Self-recalled Youth Physical Activity and Postmenopausal Cardiovascular Disease

To evaluate the association between childhood physical activity and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) during postmenopausal years.

Proportional hazards and logistic regression were used describe the association between self-reported childhood physical activity and CVD incidence and mortality in 36,741 postmenopausal women.

Older women, African-Americans, or nondrinkers or past drinkers self-reported the highest levels of youth physical activity and women with a history of diabetes, hypertension, overweight or obesity, or current smoking reported the highest youth physical activity dose. Youth physical activity was not associated with CVD incidence (HR=1.11; 0.93, 1.34) or mortality (HR=1.2; 0.9, 1.73).

Self-reported youth activity was not associated with postmenopausal CVD incidence or mortality.