Physical Activity, Metabolic Syndrome, And Quality Of Life In Older Korean Adults With Physical Disabilities

PURPOSE: To investigate the interaction effect of physical activity (PA) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in older Korean adults with physical disability. METHODS: This preliminary study included 88 Korean adults (48 men and 40 women) aged 65 and older with physical disabilities who participated in the 2005 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), resting blood pressure, blood lipids, and fasting glucose were included as parameters. The National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III definition with a modified cutoff of WC (≥90 cm for men and ≥ 85 cm for women) was used to assess the presence of MetS. PA was assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. HRQL was assessed with the EuroQoL-5 dimension instrument (EQ-5D). Two-way ANCOVA was used to test the interaction effect of PA and MetS on HRQL while controlling for other parameters at p = .05 (SPSS-PC, version 27.0). RESULTS: Men were younger (63.3 ± 6.3 vs. 65.2 ± 8.66 years, p < .001) but heavier (64.5 ± 9.5 vs. 55.0 ± 8.3 kg, p < .001) and had a higher EQ-5D (66.3 ± 16.2 vs. 54.4 ± 16.1, p = .036) than women, with no significant gender differences in other parameters. There was a significant PA (insufficient vs. sufficient) by MetS (absence vs. presence) interaction on HRQL (F = 6.974, p = .010), which meant that the positive effect of PA on HRQL was only seen in those who had Mets. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings of the study suggest that regular PA may be especially beneficial for people suffering from the negative effects of MetS on their HRQL. This study was supported by Research Grant (Grant No. KSSO201901) from Korean Society for the Study of Obesity.