Dynapenic abdominal obesity and incident functional disability: Results from a nationwide longitudinal study of middle-aged and older adults in China

•Evidence regarding the relationship between dynapenic abdominal obesity and functional disability is rare.•Dynapenic abdominal obesity was associated with an increased risk of functional disability.•Interventions targeting dynapenic abdominal obesity may be effective in preventing functional disability. There is little epidemiological evidence on the relationship of dynapenic abdominal obesity (DAO) and the development of functional disability, particularly in Asian populations. We aimed to investigate the association of DAO with new-onset functional disability in Chinese adults. A total of 7881 participants aged ≥45 years from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011 and 2015 were included in the study. Dynapenia and abdominal obesity were respectively defined based on handgrip strength (