Abstract: Objective To investigate the prevalence of meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines and its association with major chronic diseases in the population of South China. Methods This study utilized baseline data (2018-2020) from the South China Cohort (SCC). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to assess PA levels. The presence of major chronic diseases was determined through self-reported medical history, medication use, and biochemical indicators. A multivariate logistic regression model was employed to analyze the association between physical activity and the prevalence of major chronic diseases. Results A total of 68 247 participants aged 25-89 years were included in the analysis. After adjusting for age and sex, the prevalence of meeting the moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) guidelines was 22.4% (95% CI: 21.7%-23.2%), and the prevalence of achieving the total metabolic equivalent (MET) recommendation was 71.4% (95% CI: 70.6%-72.2%). Higher rates of meeting MVPA guidelines were observed among middle-aged and older adults and individuals of Zhuang ethnicity, whereas lower rates were found among young adults and smokers. The logistic regression model indicated that meeting MVPA guidelines was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of obesity (OR: 0.82-1.00), diabetes (OR: 0.76-0.94), hypertension (OR: 0.85-0.98), and dyslipidemia (OR: 0.80-0.90). Conclusion The prevalence of meeting physical activity guidelines in the South China population is comparable to the national average, and adherence to these guidelines is associated with a protective effect against major chronic diseases. Targeted interventions are necessary to promote physical activity of varying intensities to further improve the health status of this population.

Key words: Physical activity, Chronic disease, Obesity, Diabetes mellitus, Hypertension