Association between physical activity and dynapenia in older adults with COPD: a nationwide survey

We aimed to examine the association between physical activity (PA) level and dynapenia in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and whether it varied with sex and obesity status. The current cross-sectional study included total of 1033 community-dwelling participants with COPD aged 65–79 from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In the multivariable model, high and moderate PA levels were significantly associated with lower odds of dynapenia than low PA levels (high PA level: odds ratio [OR] = 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.09–0.74; moderate PA level: OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.35–0.87). This inverse association was observed only in males with COPD (high PA level: OR = 0.17, CI = 0.04–0.65; moderate PA level: OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.27–0.88) and the normal-weight group (18.5 ≤ body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m²; high PA level: OR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.05–0.88; moderate PA level: OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.27–0.86). In older community-dwelling patients with COPD, a negative dose-dependent relationship exists between PA level and dynapenia. The independent associations between PA level and dynapenia was significant in men and in participants with normal weight.