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NEWS RELEASE

Wednesday, December 3, 2003
For immediate release

Contact:
Christa Dickey
cdickey@acsm.org

YOUTH SPORTS LEADS TO INCREASED ACTIVITY IN ADULTHOOD
Participation in Organized Sports by School-age Children
Predicts Physical Activity Levels Later in Life

INDIANAPOLIS - The odds of an adult being physically active during free time are significantly higher if they participated in organized sports as a child, according to newly published survey results appearing in the December issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official scientific journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). The results indicate that encouraging participation in youth sports could result in positive health outcomes for the general population.

"Participation in organized sports outside of normal school activities could provide young people with the skills they need to foster enjoyment of physical activity, exercise or recreational sports," said lead author Allen Kraut, M.D., of the University of Manitoba, Canada. "Establishing this pattern in youth seems to form the foundation for healthy, active habits later in life."

Researchers analyzed survey results from the Cardiovascular Occupational Risk Factors in Israel Study (CORDIS), which included questionnaires retrieved from more than 3,500 men employed in various industrial settings in Israel. Information collected included a wide variety of occupational and personal information.

Respondents were asked whether they had participated in sports activities, including team and non-team sports during their school years (age 6-18), and the number of years they participated. Physical education classes were not included in the definition of school-age sports. Individuals were considered to have participated in sports if they reported playing sports for at least one year of their childhood. To analyze leisure time physical activity, researchers asked participants if they were currently physically active in their free time, and if so, how often. Those who reported such activity at least once a week for more than one half hour were considered active for the purposes of this study. For those who participated in sports as a child, the odds were 3.5 times higher that they would to reach the threshold of being physically active as adults.

Because of the large size of the study group and the type of data collected, the researchers were able to ensure that their results were not affected by several factors that could potentially influence the association between youth sports and adult physical activity such as age, marital status, work activities and health conditions. Although other researchers have reached similar conclusions about this positive relationship, previous work was not able to control for many of these factors.

The researchers used a lower activity standard than the 30 minutes per day most days of the week recommended by ACSM and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow for a more detailed analysis of the relationship between adult physical activity levels and other variables. A similar association between childhood and adult physical activity was also found when a more restrictive definition of adult leisure time physical activity was used.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 20,000 International, National, and Regional members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

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NOTE: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® is the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is available from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins at 1-800-638-6423. For a complete copy of the research paper (Vol. 35, No. 12, pages 2039-2043 or to speak with a leading sports medicine expert on the topic, contact the Department of Communications and Public Information at 317-637-9200 ext. 127 or 117. Visit ACSM online at www.acsm.org.

The conclusions outlined in this news release are those of the researchers only, and should not be construed as an official statement of the American College of Sports Medicine.