Professor Po-Wen Ku’s Research Featured in the 2026–2027 NCHU R&D Report
Research led by Distinguished Professor Po-Wen Ku of the Graduate Institute of Sports and Health Management, College of Management (CoM), National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), is featured in the 2026–2027 NCHU R&D Report. Included in the report’s Humanities & Social Sciences section, the study highlights CoM’s contributions to international research on physical activity, environmental exposure, and health.
The Taiwan-led multinational collaboration examines whether long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) weakens the association between physical activity and a lower risk of death. It also investigates whether a critical pollution exposure threshold exists at which the health benefits associated with recommended physical activity become substantially weaker.
Working with international partners, including University College London and the University of Sydney, the research team integrated seven cohort datasets from the United Kingdom, Taiwan, China, Denmark, and the United States. Its two-stage design combined a systematic review and meta-analysis of seven large prospective cohort studies, encompassing approximately 1.52 million adults followed for up to a decade, with an individual-level pooled analysis of roughly 870,000 participants.
This approach enabled the team to examine associations across countries and population subgroups, providing evidence on how air quality may influence the protective relationship between physical activity and longevity. The research underscores the importance of considering environmental conditions alongside efforts to encourage active lifestyles.
Published by the Global Academic Affairs Office of NCHU’s Office of Research and Development, the report brings together research achievements and highlights across six major areas. Professor Ku’s inclusion showcases the connections between management-related research, public health, and international collaboration.
Readers are invited to explore the 2026–2027 NCHU R&D Report e-book to learn more about this study and the university’s wider research contributions.