LEISURE, HOME, AND OCCUPATIONAL PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN - THE POSTMENOPAUSAL ESTROGENS PROGESTINS INTERVENTION (PEPI) STUDY/

Objective: To examine the associations between self-reported leisure, home, and occupational physical activity and selected cardiovascular r isk factors. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestins Intervention Trial was perform ed in 851 women aged 45 to 64 years. Outcomes were levels of high-dens ity lipoprotein cholesterol, insulin (2 hours after challenge), fibrin ogen, and systolic blood pressure. Race-stratified models were adjuste d for age, smoking, alcohol, and previous noncontraceptive estrogen us e. Models were also run with body mass index as an additional covariat e. Results: In white women, leisure physical activity was positively a ssociated with levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=.001) and inversely associated with levels of insulin (P=.04) and fibrinoge n (P=.02). Compared with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels i n the inactive and light leisure physical activity) groups, moderate ( P<.001) and heavy)t (P=.004) leisure activities were associated with h igher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. High-density lipopr otein cholesterol levels in the heavy leisure physical activity group were significantly higher than those in the moderate group (P=.01). Co mpared with lesser levels of leisure physical activity, significantly lower mean values of fibrinogen (P=.02) and insulin (P=.01) were assoc iated with the highest-intensity leisure physical activity. Home physi cal activity was positively related to high-density lipoprotein choles terol level (P=.01); relative to lower levels of home physical activit y, the heavy home physical activity group demonstrated significantly h igher mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The effects of leisure and home physical activities were independent of each other. Systolic blood pressure did not vary by leisure, occupational, or home physical activity. Conclusion: The unique relationships between type of physical activity and cardiac risk factors underscore the necessity of including multiple domains of activity in epidemiologic studies of physical activity in women.