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Is exercise protective against influenza-associated mortality?
Chit-Ming Wong1, Hak-Kan Lai, Chun-Quan Ou
1Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Plos One
|May 8, 2008
Summary
Regular, moderate physical exercise significantly lowers influenza-associated mortality risk. Low to moderate exercise offers protection compared to infrequent activity, while frequent exercise shows no significant difference.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Exercise Science
Background:
- The impact of physical exercise on influenza-related deaths remains largely unknown.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between physical exercise levels and influenza-associated mortality.
- To quantify the excess risk (ER) of death from various causes linked to influenza across different exercise frequencies.
Main Methods:
- A study of 24,656 adult deaths in Hong Kong during 1998.
- Collected data on exercise habits, lifestyle, and death causes.
- Utilized Poisson and logistic regression to analyze excess risks of mortality related to influenza positivity rates.
Main Results:
- Low to moderate exercise (1-3 times/week) was associated with 4.2% to 6.4% lower excess mortality risks compared to never/seldom exercise.
- Frequent exercise (4+ times/week) showed no significant difference in excess mortality risk compared to the reference group.
- A 10% increase in influenza positivity correlated with 5.8% to 8.5% excess mortality risk in the never/seldom exercise group.
Conclusions:
- Exercising at a low to moderate frequency provides a protective benefit against influenza-associated mortality.
- Public health recommendations for physical activity may help mitigate influenza-related deaths.
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