A1 Journal article (refereed)
Suomalaisten kestävyyskunto on laskenut vuosikymmeniä : onko Suomessa tulevaisuudessa enää hyväkuntoisia yli 50-vuotiaita työntekijöitä? (2023)

Vasankari, T., Tokola, K., Raitanen, J., Kolu, P., Vähä-Ypyä, H., Husu, P., Vaara, J., Kyröläinen, H., Santtila, M., Pihlainen, K., & Sievänen, H. (2023). Suomalaisten kestävyyskunto on laskenut vuosikymmeniä : onko Suomessa tulevaisuudessa enää hyväkuntoisia yli 50-vuotiaita työntekijöitä?. Futura, 42(1), 4-12.

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Vasankari, Tommi; Tokola, Kari; Raitanen, Jani; Kolu, Päivi; Vähä-Ypyä, Henri; Husu, Pauliina; Vaara, Jani; Kyröläinen, Heikki; Santtila, Matti; Pihlainen, Kai; et al.

Journal or series: Futura

ISSN: 0785-5494

eISSN: 1459-0549

Publication year: 2023

Volume: 42

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 4-12

Publisher: Tulevaisuuden tutkimuksen seura

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Additional information: Referee-artikkelit

Abstract

The cardiorespiratory fitness of Finnish male conscripts has been decreasing since the late 1970s. In the current study, we estimated the cardiorespiratory fitness of the working-age Finnish men in the year 2040 by using two population-based studies: the results of the 12-minute running test of the Finnish young men entering their military service during the years 2005-2021 and the 6-minute walk test of working-age adults in the FinFit 2021-2022 Study. The results indicate that in the year 2021, 53% of men at the age of 50 reached a maximum oxygen uptake level of ≥ 36 ml/kg/min as a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness. However, in the year 2040, only 27% of men at this age were estimated to reach this level of fitness. Similarly, in the year 2021, 31% of men at the age of 60 had a cardiorespiratory fitness level of ≥ 36 ml/kg/min, while by the year 2040, only 11% of men at this age will reach the above-mentioned level of fitness. The current results indicate that Finnish society will suffer from a low level of cardiorespiratory fitness in the future and face substantial societal and economical challenges in due course.

Keywords: public health; forecasts; physical fitness; work ability; servicemen and servicewomen; aerobic capacity; working age people; fitness tests

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2023

JUFO rating: 1