Abstract / Description
Intrinsic capacity (IC), a composite measure of physical and mental capacities, reflects the functional manifestations of biological aging, yet large-scale population evidence on how IC varies throughout adulthood outside Western settings remains limited. Using data from 17,086 Chinese adults aged 25-89 years in the nationally representative PENG ZU cohort, we characterized age-related variation in IC and its associated factors. IC was assessed across five domains (locomotion, cognition, vitality, psychological, sensory) using self-reported data and physical performance tests. A composite IC score was generated using weighted domain scores and standardized to a 0-100 range. IC levels declined progressively with age, with a sharper decrease and greater variability observed after age 60 in both sexes. The mean IC score was 67.8 (SD = 14) for participants aged