Initial psychometric properties of the national entitlement scale and its association with social dominance orientation and psychological sense of global community.

China stands at the epicenter of a seismic demographic shift: global population aging. With projections indicating that the population aged 65 and older will soon surpass 400 million, the strain on public health infrastructure is becoming unprecedented []. Yet, extended longevity brings with it a parallel rise in neuropsychiatric multimorbidity, most notably the dual burden of cognitive impairment and late-life depression. China currently shoulders roughly 25% of the global dementia burden [, ], and depressive symptoms plague nearly one-fifth of its elderly citizens, severely eroding their functionality and quality of life [, ]. Far from being isolated issues, these conditions often feed into one another, creating a cycle that accelerates functional decline and deepens dependency []. Given that pharmacological solutions remain limited and the economic weight of long-term care continues to mount, the search for modifiable lifestyle factors that can fortify cognitive and mental resilience is not only important but has also become an urgent global imperative []. Physical activity (PA) has long been recognized as a cornerstone non-pharmacological strategy for fostering healthy aging. A wealth of epidemiological data, supported by robust meta-analyses, consistently underscores the shield that regular PA provides against both depressive symptoms and cognitive decline [–]. From a biological perspective, these benefits are thought to stem from enhanced neuroplasticity, which is driven by the upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, as well as reduced systemic inflammation and improved cerebral vascular function [, ]. In line with this evidence base, the World Health Organization has largely prioritized the accumulation of absolute volume, recommending a baseline of 150 min of moderate-intensity activity (MPA) weekly to curb chronic disease risks []. As a result, the scholarly landscape has been dominated by studies examining the dose-response relationship between total PA volume and health outcomes, yielding a consensus that “more is generally better” []. However, traditional metrics like total duration or energy expenditure (METs) obscure a critical dimension: the intensity composition. Because these absolute metrics treat different activity patterns with identical energy expenditure equally, they fail to isolate the specific effects of physical effort. The primary strength of using the moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) proportion is its ability to mathematically uncouple the intensity of activity from total volume. When total volume is held constant, it remains an open question how the relative balance between MVPA and light-intensity PA (LPA) shapes neuropsychiatric outcomes. Recent insights derived from compositional data analysis posit that the structure of daily activity may be just as strongly linked to health as the absolute amount [–]. Although existing literature suggests that vigorous-intensity PA (VPA) confers superior benefits for mortality reduction compared to moderate intensity [, ], its specific implications for preserving mental and cognitive resilience in older adults remain far less distinct.