Predictive value of the EHIS-PAQ for all-cause mortality

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• The European Health Interview Survey-Physical Activity Questionnaire (EHIS-PAQ) is utilized for physical activity (PA) assessment within the European Health Interview Survey.
• Evaluating the EHIS-PAQ's capacity to predict all-cause mortality is crucial for public health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the predictive validity of the EHIS-PAQ for all-cause mortality.
• To determine if different dimensions of physical activity, as measured by EHIS-PAQ, independently predict mortality.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study utilized data from the 2014 EHIS in Spain, linked to mortality records up to December 2022.
• 21,890 participants aged 15 and above were included. Physical activity was assessed using the EHIS-PAQ, covering occupational, transport/commuting, aerobic (≥150 min/week), and muscle strengthening activities.
• Poisson regression models were employed to calculate relative risks (RRs) and mortality rate differences, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• Total physical activity demonstrated a significant association with reduced mortality (RR=0.62).
• Occupational and transport/commuting PA independently predicted lower mortality risk (RR=0.67 and RR=0.52, respectively).
• Aerobic PA of ≥150 minutes/week was protective (RR=0.68), while muscle strengthening PA showed no significant effect on mortality.

Conclusions:

• The EHIS-PAQ effectively measures various dimensions of physical activity and their association with health outcomes.
• Most assessed physical activity indicators, excluding muscle strengthening, possess independent predictive value for all-cause mortality.
• These findings support the use of EHIS-PAQ in public health research for mortality risk assessment.