Comparison of non-exercise physical activity and exercise habits for preventing frailty among community-dwelling older adults: A 7-year follow-up from the Kashiwa cohort study.

Abstract

Background: Engagement in non-exercise physical activities (NEPA) has a significant correlation with health. This study aimed to compare the impact of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity NEPA and exercise habit (EH) on frailty among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: This study utilized data from the Kashiwa cohort study in Japan, with baseline assessments in 2014 with a 7-year follow ups (4.0 [2.0-7.0]). A total of 1,288 participants were included. Frailty was assessed using the Cardiovascular Health Study Index, NEPA through the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, and EH via self-reported exercise engagement at each follow-up examination. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) and Cox regression analyses were used to estimate associations between NEPA, EH, and frailty.

Results: Compared to participants with no NEPA nor EH, those with NEPA only, with EH only, and with both showed significantly lower adjusted odds ratio (95 %CI) of frailty: 0.29 (0.16-0.52), 0.21 (0.11-0.41) and 0.21 (0.12-0.36). NEPA and EH at baseline were predictor variables for new-onset frailty during the 7-year follow-up period, with adjusted hazard ratios (95 % CI) of 0.55 (0.33-0.92) for NEPA only, 0.51 (0.29-0.90) for EH only, and 0.42 (0.25-0.70) for both. No significant differences were observed between the associations of NEPA and EH with frailty.

Conclusions: NEPA is associated with lower frailty risk in older adults, with a similar but non-additive effect to that of EH. These findings highlight the importance of NEPA for frailty prevention, particularly for those not engaged in formal exercise programs.