Specific types of sports and exercise group participation and socio-psychological health in older people

Abstract

Older people who engage in sports and exercise in a group render greater benefits for sociopsychological aspects compared to exercising alone. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of specific types of sports and exercise groups and the association with self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and frequency of laughter among community-dwelling older people. We used cross-sectional data from the 2016 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study and analysed 63,465 males and 68,497 females aged ≥65 years. The top three most popular types among males were golf (11.3%), walking (8.4%), and ground golf (6.3%). Among females, the top three were fitness exercises (13.8%), walking (8.3%), and weight exercises (6.2%). After adjusting for potential confounders, engaging in golf with a group was significantly related with excellent self-rated health (prevalence ratio, PR, 1.31 in male and 1.78 in female), low depressive symptoms (PR, 0.70 and 0.71), and a high frequency of laughter (PR, 1.12 and 1.13). Among females, walking displayed a significant relationship with all three characteristics (PR, 1.23, 0.79, and 1.06, respectively). Golf in older males and walking in older females might be the first choice for an effective programme to spread sports and exercise groups within the older Japanese community.

Social Capital as a Mediator in the Link between Women’s Participation in Team Sports and Health-Related Outcomes

“…Our results are aligned with two other studies that suggested that older women who participated in a walking group had higher SRH statuses compared to women who walked on their own [66,67]. In an additional study, engagement in group sports activities (specifically golf and walking) was significantly related to excellent selfrated health [68]. In a further study, Russell and Chase (2019) found that participation in social activities was inversely associated with sedentary behavior and multiple dimensions of health statuses [69].…”

“…This finding is in line with Doré et al [74], who found that team sport and informal group participation in physical activity was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. In contrast, a massive body of literature suggests negative associations between participation in team or group sports and depressive symptoms [68,75,76].…”

The Smiles of Older People through Recreational Activities: Relationship between Smiles and Joy

“…Based on previous studies, older populations, especially in rural areas, have difficulties interacting with others, which can negatively affect their health and increase depression and feelings of social isolation [20,26,27]. As smiling is an essential factor for the improvement of QOL, future studies should clarify the relationships between smiles and recreational activities, such as community activities that aim to keep older people active and motivated to live healthily [28]. The clarification of the quality of smiles in each community activity could justify the need for increased and improved recreational activities to enhance the QOL of older people.…”

Knowledge and Attitudes Among Preschools Staff in Shanghai, China, Regarding Epilepsy

“…A total of 60.9% of staff members in this survey thought that it is necessary to restrict the activity of children with epilepsy. Another survey indicated that attitudes towards the participation of children with epilepsy in physical activities are particularly negative, as such children have often been advised against participating in sports and exercise out of fear, over protection, and ignorance [29]. Having a better attitude towards epilepsy may be related to exposure, as staff who had acquaintances who had experienced seizures were most likely to demonstrate a positive attitude towards individuals with epilepsy [20].…”