The impact of changes in leisure time physical activity on changes in cardiovascular risk factors: results from The Finnmark 3 Study and SAMINOR 1, 1987–2003

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the associations between changes in leisure time physical activity and changes in cardiovascular risk factors over 16 years and whether they differ between two ethnic groups in Norway.Methods: Data were extracted from two population-based studies. Altogether, 3671 men and women participated in both surveys, and 30% reported being of Sami ethnicity. Leisure time physical activity was self-reported, and cardiovascular risk factors were measured. ANCOVA analysis was used to examine associations between changes in physical activity and changes in cardiovascular risk factors.Results: After adjustment for age, sex, smoking, ethnicity and respective baseline values, favourable changes in body mass index (BMI) and levels of triglycerides were most pronounced in those who were active in both surveys (p < 0.05) whereas the opposite was the situation for cholesterol levels (p = 0.003). Changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and resting heart rate were not significantly associated with change in physical activity. Ethnicity did not influence the associations between physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors.Conclusion: Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were to a small extent associated with change in leisure time physical activity. Persistent physical activity was associated with beneficial changes in BMI and triglycerides.

Changes in conventional cardiovascular risk factors and the estimated 10-year risk of acute myocardial infarction or cerebral stroke in Sami and non-Sami populations in two population-based cross-sectional surveys: the SAMINOR Study

“…Furthermore, unpublished results from SAMINOR 2 (Borch, personal communication, 2018), show that, in women, Sami ethnicity was associated with lower total physical activity. In the cohort study by Hermansen et al , the proportion of leisure-time sedentary individuals in Finnmark decreased between 1987 and 2003; however, the proportions who were sedentary was higher in Sami than in non-Sami, both at baseline and at the end of follow-up 33. Nonetheless, evidence of relevant ethnic differences in changes in cardiovascular risk factors and estimated 10-year risk of AMI and CS, was not found in our study.…”

“…In a cohort study in Finnmark (1987–2003), based on a follow-up of those participating in both the Finnmark 3 and SAMINOR 1 surveys, Hermansen et al 33 observed—using the same ethnicity definition as in our study—that changes in cardiovascular risk factors according to change in physical activity level occurred independently of ethnicity. Similarly, we observed that changes in cardiovascular risk factors did not differ substantially by ethnicity, only small and probably negligible differences were observed in total cholesterol and triglycerides in men, and in HDL cholesterol in both sexes, which suggests that Sami and non-Sami populations overall have undergone similar lifestyle changes.…”

“…Similarly, we observed that changes in cardiovascular risk factors did not differ substantially by ethnicity, only small and probably negligible differences were observed in total cholesterol and triglycerides in men, and in HDL cholesterol in both sexes, which suggests that Sami and non-Sami populations overall have undergone similar lifestyle changes. This might be considered unexpected, as Sami may be perceived as distinct from non-Sami in terms of diet34 35 and physical activity 33. A recent study from SAMINOR 2 found that participants who defined themselves solely as Sami had a lower consumption of vegetables, and a higher consumption of moose meat, reindeer meat and fat spread on bread than non-Sami and those who regard themselves as both Sami and non-Sami 34.…”

Leisure time and occupational physical activity, resting heart rate and mortality in the Arctic region of Norway: The Finnmark Study

“…18 In addition, the Sami and non-Sami populations seem to be rather homogeneous regarding lifestyle and CVD risk factors. 34,35 To our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the association between physical activity and mortality among other indigenous peoples.…”

Longitudinal changes in body composition and waist circumference by self-reported levels of physical activity in leisure among adolescents: the Tromsø study, Fit Futures

“…Participants who reduced their level of activity from ≥2 h to < 2 h per week were labelled “quitters”. A similar approach has been used in other studies [27, 28]. In addition to the primary exposures, we included baseline measurements of hours per weekday outside of school hours spent in front of a computer or TV (screen time), age in half years, study specialization (which was either general, sports or vocational subjects) and regularity of eating breakfast in the analyses as possible confounders.…”