Association of daily physical activity with hypertension, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and poor sleep quality in aged 60–79 older adults

This study aimed to assess its relationship between physical activity with health-related indicators in older population of the China. Cross-sectional data of 1,327 individuals aged 60–79 years were analyzed. Based on the Fifth National Physical Fitness Monitoring Program, depressive symptom and loneliness were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Emotional versus Social Loneliness Scales, respectively. Sleep quality was evaluated through self-designed questionnaire and hypertension was defined as blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg. International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form was conducted to assess the physical activity (minutes and frequency) in different domains (domestic, transport, work, and leisure). Multivariable-adjusted binary logistic regression models estimated for the prevalence of health-related indicators, considering PA level, duration, frequency, and combinations of different domains of PA. In the study, favorable associations were observed between moderate to high level PA and reductions in 4 health-related indicators, especially for active frequency. Moreover, a combination of transport, domestic, and leisure PA was found to be a general protective factor for health-related indicators. In summary, this study highlights the positive impact of PA on older adults’ health and provides valuable insights into the role of different PA patterns, offering a theoretical basis for developing PA guidelines, policies, and health interventions.