There is a large body of scientific evidence—much of this coming from epidemiologic studies—clearly documenting the benefits of physical activity for better health and increased longevity. Physical activity has been described as a “magic bullet” for health, and a “best buy” for public health. While early studies contented themselves with understanding whether physical activity can reduce the risk of particular diseases, contemporary studies also seek further details and nuances that inform public health recommendations, including details on the amount, kinds, duration, and frequency of physica ... More

There is a large body of scientific evidence—much of this coming from epidemiologic studies—clearly documenting the benefits of physical activity for better health and increased longevity. Physical activity has been described as a “magic bullet” for health, and a “best buy” for public health. While early studies contented themselves with understanding whether physical activity can reduce the risk of particular diseases, contemporary studies also seek further details and nuances that inform public health recommendations, including details on the amount, kinds, duration, and frequency of physical activity needed. This book provides information regarding epidemiologic methods used in studies of physical activity, and is divided into four sections. The first section provides a personal, historical accounting of early research in the field. The second section covers methodologic issues in epidemiologic studies of physical activity and health (including issues in physical activity measurement; assessing dose-response relationships; the role of genetics; design, conduct, and analysis of data from cohort studies; and surveillance of physical activity and inactivity). The third section provides data on the relations between physical activity and several major health outcomes, while illustrating the methodologic issues described in section two. The last section focuses on physical activity promotion, describing the evolution of physical activity recommendations over time and discussing methodological issues in designing and evaluating interventions to increase physical activity at a population level.