Characteristics of the participants at baseline
| Variables | All (n=2 57 854) | Exercise frequency | ||||
| None (n=1 48 284) | 1–2 times/week (n=62 923) | 3–4 times/week (n=24 836) | 5–6 times/week (n=6676) | Almost everyday (n=15 135) | ||
| Sex, % | ||||||
| Men (%) | 50.5 | 43.8 | 63.3 | 57.5 | 52.9 | 49.6 |
| Women (%) | 49.5 | 56.2 | 36.7 | 42.5 | 47.1 | 50.4 |
| Age, years | 50.7 (8.7) | 51.5 (9.2) | 49.0 (7.5) | 49.3 (7.5) | 49.9 (7.8) | 53.5 (9.3) |
| Body mass index, kg2/m | 23.5 (2.8) | 23.3 (2.9) | 23.6 (2.7) | 23.7 (2.6) | 23.7 (2.6) | 23.7 (2.7) |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 116.8 (11.2) | 116.6 (11.3) | 117.1 (11.0) | 116.8 (11.1) | 116.8 (11.2) | 117.3 (11.3) |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 73.4 (7.9) | 73.1 (8.0) | 73.8 (7.8) | 73.5 (7.9) | 73.4 (8.0) | 73.4 (7.9) |
| Fasting glucose levels, mg/dL | 90.2 (12.3) | 90.1 (12.4) | 90.4 (12.2) | 89.9 (11.9) | 90.2 (12.3) | 90.2 (12.4) |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dL | 197.0 (36.7) | 196.5 (37.1) | 197.7 (36.2) | 197.8 (35.9) | 197.8 (36.1) | 197.4 (36.8) |
| Family history of heart disease, stroke or hypertension, % | 12.2 | 10.8 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 16.5 | 10.9 |
| Family history of cancer, % | 14.2 | 13.1 | 15.3 | 17.2 | 16.6 | 14.5 |
| Family history of diabetes, % | 6.3 | 5.4 | 7.2 | 8.5 | 9.2 | 5.7 |
| Smoking status, % | ||||||
| Never (%) | 68.1 | 71.9 | 59.1 | 65.2 | 68.8 | 71.7 |
| Previously (%) | 8.4 | 5.8 | 12.0 | 12.7 | 12.5 | 8.8 |
| Currently (%) | 23.6 | 22.2 | 28.9 | 22.1 | 18.8 | 19.5 |
| Alcohol consumption, % | ||||||
| Never (%) | 58.4 | 64.5 | 47.6 | 50.5 | 52.2 | 59.3 |
| 2–3 times/month (%) | 16.4 | 13.8 | 21.3 | 19.7 | 18.8 | 14.1 |
| 1–2 times/week (%) | 15.8 | 12.4 | 22.0 | 20.2 | 18.1 | 14.5 |
| ≥3 times/week (%) | 9.5 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 10.8 | 12.1 |
| Incident myocardial infarction, n (%) | 3047 (1.2) | 1741 (1.2) | 723 (1.1) | 276 (1.1) | 88 (1.3) | 219 (1.4) |
| Incident stroke, n (%) | 16 134 (6.3) | 9689 (6.5) | 3333 (5.3) | 1482 (6.0) | 390 (5.8) | 1240 (8.2) |
| Incident hypertension, n (%) | 120 203 (46.6) | 65 964 (44.5) | 30 623 (48.7) | 12 617 (50.8) | 3294 (49.3) | 7705 (50.9) |
| Incident type 2 diabetes, n (%) | 50 459 (19.6) | 27 128 (18.3) | 10 666 (6.5) | 5421 (21.8) | 1399 (21.0) | 3285 (21.7) |
| Incident stomach cancer, n (%) | 4788 (1.9) | 2672 (1.8) | 13 226 (21.0) | 489 (2.0) | 139 (2.1) | 328 (2.2) |
| Incident colon cancer, n (%) | 2711 (1.1) | 1424 (1.0) | 1160 (1.8) | 314 (1.3) | 90 (1.3) | 191 (1.3) |
| Incident rectum cancer, n (%) | 1494 (0.6) | 809 (0.6) | 692 (1.1) | 154 (0.6) | 46 (0.6) | 107 (0.7) |
| Incident lung cancer, n (%) | 3601 (1.4) | 2138 (1.4) | 796 (1.3) | 307 (1.2) | 85 (1.3) | 275 (1.8) |
| Incident liver cancer, n (%) | 2620 (1.0) | 1423 (1.0) | 680 (1.1) | 263 (1.1) | 75 (1.1) | 179 (1.2) |
| Incident pancreas cancer, n (%) | 864 (0.3) | 483 (0.3) | 205 (0.3) | 92 (0.4) | 24 (0.4) | 60 (0.4) |
| Incident head and neck cancer, n (%) | 656 (0.3) | 377 (0.3) | 144 (0.2) | 73 (0.3) | 15 (0.2) | 47 (0.3) |
| Incident kidney cancer, n (%) | 589 (0.2) | 301 (0.2) | 153 (0.2) | 75 (0.3) | 16 (0.2) | 44 (0.3) |
| Incident gallbladder cancer, n (%) | 400 (0.2) | 219 (0.1) | 83 (0.1) | 43 (0.2) | 16 (0.2) | 39 (0.3) |
| Incident oesophagus cancer, n (%) | 352 (0.1) | 214 (0.1) | 75 (0.1) | 29 (0.1) | 6 (0.09) | 28 (0.2) |
| Median follow-up period, years (IQR) | 13.0 (12.2, 13.3) | 13.0 (12.2, 13.3) | 13.0 (12.2, 13.3) | 13.0 (12.2, 13.3) | 12.7 (12.2, 13.3) | 12.6 (12.2, 13.3) |
Values presented are means unless indicated as an ‘n’. Values in parentheses are SD unless otherwise indicated. Data were obtained from a prospective cohort, which has been established by linking physical examination data of over half a million South Korean adults (2002–2015) with the entire South Korean population’s health insurance system.