An observational study in Physical Fitness and Aging, sponsored by China Institute of Sport Science. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 60 Years to 79 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-23.
Sponsored by China Institute of Sport Science · Observational
The China Healthy Aging and Fitness Longitudinal Study (CHALF) is a nationwide prospective observational study designed to investigate how physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness are associated with health and aging among older adults in China.
The study plans to recruit approximately 8,960 adults aged 60-79 years from 14 provinces and provincial-level regions across China. Participants will complete questionnaires about their physical activity, exercise habits, lifestyle, nutrition, and health. They will also undergo standardized physical fitness assessments and blood tests.
Participants will be followed over time to track changes in physical fitness and health. Follow-up assessments will examine how physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness are associated with physical function, chronic diseases, and other health outcomes.
The findings will help improve understanding of healthy aging and provide evidence to support physical fitness monitoring and exercise guidance for older adults in China.
The China Healthy Aging and Fitness Longitudinal Study (CHALF) is a nationwide prospective observational cohort study established to investigate longitudinal associations of physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness with health outcomes among older adults in China.
Study Design and Population: The study is conducted within China's national physical fitness surveillance framework and plans to enroll approximately 8,960 community-dwelling adults aged 60-79 years at baseline. Participants will be recruited from 14 provinces and provincial-level regions covering seven major geographical regions of China. The sampling framework considers urban and rural residence, sex, and four five-year age groups (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, and 75-79 years).
Data Collection: Data will be collected through standardized questionnaires, physical fitness assessments, and blood sample collection. Questionnaires will assess sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity across different domains, exercise participation and habits, sedentary behavior, sleep, diet and nutrition, psychological and social health, cognitive function, chronic diseases, medication use, and functional limitations.
Physical fitness assessments will cover anthropometric measurements, body composition, cardiovascular and respiratory function, muscle strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, balance, reaction time, and physical performance. Blood samples will be collected to assess biochemical indicators related to health and aging.
Longitudinal Follow-up: Baseline assessments are scheduled for 2026. Annual follow-up assessments will be conducted from 2027 to 2030, with further longitudinal follow-up planned through 2035. Questionnaires and physical fitness assessments will be repeated annually. Blood samples are scheduled to be collected at baseline and in 2028 and 2030, with subsequent collection depending on the study's implementation.
Research Objectives: The study aims to characterize longitudinal changes in physical activity, exercise, physical fitness, and health; investigate their associations with functional decline, chronic diseases, and other health outcomes; and identify factors associated with the maintenance of physical fitness and healthy aging.
No study-assigned exercise intervention or treatment is involved. All assessments will follow standardized procedures, with centralized data management and quality control across participating study sites.
2,646 studies on the registry are indexed under Motor Activity; 1,205 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 8,960 is above the median of 100 across 318 observational studies indexed under Motor Activity.
Browse Motor Activity studies →This is the only study on the registry with China Institute of Sport Science as lead sponsor.
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The study population consists of community-dwelling adults aged 60-79 years from 14 selected provincial-level regions representing seven major geographical regions of China. A total of 8,960 participants will be recruited, with 640 participants from each provincial-level region. Recruitment will follow predefined quotas stratified by urban or rural residence, sex, and four age groups (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, and 75-79 years). Study sites will be selected with consideration of geographical coverage and feasibility of long-term follow-up.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Community-dwelling adults aged 60-79 years recruited from 14 provincial-level regions across seven geographical regions of China. Participants will be followed prospectively to assess longitudinal changes in physical activity, exercise, physical fitness, and health. Data will be collected through standardized questionnaires, physical fitness assessments, and blood sampling at designated study visits.
All-Cause Mortality
All-cause mortality will be assessed as the proportion of participants who have died from any cause during the follow-up period.
Time frame: Baseline through Year 9 (2026-2035).
Disability-Free Survival Status
Disability-free survival status will be assessed based on participants' vital status and incident ADL disability. The proportion of participants who remain alive and free of ADL disability will be evaluated at annual follow-up visits.
Time frame: Baseline and annually through Year 9 (2026-2035).
Incident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Disability
New onset of ADL disability, defined as requiring assistance or being unable to independently perform at least one basic activity of daily living, among participants without ADL disability at baseline. ADL disability will be assessed using standardized questionnaires at annual follow-up visits.
Time frame: Baseline and annually through Year 4 (2026-2030).
Incident Cardiovascular Disease
Incident cardiovascular disease will be defined as a new self-reported physician diagnosis of coronary heart disease or stroke among participants without either condition at baseline. Disease occurrence will be assessed using standardized questionnaires, including the reported year of first diagnosis.
Time frame: Baseline and annually through Year 4 (2026-2030).
Plan to share: Undecided — The plan for sharing de-identified individual participant data has not yet been determined. Any future data sharing will be subject to institutional approval, applicable data protection regulations, and the scope of participants' informed consent.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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