Mortality benefits of population-wide adherence to national physical activity guidelines: a prospective cohort study.

We quantified the mortality benefits and attributable fractions associated with engaging in physical activity across a range of levels, including those recommended by national guidelines. Data were from the Allied Dunbar National Fitness Survey, a population-based prospective cohort comprising 1,796 male and 2,122 female participants aged 16-96 years, randomly selected from 30 English constituencies in 1990. Participants were tagged for mortality at the Office for National Statistics.

A case-control study to investigate the relation between low and moderate levels of physical activity and osteoarthritis of the knee using data collected as part of the Allied Dunbar National Fitness Survey.

Background: Physical activity is being recommended as an intervention for seemingly almost universal improvements to health. A potential concern with this recommendation for increased exercise is that some believe increased levels of activity may lead to increased incidence of osteoarthritis of the knee (knee OA), as a result of accelerated "wear and tear" of the major joints.

Objective: To investigate the hypothesis that the occurrence of knee OA may be related to the duration of participation in some forms of sport and active recreation.

Limitations of clinical diagnosis in acute stroke.

Trials in acute stroke have recruited on the basis of clinical diagnosis. Using MRI we have shown that clinical diagnosis is more limited than previously appreciated, thus trials may have been underpowered or confounded.

Physical activity and body composition: what do the national surveys reveal?

Measures of height, body weight, waist and hip girths are available from the Allied Dunbar National Fitness Survey and have been used to explore differences between respondents reporting differing levels of habitual physical activity. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio were derived. Physical activity was estimated from a structured interview.