EHS 260 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Cohort Study, Cardiovascular Disease, Retrospective Cohort Study
18 Jun 2018
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EPIDEMIOLOGICAL COHORT STUDIES
Do n’t answer the question of “why do active/fit people live longer than inactive/unfit
people?”
Can physical activity and physical fitness reduce the risk of dying prematurely?
This chapter attempts to answer this question, based on evidence from epidemiological
cohort studies which have addressed all –cause mortality, that is death from any cause.
Studies that have examined the link between activity/fitness and specific causes of
death such as cardiovascular disease will be covered in chapters.
Physical and mortality:
Early studies
Limited info. linked physically active occupations to longevity in the 18th and 19th
centuries.
Ex.
US railroad industry employees
Mortality rate from 1955-1956
Results: lower mortality rates in section men (active) vs. clerks and switchmen
(inactive)
LATER HALF OF 20 TH
CENTURY …
Attention switched to leisure-time physical activity
Findings of several studies published in the 1980s and 1990s.
Most notable Harvard Alumni Health Study
Limitations of Early Studies:
US Railroad Industry Employees
The relationship between occupation and mortality risk was simply due to self-selection,
that is, men who were in the process of developing chronic diseases (and therefore
likely to die prematurely) might have chosen physically less demanding jobs.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Do n"t answer the question of why do active/fit people live longer than inactive/unfit people? . This chapter attempts to answer this question, based on evidence from epidemiological cohort studies which have addressed all cause mortality, that is death from any cause. Studies that have examined the link between activity/fitness and specific causes of death such as cardiovascular disease will be covered in chapters. Limited info. linked physically active occupations to longevity in the 18 th and 19th centuries. Results: lower mortality rates in section men (active) vs. clerks and switchmen (inactive) Findings of several studies published in the 1980s and 1990s. The relationship between occupation and mortality risk was simply due to self-selection, that is, men who were in the process of developing chronic diseases (and therefore likely to die prematurely) might have chosen physically less demanding jobs. Other characteristics predictive of mortality: smoking, diet, obesity, were not accounted for.
