Key result
Individuals who perceived themselves as less active than peers were up to 71% more likely to die over a 21-year follow-up than those who perceived themselves as more active.
Why the study?
The study sought to examine the relationship between individuals' perceptions about their level of physical activity and mortality outcomes at the population level.
Does perceiving oneself as less active than peers increase all-cause mortality in U.S. adults?
Cohort (n=61,141)
Yes
Does perceiving oneself as less active than peers increase all-cause mortality in U.S. adults?
Individuals' perceptions about their level of physical activity strongly predicted mortality, independent of actual physical activity levels.
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“Our findings fall in line with a growing body of research suggesting that our mindsets -- in this case, beliefs about how much exercise we are getting relative to others -- can play a crucial role in our health.”
“Most people know that not exercising enough is bad for your health. But most people do not know that thinking you are not exercising enough can also harm your health.”
“So much effort, notably in public health campaigns, is geared toward motivating people to change their behavior: eat healthier, exercise more and stress less. But an important variable is being left out of the equation: people's mindsets about those healthy behaviors.”
Self-perceived inactivity should not alter clinical management yet; leaves open causal pathways for future interventional research.
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Zahrt et al. (2017) conducted a cohort in General population (n=61,141). Perceiving oneself as less active than peers vs. Perceiving oneself as more active than peers was evaluated on All-cause mortality (71% higher risk). Individuals who perceived themselves as less active than peers were up to 71% more likely to die over a 21-year follow-up than those who perceived themselves as more active.
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