Do changes in the frailty score differ by the type of group sports and exercises participated in? A 3-year longitudinal study

Older adults who engage in group sports and exercises achieve greater health benefits than those who exercise by themselves. The benefits of group participation may vary depending on the type of sports/exercise they engage in. The present study aimed to identify the association between specific sports and exercise types performed in groups and evaluate the longitudinal changes in multidimensional frailty scores among community-dwelling older adults in Japan. We used 3-year follow-up data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study and analyzed 33,746 men and 36,799 women aged ≥ 65 years. To elucidate the relationship between participation in 20 types of group sports/exercises in 2016 (baseline) and the change in frailty score (using the Kihon Checklist, KCL) from 2016 to 2019, we performed linear regression analyses through multivariate adjustments for age group, self-rated health, marital status, living alone, occupational status, years of education, alcohol drinking status, smoking status, equivalent income, and disease status using an inverse probability weighting method. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean change in KCL scores over 3 years was + 0.62 and + 0.61 points in men and women, respectively, implying the degree of frailty worsened. The sports/exercise types that significantly prevented increments in KCL scores for both sexes compared to non-participants were hiking (men: B, − 0.36; women: B, − 0.29), walking (men: B, − 0.26; women: B, − 0.24), tennis (men: B, − 0.23; women: B, − 0.24), ground golf (men: B, − 0.21; women: B, − 0.19), and weight exercises (men: B, − 0.19; women: B, − 0.16). Participation in specific sports and exercise groups offer significant physical and psychological benefits for frailty prevention among older adults in Japan. The results of this study may offer substantive evidence to encourage older adults to participate in group activities for the prevention of multidimensional frailty. It will also help public health stakeholders to decide which type of sports and exercise groups to promote in a community.