Golf- a game of life and death : Reduced mortality in Swedish golf players

• The specific health benefits achieved from different formsand patterns of leisure-time physical activity are not established.We analyzed the mortality in a cohort of Swedishgolf players. We used the Swedish Golf Federation’s membershipregistry and the nationwide Mortality Registry. Wecalculated standardized mortality ratios (SMR) with stratificationfor age, sex, and socioeconomic status. The cohortincluded 300 818 golfers, and the total number of deaths was1053. The overall SMR was 0.60 [95% confidence intervals(CIs): 0.57–0.64]. The mortality reduction was observed inmen and women, in all age groups, and in all socioeconomiccategories. Golfers with the lowest handicap (the mostskilled players) had the lowest mortality; SMR50.53(95% CI: 0.41–0.67) compared with 0.68 (95% CI: 0.61–0.75) for those with the highest handicap. While we cannotconclude with certainty that all the 40% decreased mortalityrates are explained by the physical activity associatedwith playing golf, we conclude that most likely this is part ofthe explanation. To put the observed mortality reduction incontext, it may be noted that a 40% reduction of mortalityrates corresponds to an increase in life expectancy of about5 years.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Social medicine

Socialmedicin

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)