Associations between physical activity patterns and quality of life among hypertensive older adults: a logistic and principal component analysis
Abstract
Background: Physical activity is essential for maintaining health and quality of life, especially among older adults living with hypertension. This study aimed to examine how different types of physical activity relate to quality of life among older adults with hypertension and to identify underlying patterns of activity.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among older adults with hypertension who completed the ten-item QPAR and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires (n = 131). Logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between each QPAR item and four QoL domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental). Variables with p < 0.2 in univariate analysis were included in adjusted models. PCA with varimax rotation was performed to identify latent components of physical activity, and the resulting component scores were correlated with QoL domains.
Results: In the adjusted logistic regression model, moderate and light forms of physical activity were associated with better quality of life in the crude analyses, whereas vigorous activity was associated with poorer physical QoL (p = 0.002). After adjustment for sex and education and correction for multiple testing, total physical activity remained significantly associated only with the social QoL domain (aOR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22).Principal component analysis identified three underlying patterns of physical activity explaining 64.3% of the total variance: (1) mobility and independence-related activities, (2) moderate-intensity daily activities, and (3) light or socially engaging activities. Among these, the socially engaging and outdoor activities pattern showed the strongest positive correlation with physical quality of life (r = 0.43), followed by social (r = 0.31) and psychological (r = 0.27) domains.
Conclusion: Physical activity was associated with quality of life primarily through socially engaging and independence-related activities rather than vigorous exercise. These findings highlight the importance of sustainable, socially embedded forms of activity for hypertensive older adults.