Association between different types of physical activity and healthy longevity among older adults aged 75 years and older in China

Objective To explore the effects of different types of physical activity on health longevity aged 75 years and older in China.Methods The study participants were from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey and a total of 11,357 older adults aged 75 years and older were enrolled. The occurrence of healthy longevity was tracked in the follow-up participants. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the effect of three types of physical activities including regular exercise, leisure activity and physical work on healthy longevity who survived to 90 years while maintaining five key health domains including activities of daily living(ADL), mental health, cognitive function, visual and hearing function.Results The average age of the 11,357 participants were 83.4(±3.75) years, and 729 participants(6.4%) achieved healthy longevity. The results showed that regular exercise increased the likelihood of achieving healthy longevity by 31%[OR(95%CI):1.31(1.11-1.54)], whereas leisure activity could increase it by 89%[OR(95%CI):1.89(1.61-2.23)]. In addition, there was a joint effect between different physical activities, and the older adults who participate in regular exercise and high leisure activity level were most beneficial for healthy longevity[OR(95%CI):2.46(1.98~3.06)]. Physical labor was not found to be statistically significant. At the same time, the mediation analysis of chronic diseases and the sensitivity analysis of abnormal in activity in daily life were also carried out, and the results remained stable. Physical labor was not found to be statistically significant.Conclusion Take part in exercise and leisure activities at the same time were most beneficial to healthy longevity. But leisure activities were more profitable than exercise for the older adults aged 75.