Association between Light Intensity Physical Activity and All-cause Mortality in Older Adults with Physical Disability

Abstract

PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the association between light intensity physical activity (LPA) and all-cause mortality in older adults with physical disability. METHODS Data from the 2008 Living Profiles of Older People Survey involving 14,367 Korean adults aged ≥60 years (13,417 without disabilities and 950 with disabilities) were used. Participants were divided into active and inactive groups based on weekly LPA and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA). Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), according to disability status and physical activity levels. RESULTS During 3.3±0.4 years follow-up period, 1,024 deaths occurred from all causes. Among non-disabled people, the inactive group showed a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR=1.282, 95% CI=1.122–1.465, p<.001) than the active group (reference=1) in LPA. Similarly, for MVPA, the risk of all-cause mortality was significantly higher in the inactive group (HR=1.522, 95% CI=1.230–1.882, p<.001) than in the active group (reference=1). However, among physically disabled people, the inactive group cor-respondingly showed a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR=2.735, 95% CI=1.761–4.246, p<.001) than the active group, while there was no significant difference between both groups in MVPA. CONCLUSIONS The current findings suggest that promoting LPA may play an important role in preventing premature death from all-cause mortality in older adults with physical disability.

Keywords

• light intensity physical activity
• all-cause mortality
• physical disability
• older adults