Abstract: Objective To investigate the functional fitness in the elderly with multimorbidity, and to analyze the relationship between functional fitness and the occurrence of multimorbidity. Methods From March to June 2020, 432 elderly people in community were enrolled and received the screening of multimorbidity through the multimorbidity questionnaire and the fitness test including 2-minute step, 30 s chair stand, 30 s arm curl, back scratch, chair sit-and-reach, timed up and go test (TUGT) and body mass index (BMI). Results Compared with the elderly without multimorbidity, the elderly with multimorbidity had less repeated times in 2-minute step, 30 s arm curl and 30 s chair stand (P<0.05), and longer time in TUGT (P=0.007). With the increase of the number of chronic diseases, the results of 2-minute step and 30 s chair stand test showed a downward trend (P<0.05), while BMI and TUGT time showed an upward trend (P=0.038, 0.024). Logistic regression analysis showed that, in addition to age and economic source, 30 s arm curl times and BMI were the risk factors of multimorbidity (P<0.05). Conclusions The levels of aerobic capacity, muscle strength and motor agility/dynamic balance in the elderly patients with multimorbidity are lower than those without multimorbidityy. Age, economic source, obesity and upper limb strength show influence on the incidence of multimorbidity in the elderly.

Key words: multimorbidity, physical function, aged, physical fitness