The Association Between Physical Activity and Frailty: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

Wupeng Yin, Ximeng Zhao, Ayodele Tyndall and Nan Hu ()
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Wupeng Yin: Department of Biostatistics, FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Ximeng Zhao: Department of Epidemiology, FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Ayodele Tyndall: Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Nan Hu: Department of Biostatistics, FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Miami, FL 33199, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Background: With China’s rapidly aging population, frailty has become a growing concern among older adults. Physical activity (PA) is known to mitigate frailty-related decline, yet few studies have examined these associations longitudinally. Methods: Using five waves (2011–2020) of CHARLS data, we analyzed Chinese adults aged 60+ to assess the association between frailty—measured by a frailty index (FI)—and PA across various types (light, moderate, vigorous, total, and leisure). A generalized linear mixed-effects model was used, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors. Results: All PA types were significantly associated with lower odds of concurrent frailty, including light (OR = 0.37), moderate (OR = 0.37), vigorous (OR = 0.40), total (OR = 0.23), and leisure PA (OR = 0.56). Lagged PA also predicted reduced frailty risk over time, except for light PA. Conclusion: Regular PA is linked to a lower risk of frailty among older Chinese adults. These findings underscore the importance of sustained PA as a strategy to promote healthy aging and inform public health interventions for this population.

Keywords: physical activity; frailty; aging; longitudinal study; frailty index; China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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