The contribution of sport to health among US women and men: An analysis of the BRFSS

Background: Little is known about the contribution that sports participation makes to the health of women and men in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine this contribution by analyzing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data.
Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of the national BRFSS survey. Participants (n~450,000) were questioned extensively about their exercise activities.  Activities were categorized as sport, conditioning exercise, recreation, or household tasks. Logistic regression was utilized to calculate odds and adjusted odds ratios for chronic diseases based on exercise category.
Results: Women and men who participated in conditioning exercise, recreation and household tasks had significantly higher odds for all chronic diseases except asthma and many of the significant differences remained after adjusting for demographic characteristics.  A higher percent of sport participants reported good to excellent health, and they achieved a higher exercise intensity as measured by metabolic equivalents (METs). 
Conclusion: Sport participation was associated with positive health outcomes among women and men in the US. Public health initiatives to increase sports participation may serve as examples to guide efforts in the US to improve health through sport.