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Background: The high educated live longer and healthier lives when compared to the low educated. Physical fitness as a health indicator reflects the level of physical activity along with other health-influencing factors such as obesity, smoking, chronic diseases and individual training effects. Studies support that self-rated physical fitness correlates with objectively measured physical fitness well. However, the educational differences in self-rated physical fitness are not known., Methods: Our aim was to study educational differences in self-rated physical fitness in Finnish population. The data were collected in 2007 for a cross-sectional population based National FINRISK Study. The analyzed data included 2722 men and 3108 women aged 25 to 74 years. Statistical method was ordinal logistic regression., Results: Longer educational career was associated with better self-rated physical fitness. The educational differences in self-rated physical fitness were largely explained by health behavior. Leisure-time physical activity explained fully and body mass index partly the educational differences in self-rated physical fitness among men. The combination of body mass index, history of chronic diseases and smoking explained the differences fully among men and partly among women. Leisure-time, occupational and commuting physical activities, body mass index, history of chronic diseases and smoking together explained all educational differences in self-rated physical fitness among both genders., Conclusions: Although educational differences in self-rated physical fitness were found, they were explained by health behavior related factors. Leisure-time physical activity offered the strongest single explanation for the educational differences in self-rated physical fitness. Thus, possibilities for leisure-time physical activity should be increased especially among the low educated.

Background: Available information about the association between education and physical fitness (PF) is scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine educational differences in PF in the working age population using different methods to assess PF. Methods: The Health 2000 Survey was carried out for adults aged ≥30 years (n = 8028) in Finland. For this study, 30–54-year-old men and women with data on PF and physical activity (PA) were selected (n = 3724). PF was assessed by self-estimated overall physical fitness and running ability, a physician’s estimation of a participant’s working capacity, the trunk extensors’ endurance and hand grip strength tests. The highest educational qualification taken by the participant was used as a measure of education. The analyses were adjusted for age, PA, BMI, smoking and chronic diseases. Results: PF was best in the high-educated men and women. The educational differences were minor in self-estimated overall PF. Adjusting for the covariates, the differences in self-estimated running ability and working capacity decreased. The educational differences in the trunk extensors’ endurance test were independent of covariates. PA and other health behaviours contributed most to the differences. Conclusion: People with high education had better PF irrespective of the method used to assess PF. A large amount of the educational differences could be explained by PA and other health behaviours. More research is needed to understand the determinants of educational differences in PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]