title: Educational differences in estimated and measured physical fitness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Available information about the association between education and physical fitness (PF) is scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine educational differences in PF in the working age population using different methods to assess PF.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Health 2000 Survey was carried out for adults aged ≥ 30 years (n = 8028) in Finland. For this study, 30-54-year-old men and women with data on PF and physical activity (PA) were selected (n = 3724). PF was assessed by self-estimated overall physical fitness and running ability, a physician's estimation of a participant's working capacity, the trunk extensors' endurance and hand grip strength tests. The highest educational qualification taken by the participant was used as a measure of education. The analyses were adjusted for age, PA, BMI, smoking and chronic diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PF was best in the high-educated men and women. The educational differences were minor in self-estimated overall PF. Adjusting for the covariates, the differences in self-estimated running ability and working capacity decreased. The educational differences in the trunk extensors' endurance test were independent of covariates. PA and other health behaviours contributed most to the differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with high education had better PF irrespective of the method used to assess PF. A large amount of the educational differences could be explained by PA and other health behaviours. More research is needed to understand the determinants of educational differences in PF.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health, Functional Capacity and Welfare, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Heli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Valkeinen
authors.forename: Kennet
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harald
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borodulin
authors.forename: Tomi E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Mäkinen
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heliövaara
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leino-Arjas
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sainio
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kestilä
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kunst
authors.forename: Ossi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rahkonen
authors.forename: Tuija
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tammelin
authors.forename: Tommi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Härkänen
authors.forename: Ritva
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prättälä
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D018737:Hand Strength; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D010807:Physical Endurance; D010809:Physical Fitness; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation