Determinants of Physical Activity among Rural Elderly in China: an Analysis Based on the Andersen Behavioral Model

Background With rapid population aging in China, promoting physical activity among the rural elderly has become an important public health issue. However, research examining the influence of individual and social environmental factors on physical activity in this population remains limited. This study aims to examine the associations between individual and contextual factors and physical activity among the rural elderly in China. Methods Data from 5,668 respondents were obtained from the 2023 Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey. Guided by the Andersen Behavioral Model, binary logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between individual and contextual factors and physical activity among the rural elderly. Results Physical activity among the rural elderly was associated with both individual and contextual factors. Higher education, being married, undergoing physical examinations, having health insurance, access to fitness facilities, and particularly receiving physical activity guidance were positively associated with participation. In contrast, older age and higher income were negatively associated, while living arrangement, access to outdoor activity spaces, and per capita mass sports expenditure were not significantly associated with physical activity. Conclusions The findings suggest that promoting physical activity among the rural elderly requires greater emphasis on support-oriented measures, particularly physical activity guidance, rather than relying solely on infrastructure investment.