Balance is key: Exploring the impact of daily self-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviours on the subjective health status of older adults

- Sedentary behaviours and physical activity are connected through leisure time.
- Spending more daily time physically active rather than sedentary parlays benefits.
- Older adults who are more active report better general and mental self-rated health.
- Older adults who are less active are more likely to have physical limitations.
- Balancing sedentary and physical activities is key for developing future guidelines.

Research has identified physical activity and sedentary behaviours as independent predictors of successful aging; however, few studies have explored interactions between these constructs in relation to older adult health. The present study utilized data from the General Social Survey (Cycle 24) to calculate proportion of time engaging in sedentary and physically active behaviours during waking hours, and examined its impact on self-rated health and physical health limitations (e.g., difficulty walking) in older adults (N = 3557; ≥ 65 years). Results suggest this proportion has a significant impact on three health measures; as proportion of daily minutes becomes more physically active or less sedentary, the better one's health status tends to be. Specifically, the proportion was positively associated with self-rated general health (ORPoor-Excellent = 17.57; p < 0.05) and self-rated mental health (ORPoor-Excellent = 4.68; p < 0.05). Reporting health limitations was less likely to occur with increases in the proportion (OR = 0.30; p < 0.05). These findings suggest the need for further examining daily time-balances between physical activity and sedentary behaviours in order to create a comprehensive health profile for older adults.