Abstract
Purpose: Our aim was to assess the effect of a moderate-intensity, year-long exercise program on the risk of colds and other upper respiratory tract infections in postmenopausal women. Subjects: A total of 115 overweight and obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women in the Seattle area participated. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the moderate-intensity exercise group or the control group. The intervention consisted of 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days per week for 12 months. Control participants attended once-weekly, 45-minute stretching sessions. Questionnaires asking about upper respiratory tract infections in the previous 3 months were administered quarterly during the course of the year-long trial. Poisson regression was used to estimate the effect of exercise on colds and other upper respiratory tract infections. Results: Over 12 months, the risk of colds decreased in exercisers relative to stretchers (P = .02): In the final 3 months of the study, the risk of colds in stretchers was more than threefold that of exercisers (P = .03). Risk of upper respiratory tract infections overall did not differ (P = .16), yet may have been biased by differential proportions of influenza vaccinations in the intervention and control groups. Conclusions: This study suggests that 1 year of moderate-intensity exercise training can reduce the incidence of colds among postmenopausal women. These findings are of public health relevance and add a new facet to the growing literature on the health benefits of moderate exercise.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | American Journal of Medicine |
| Volume | 119 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Colds
- Exercise
- Overweight
- Postmenopausal women
- Prevention
- Upper respiratory tract infections
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Nursing(all)
Cite this
Moderate-Intensity Exercise Reduces the Incidence of Colds Among Postmenopausal Women. / Chubak, Jessica; McTiernan, Anne; Sorensen, Bess; Wener, Mark H.; Yasui, Yutaka; Velasquez, Mariebeth; Wood, Brent; Rajan, Kumar; Wetmore, Catherine M.; Potter, John D.; Ulrich, Cornelia M.
In: American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 119, No. 11, 01.11.2006.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Moderate-Intensity Exercise Reduces the Incidence of Colds Among Postmenopausal Women
AU - Chubak, Jessica
AU - McTiernan, Anne
AU - Sorensen, Bess
AU - Wener, Mark H.
AU - Yasui, Yutaka
AU - Velasquez, Mariebeth
AU - Wood, Brent
AU - Rajan, Kumar
AU - Wetmore, Catherine M.
AU - Potter, John D.
AU - Ulrich, Cornelia M.
PY - 2006/11/1
Y1 - 2006/11/1
N2 - Purpose: Our aim was to assess the effect of a moderate-intensity, year-long exercise program on the risk of colds and other upper respiratory tract infections in postmenopausal women. Subjects: A total of 115 overweight and obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women in the Seattle area participated. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the moderate-intensity exercise group or the control group. The intervention consisted of 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days per week for 12 months. Control participants attended once-weekly, 45-minute stretching sessions. Questionnaires asking about upper respiratory tract infections in the previous 3 months were administered quarterly during the course of the year-long trial. Poisson regression was used to estimate the effect of exercise on colds and other upper respiratory tract infections. Results: Over 12 months, the risk of colds decreased in exercisers relative to stretchers (P = .02): In the final 3 months of the study, the risk of colds in stretchers was more than threefold that of exercisers (P = .03). Risk of upper respiratory tract infections overall did not differ (P = .16), yet may have been biased by differential proportions of influenza vaccinations in the intervention and control groups. Conclusions: This study suggests that 1 year of moderate-intensity exercise training can reduce the incidence of colds among postmenopausal women. These findings are of public health relevance and add a new facet to the growing literature on the health benefits of moderate exercise.
AB - Purpose: Our aim was to assess the effect of a moderate-intensity, year-long exercise program on the risk of colds and other upper respiratory tract infections in postmenopausal women. Subjects: A total of 115 overweight and obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women in the Seattle area participated. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the moderate-intensity exercise group or the control group. The intervention consisted of 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days per week for 12 months. Control participants attended once-weekly, 45-minute stretching sessions. Questionnaires asking about upper respiratory tract infections in the previous 3 months were administered quarterly during the course of the year-long trial. Poisson regression was used to estimate the effect of exercise on colds and other upper respiratory tract infections. Results: Over 12 months, the risk of colds decreased in exercisers relative to stretchers (P = .02): In the final 3 months of the study, the risk of colds in stretchers was more than threefold that of exercisers (P = .03). Risk of upper respiratory tract infections overall did not differ (P = .16), yet may have been biased by differential proportions of influenza vaccinations in the intervention and control groups. Conclusions: This study suggests that 1 year of moderate-intensity exercise training can reduce the incidence of colds among postmenopausal women. These findings are of public health relevance and add a new facet to the growing literature on the health benefits of moderate exercise.
KW - Colds
KW - Exercise
KW - Overweight
KW - Postmenopausal women
KW - Prevention
KW - Upper respiratory tract infections
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33750298628&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33750298628&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.06.033
DO - 10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.06.033
M3 - Article
C2 - 17071161
AN - SCOPUS:33750298628
VL - 119
JO - American Journal of Medicine
JF - American Journal of Medicine
SN - 0002-9343
IS - 11
ER -