Comparing Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy at Different Levels of Physical Activity

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a determinant of health which has been shown to impact both morbidity and mortality. This study compares quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) according to different levels of physical activity. METHODS: This study estimated health-related quality of life from the 2001-2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and then applied these estimates to the life tables to calculate QALE for individuals who engaged in 4 categories of physical activity-vigorous, moderate only, leisure-time only, and inactive. RESULTS: The QALE at 18 years old was 58.4, 54.0, 54.2, and 47.0 years for individuals who reported vigorous activity, moderate activity, leisure-time activity, and inactivity, respectively. The QALE for inactive white females was 9.2 years less than the QALE for white females who engaged in some physical activity, the most among the 4 sex-by-race groups; this was followed by white males (7.8 years), Black females (6.7 years), and Black males (6.0 years). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the incremental improvement of individuals' life expectancy and QALE with increases in physical activity. These findings could be of assistance to clinicians in motivating patients to become more active and public health officials and policymakers evaluating intervention programs designed to promote physical activity.