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Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Physical activity and influenza-coded outpatient visits, a population-based cohort study
Eric Siu1, Michael A Campitelli, Jeffrey C Kwong
1Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Plos One
|June 28, 2012
Summary
Regular physical activity may reduce the risk of influenza for adults under 65. This study found moderately active and active individuals had fewer influenza-coded visits. Further research with confirmed influenza cases is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- The link between physical activity and chronic disease prevention is established.
- The impact of physical activity on infectious diseases, like influenza, is less understood.
- This study investigated the association between physical activity and influenza-coded outpatient visits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between physical activity levels and the incidence of influenza-coded outpatient visits.
- To determine if physical activity offers protection against influenza-coded visits in a large cohort.
- To explore age-related differences in the protective effects of physical activity against influenza.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study utilizing data from 114,364 Ontario respondents to population health surveys over 12 influenza seasons.
- Physical activity was self-reported; influenza-coded visits were identified through physician billing claims.
- Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the risk of influenza-coded outpatient visits.
Main Results:
- Compared to inactive individuals, moderately active (OR 0.83) and active (OR 0.87) individuals showed a reduced likelihood of influenza-coded visits.
- This protective association was significant for individuals under 65 years old.
- The protective effect was not significant for individuals aged 65 and older.
Conclusions:
- Moderate to high levels of physical activity may be linked to a lower risk of influenza in adults under 65.
- Limitations include using coded visits instead of lab-confirmed influenza and self-reported data.
- Future studies should utilize laboratory-confirmed influenza diagnoses to validate these findings.
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