Factors associated with intrinsic capacity impairment among older adults in china: a national cross-sectional survey

The impairment of intrinsic capacity (IC) among older adults is a significant global health challenge, impacting their well-being and quality of life. Despite global efforts to promote healthy aging, research on the prevalence of IC impairment in the Chinese population remains limited. This study aims to examine the prevalence of IC impairment among Chinese older adults and to explore the associations between sociodemographic, health status, and lifestyle factors with IC impairment. This study utilized data from the China Health and Aging Tracking Survey (CHARLS) 2020. IC was assessed across five domains in line with WHO guidelines: cognition, locomotion, vitality, sensory, and psychological. Associations between IC impairment and sociodemographic, health status, and lifestyle factors were analyzed using chi-square tests. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with IC impairment. Among 6,941 respondents aged 60 years and above, 83.8% reported IC impairment. Cognitive impairment was predominant (71.8%), followed by psychological (40.4%), locomotion (19.8%), vitality (17.2%), and sensory impairments (8.9%). Binary logistic regression revealed that older age (OR = 2.875, 95% CI: 1.662–4.974), unmarried/divorced/widowed status (OR = 1.494, 95% CI: 1.210–1.846), rural residence (OR = 1.827, 95% CI: 1.551–2.153), presence of multiple chronic diseases (OR = 1.412, 95% CI: 1.120–1.779) and regular physical pain (OR = 1.776, 95% CI: 1.364–2.312) were associated with increased odds of IC impairment. Conversely, higher education (OR = 0.485, 95% CI: 0.306–0.771), pension insurance (OR = 0.717, 95% CI: 0.565–0.910), good self-rated health (OR = 0.448, 95% CI: 0.348–0.577), positive life expectancy (OR = 0.588, 95% CI: 0.486–0.710), social participation (OR = 0.711, 95% CI: 0.618–0.818), adequate sleep (OR = 0.835, 95% CI: 0.722–0.967), and internet access (OR = 0.580, 95% CI: 0.495–0.680)were linked to lower odds of IC impairment. The study reveals a considerable prevalence of IC impairment among older adults in China, with cognitive impairment being particularly prominent. Our study identifies key factors associated with IC impairment, including sociodemographic, health status, and lifestyle factors. These findings emphasize the need for targeted public health strategies that address these modifiable factors to strengthen IC and improve the quality of aging.