Gesundheitswesen
DOI: 10.1055/a-2870-5575

Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases, particularly among older adults. This study aimed to estimate the proportions of four major chronic diseases that could potentially be avoided if all older adults in Austria engaged in sufficient aerobic PA.Data from the 3,995 participants of the representative Austrian Health Interview Survey 2019 (ATHIS) aged 65+ years was analysed. Sufficient aerobic PA (minimum of 150 minutes moderate aerobic PA per week) was assessed using the European Health Interview Survey Physical Activity Questionnaire (EHIS-PAQ). Self-reported myocardial infarction or related health issues, stroke or resulting health problems, diabetes mellitus, and cancer were investigated as outcomes. Observed and counterfactual risks were estimated using survey-weighted logistic regression models, adjusted for sex, age, education, income, smoking status, and daily portions of fruits or vegetables. Model-based population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated from these predictions.The recommendations for aerobic PA were fulfilled by 29.6% of participants. Model-based PAFs indicated that up to 46.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 21.0 to 67.5%) of strokes, 40.8% (95% CI: 15.5 to 62.1%) of myocardial infarctions, and 35.8% (95% CI: 23.8 to 47.4%) of diabetes mellitus cases could possibly have been prevented if all participants fulfilled the recommendations for aerobic PA. The PAF for cancers (21.3%; 95% CI: -1.6 to 42.7%) was not statistically significant.Insufficient aerobic PA may account for substantial proportions of several chronic diseases in older Austrians. Given the cross-sectional study design and the possibility of reverse causality, the estimates should be interpreted as hypothetical upper bounds. Nonetheless, they underscore the importance of aerobic PA for disease prevention in older adults.Körperliche Aktivität ist wichtig für die Gesundheit und die Prävention chronischer Krankheiten, insbesondere im höheren Lebensalter. Ziel dieser Studie war es, den Anteil vier chronischer Erkrankungen bei älteren Erwachsenen in Österreich zu schätzen, der potenziell vermeidbar wäre, wenn alle ausreichend Ausdauerbewegung ausüben würden. Analysiert wurden Daten der 3.995 Teilnehmenden der repräsentativen Österreichischen Gesundheitsbefragung (ATHIS) 2019 ab 65 Jahren. Ausreichende Ausdauerbewegung (mindestens 150 Minuten bei moderater Intensität pro Woche) wurde mithilfe des Physical Activity Questionnaire des European Health Interview Survey (EHIS-PAQ) erfasst. Untersucht wurden selbstberichtete Myokardinfarkte oder resultierende chronische Beschwerden, Schlaganfälle oder dadurch verursachte chronische Gesundheitsprobleme, Diabetes mellitus, und Krebserkrankungen. Beobachtete und kontrafaktische Risiken wurden mittels survey-gewichteten logistischen Regressionsmodellen geschätzt, adjustiert nach Geschlecht, Alter, Bildungsniveau, Einkommen, Rauchstatus sowie täglich konsumierte Portionen Obst oder Gemüse. Basierend auf diesen Schätzungen wurden modellbasierte Population Attributable Fractions (PAFs) berechnet. Insgesamt erfüllten 29,6% der Teilnehmenden die Empfehlungen zur Ausdauerbewegung. Die PAF-Schätzungen zeigten, dass bis zu 46,6% (95%-Konfidenzintervall (KI): 21,0 bis 67,5%) der Schlaganfälle, 40,8% (95%-KI: 15,5 bis 62,1%) der Myokardinfarkte und 35,8% (95%-KI: 23,8 bis 47,4%) der Diabetes mellitus Fälle potenziell vermeidbar gewesen wären, wenn alle Teilnehmenden die Empfehlungen erfüllt hätten. Die PAF für Krebserkrankungen (21,3%; 95%-KI: -1,6 bis 42,7%) war nicht statistisch signifikant.Unzureichende Ausdauerbewegung war mit einem erheblichen Anteil chronischer Erkrankungen assoziiert. Aufgrund des Querschnitt-Studiendesigns und der Möglichkeit von umgekehrter Kausalität sollten diese Schätzungen als hypothetische obere Grenzwerte interpretiert werden, dennoch unterstreichen sie die große Bedeutung von Ausdauerbewegung in der Krankheitsprävention bei älteren Erwachsenen.
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Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

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Gesundheitswesen
DOI: 10.1055/a-2903-6433

Changes in everyday life have great potential to promote a long and healthy life. At the same time, these changes are also climate-friendly in many areas, as they either reduce emissions or increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. This article provides an overview of everyday life changes in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and housing. It describes the current lifestyles of older adults in Austria based on statistics on health, time use, mobility and nutrition, as well as consumer surveys. However, lifestyle changes are not presented solely as a matter of individual behavior; the article also highlights the critical role of structural aspects such as infrastructure and public access, supply and price structures. We focus on the impact chains, which, based on the scientific literature, illustrate the pathways through which changes in everyday life have a beneficial effect on health and climate protection or for resilience.Finally, a secondary effect becomes relevant: A more health-promoting everyday life reduces the number of years spent in ill-health, thereby lowering the demand for medical treatment. This benefits both health and the climate, as hospital stays can strain mental health and carry the risk of secondary diseases. Further, as medical care is carbon-intensive, avoiding hospitalizations reduces greenhouse gas emissions.The intensifying impact of climate change increasingly requires a transition in key areas such as mobility, leisure, housing and nutrition. This transition offers an opportunity to make climate-friendly and healthy everyday life the new attractive norm. Health benefits can serve as a compelling argument for climate mitigation, which in turn can act as a lever for creating healthy living conditions in times of inevitable change. As global warming increases, so do the climate risks to human health, and the risk of crop failures, water shortages and damage to settlements and infrastructure. Yet a decisive transition has the potential to promote a good and healthy aging for all.
[...]

Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

Article in Thieme eJournals:
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