281Physical activity and subsequent frailty incidence among the community-dwelling older adults: results from JAGES ATTACH

Abstract

Abstract Background Previous studies reported that physical activity (PA) could prevent frailty, but the longitudinal evidence between PA volume and frailty is scarce. Additionally, the impact of daily walking time on the risk of frailty is unclear. This study aimed to examination the association of incident frailty with PA volume and daily walking time among Japanese community-dwelling older adults. Methods About 485 participants aged 70–74 years from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study were included in this study. Frailty was assessed at baseline and 3 years later by using the Kaigo-Yobo Checklist. PA was assessed using the short-term International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Logistic regression was performed to calculate relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjusting for potential confounders. Results After 3 years of follow-up, 46 new frailty cases were recorded. The association of frailty incidence with both PA volume and daily walking time presented a U-shaped curve, albeit not statistically significant. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, walking for 0.5–1 h per day displayed a greater association with decreased frailty risk (RR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.12–0.98) than higher levels of daily walking time. We did not observe an association between PA volume and subsequent frailty. Conclusions Walking for 0.5–1 hour/day significantly decreases frailty risk. Incorporating a moderate level of regular walking into the daily lives of older adults may postpone the onset of frailty and improve the ageing process. Further studies are needed to investigate the impact of higher PA levels on frailty risk.