High-intensity physical activity was independently associated with lower odds of chronic lung diseases in Chinese adults aged 45 and older, with the association varying by age and sex.
The overall prevalence of chronic lung diseases among middle-aged and older Chinese adults was 18.11%.
High-intensity physical activity was associated with significantly lower odds of chronic lung diseases compared to low-intensity activity.
Subgroup analyses revealed significant interactions by sex and age in the association between physical activity and chronic lung diseases.
The protective association of physical activity with chronic lung diseases was not observed among female participants.
The study recommends promoting regular physical activity, particularly among older adults and middle-aged men, as a public health strategy for respiratory health.
This research suggests that among middle-aged and older adults in China (aged 45 and above), engaging in higher levels of physical activity is linked to a lower likelihood of having chronic lung diseases such as asthma or COPD. Using data from over 8,000 participants in a large national survey conducted in 2020, the researchers found that about 1 in 5 participants had a chronic lung disease, and those who engaged in high-intensity physical activity were about 14% less likely to have a chronic lung disease compared to those with low physical activity levels. The relationship between physical activity and lung disease was not the same for everyone. Men appeared to benefit more noticeably from both moderate and high-intensity physical activity, while the association was not statistically significant in women. Additionally, adults aged 65 and older who were highly active had notably lower odds of chronic lung disease compared to less active peers in the same age group. These differences suggest that the respiratory benefits of staying active may depend on a person's sex and age. Because this study looked at data from a single point in time (a cross-sectional design), it cannot prove that physical activity directly causes a reduction in lung disease risk — it is also possible that people with lung disease are less able to be active. The authors call for future studies that follow people over time to better establish whether the relationship is causal. Still, this research suggests that encouraging regular physical activity, especially among older adults and middle-aged men, could be an important public health strategy for supporting respiratory health in China's aging population.
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Upload Your LabsSu Z, Pu L, Huang R, Zhu Y, Lin Y, He Y, et al.. (2026). Associations between physical activity levels and chronic lung diseases in middle-aged and older adults in China: A CHARLS-based study.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0354445