Association Between Healthy Lifestyle Habits and Intrinsic Capacity Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Singapore

BACKGROUND: Intrinsic capacity (IC) is the composite of an individual's physical and mental capacities. While lifestyle factors influence health outcomes, their combined association with IC remains understudied. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between a Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS) and intrinsic capacity in older adults in Singapore. METHODS: Data from a population-based sample of older adults aged ≥60 years in the Queenstown district of Singapore was analysed. The HLS (range 0-5) included smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, sleep quality, and BMI (Asian cut-offs). IC was measured using the WHO ICOPE framework and defined as the presence of one or more deficits. RESULTS: A total of 1644 participants were included (mean age 72.1 years, 56.4% women). IC deficits were present in 50.9% of the cohort. Based on HLS, 29.9% were classified as unhealthy (0-2), 41.4% intermediate (3), and 28.6% healthy (4-5). HLS category was significantly associated with IC deficits (p = 0.004). Among participants with healthy lifestyles, 55.6% had no IC deficits, compared to 47.0% in the intermediate and 45.9% in the unhealthy groups. Only 13.9% met recommended physical activity levels; 58.3% had an unhealthy BMI, 20.0% consumed alcohol, 8.1% were smokers, and 31.7% reported insufficient sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Healthier lifestyle profiles are significantly associated with fewer IC deficits. These findings underscore the importance of promoting modifiable health behaviours to preserve intrinsic capacity and support healthy ageing.