Stay active for life: physical activity across life stages

Abstract

PurposeThis paper concerns participation of Poles aged 15+ years in leisure time and transport-related physical activity (PA) with a special focus on the life stages. The purpose of the paper was to analyze types of exercises, current and future behavior concerning PA, availability of sport and recreation facilities, and factors having the strongest relation with undertaking PA at a sufficient level according to pro-health recommendations of World Health Organization (WHO).Patients and methodsA survey was carried out on the representative sample (n=2,000). Respondents were classified in accordance to their life stages with a two-step cluster analysis. Relationships between meeting the dose of PA required for health recommendations and a membership in groups of life stages were evaluated using log-linear analysis. The strength of this relationship was expressed by the odds ratio. In order to capture relationships between meeting WHO recommendations and a set of explanatory variables, a predictive model was built.ResultsLife stages and various related events have a significant relation with a decrease of PA. Among groups of a particular risk, there are professionally active and unemployed people aged 50–64 years without children as well as retirees aged 65+ years who do not meet WHO recommendations (45.3; 50.4% and 47.6%). The unemployed and retirees more frequently (p<0.0001) do not or cannot practice sport and do not think that a change of their situation is expected soon. However, 35% of professionally active people aged 50–64 years without children and 18.2% of unemployed people declare that they are currently not active but if they had the possibility, they would start practicing sport.ConclusionCampaigns promoting PA should be targeted at groups of a particular risk. Any attempts of increasing PA or changing tendencies of its decrease should consider life conditions of these persons, as well as their needs, motivations, and barriers.

Leisure-Time Physical Activity Participation Trends 2014–2018: A Cross-Sectional Study in Poland

“…As a comparison, persons aged 50-59 have the least chance of achieving such a level. Admittedly, modern reports more often show trends of a decrease of LTPA in even older age groups [57][58][59], but the studies by Biernat and Piątkowska [60] show that the problem of inactivity starts at the age of 50 years. This concerns especially those who have no parental responsibilities and can have time for themselves.…”

“…This concerns especially those who have no parental responsibilities and can have time for themselves. WHO recommendations are not met by as much as 46.1% of professionally active and 50.3% unemployed Poles aged 50-64 without children aged below 18 [60]. This indicates the necessity of focusing in local corrective programs on this period of life (including, related life events, which can have a significant influence on a change of people's behaviour).…”

Physical Activity in Primary and Secondary Physioprophylaxis

“…dementia and Alzheimer's. Improvements in mental and cognitive functions are directly associated with the discoveries related to exercise-induced neurogenesis [25,37]. The results of the Central Statistical Office from 2016 implied that fewer people over the age of 60 do sport regularly and take part in recreational activities: (10.6%) women, (10.9%) men.…”

Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) – the Polish version

“…Polityka zwiększenia poziomu codziennej, tygodniowej i możliwie całorocznej aktywności fizycznej, staje się ważnym wyzwaniem w trosce o nasze zdrowie na wszystkich etapach (okresach) życia [1]. Z wielu sposobów jej określenia wciąż najpowszechniej stosowane są kwestionariusze, zapewne z powodu dużej dostępności do jej oceny.…”

“…The policy of increasing the level of daily, weekly and possibly all-year-round physical activity becomes a vital challenge in the care on human health at all stages of life [1]. Still, the most commonly used methodology to determine it are questionnaires, which is probably due to their high availability.…”