Table E-1. Relative risks (95% CI) of PD according to quintiles of baseline physical activity in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2000)

Quintiles of total physical activity / p value, test for trend
Range, metabolic hours/week / <2.8 / 2.8-7.7 / 7.8-16.9 / 17-34 / >34
No. of cases / Person years / 46/119,516 / 68/120,276 / 58/124,340 / 44/125,293 / 36/127,230
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.4 (0.9-2.0) / 1.1 (0.8-1.7) / 0.9 (0.6-1.4) / 0.7 (0.5-1.1) / 0.01
Multivariate adjusted* / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.3 (0.9-1.9) / 1.1 (0.7-1.6) / 0.8 (0.6-1.3) / 0.7 (0.5-1.1) / 0.007
1996-2000 follow-up only† / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.1 (0.6-2.1) / 0.6 (0.3-1.3) / 0.5 (0.2-1.1) / 0.5 (0.2-1.1) / 0.02
Quintiles of moderate physical activity
Range, metabolic hours/week / <0.8 / 0.8-2.2 / 2.3-4.8 / 4.9-10.8 / >10.8
No. of cases / Person years / 41/116,483 / 38/128,076 / 58/125,536 / 55/123,034 / 60/123,526
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.9 (0.6-1.3) / 1.2 (0.8-1.7) / 1.0 (0.7-1.5) / 1.0 (0.6-1.4) / 0.8
Multivariate adjusted* / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.8 (0.5-1.3) / 1.1 (0.7-1.7) / 1.0 (0.7-1.5) / 0.9 (0.6-1.4) / 0.6
1996-2000 follow-up only† / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.0 (0.4-2.4) / 1.6 (0.8-3.5) / 1.0 (0.4-2.2) / 0.9 (0.4-2.0) / 0.3
Quintiles of vigorous physical activity
Range, metabolic hours/week / 0 / 0.1-3.4 / 3.5-10.5 / 10.6-26.9 / ≥27.0
No. of cases / Person years / 108/223,079 / 52/104,609 / 44/90,199 / 30/97,438 / 18/101,329
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.2 (0.8-1.6) / 1.2 (0.9-1.7) / 0.9 (0.6-1.3) / 0.5 (0.3-0.8) / 0.007
Multivariate adjusted* / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.2 (0.8-1.6) / 1.2 (0.8-1.7) / 0.8 (0.5-1.2) / 0.5 (0.3-0.9) / 0.004
1996-2000 follow-up only† / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.4 (0.8-2.6) / 0.8 (0.4-1.7) / 0.4 (0.2-1.1) / 0.4 (0.2-1.2) / 0.02

* Adjusting for baseline age, smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, total energy intake, lactose intake, and body mass index.

† The first 10 years of follow-up (1986-1996) was excluded and 68 cases were retained.


Table E-2. Relative risks (95% CI) of PD according to strenuous physical activity in early adulthood in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2000)

Strenuous physical activity at high school / p value, test for trend
Range, months / year / 0 / 1-3 / 4-6 / 7-9 / ≥10
No. of cases / Person years* / 38/48,629 / 33/65,943 / 30/71,168 / 32/87,465 / 77/219,678
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.7 (0.5-1.1) / 0.6 (0.4-0.9) / 0.6 (0.4-0.9) / 0.6 (0.4-0.9) / 0.01
Multivariate adjusted† / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.7 (0.4-1.1) / 0.6 (0.4-1.0) / 0.5 (0.3-0.9) / 0.6 (0.4-0.9) / 0.02
1992-2000 follow-up only‡ / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.6 (0.3-1.0) / 0.7 (0.4-1.2) / 0.6 (0.3-1.1) / 0.5 (0.3-0.9) / 0.07
Strenuous physical activity at college
Range, months / year / 0 / 1-3 / 4-6 / 7-9 / ≥10
No. of cases / Person years* / 59/89,329 / 54/128,379 / 33/90,166 / 28/75,734 / 34/107,806
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.7 (0.5-1.1) / 0.6 (0.4-1.0) / 0.7 (0.4-1.0) / 0.6 (0.4-0.9) / 0.02
Multivariate adjusted† / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.7 (0.5-1.1) / 0.6 (0.4-1.0) / 0.7 (0.4-1.0) / 0.6 (0.4-0.9) / 0.03
1992-2000 follow-up only‡ / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.5 (0.3-0.9) / 0.7 (0.4-1.2) / 0.7 (0.4-1.1) / 0.6 (0.3-1.0) / 0.2
Strenuous physical activity at ages 30-40
Range, months / year / 0 / 1-3 / 4-6 / 7-9 / ≥10
No. of cases / Person years* / 66/110,584 / 70/138,458 / 34/77,397 / 20/52,733 / 20/110,884
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.9 (0.7-1.3) / 0.8 (0.6-1.3) / 0.8 (0.5-1.3) / 0.5 (0.3-0.8) / 0.003
Multivariate adjusted† / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.9 (0.7-1.3) / 0.8 (0.5-1.2) / 0.8 (0.5-1.3) / 0.5 (0.3-0.8) / 0.003
1992-2000 follow-up only‡ / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.9 (0.6-1.4) / 0.9 (0.5-1.5) / 0.8 (0.4-1.5) / 0.5 (0.3-0.9) / 0.04
Average strenuous physical activity early in life
Range, months / year / ≤2 / 2.1-4.5 / 4.6-6.5 / 6.6-9.9 / ≥10
No. of cases / Person years* / 67/94,593 / 44/103,596 / 33/90,567 / 50/122,393 / 17/83,115
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.7 (0.5-1.0) / 0.7 (0.5-1.0) / 0.8 (0.5-1.1) / 0.4 (0.2-0.7) / 0.003
Multivariate adjusted† / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.7 (0.5-1.1) / 0.7 (0.5-1.1) / 0.8 (0.5-1.1) / 0.4 (0.2-0.7) / 0.005
1992-2000 follow-up only‡ / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.9 (0.5-1.4) / 0.8 (0.5-1.4) / 0.8 (0.5-1.4) / 0.5 (0.2-0.9) / 0.05

* The total number of cases for these analyses was 211 with 494,263 person-years of follow-up, however, the number may not add up to total because of missing values.

† Adjusting for baseline age, smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, total energy intake, lactose intake, and body mass index.

‡ Prospective analyses of 1992-2000 follow-up with a total of 133 PD cases.


Table E-3. Relative risks (95% CI) of PD according to quintiles of baseline physical activity in the Nurses’ Health Study (1986-1998)

Quintiles of total physical activity / p value, test for trend
Range, metabolic hours/week / <2.1 / 2.1-4.6 / 4.7-10.4 / 10.5-21.7 / >21.7
No. of cases / Person years / 18/170,212 / 23/185,227 / 43/178,980 / 22/176,761 / 29/180,058
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.1 (0.6-2.1) / 2.1 (1.2-3.7) / 1.1 (0.6-2.0) / 1.4 (0.8-2.5) / 0.7
Multivariate adjusted* / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.1 (0.6-2.0) / 2.0 (1.1-3.5) / 1.0 (0.5-1.8) / 1.3 (0.7-2.3) / 0.97
1990-1998 follow-up only† / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.8 (0.4-1.7) / 1.9 (1.0-3.7) / 0.9 (0.5-1.9) / 1.1 (0.5-2.2) / 0.9
Quintiles of moderate physical activity
Range, metabolic hours/week / <1.0 / 1.0-2.9 / 3.0-4.5 / 4.6-10.4 / ≥10.5
No. of cases / Person years / 17/174,782 / 29/185,635 / 33/173,668 / 36/182,067 / 20/175,086
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.8 (1.0-3.2) / 1.9 (1.1-3.4) / 2.0 (1.1-3.5) / 1.1 (0.6-2.0) / 0.3
Multivariate adjusted* / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.7 (0.9-3.1) / 1.9 (1.0-3.3) / 1.8 (1.0-3.2) / 1.0 (0.5-1.9) / 0.2
1990-1998 follow-up only† / 1.0 (ref.) / 1.4 (0.7-2.8) / 1.4 (0.7-2.9) / 1.5 (0.8-2.8) / 0.9 (0.4-1.9) / 0.3
Quintiles of vigorous physical activity
Range, metabolic hours/week / 0 / 0.1-1.6 / 1.7-6.9 / 7.0-15.9 / ≥16.0
No. of cases / Person years / 65/410,909 / 10/122,389 / 22/103,860 / 18/136,972 / 20/117,109
Age & smoking adjusted / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.6 (0.3-1.1) / 1.4 (0.9-2.3) / 0.9 (0.5-1.4) / 1.1 (0.7-1.9) / 0.5
Multivariate adjusted* / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.5 (0.3-1.1) / 1.3 (0.8-2.2) / 0.8 (0.5-1.4) / 1.0 (0.6-1.7) / 0.7
1990-1998 follow-up only† / 1.0 (ref.) / 0.4 (0.2-1.0) / 1.5 (0.8-2.6) / 0.8 (0.4-1.6) / 1.0 (0.5-1.8) / 0.9

* Adjusting for baseline age, smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, total energy intake, lactose intake, and body mass index.

† The first 4 years of follow-up (1986-1990) was excluded and 94 cases were retained.

Correspondence: Honglei Chen, MD, PhD,