Differences in the Levels of Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life of Elderly Koreans with Activity-Limiting Disabilities

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the differences in physical activity, mental health, and quality of life between the elderly without activity-limiting disabilities and in elderly with activity-limiting disabilities, stratified by medical category. Methods: A total of 1504 elders aged 65–80 who responded to the 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were the participants in this study. They were divided into two groups, 303 elders with disabilities who responded to the survey saying they have active limiting disabilities, and 1201 elders without disabilities. The questionnaire reflected the criteria of a survey developed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to measure the physical activity of elders. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) were used to measure participants’ mental health and quality of life, respectively. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for age, sex, marital status, notional basic livelihood, recipient status, and personal income was conducted for data analysis after the normal distribution was confirmed. Results: Significant differences between elders with disabilities and those without disabilities were seen in terms of physical activity levels (p < 0.01), stress, and depression (p < 0.001), and in all five domains measuring the quality of life (p < 0.05). The ANCOVA revealed significant differences in motor ability (p < 0.01) and pain/discomfort (p < 0.05) relating to the quality of life among the elders with activity-limiting disability depending on the medical category. Conclusions: The results could provide basic data regarding the degree of physical activity, mental health, and quality of life according to activity-limitation disability status and medical category. From the findings, elders with disabilities are clearly more exposed to risk in the areas of physical activity, mental health, and quality of life. Differences in quality of life among elderly with disabilities were also seen based on medical category. Our findings suggest that research into elders with disabilities should consider the implications of these results.