The Lancet Public Health, February 2025

Health benefits of leisure-time physical activity by socioeconomic status, lifestyle risk, and mental health: a multicohort study

Regular physical activity is recommended for all aged 5 years and older, but the health benefits gained might differ across population subgroups.

The aim of this study was to examine these benefits in terms of years lived free from major non-communicable diseases in subgroups with varying levels of risk factors.

Our analysis was based on a multicohort study of initially healthy European adults from the IPD-Work Consortium and initially healthy participants from the UK Biobank study. Self-reported leisure-time physical activity levels at baseline (1986–2010) were categorised as low (no or very little), intermediate (between low and recommended levels), and WHO-recommended (≥2·5 h of moderate or ≥1·25 h of vigorous physical activity per week). We divided the study population into 36 overlapping subgroups based on socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, and mental health at baseline, and assessed disease-free years between ages 40 years and 75 years for both the overall population and subgroups, accounting for coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.