This study analyzed data from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), involving 6,506 older adults, to explore the association between intrinsic capacity (IC) and multiple dimensions of quality of life, including self-rated health, social participation, and life satisfaction. Among the participants, 30.2% reported poor self-rated health, 50.1% lacked social participation, and 7.7% expressed dissatisfaction with life. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors including demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and health status, each 1-point increase in intrinsic capacity was associated with a 29.5% reduction in the risk of poor self-rated health, a 17.0% reduction in the risk of lack of social participation, and a 30.8% reduction in the risk of life dissatisfaction, indicating that IC is an independent protective factor against these adverse outcomes. Non-linear associations were observed between intrinsic capacity and self-rated health as well as life satisfaction, with more prominent benefits when the total intrinsic capacity score exceeded 7.5, whereas the association with social participation was linear. These findings demonstrate that intrinsic capacity is closely linked to quality of life in older Chinese adults, and improving intrinsic capacity may serve as an effective strategy to promote their overall well-being.

Tuonan Liu, Kena Liu, Songyang Wang, Jie Yao. A Study on the Relationship between Intrinsic Capacity and Quality of Life among Chinese Older Adults: Based on CHARLS Data. Academic Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences (2026), Vol. 7, Issue 2: 19-26. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJMHS.2026.070204.

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