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Published on: March 7, 2019
Association between physical activity level and cardiovascular disease: An empirical analysis based on CHARLS data in
Haiwei Li1, Liang Luo1, Jing Zhang1
1School of Physical Education, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan, China.
Insights
Higher physical activity levels (PAL) are linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older Chinese adults. Maintaining moderate to high PAL is recommended for CVD prevention.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) presents a significant global health challenge.
- Understanding lifestyle factors like physical activity is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between physical activity level (PAL) and CVD prevalence.
- To provide evidence for CVD prevention and management in Chinese middle-aged and older adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).
- Employed multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis.
- Classified PAL based on structured questionnaire data and self-reported physician-diagnosed CVD.
Main Results:
- Analyzed data from 9,015 participants, with 11.86% diagnosed with CVD.
- Moderate and high PAL were associated with significantly lower odds of CVD (ORs 0.79 and 0.72, respectively) compared to low PAL.
- RCS analysis confirmed a significant linear relationship, showing decreased CVD risk with increased PAL.
Conclusions:
- A negative correlation exists between PAL and CVD prevalence.
- Middle-aged and older adults engaging in moderate to high physical activity experience a lower risk of CVD.
Objective:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was a global public health challenge. This study aimed to investigate the association between physical activity level (PAL) and CVD among middle-aged and older adults in China, to provide evidence to inform strategies for CVD prevention and management.
Methods:
The diagnosis of CVD was based on self-reported physician-diagnosed heart disease or stroke, while PAL were classified using calculations derived from a structured questionnaire. Both datasets were obtained from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) survey. A multivariate logistic regression model was used for the primary correlation analysis. Additionally, restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression was employed to examine the potential nonlinear association between PAL and CVD.
Results:
The final analysis included 9,015 participants, 1,069 of whom were diagnosed with CVD, yielding a prevalence of 11.86%. After adjusting for all covariates, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the moderate PAL group (600-3000 MET-minutes/week) and the high PAL group (>3000 MET-minutes/week) were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.64-0.97) and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.60-0.87), respectively, compared to the low PAL group (<600 MET-minutes/week). Furthermore, restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a significant linear relationship between PAL and CVD (nonlinear P > 0.05), indicating that the OR for CVD decreased with higher levels of PAL.
Conclusions:
This study revealed a negative correlation between PAL and the prevalence of CVD. Furthermore, our findings suggested that middle-aged and older adults should maintain moderate to high levels of physical activity, as this was associated with a lower risk of CVD.
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