Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Sep 12;41(1):42.
doi: 10.1186/s41043-022-00323-9.

A combination of moderate and vigorous physical activities reduces the burden of multimorbidity: findings from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India

Sasmita Behera  1 , Jalandhar Pradhan  2
Affiliations

A combination of moderate and vigorous physical activities reduces the burden of multimorbidity: findings from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India

Sasmita Behera et al. J Health Popul Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Physical inactivity is a significant factor contributing to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The objective of this study is to examine the association between physical activity and multimorbidity among Indian adults aged 45 years and above by residence.

Methods: Data from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) 2017-2018, wave 1, a nationally representative study, are used to examine the above objective. A total of 59,073 adults aged 45 years and above are enlisted in the study. Physical activities and other demographic and socioeconomic variables have been used to describe the distribution of multimorbidity and investigate their relationship. Logistic regression is employed to examine the adjusted impact of physical activity on multimorbidity among Indian adults (45 + years) by residence.

Results: The level of physical activity is inversely related to the prevalence of multimorbidity in India. The rate of multimorbidity ranges from 4 to 12% among moderately active individuals in rural areas, whereas it ranges from 9 to 34% in urban areas across the age groups of 45 to 75+ years. Notably, the individuals who engage in both moderate and vigorous activities have a lower prevalence of multimorbidity than those who engage in only moderate activities.

Conclusion: Our study shows that physical inactivity has an association with the rise in multimorbidity in both rural and urban areas; however, the intensity of multimorbidity is higher in urban areas. The policymakers should consider the influence of moderate and vigorous physical activity as a key prevention measure of non-communicable disease and multimorbidity.

Keywords: India; Multimorbidity; Physical inactivity; Prevalence; Socioeconomic status.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The status of physical activity and multimorbidity by residence
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Age standardise prevalence of multimorbidity among physically active and inactive population by residence
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. World Health Organisation. Non-communicable diseases [fact sheet]. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases (2021).
    1. World Health Organization. WHO report on non-communicable diseases country profiles 2018, Geneva. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241514620 (2018).
    1. World Health Organisation. Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable disease 2013–2020. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241506236 (2013).
    1. Andrade-Lima A, Werneck AO, Szwarcwald CL, Schuch FB, Stubbs B, Bastos AA, Silva DR. The role of physical activity in the association between multimorbidity and depressive symptoms: data from 60,202 adults from the Brazilian National Health Survey. J Psychosom Res. 2020;134:110122. - PubMed
    1. Booth FW, Roberts CK, Laye MJ. Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Compr Physiol. 2012;2(2):1143. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources