Association between functional disability and mental health among Chinese older adults: Examining the moderating effects of social participation and physical exercise

Abstract Background Functional disability significantly burdens healthcare services, negatively affecting older adults’ social interaction and quality of life. This study aims to identify the association between functional disability and mental health, and examine the moderating effects of social participation and physical exercise on the association. Methods The data were drawn from 2018 wave of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, and ordinary least squares regression model was exploited to explore the association between functional disability and mental health. Results Activity of daily living (ADL) disability negatively predicted mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score. Furthermore, social participation and physical exercise moderated the association between ADL disability and MMSE score. Conclusion The results highlight the importance of social participation and physical exercise for the older adults with ADL disability.