Table 2.
Association of Potentially Modifiable or Treatable Risk Factors with Moderate or Severe Impairment in Cognition-Related Quality of Life, Harvard Football Players Health Study, 2015–2019 (N = 3803)*
| |
Age- and race-adjusted |
Further adjusted for concussion symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Ratio (95% confidence interval) | ||
| Risk factors | ||
| Current smoking | 1.50 (1.34, 1.68)*** | 1.34 (1.20, 1.50)*** |
| Alcohol consumption, heavy vs. moderate | 1.14 (1.04, 1.26)** | 1.07 (0.98, 1.17) |
| Physical activity, lowest vs. highest quartile | 1.57 (1.42, 1.73)*** | 1.37 (1.27, 1.51)*** |
| Sleep apnea history | 1.46 (1.37, 1.56)*** | 1.23 (1.15, 1.30)*** |
| Sleep duration, <5 vs. ≥5 h/night | 1.69 (1.58, 1.81)*** | 1.25 (1.18, 1.33)*** |
| Body mass index, ≥35 vs. <25 kg/m2 | 1.33 (1.11, 1.59)** | 1.12 (0.96, 1.30) |
| Cardiovascular disease history | 1.18 (1.08, 1.29)*** | 1.11 (1.02, 1.19)** |
| Stroke history | 1.38 (1.18, 1.61)*** | 1.18 (1.02, 1.35)* |
| High blood pressure history | 1.23 (1.14, 1.32)*** | 1.14 (1.07, 1.21)*** |
| Diabetes history | 1.22 (1.11, 1.35)*** | 1.17 (1.08, 1.28)*** |
| Physical impairment | 2.21 (2.08, 2.34)*** | 1.62 (1.53, 1.73)*** |
| High pain interference in daily life | 2.70 (2.52, 2.88)*** | 1.96 (1.82, 2.10)*** |
| High depressive symptoms | 2.39 (2.26, 2.52)*** | 1.72 (1.62, 1.82)*** |
| High anxiety symptoms | 2.46 (2.32, 2.60)*** | 1.77 (1.67, 1.87)*** |
| History of football-related concussion symptoms, highest vs. lowest quartile | 4.55 (3.94, 5.26)*** | – |
*
Each risk factor was entered as the independent variable in separate models adjusted for age at questionnaire and race/ethnicity. For variables with more than one level, including alcohol, body mass index, and concussion symptoms, only the most severe is shown. Physical activity in metabolic equivalent (METS) hours/week was calculated from reported frequency of five types of exercise, then divided into quartiles.