Individual Characteristics and Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: People aged 50 years and older are regularly identified as the most sedentary group in the population. However, even within this group, there are considerable interindividual variations in physical activity (PA) levels. They have been the subject of many studies. Based on single studies, no clear picture as to which characteristics are important has emerged. Objective: The goal of our contribution was to identify which individual characteristics are consistently linked to high PA levels in older adults. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature considering demographic characteristics (gender, education, marital status, employment), health (subjective, health problems), and psychological factors (motivation, self-efficacy, locus of control). A systematic search of abstracts in the database Web of Science and a thorough screening process according to a priori specified criteria yielded 63 studies for inclusion in this review. Results: Two psychological factors - motivation and self-efficacy - and the perception of one's health seem to be consistently linked to higher PA levels in older adults. Selected demographic variables - gender and education - may be important for some types of PA. Conclusion: Our review suggests that differentiation of PA by domains is important for identifying and understanding which individual characteristics are associated with PA levels and how. Pinpointing what reliably distinguishes older adults who are active from those who are not is essential for designing effective interventions to promote PA in later life.

Envelhecimento ativo: prevalência e diferenças de gênero e idade em estudo de base populacional

“…The literature has consistently reported higher rates of leisure-time physical activity in men 24,26 , corroborating the current study's findings. The prevalence rates in the current study, both for men and women, are also similar to those seen in Brazil's state capitals (29.4% and 18%, respectively) 23 .…”

Desigualdades sociais na prevalência de indicadores de envelhecimento ativo na população brasileira: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde, 2013

“…Despite the low prevalence, we emphasize that we found no differences between genders, contrary to findings of a systematic review that identified a higher incidence of leisure-time physical activity among men 24 . This study also showed that the adjustment for schooling explained all differences found between black and white people regarding the practice of physical activity.…”

Mudanças na atividade física de lazer, locomoção e tempo de televisão entre homens e mulheres usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde em uma cidade de médio porte: seguimento de 18 meses

“…In a recent review, differences were found in the elderly population between sexes when analyzed according to domains, where intense PA, work-related PA, commuting PA, leisure PA and sports found higher scores among men than among women, while PA at home and in the garden, the highest scores were found among women 30 . These results were attributed to the cultural factor of PA, where older adults continue to perform more traditional PA when separated by sex, and as cohorts grow older, these results may change 28 .…”