title: The hazards of watching football--are Australians at risk?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review whether watching football increases the population cardiac event risk in New South Wales.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction, other cardiovascular disease, and other acute injuries at the time of two stressful sporting events in NSW in 2005: the Sydney Swans playing in the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final, and the Socceroos' penalty shoot-out in their World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no increases in any of the studied admission events at the time of, or in the days immediately following, these football matches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Australians appear to be resistant to acute stressors associated with watching sporting events, possibly due to higher rates of motivational deficiency disorder (MoDeD) than in European populations.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity and Health, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.
authors.forename: Adrian E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.forename: Hidde P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: van der Ploeg
authors.forename: Tien
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chey
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sholler
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005538:Football; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology; D012916:Soccer; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology; D013690:Television