Association Between Moderate Physical Activity Level and Subsequent Frailty Incidence Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

Our study aimed to demonstrate the association between physical activity (PA) and frailty incidence among Japanese community-dwelling older adults with a narrow age range of 70–74 years. This study included 485 participants from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Frailty was assessed at baseline and 3 years later by using the Kaigo-Yobo Checklist. PA was assessed using the short-term International PA Questionnaire at baseline. Logistic regression was performed to calculate the odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals after adjusting for potential confounders. The associations of frailty scores with both PA volume and daily walking time presented a U-shaped curve, albeit only the latter was statistically significant. After adjusting for potential confounders, walking for 0.5–1 hr/day displayed a greater association with decreased frailty risk than higher levels of daily walking time. Further study is needed to cumulate the evidence that moderate PA levels may delay frailty incidence and improve the aging process.