The Relationship Between Sleep Duration and Physical Activity in Older Adults

Purpose: To explore the relationship between sleep duration and physical activity to provide a scientific basis for promoting a healthy lifestyle. Method: In total, 1,249 older adults (565 men, 684 women) were recruited from the first survey of the 2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. All participants were assessed for sleep duration, physical activity levels, and grip strength. Results: For men and women, moderate-intensity physical activity ( p < .001), vigorous-intensity physical activity (male, p = .004; female, p = .029), moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) (both p < .001), right grip strength (male, p = .044; female, p = .005), and left grip strength (male, p = .039; female, p = .017) were significantly higher among participants with ≥8 hours of sleep per day than among those with <8 hours. In the unadjusted model, compared with older adults who did not achieve the recommended sleep duration, those who did were more likely to exhibit greater durations of MVPA (odds ratio [OR] = 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.011, 1.024]), vigorous-intensity physical activity (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.007, 1.072]), and moderate-intensity physical activity (OR = 1.02, 95% CI [1.010, 1.023], p < .001). Sleep duration was positively correlated with MVPA ( r = .177, p < .001). Conclusion: Findings provide robust evidence that older adults who meet the recommended 8 hours of sleep duration have higher ORs for MVPA time compared to those who do not meet the recommended sleep duration.