Perceived cardiac risks and beliefs about health and running in elite older runners.
Beliefs about the perceived health benefits of exercise of 24 elite runners were compared on an objective measure of risk for coronary heart disease. Results showed a 4- to 6-fold increase in estimates of perceived risk as compared to the objective estimate of risk, suggesting that these runners held somewhat exaggerated beliefs about the health benefits of running. In addition, these beliefs remained stable over time.
Sperry
L
L
Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226.
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors; D012420:Running