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Volume 22
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10.3390/ijerph22081219
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

The Association Between Physical Activity and Frailty: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

by
Wupeng Yin
1,
Ximeng Zhao
2,
Ayodele Tyndall
3 and
Nan Hu
1,4,*
1
Department of Biostatistics, FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Miami, FL 33199, USA
2
Department of Epidemiology, FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Miami, FL 33199, USA
3
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Miami, FL 33199, USA
4
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(8), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081219
Submission received: 24 May 2025 / Revised: 23 July 2025 / Accepted: 31 July 2025 / Published: 4 August 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: With China’s rapidly aging population, frailty has become a growing concern among older adults. Physical activity (PA) is known to mitigate frailty-related decline, yet few studies have examined these associations longitudinally. Methods: Using five waves (2011–2020) of CHARLS data, we analyzed Chinese adults aged 60+ to assess the association between frailty—measured by a frailty index (FI)—and PA across various types (light, moderate, vigorous, total, and leisure). A generalized linear mixed-effects model was used, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors. Results: All PA types were significantly associated with lower odds of concurrent frailty, including light (OR = 0.37), moderate (OR = 0.37), vigorous (OR = 0.40), total (OR = 0.23), and leisure PA (OR = 0.56). Lagged PA also predicted reduced frailty risk over time, except for light PA. Conclusion: Regular PA is linked to a lower risk of frailty among older Chinese adults. These findings underscore the importance of sustained PA as a strategy to promote healthy aging and inform public health interventions for this population.
Keywords: physical activity; frailty; aging; longitudinal study; frailty index; China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study physical activity; frailty; aging; longitudinal study; frailty index; China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

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MDPI and ACS Style

Yin, W.; Zhao, X.; Tyndall, A.; Hu, N. The Association Between Physical Activity and Frailty: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081219

AMA Style

Yin W, Zhao X, Tyndall A, Hu N. The Association Between Physical Activity and Frailty: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(8):1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081219

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yin, Wupeng, Ximeng Zhao, Ayodele Tyndall, and Nan Hu. 2025. "The Association Between Physical Activity and Frailty: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 22, no. 8: 1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081219

APA Style

Yin, W., Zhao, X., Tyndall, A., & Hu, N. (2025). The Association Between Physical Activity and Frailty: China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(8), 1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081219

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