Reducing mortality risk in older adults by replacing sedentary behavior with leisure-time physical activity: insights from a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background Physical activity (PA) has many health benefits. However, more research is needed to understand its effects on mortality risk in older adults. Objective To verify the hypothetical effects of replacing sedentary behavior (SB) and PA domains on the risk of mortality in the older adults. Methods A population-based prospective cohort study was conducted using exploratory survey methods, involving 332 participants of both sexes aged ≥ 60 years monitored over five years. PA and SB were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, with the domains assessed including leisure, occupational, transport, and domestic. Isotemporal replacement modeling was applied to examine the hypothesized effects of replacing the PA and SB domains on mortality risk, using Cox proportional hazards regression with Hazard Ratio estimates and 95 % confidence intervals. Results At all time points tested in the model, replacing SB exposure time with leisure-time PA proved to be protective against mortality risk, while the opposite substitution of leisure-time PA with SB was associated with higher mortality risk among participants. Conclusion This study suggests implementing strategies, highlighting the importance of promoting leisure activities among the older adult population.