Usual physical activity and subsequent hospital usage over 20 years in a general population: the EPIC-Norfolk cohort
Open Access
- 6 May 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in BMC Geriatrics
- Vol. 20 (1), 1-12
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01573-0
Abstract
While physical activity interventions have been reported to reduce hospital stays, it is not clear if, in the general population, usual physical activity patterns may be associated with subsequent hospital use independently of other lifestyle factors. We examined the relationship between reported usual physical activity and subsequent admissions to hospital and time spent in hospital for 11,228 men and 13,786 women aged 40–79 years in the general population. Participants from a British prospective population-based cohort study were followed for 20 years (1999–2019) using record linkage to document hospital usage. Total physical activity was estimated by combining workplace and leisure time activity reported in a baseline lifestyle questionnaire and repeated in a subset at a second time point approximately 12 years later. Compared to those reporting no physical activity, participants who were the most active had a lower likelihood of spending more than 20 days in hospital odds ratio (OR) 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81–0.96) over the next 20 years after multivariable adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, education, social class and body mass index. Participants reporting any activity had a mean of 0.42 fewer hospital days per year between 1999 and 2009 compared to inactive participants, an estimated potential saving to the National Health Service (NHS) of £247 per person per year, or approximately 7% of UK health expenditure. Participants who remained physically active or became active 12 years later had lower risk of subsequent hospital usage than those who remained inactive or became inactive, p-trend < 0.001. Usual physical activity in this middle-aged and older population predicts lower future hospitalisations - time spent in hospital and number of admissions independently of behavioural and sociodemographic factors. Small feasible differences in usual physical activity in the general population may potentially have a substantial impact on hospital usage and costs.Other Versions
Funding Information
- Medical Research Council (G9502233, G0401527)
- Cancer Research UK (C864/A8257, C864/A2883)
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- Long-term health benefits of physical activity – a systematic review of longitudinal studiesBMC Public Health, 2013
- Exercise, physical activity and healthcare utilization: A review of literature for older adultsMaturitas, 2011
- Objectively measured physical capability levels and mortality: systematic review and meta-analysisBMJ, 2010
- A systematic review of the evidence for Canada's Physical Activity Guidelines for AdultsInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2010
- Different measures of social class in women and mortalityEuropean Journal of Epidemiology, 2009
- Association of physical activity with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysisEuropean Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2008
- Influence of Preoperative Exercise Capacity on Length of Stay After Thoracic Cancer SurgeryThe Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 2007
- Work and leisure time physical activity assessed using a simple, pragmatic, validated questionnaire and incident cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in men and women: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk prospective population studyInternational Journal of Epidemiology, 2006
- Validity and repeatability of a simple index derived from the short physical activity questionnaire used in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) studyPublic Health Nutrition, 2003
- Preventing hospital admissions for COPD: role of physical activityThorax, 2003