The Effect Of Physical Activity On Obesity Among Older Adults: Findings From NHANES 2005-2018

Obesity among older adults poses a significant public health challenge both in the United States and across various global regions. This study delves into this issue by scrutinizing data derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), covering the period from 2005-2006 to 2017-2018. PURPOSE: The primary objectives are to explore the association and to compare the trends between physical activity (PA) and obesity and to elucidate the role of PA in older adults’ obesity. METHODS: A cohort of 5,812 adult participants >65 years, categorized within a body mass index-based obesity group, were chosen for comprehensive association and trend analyses spanning years 2005-2018. Logistic regression was employed to estimate the correlations between PA and obesity. Test for trend across seven cycles were evaluated using orthogonal polynomial coefficients in a regression analysis. A comparative analysis utilized the Students’ t-test to assess the slopes of obesity and PA trends. To assess the role of PA in older adults, a total of 1,461 participants, in respective cycles, 2005-2006 and 2017-2018, underwent an Oaxaca-Blinder regression decomposition analysis. This was instrumental in discerning the extent to which changes in obesity from 2005-2006 to 2017-2018 could be attributed to variations in PA. RESULTS: Logistic regression outcomes unveiled a significant negative correlation between PA and obesity in older adults, indicating that higher PA participation can diminish the likelihood of obesity (OR = 0.22, 95%CI = 0.15-0.34, P = 0.00). Intriguingly, the trend in PA closely mirrored that observed in obesity. Remarkably, PA emerged as a contributing factor, accounting for 9% of the observed increase in obesity between 2005 and 2018. CONCLUSION: These findings can inform targeted PA interventions that hold promise in mitigating the pervasive prevalence of obesity among older adults.