Physical Activity and Related Factors Among Nursing Home Residents

Abstract

The results suggest that living conditions and factors related to health and functional capacity affect the level of physical activity among nursing home residents. In order to encourage this population to be physically active, attention should be paid not only to physical exercise but also to associated factors, such as satisfaction with everyday life and health.

Barriers to Physical Activity and Restorative Care for Residents in Long-Term Care: A Review of the Literature

“…This review indicates that barriers operate at multiple levels. Thus, socioecological frameworks, which emphasize the importance of examining factors and their interconnections at multiple levels of a system (e.g., individual, organizational, policy; Richard et al, 1996;Sallis et al, 2006) would be useful to guide future research on how barriers intersect and how they can be addressed through multiple-intervention programs. The consistent use of a typology of resident, organizational, environmental, and other barriers to the promotion of physical activity in LTC would help to inform the development of costeffective and sustainable approaches to physical activity enhancement in these settings.…”

“…The importance of examining factors and their interconnections across system levels when using socioecological models has been stressed by a number of authors Richard et al, 1996;Sallis & Owen, 1997;Sallis et al, 2006). Most of the literature reviewed lacked a description of barriers at multiple levels, suggesting the absence of an underlying socioecological model to guide variable selection.…”

“…Socioecological models suggest that barriers must be understood not only at the individual level, but also at other system levels (i.e., organizational, public policy, environmental; Richard, Potvin, Kishchuk, Prlic, & Green, 1996;Sallis & Owen, 1997;Sallis et al, 2006). No previous reviews of the literature related to the barriers to physical activity or restorative care were found.…”

“…Evidence indicates that physical activity can help improve these conditions and reduce related outcomes such as falls (Cameron et al, 2010;de Carvalho Bastone & Filho, 2004;Dechamps et al, 2010;Ouslander et al, 2005;Simmons, Ferrell, & Schnelle, 2002;Williams & Tappen, 2008). However, low physical activity levels among residents living in long-term care (LTC) have been described (Bates-Jensen et al, 2004;Egerton & Brauer, 2009;Ruuskanen & Parkatti, 1994). Low levels of physical activity suggest the existence of important underlying barriers to physical activity and restorative care programs in LTC settings.…”

Impoverished environment, cognition, aging and dementia

“…A nursing home can refl ect a passive environment; in one study, more than 30 % of the residents reported a decrease in physical activity during their stay in a nursing home, despite their largely positive attitude towards physical exercise (Ruuskanen and Parkatti , 1994 ). As a result, ambulatory residents sit down for long periods (MacRae et al , 1996 ) and they spend daily only 137 min upright, including 94 min standing and 43 min walking (Egerton and Brauer , 2009 ).…”