Self-recalled Youth Physical Activity and Postmenopausal Cardiovascular Disease.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between childhood physical activity and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) during postmenopausal years. METHODS: Proportional hazards and logistic regression were used describe the association between self-reported childhood physical activity and CVD incidence and mortality in 36,741 postmenopausal women. RESULTS: Older women, African-Americans, or nondrinkers or past drinkers self-reported the highest levels of youth physical activity and women with a history of diabetes, hypertension, overweight or obesity, or current smoking reported the highest youth physical activity dose. Youth physical activity was not associated with CVD incidence (HR=1.11; 0.93, 1.34) or mortality (HR=1.2; 0.9, 1.73). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported youth activity was not associated with postmenopausal CVD incidence or mortality.