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Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Air quality correlations with physical activity and asthma in the elderly
Caizhu Gao1, Diyang Sun2, Hang Yin1
1School of Sports Science, Anshan Normal University, Anshan, China.
Medicine
|May 19, 2026
Summary
Maintaining physical activity (PA) and satisfaction with air quality significantly lowers asthma risk in Chinese seniors. Public health efforts should encourage active living and cleaner air to reduce the asthma burden in aging populations.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Environmental Health
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Asthma is a global public health concern, disproportionately affecting the elderly.
- Environmental and behavioral factors contribute to asthma, but their combined impact on aging populations is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between physical activity (PA), air quality satisfaction, and asthma prevalence in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.
- To identify protective factors against asthma in aging populations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 3352 Chinese adults aged 50 and above from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.
- Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for demographic, health, and lifestyle factors.
- Assessed associations between physical activity levels (MET·h·week-1), air quality satisfaction, and physician-diagnosed asthma.
Main Results:
- Asthma prevalence was 2.7%, with 65.1% reporting dissatisfaction with air quality.
- High physical activity was strongly associated with reduced asthma risk (aOR=0.23, P<0.001).
- Good air quality satisfaction was also linked to lower asthma risk (aOR=0.31, P<0.001), independent of other factors.
Conclusions:
- Higher physical activity and greater air quality satisfaction are independently associated with a decreased risk of asthma in older Chinese adults.
- Public health strategies should prioritize promoting physical activity and improving air quality to manage asthma in aging populations.
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