Association of Physical Activity Dimensions with Obesity-Related Hypertension Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China

Yin Z, Zhan Y and Liu H

Published on: 2025-12-18

Abstract

Background: The associations between different dimensions of physical activity and the risk of obesity-related hypertension remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to examine the associations between physical activity intensity, frequency, duration, total volume and the risk of obesity-related hypertension.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which included 16,075 participants aged 45 and above.Binary logistic regression models were established to assess the associations between different dimensions of physical activity and the risk of obesity-related hypertension.Restricted cubic spline analysis was employed to examine potential nonlinear dose-response relationships between physical activity volume and the risk of these disorders. Additionally,subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis further validated our results.

Results: A lower risk of hypertension and obesity-related hypertension was generally associated with engaging in higher frequency and longer duration physical activity. In terms of volume, participants in the fourth quartile of total physical activity (TPA) had a 10% lower risk of obesity-related hypertension. Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) analysis showed that the risk of obesity-related hypertension decreased continuously as TPA increased. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses revealed that with the increase of TPA, female participants and older adults aged < 65 years had a lower risk of developing obesity-related hypertension.

Conclusion: Higher frequency and longer duration of both vigorous, moderate and light-intensity physical activity were significantly associated with a lower risk of and obesity-related hypertension. An inverse non-linear dose-response relationship was observed between weekly total physical activity and the risk of these conditions.