Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) remains a cornerstone in the management of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) despite adverse effects on body composition and functional parameters. We compared the effects of football training with standard care in PCa patients managed with ADT (> 6 months). Fifty-seven men aged 67 (range: 43-74) were randomly assigned to a football group (FG, n = 29) or a usual care control group (CON, n = 28). The primary outcome was change in lean body mass (LBM) assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning. Secondary outcomes included changes in knee-extensor muscle strength (one repetition maximum), fat percentage, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max). Mean heart rate during training was 137.7 (standard deviation 13.7) bpm or 84.6 (3.9)% HRmax. In FG, LBM increased by 0.5 kg [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1-0.9; P = 0.02] with no change in CON (mean group difference 0.7 kg; 95% CI 0.1-1.2; P = 0.02). Also, muscle strength increased in FG (8.9 kg; 95% CI 6.0-11.8; P < 0.001) with no change in CON (mean group difference 6.7 kg; 95% CI 2.8-10.7; P < 0.001). In FG, VO 2max increased (1.0 mL/kg/min; 95% CI 0.2-1.9; P = 0.02) and fat percentage tended to decrease (0.7%; 95%CI 1.3-0.0; P = 0.06), but these changes were not significantly different from CON. In conclusion, football training over 12 weeks improved LBM and muscle strength compared with usual care in men with prostate cancer receiving ADT.

Objectives: To identify differences in risk of sickness absence between socioeconomic groups, and to examine to what extent these differences can be explained by health behaviour and work environment factors. Design, setting and participants: A cohort of 5221 employees in Denmark interviewed in 2000 regarding health behaviours and work environment were followed for 18 months in order to assess their rate of sickness absence exceeding eight consecutive weeks. Based on employment grade, job title and education respondents were classified into five socioeconomic position (SEP) groups. Executive managers and academics were the reference group. Results: For both genders a social gradient in long-term sickness absence rates was evident. In men, controlling for health behaviours and physical work environment factors reduced rate ratios by 22-57%. Controlling for health behaviours alone reduced rate ratios by 6-13%. In women, controlling for health behaviour reduced rate ratios by 5-18%, and controlling for both health behaviours and physical work environment factors reduced rate ratios by 21-44%. Introducing psychosocial factors reduced the rate ratios further, yielding a reduction of 22-53% in the fully adjusted model. In both genders, the largest reductions were seen in skilled blue-collar workers and for semi-skilled or unskilled workers (by 58-59% in men and by 41-53% in women). Conclusion: A social gradient in long-term sickness absence was found. Physical work environment explained more of this gradient than health behaviour. Also including psychosocial work environment in the model had no effect in men but a small effect among women.A social gradient in morbidity and mortality is well demonstrated, but only few studies have examined such gradients in relation to long-term sickness absence.1 2 This is a limitation as long-term sickness absence is emerging as a major public health problem. 3 We therefore studied differences between socioeconomic position (SEP) groups in the risk of long-term sickness absence and the extent to which these differences were explained by health behaviours and work environment in a contemporary working population. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODSA random sample of Danish employees was interviewed in 2000 as part of the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study (DWECS).4 A random population sample of 11 437 people aged 18-69 were invited to participate, and responses from 8583 were ascertained (response rate 75%). Of these, 5366 were employees and 5221 provided information about all health behaviour and work environment factors. Data on long-term sickness absence, defined as receiving sickness absence compensation for eight consecutive weeks during 18 months of follow-up, were obtained by a linkage to a national register of social transfer payments (DREAM). Eight weeks was chosen as the cut-off point, as after this time the case-managing municipal authorities are informed that an individual is on sick leave and the sick leave is recorded to the register of social transfer payments.Based on ...

Compared to standard care, 32 weeks of football training improved BMD at clinically important femoral sites and parameters of physical functioning in men undergoing ADT for PCa.

Long term sickness absence (LTSA) is a major public health problem. We examined the impact of four, potentially modifiable, health behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, leisure time physical activity, and the associated variable of body mass index on the risk of subsequent LTSA. This was done by following a representative population sample of 5,020 Danish employees aged 18-69 for 18 months in a national register on social transfer payments. Risk estimates for onset of LTSA and etiologic fractions were computed. In women, ex-smokers and heavy smokers had an increased risk of LTSA of 1.61 and 2.05 respectively after adjustment for age, family status, socio economic status, school education, physical and psychosocial work environment exposures and diagnosed disease. In men, effect estimates were smaller and only borderline significant in the fully-adjusted model. The etiologic fraction of smoking was 17.4% in men and 25.5% in women.

Background: Children with cancer experience impaired cardiorespiratory fitness and physical function during and after treatment restricting their possibilities to engage in social activities including sport, leisure activities, and school. The objectives were to determine the effects of classmate-supported, controlled, supervised, in-hospital, physical activity program to preserve cardiorespiratory fitness and physical function from time of diagnosis in children with cancer. Methods: National non-randomized controlled trial including schoolchildren aged 6-18 years at diagnosis treated with chemo-/radiotherapy. We included 120 of 128 eligible patients (94%) in the intervention group (62.5% boys, 11.2 ± 3.1 years) from East Denmark and 58 patients in the control group (57% boys, 11.0 ± 3.2 years) from West Denmark. Eight children from the control group withdrew from participation. The groups were comparable in anthropometrics and cancer diagnoses (p > 0.05). The intervention consisted of (i) supervised in-hospital physical activity from diagnosis and throughout intensive treatment, (ii) 90-min general educational session on cancer and therapy in the child's school class, and (iii) selection of two classmates as ambassadors who took turns to support the child's physical training during the daytime. The primary outcome was cardiorespiratory fitness (VO 2 peak, mL/ min/kg) at 6 months after diagnosis (sex, age, diagnosis adjusted). Secondary outcomes were sit-to-stand, timed-upand-go, handgrip strength, and balance test scores.