risk of persistent chronic pain. Vigorous leisure time physical activity reduced the incidence of chronic pain (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.75–0.96). Physical activity did not influence the risk of persistent chronic pain. Furthermore, overweight/obesity modified the effect of leisure time physical activity on incident chronic pain. Inactive overweight or obese participants were at the highest risk of chronic pain (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.40–2.09), while the OR dropped to 1.44 (95% CI = 1.19–1.75) in moderately active overweight or obese participants and to 1.20 (95% CI = 0.97–1.47) in highly active overweight or obese participants. Conclusions Obesity not only increases the risk of developing chronic pain, but also increases the risk of persistent pain, while leisure time physical activity reduces the risk of developing chronic pain.


1994 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 647-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Toth ◽  
A. W. Gardner ◽  
P. A. Ades ◽  
E. T. Poehlman

We examined the contribution of variations in body composition and leisure time physical activity to the age-related decline in peak oxygen consumption (VO2) in men and women. Healthy males 17–80 yr old (n = 378) and females 18–81 yr old (n = 224) were characterized for peak VO2 from a treadmill test to exhaustion, fat-free mass and fat mass by underwater weighing, and leisure time physical activity. Peak VO2 showed a greater absolute decline (P < 0.05) with age in males (r = -0.70, slope = -0.034 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01) than in females (r = -0.78, slope = -0.028 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01). After statistically controlling for differences in fat-free mass and fat mass, the decline in peak VO2 was diminished in both sexes, although a greater rate of decline persisted in males (r = -0.47, slope = -0.016 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01) than in females (r = -0.39, slope = -0.009 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01). We found that the addition of leisure time physical activity (independent of body composition) to the regression model further attenuated the rate of decline in males (r = -0.40, slope = -0.013 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01) but did not alter the age-related decline in peak VO2 in females (r = -0.39, slope = -0.009 l.min-1.yr-1; P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarmo J. Malmberg ◽  
Seppo I. Miilunpalo ◽  
Matti E. Pasanen ◽  
Ilkka M. Vuori ◽  
Pekka Oja

The authors investigated the associations of the amount, frequency and intensity, and type of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) with the risk of self-reported difficulty in walking (WD) and stair climbing (SCD) over 16 years in a population-based cohort age 40–64 years at the onset of the study. Their results indicated that the risk for SCD was highest among men and women with a low amount of weekly LTPA. The risk was high also among women with weekly light LTPA compared with women with weekly vigorous LTPA. The risk for WD was highest among men who engaged in fitness activity once a week compared with men who engaged in fitness activity at least three times a week. A low amount of weekly LTPA, light LTPA twice or more a week, and LTPA for keeping fit and healthy less than three times a week are associated with future risk of mobility difficulties among middle-aged and older adults.


2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Borodulin ◽  
Timo Lakka ◽  
Tiina Laatikainen ◽  
Raija Laukkanen ◽  
Hannu Kinnunen ◽  
...  

Background:In large population studies, comparisons of physical activity, self-rated fitness, and measured aerobic fitness are seldom reported. Measuring aerobic fitness is time-consuming and expensive, thus alternative methods are needed.Objectives:To investigate the recently established Polar Fitness Test (PFT) as a method to predict maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, a measure of maximal aerobic power), to assess distribution of predicted VO2max by gender and age, and to compare predictions to self-reported leisure time physical activity and self-rated fitness level in a large Finnish population sample.Methods:The study population comprised 5979 men and women aged 25 to 74 years who participated in the National FINRISK Study. Subjects filled in standardized questionnaires assessing self-rated fitness level and total, conditioning, commuting, and non-conditioning leisure time physical activity. The PFT was performed by a trained nurse at the study site and was based on resting heart rate measurements, gender, age, height, weight, and self-reported physical activity. Healthy individuals and those with a self-reported cardiovascular disease were analyzed separately.Results:The mean predicted VO2max was 38.1 and 35.1 ml/kg/min in healthy men and women, respectively. In both genders, predicted VO2max declined significantly by age. Individuals with cardiovascular disease had lower VO2max predictions than healthy persons. Healthy men reported total leisure time physical activity slightly less than healthy women. Self-rated fitness level and conditioning and commuting leisure time physical activity were independently associated with predicted VO2max, while no correlation between non-conditioning leisure time physical activity and predicted aerobic fitness was found.Conclusion:PFT was a feasible method to predict aerobic fitness in a large population study and was related both to self-rated fitness and self-reported physical activity. Aerobic fitness was associated with conditioning and commuting physical activity, but not with non-conditioning physical activity.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (s1) ◽  
pp. S81-S88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dafna Merom ◽  
Heather Bowles ◽  
Adrian Bauman

Background:Walking is the most prevalent form of leisure time physical activity (LTPA). Advances in measurement of walking depend on understanding sources of error in self report. We examined the effect of prompting “walking for exercise, recreation, and sport” (WERS) upon surveillance estimates of LTPA and assessed what types of walking were recalled when reporting LTPA generally and when WERS was prompted specifically.Methods:Data were collected by telephone survey from a random sample of 3,415 Australian adults (≥15yrs). Respondents were asked first to recall any type of LTPA they participated in (unprompted) and if walking was not mentioned, WERS was prompted. All walkers were asked to describe the type of walking they did. Open-ended responses were categorized according to physical activity measurement dimensions.Results:Forty three percent did not report WERS unless prompted to do so. The prevalence of meeting recommendations by all LTPA was reduced by 10% for both genders and across all age groups if not prompted to recall WERS. The interpretation of WERS was broad and included travel related walking and dog walking whether unprompted or prompted.Conclusions:Current challenges in walking surveillance include ensuring that both researchers and respondents understand WERS in a standardized manner.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 432-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra H. Soto ◽  
Elva M. Arredondo ◽  
Jessica Haughton ◽  
Holly Shakya

Purpose: To examine the association between characteristics of social support for exercise and moderate-to-vigorous leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among Latinas. Design: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from a cluster randomized controlled trial. Setting: The study was conducted in 16 churches located in San Diego County. Participants: Participants (N = 436) were Latinas between 18 and 65 years old who did not self-report >150 minutes or did not exceed 250 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA per week measured by accelerometer. Measures: Latinas listed up to 6 individuals who had provided support for exercise within the past 6 months, including their gender, relationship with the respondent, types of support provided, and respondent’s satisfaction with support. Self-reported LTPA was dichotomized (none vs any). Analyses: We generated dyads between Latinas who named ≥1 supporter (n = 323) and each supporter they named (n = 569 dyads). Logistic regression analyses were conducted using generalized estimating equations to adjust for multiple observations per participant. Results: Having an exercise partner (odds ratio [OR]: 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-4.62), help with household duties (OR: 2.70; 95% CI: 1.35-3.38), being “very much” satisfied with support (OR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.26-4.30), and naming >2 supporters (OR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.06-6.25) was positively associated with LTPA. Conclusions: Findings suggest specific aspects of support for exercise that should be targeted in future interventions to promote LTPA.


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