Association between non-communicable diseases and physical activity level in older adults visiting primary health care centers in Jizan, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between the number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and physical activity (PA) in older adults visiting primary healthcare centers (PHCCs) in Jizan, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on men and women aged ≥60 who visited PHCCs, Jizan City between June and September 2021. Eleven self-reported NCDs were identified and summed to produce a single score, and PA scores were calculated based on the self-reported PA Scale for the Elderly (PASE). Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association between the number of NCDs and PA in the included population. RESULTS: In total, 94 participants were included in this study. Of these, 62 were men, and 32 were women. The mean age was 67.29±6.58 years, and the mean PASE score was 53.67±29.72. A significant negative association was found between the number of NCDs and PA, even after a fully adjusted analysis. CONCLUSION: This study found a significant inverse association between the number of NCDs and PA in older adults. In addition, age was associated with lower PA, even among older adults. PA should be recommended to older adults to prevent or reduce the number of NCDs. Future research should focus on examining cause-and-effect associations at a national level.