Background:

There is no conclusive evidence about the association between physical fitness (PF) and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in older adults.

Aim:

To seek for an association between PF and HRQOL in non-disabled community-dwelling Chilean older adults.

Material and Methods:

One hundred and sixteen subjects participated in the study. PF was assessed using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) and hand grip strength (HGS). HRQOL was assessed using eight dimensions provided by the SF-12v2 questionnaire. Binary multivariate logistic regression models were carried out considering the potential influence of confounder variables.

Results:

Non-adjusted models, indicated that subjects with better performance in arm curl test (ACT) were more likely to score higher on vitality dimension (OR > 1) and those with higher HGS were more likely to score higher on physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality and mental health (OR > 1). The adjusted models consistently showed that ACT and HGS predicted a favorable perception of vitality and mental health dimensions respectively (OR > 1).

Conclusions:

HGS and ACT have a predictive value for certain dimensions of HRQOL.