TY - JOUR
T1 - Educational differences in estimated and measured physical fitness
AU - Valkeinen, Heli
AU - Harald, Kennet
AU - Borodulin, Katja
AU - Mäkinen, Tomi E.
AU - Heliövaara, Markku
AU - Leino-Arjas, Päivi
AU - Sainio, Päivi
AU - Kestilä, Laura
AU - Kunst, Anton
AU - Rahkonen, Ossi
AU - Tammelin, Tuija
AU - Härkänen, Tommi
AU - Prättälä, Ritva
N1 - Funding Information: Ministry of Culture and Education, Finland; WORK research program of the Academy of Finland, Finland (grant number 147/ 627/2017).
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - Background: Available information about the association between education and physical fitness (PF) is scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine educational differences in PF in the working age population using different methods to assess PF. Methods: The Health 2000 Survey was carried out for adults aged 30 years (n = 8028) in Finland. For this study, 30-54-year-old men and women with data on PF and physical activity (PA) were selected (n = 3724). PF was assessed by self-estimated overall physical fitness and running ability, a physician's estimation of a participant's working capacity, the trunk extensors' endurance and hand grip strength tests. The highest educational qualification taken by the participant was used as a measure of education. The analyses were adjusted for age, PA, BMI, smoking and chronic diseases. Results: PF was best in the high-educated men and women. The educational differences were minor in self-estimated overall PF. Adjusting for the covariates, the differences in self-estimated running ability and working capacity decreased. The educational differences in the trunk extensors' endurance test were independent of covariates. PA and other health behaviours contributed most to the differences. Conclusion: People with high education had better PF irrespective of the method used to assess PF. A large amount of the educational differences could be explained by PA and other health behaviours. More research is needed to understand the determinants of educational differences in PF.
AB - Background: Available information about the association between education and physical fitness (PF) is scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine educational differences in PF in the working age population using different methods to assess PF. Methods: The Health 2000 Survey was carried out for adults aged 30 years (n = 8028) in Finland. For this study, 30-54-year-old men and women with data on PF and physical activity (PA) were selected (n = 3724). PF was assessed by self-estimated overall physical fitness and running ability, a physician's estimation of a participant's working capacity, the trunk extensors' endurance and hand grip strength tests. The highest educational qualification taken by the participant was used as a measure of education. The analyses were adjusted for age, PA, BMI, smoking and chronic diseases. Results: PF was best in the high-educated men and women. The educational differences were minor in self-estimated overall PF. Adjusting for the covariates, the differences in self-estimated running ability and working capacity decreased. The educational differences in the trunk extensors' endurance test were independent of covariates. PA and other health behaviours contributed most to the differences. Conclusion: People with high education had better PF irrespective of the method used to assess PF. A large amount of the educational differences could be explained by PA and other health behaviours. More research is needed to understand the determinants of educational differences in PF.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84890473158&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckt049
DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckt049
M3 - Article
C2 - 23729485
SN - 1101-1262
VL - 23
SP - 998
EP - 1002
JO - European journal of public health
JF - European journal of public health
IS - 6
ER -