Chronic diseases have a significant impact on health-related quality of life in middle-aged and older adults, but physical activity can improve health, as can using the internet for health-related purposes, a new study finds.
The report was released Wednesday. BMC Public Health.
The authors say that promoting physical activity and internet use is important to promote healthy behaviors among older adults with chronic diseases.
The research team assessed internet use, physical activity and health status of people with 14 different chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, stroke, dementia and heart disease.
The researchers used data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which included 13,000 Chinese adults aged 45 and over. The average age was nearly 62.
Results suggested that chronic disease severity significantly negatively predicted both physical and mental aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Although chronic illness can impede physical activity, researchers found that some level of physical activity usually benefits at least the physical component summary (PCS) of HRQoL, but not necessarily the mental summary component (MCS).
“Our findings confirm that physical activity partially mediates the relationship between chronic diseases and PCS, while masking the relationship between chronic diseases and MCS,” the authors write.
While physical activity is associated with better health and a lower risk of disease, data reveals that it can also improve quality of life in older adults.
The authors also found that internet use among older adults with chronic diseases mitigates the negative effects of chronic disease on both PCS and physical activity. This may be because the internet enables them to search for medical information about their condition. It may also improve their confidence and cognition in using technology. However, excessive internet use may reduce time spent on physical activity. “Thus, although internet use may reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, it is essential to use the internet in a healthy way, especially to avoid prolonged sedentary behavior,” the authors write.
