Physical activity among older adults with multimorbidity: Evidence from a population-based health survey

Introduction: The promotion of physical activity has been recognized as an important component in the management and prevention of multimorbidity, a condition that is increasing prevalent worldwide, including in Brazil. However, there is a scarcity of studies exploring the disparity in physical activity levels between individuals with and without multimorbidity. Therefore, the study aimed to estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity and physical activity among older adults, as well as analyze the relationship of a sufficient level of physical activity and multimorbidity, while considering sociodemographic characteristics of residents in São Paulo, Brazil. Materials and methods: Data from 1.019 participants aged 60 years or older (59.7% female; mean age 69.7±7.7) were collected from the Health Survey (ISA-Capital, 2015) conducted in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. We defined multimorbidity as the presence of two or more chronic conditions, and for physical activity, classified a sufficient level (≥150 min/week). Prevalence Ratios (PR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) were estimated using univariate and multivariate Poisson regression to examine the relationship between multimorbidity and sufficient level of physical activity. Results: 67.7% of the participants lived with multimorbidity, while 30.1% had achieved a sufficient level of physical activity. There was a higher prevalence of sufficient level of physical activity among older adults with two (PR = 1.38; 95%CI 1.02–1.88) and four (PR = 1.37; 95%CI 1.00–1.87) chronic conditions. Older adults with multimorbidity who were 70 years or older (PR = 1.77; 95%IC 1.13–2.77), female (PR = 1.65; 95%CI 1.16–2.36), without a partner (PR = 1.43; 95%IC 1.03–1.99), and had a per capita income of 1 to 2.5 (PR = 1.83; 95%IC 1.00–3.33) were more likely to achieve a sufficient level of physical activity compared to their peers without multimorbidity. Conclusions: The study highlights sociodemographic disparities in the sufficient level of physical activity among multimorbidity, suggesting the importance of considering these factors when planning public policies aimed at promoting physical activity.