The Positive Effect of Physical Activity on Health and Health-related Quality of Life in Elderly Korean People—Evidence from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND: The proportion of elderly people in the population is growing, and Korea has one of the fastest growing populations among the world’s major regions. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of physical activity on the health and quality of life of elderly Korean people. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of 2,853 elderly Korean people (1,239 males and 1,614 females) aged more than 65 years was evaluated to determine whether they met guidelines for vigorous PA (VPA), moderate PA (MPA), and low PA (LPA) and how those results were associated with self-rated health (SRH) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of males and females who reported very good SRH significantly decreased with VPA (males: AOR = 0.42, females: AOR = 0.44), MPA (males: AOR = 0.46, females: AOR = 0.48), and LPA (males: AOR = 0.44, females: AOR = 0.32). Subjects who met the guidelines for VPA (males: AOR = 0.40, females: AOR = 0.43), MPA (males: AOR = 0.49, females: AOR = 0.45), and LPA (males: AOR = 0.33, females: AOR = 0.39) and reported no problems with their HRQoL showed significantly decreased AORs compared with subjects who reported HRQoL problems. CONCLUSION: Elderly Korean people were fairly inactive, but participation in vigorous, moderate, or low PA was positively associated with SRH and HRQoL.