Association Between Physical Activity Levels and Life Functioning in Korean Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2024 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract

Highlights What are the main findings? Meeting the recommended levels of aerobic physical activity, muscle-strengthening exercise, or both was associated with better overall life functioning and lower-extremity function. Associations with upper-extremity function, instrumental activities of daily living, and social participation varied across physical activity groups and outcome specifications. What are the implications of the main findings? Meeting aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening exercise recommendations was associated with better life-functioning profiles in older adults. These associations should be interpreted cautiously because the cross-sectional design does not establish the direction or causality of the observed relationships. Abstract Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity levels and life functioning among Korean older adults using data from the 2024 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: Data from 1418 adults aged ≥65 years were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. Participants were classified into Aerobic-only, Muscle-strengthening-only, Combined, and Inactive groups according to whether their self-reported physical activity met the World Health Organization’s recommendations. Associations with life functioning were examined using complex sample logistic regression analyses adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and health-related covariates. Results: Compared with the Inactive group, the Aerobic-only (odds ratio [OR] 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11–2.18), Muscle-strengthening-only (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.06–2.56), and Combined groups (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.41–3.39) had significantly higher odds of having no limitations in overall life functioning. Similar associations were observed for lower-extremity function, while associations with other functional domains varied across physical activity groups. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, meeting the recommended levels of aerobic physical activity, muscle-strengthening exercise, or both was associated with higher odds of having no limitations in overall life functioning and lower-extremity function.