Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Lifestyle-related risk factors for total and cancer mortality in men and women

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

We conducted a 14-year follow-up study to analyze the hazard ratio (HR) of mortality regarding lifestyle-related factors in Saga Prefecture, Japan. The subjects included 2,170 people, who were randomly selected from men and women aged from 40 to 69 years old, and who also completed the standardized questionnaire on lifestyle in 1983. Information about death and corresponding data were obtained either by mail and/or through the city offices in 1997. We found that a lower body weight, a lower physical fitness level, not consuming a balanced diet, and cigarette smoking to be significantly elevated risks for all-causes of death in males after adjustment by age and health status. In addition, these results did not change even after excluding subjects for early death. The HR of the female subjects who quit smoking was significantly high, although it changed to insignificant after excluding subjects for early death. These results suggested that being underweight might be an index of a positive risk of death, while maintaining a higher physical fitness level, being careful to consume a more balanced diet, and non smoking all appear to be indexes of a negative risk of death. In addition, these results might also be considered good evidence for improving poor health habits in health promotion activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vital statistics of Japan, 1998. Statistics and Information Department, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health and Welfare. Tokyo, December 1999 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ellsworth DL, Sholinsky P, Jaquish C, Fabsitz RR, Manolio TA. Coronary heart disease. At the interface of molecular genetics and preventive medicine. Am J Prev Med 1999; 16: 122–33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Nguyen TV, Howard GM, Kelly PJ, Eisman JA. Bone mass, lean mass, and fat mass: same genes or same environments? Am J Epidemiol 1998; 147: 3–16.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Mayer EJ, Newman B, Austin MA, et al. Genetic and environmental influences on insulin levels and the insulin resistance syndrome: an analysis of women twins. Am J Epidemiol 1996; 143: 323–32.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Belloc NB, Breslow L. Relationship of physical health status and health practices. Prev Med 1972; 1: 409–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Belloc NB. Relationship of physical health practices and mortality. Prev Med 1973; 2: 67–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Dorn JM, Schisterman EF, Winkelstein W, Trevisan M. Body mass index and mortality in a general population sample of men and women: The Buffalo Study. Am J Epidemiol 1997; 146: 919–31.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Seidell JC, Verschuren WMM, Leer EMV, Kromhout D. Overweight, Underweight, and Mortality. Arch Intern Med 1996; 156: 958–63.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ishii T, Momose Y, Esaki H, Une H. A prospective study on the relationship between body mass index and mortality in middle-aged and elderly people in Japan. Nippon Kosyu Eisei Zasshi 1998; 45: 27–3. (in Japanese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Lee IM, Manson JE, Hennekens CH, Paffenbarger RS. Body weight and mortality: A 27 year follow-up of middle-aged men. JAMA 1993; 270: 2823–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Brenner H, Arndt V, Rothenbacher D, Schuberth S, Fraisse Eckart, Fliedner TM. Body weight, pre-existing disease, and all-cause mortality in a cohort of male employees in the German construction industry. J Clin Epidemiol 1997; 50: 1099–106.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Durazo-Avizu RA, McGee DL, Cooper RS, Liao Y, Luke A. Mortality and optimal body mass index in a sample of the US population. Am J Epidemiol 1998; 147: 739–49.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Nakayama K, Kiyohara Y, Kato I, Iwamoto H, Ueda K, Fujishima M. Effect of body mass index on mortality in a general Japanese population: The Hisayama Study. Jpn J Geriat 1997; 34: 935–41.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Lee IM, Hseieh CC, Paffenbarger RS. Exercise intensity and longevity in men: The Harvard almni study. JAMA 1995; 273(15): 1179–84.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Paffenbarger RS, Hyde RT, Wing AL, Lee IM, Jung DL, Kampert JB. The association of changes in physical-activity level and other lifestyle characteristics with mortality among men. N Engl J Med 1993; 328: 538–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Paffenbarger RS, Kampert JB, Lee IM, Hyde RT, Leung RW, Wing AL. Changes in physical activity and other lifeway patterns influencing longevity. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1993; 26(7): 857–65.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Paffenbarger RS, Hyde RT, Wing AL, Hsieh CC. Physical activity, all-cause mortality, and longevity of college alumni. N Engl J Med 1986; 314: 605–13.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Blair SN, Kampert JB, Kohl HW, et al. Influences of cardiorespiratory fitness and other precursors on cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in men and women. JAMA 1996; 276: 205–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Blair SN, Kohl HW, Barlow CE, Paffenbarger RS, Gibbons LW, Macera CA. Changes in physical fitness and all-cause mortality: A prospective study of healthy and unhealthy men. JAMA 1995; 273: 1093–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Erikssen G, Liestol K, Bjornholt J, Thaulow E, Sandvik L, Erikssen J. Changes in physical fitness and changed in mortality. Lancet 1998; 352: 759–62.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Fujita Y, Nakamura Y, Hiraoka J, et al. Physical-strength tests and mortality among visitors to health-promotion centers in Japan. J Clin Epidemiol 1995; 48: 1349–58.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Morioka S. A cohort study on the relationship between lifestyle and total mortality. Nippon Kosyu Eisei Zasshi 1996; 43: 469–78 (in Japanese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wannamethee G, Shaper AG. Body weight and mortality in middle aged British men: impact of smoking. BMJ 1989; 299: 1497–503.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Rosenbaum WL, Sterling TD, Weinkam JJ. Use of multiple surveys to estimate mortality among never, current, and former smokers: Changes over a 20-year interval. Am J Public Health 1998; 88: 1664–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Toshima H, Koga Y, Menotti A, Keys A, Blackburn H, Jacobs DR. The seven countries study in Japan: Twenty-five- year experience in cardiovascular and all-causes deaths. Jpn Heart J 1995; 36: 179–89.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Thun MJ, Peto R, Lopez AD, Monaco JH, Heath CW, Doll R. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly U.S adults. N Engl J Med 1997; 337: 1705–14.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Cox DR. Regression models and life tables (with discussion). J R Stat Soc ser B Methodol 1972; 34: 187–200.

    Google Scholar 

  28. SAS Institute Inc. SAS Technical Report P-217, SAS/STAT Software: The PHREG Procedures. Version 6, Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc.; 1990.

  29. Troiano RP, EA Frongillo, J Sobal, Levitsky DA. The relationship between body weight and mortality: a quantitative analysis combined information from existing studies, Int J Obesity 1996; 20: 63–75.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tsukamoto H. Problems of the body height and weight in social insurance. Nihon Hoken Igakkai Zasshi 1985; 83: 36–64 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Higgins M, Kannel W, Garrison R, Pinsky J, Stokes J. Hazards of obesity: the Framingham experience. Acta Med Scand, Suppl 723: 23–36.

  32. Singh PN, Lindsted KD. Body mass and 26-year risk of mortality from specific disease among women who never smoked. Epidemiology 1998; 9: 246–54.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Kato I, Tominaga S. Characteristics of obese and thin persons. Nippon Kosyu Eisei Zasshi 1988; 35: 342–8 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Hennekens CH, Willet WC. Body weight and longevity: a reassessment. JAMA 1987; 257: 353–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Shirasaki S. Relationship between participation in annual health examinations and mortality rate over a 5-year period. Nippon Kosyu Eisei Zasshi 1996; 43: 286–98 (in Japanese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Conway TL, Cronan TA. Smoking, exercise, and physical fitness. Prev Med 1992; 21: 723–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Klesges RC, Eck LH, Isbell TR, Fulliton W, Hanson CL. Smoking status: effects on the dietary intake, physical activity, and body fat of adult men. Am J Clin Nutr 1990; 51(5): 784–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Perkins KA, Rohay J, Meilahn EN, Wing RR, Matthews KA, Kuller Lewis. Diet, alcohol, and physical activity as a function of smoking status in middle-aged women. Health Psychol 1993; 12(5): 410–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Sawada S, Muto T, Tanaka H, Shindo M, Fukuwatari Y. Cardiorespiratory fitness and all-cause and cancer mortality in Japanese men. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999; 31(5) Supple: sl24.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Blair SN, Horton E, Leon AS, et al. Physical activity, nutrition, and chronic disease. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996; 28(3): 335–49.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Haapanen N, Miilunpalo S, Vuori I, Oja P, Pasanen M. Association of leisure time physical activity with the risk of coronary heart disease, hypertention and diabetes in middleaged men and women. Int J Epidemiol 1997; 26(4): 739–47.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health Science, Saga Medical School, Saga, Japan

    Megumi Hara, Naoko Shono, Yasuki Higaki & Masahiro Nishizumi

  2. Department of Public Health, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan

    Mitsuru Mori

Authors
  1. Megumi Hara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mitsuru Mori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Naoko Shono
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yasuki Higaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Masahiro Nishizumi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Megumi Hara.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hara, M., Mori, M., Shono, N. et al. Lifestyle-related risk factors for total and cancer mortality in men and women. Environ Health Prev Med 5, 90–96 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.2000.90

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.2000.90

Key words

Search

Navigation