How the relationship between physical activity and health changes with age

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Global ageing populations necessitate understanding factors influencing health in later life.
• Age-related declines in physical activity (PA) are a significant public health concern.
• The relationship between PA and self-perceived health (SPH) requires age-specific investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the age-specific relationship between physical activity (PA) and self-perceived health (SPH).
• To determine if the magnitude of the PA-SPH association varies across different adult age groups.
• To inform public health policies promoting physical activity and healthy ageing.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 14,456 Spanish adults aged 18-69.
• International Physical Activity Questionnaire used to assess PA levels and intensity.
• Regression analysis to examine the association between PA and SPH, with age as a moderator.

Main Results:

• Higher weekly PA was associated with higher SPH (β=0.28).
• Age moderated the PA-SPH relationship, showing a stronger positive effect in individuals over 49.
• Specific age groups (50-59, 60-69) showed significantly higher SPH with PA, particularly walking and moderate-intensity activities.

Conclusions:

• The positive association between physical activity and self-perceived health is more pronounced in older adults.
• Public health interventions promoting PA should be tailored to different age groups to maximize benefits for healthy ageing.
• Findings support the design of targeted policies to encourage PA across the lifespan, especially for older populations.