The Association between Physical Activity and Intrinsic Capacity in Chinese Older Adults and Its Connection to Primary Care: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

Abstract

Background: In 2015, intrinsic capacity (IC) was proposed by the WHO as a new measure for healthy aging. Evidence has shown that physical activity (PA) benefits the physical and mental health of older adults. However, the association between PA and IC among older adults was not well evaluated or reported. This study aims to investigate the association between PA and general and specific IC among Chinese older adults. Method: The study included individuals aged 60 and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2015. The IC scores were constructed based on the WHO concept of five domains: psychological capacity, cognition, locomotion, vitality, and sensory abilities. Total PA and leisure PA were measured based on different activity purposes. Linear mixed-effects models and generalized linear mixed-effects models were developed to assess the associations between PA and IC. Results: A total of 3359 participants were included in this study. Older adults who reported some PA were associated with a higher composite IC score, with a mean difference of 0.14 (95% CI: 0.09–0.18, p < 0.001) compared to those who reported no PA. In terms of leisure PA, physically active adults had a higher composite IC score with a mean difference of 0.06 (95% CI: 0.03–0.09, p < 0.001). Older adults with a high level of leisure PA also had a significantly higher composite IC score (diff. in mean = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.01–0.13, p < 0.05) compared to those with low-level leisure PA. In addition, PA was positively and significantly associated with three specific IC domains: locomotion, cognition, and vitality. Conclusions: Improving both general and leisure PA can be an effective way to prevent the decline in IC among older adults, thus reducing the personal and public load of primary healthcare for aging countries such as China.

Correlation between the Physical Activity Volume and Cognitive and Mental Capacity among Elderly People in China: A Cross-sectional Study Based on the 2020 CHARLS Database

“…Therefore, we considered whether a method that can simultaneously prevent and improve depression and cognitive dysfunction could improve the daily living ability and quality of life of elderly people in our country. Previous studies have shown that appropriate physical activity for elderly people can effectively prevent a decrease in intrinsic capacity, including cognitive function, motor function and mental function [29]. From a physiological point of view, physical activity has a number of benefits, including the prevention of decreased cardiovascular system function, sarcopenia, decreased bone density, increased blood pressure, etc.…”