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Allaouat S, Halonen JI, Jussila JJ, Tiittanen P, Ervasti J, Ngandu T, Mikkonen S, Yli-Tuomi T, Jousilahti P, Lanki T. Association between active commuting and low-grade inflammation: a population-based cross-sectional study. Eur J Public Health 2024; 34:292-298. [PMID: 38066664 PMCID: PMC10990550 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckad213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies suggest that physical activity lowers circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. However, little is known about the association between regular active commuting, i.e. walking or cycling to work, and CRP concentrations. This study examines whether active commuting is associated with lower CRP. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study using population-based FINRISK data from 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. Participants were working adults living in Finland (n = 6208; mean age = 44 years; 53.6% women). We used linear and additive models adjusted for potential confounders to analyze whether daily active commuting, defined as the time spent walking or cycling to work, was associated with lower high-sensitivity (hs-) CRP serum concentrations compared with passive commuting. RESULTS We observed that daily active commuting for 45 min or more (vs. none) was associated with lower hs-CRP [% mean difference in the main model: -16.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI) -25.6% to -7.0%), and results were robust to adjustment for leisure-time and occupational physical activity, as well as diet. Similarly, active commuting for 15-29 min daily was associated with lower hs-CRP in the main model (-7.4; 95% CI -14.1 to -0.2), but the association attenuated to null after further adjustments. In subgroup analyses, associations were only observed for women. CONCLUSIONS Active commuting for at least 45 min a day was associated with lower levels of low-grade inflammation. Promoting active modes of transport may lead not only to reduced emissions from motorized traffic but also to population-level health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Allaouat
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana I Halonen
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juuso J Jussila
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Tiittanen
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenni Ervasti
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiia Ngandu
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Santtu Mikkonen
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tarja Yli-Tuomi
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Jousilahti
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Timo Lanki
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Haukka E, Gluschkoff K, Kalliolahti E, Lanki T, Jussila JJ, Halonen JI, Oksanen T, Salo P, Ervasti J. Changes in active commuting and changes in health: Within- and between-individual analyses among 16 881 Finnish public sector employees. Prev Med 2023; 177:107744. [PMID: 37871670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Active commuting, such as walking or cycling to work, can be beneficial for health. However, because within-individual studies on the association between change in active commuting and change in health are scarce, the previous results may have been biased due to unmeasured confounding. Additionally, prior studies have often lacked information about commuting distance. METHODS We used two waves (2020, T1 and 2022, T2) of self-report data from the Finnish Public Sector study (N = 16,881; 80% female) to examine the within- and between associations (in a hybrid model) between active commuting and health. Exposure was measured by actively commuted kilometers per week, that is, by multiplying the number of walking or cycling days per week with the daily commuting distance. The primary outcome, self-rated health, was measured at T1 and T2. The secondary outcomes, psychological distress, and sleep problems were measured only at T2 and were therefore analyzed only in a between-individual design. RESULTS After adjustment for potential time-varying confounders such as socioeconomic factors, body mass index, and health behaviors, an increase equivalent to 10 additional active commuting kilometers per week was associated with a small improvement in self-rated health (within-individual unstandardized beta = 0.01, 95% CI 0.01-0.02; between-individual unstandardized beta = 0.03, 95% CI 0.02-0.04). No associations were observed between changes in active commuting and psychological distress or sleep problems. CONCLUSIONS An increase in active commuting may promote self-rated health. However, increase of tens of additional kilometers in commuting every day may be required to produce even a small effect on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eija Haukka
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Kia Gluschkoff
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Essi Kalliolahti
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland; University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Timo Lanki
- University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio, Finland; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Helsinki, Finland; University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Juuso J Jussila
- University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio, Finland; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana I Halonen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuula Oksanen
- University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Paula Salo
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland
| | - Jenni Ervasti
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
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Jussila JJ, Pulakka A, Halonen JI, Salo P, Allaouat S, Mikkonen S, Lanki T. Are active school transport and leisure-time physical activity associated with performance and wellbeing at secondary school? A population-based study. Eur J Public Health 2023; 33:884-890. [PMID: 37487554 PMCID: PMC10567132 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckad128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physically active pupils may be better and more resilient learners. However, it is unclear whether walking or cycling to school yields similar educational and school-related mental health benefits as leisure-time physical activity. We examined the associations of active school transport and leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with perceived academic performance, competency in academic skills, school burnout and school enjoyment. METHODS We included 34 103 Finnish adolescents (mean age 15.4 years; 53% girls) from the 2015 School Health Promotion study cohort. For the analyses, we used logistic regression, adjusting for major sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle and physical activity covariates. RESULTS Active school transport was positively associated with educational outcomes and school enjoyment, but not with school burnout. For example, compared with non-active transport, 10-30 min of daily active school transport was linked to 30% [odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-1.40] and 17% (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.08-1.27) higher odds of high perceived academic performance and high reading competency, respectively. Leisure-time physical activity was robustly associated with all outcomes. For example, compared with the inactive, the most physically active adolescents had 86% higher odds of high perceived academic performance (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.66-2.08), 57% higher odds of high competency in mathematics (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.39-1.77) and 40% lower odds of school burnout (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.52-0.69). CONCLUSIONS Compared with active school transport, leisure-time physical activity was more strongly associated with educational and school-related mental health outcomes. Nevertheless, walking or cycling to school might lead to improvements in classroom performance and school enjoyment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juuso J Jussila
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Pulakka
- Research Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana I Halonen
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paula Salo
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Sara Allaouat
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Santtu Mikkonen
- Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Timo Lanki
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Jussila JJ, Pulakka A, Ervasti J, Halonen JI, Mikkonen S, Allaouat S, Salo P, Lanki T. Associations of leisure-time physical activity and active school transport with mental health outcomes: A population-based study. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2022; 33:670-681. [PMID: 36571113 DOI: 10.1111/sms.14292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Promoting physical activity can improve population health. This study aimed to examine associations of leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and active school transport with mental health, that is, symptoms of depression and anxiety, among 15- to 16-year-old adolescents. We also assessed the relationships with less-studied outcomes, such as chronic stress and visits to school psychologist. A nationwide Finnish cohort of eighth and ninth graders from the School Health Promotion study (32 829 participants; mean age 15.4 years; 53% girls) was studied. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR), with models adjusted for major sociodemographic, health behavior, and physical activity variables. Key findings suggest that leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with better mental health in a dose-response manner. Even the smallest dose, 30 weekly minutes, was linked to 17% lower odds of chronic stress symptoms compared to inactivity (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.96). Compared to non-active transportation, more than 30 min of daily active school transport yielded 19% (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07-1.31) and 33% (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.12-1.58) higher odds of depression symptoms and school psychologist visits, respectively. However, no associations were found for low-to-moderate daily active school transport levels (<30 min). This large-scale study further highlights a positive association between leisure-time physical activity and mental health among youth. Future research should explore what factors might explain the potential adverse mental health outcomes of active school transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juuso J Jussila
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.,Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anna Pulakka
- Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Population Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenni Ervasti
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana I Halonen
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Santtu Mikkonen
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sara Allaouat
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Kuopio, Finland
| | - Paula Salo
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Timo Lanki
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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