Views From the Path: Evaluating Physical Activity Use Patterns and Design Preferences of Older Adults on the Bolin Creek Greenway Trail

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 513-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine E. Dorwart
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Design Preferences ◽  
The Relationship

Though physical inactivity can lead to increased health problems in older adults, few places actually encourage this population to be active by implementing choices that allow the built and natural environment to be accessed by foot or bicycle. In addition, little research has examined older adults’ perceptions of design and the relationship between greenways and improving public health, a topic that is receiving popular attention. The objective of this mixed-methods study was therefore to evaluate elements in a greenway’s design that the aging population found important and which afforded physical activity. Using a combination of survey questions, photo elicitation, and interviews, data were collected from a sample of older adults aged 65 and over that used a greenway trail. Results of this study indicated that older adults may prefer certain elements on a trail, namely those elements that afforded their choice of activity. Although there will always be limitations to understanding behavioral responses to the built environment, this should not disqualify the benefits of greenways on older adults’ physical activity.

scholarly journals The Impact of Weather and Seasons on Falls and Physical Activity among Older Adults with Glaucoma: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3415
Author(s):  
Hursuong Vongsachang ◽  
Aleksandra Mihailovic ◽  
Jian-Yu E ◽  
David S. Friedman ◽  
Sheila K. West ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Fall Prevention ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Activity Promotion ◽  
Injurious Fall ◽  
Multivariable Regression ◽  
Multivariable Regression Models ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Understanding periods of the year associated with higher risk for falling and less physical activity may guide fall prevention and activity promotion for older adults. We examined the relationship between weather and seasons on falls and physical activity in a three-year cohort of older adults with glaucoma. Participants recorded falls information via monthly calendars and participated in four one-week accelerometer trials (baseline and per study year). Across 240 participants, there were 406 falls recorded over 7569 person-months, of which 163 were injurious (40%). In separate multivariable regression models incorporating generalized estimating equations, temperature, precipitation, and seasons were not significantly associated with the odds of falling, average daily steps, or average daily active minutes. However, every 10 °C increase in average daily temperature was associated with 24% higher odds of a fall being injurious, as opposed to non-injurious (p = 0.04). The odds of an injurious fall occurring outdoors, as opposed to indoors, were greater with higher average temperatures (OR per 10 °C = 1.46, p = 0.03) and with the summer season (OR = 2.69 vs. winter, p = 0.03). Falls and physical activity should be understood as year-round issues for older adults, although the likelihood of injury and the location of fall-related injuries may change with warmer season and temperatures.

scholarly journals Strategies Older New Zealanders Use to Participate in Day-To-Day Occupations

2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 509-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Hocking ◽  
Juanita Murphy ◽  
Kirk Reed
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Older People ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Falls Prevention ◽  
Public Health Messages ◽  
The Impact

Aim: This exploratory study aimed to uncover the strategies that older adults employ to ameliorate the impact of impairments and barriers to participation. Method: Eight participants were interviewed in their own homes, in a town or city in New Zealand. Findings: Inductive analysis of data revealed four main categories of strategies: strategies to keep safe, to recruit and accept help, to meet social and biological needs (nutritional and medical), and to conserve financial, material and bodily resources. Discussion: The study supports some previous findings of strategies used by older people, and demonstrates that enquiring into the strategies that older people devise and adopt into their own lives is a productive line of inquiry. The strategies described differ from those that occupational therapists recommend, and do not incorporate public health messages about the benefits of physical activity or recommendations about falls prevention. Conclusion: The findings suggest that asking older clients about the strategies that they use will uncover valuable information for therapists giving advice or issuing equipment to help older adults to manage in the community.

Relationship Between Mental Health, Resilience, and Physical Activity in Older Adults: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Maria Priscila Wermelinger Ávila ◽  
Jimilly Caputo Corrêa ◽  
Alessandra Lamas Granero Lucchetti ◽  
Giancarlo Lucchetti
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the association between resilience and mental health in older adults and to determine the influence of physical activity on this relationship. A total of 291 older adults were included in a 2-year follow-up study. Adjusted linear regression models evaluated the association between resilience at baseline and mental health after 2 years in sufficiently and insufficiently physically active older adults. A negative correlation was found between resilience at baseline and depression, anxiety, and stress after 2 years for the overall sample. This association changed after stratifying the group. Sufficiently physically active individuals made greater use of the resilience components “Self-Sufficiency” and “Perseverance,” whereas insufficiently physically active individuals made greater use of “Meaning of Life” and “Existential Singularity.” Physical activity can influence the relationship between resilience and mental health. These results can help guide the devising of more effective interventions for this age group.

When public health and sport injury prevention meet: The relationship between physical activity volume and concussion risk in male youth ice hockey players

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. e22
Author(s):  
Tracy Blake ◽  
Willem Meeuwisse ◽  
Patricia Doyle-Baker ◽  
Brian Brooks ◽  
Luz Palacios-Derflingher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Injury Prevention ◽  
Sport Injury ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Male Youth ◽  
Hockey Players ◽  
Physical Activity Volume ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Sport Injury Prevention

Moving Through COVID-19: Perspectives of Older Adults in the Getting Older Adults Outdoors Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Kristina Marie Kokorelias ◽  
Jacquie Ripat ◽  
C. Allyson Jones ◽  
Nancy E. Mayo ◽  
Nancy M. Salbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Physical Activity Promotion ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Activity Promotion ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Descriptive Approach ◽  
Safety Guidelines

Safety guidelines resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic may reduce physical activity participation of older adults, particularly prefrail and frail individuals. The objective was to explore older adults’ experiences with physical activity during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, interviews were conducted with 16 older adults. Data were analyzed thematically. Two themes emerged: (a) coming to a standstill and (b) small steps. Participants described that imposed provincial and federal recommendations caused them to reduce their physical activity with negative consequences. As time progressed, participants used emerging public health knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 to safely increase physical activity. Many participants developed strategies to remain active during the pandemic (e.g., wearing a pedometer, walking outdoors at particular times of day). Findings from this study can better inform the development of programs, clinical practice, and policy for physical activity promotion in older adults during periods of physical distancing and isolation.

Older adults, physical activity and public health

2017 ◽  
pp. 81-110
Author(s):  
Andy Pringle ◽  
Stephen Zwolinsky
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults

scholarly journals Reduced physical activity in young and older adults: metabolic and musculoskeletal implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 204201881988882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly A. Bowden Davies ◽  
Samuel Pickles ◽  
Victoria S. Sprung ◽  
Graham J. Kemp ◽  
Uazman Alam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Hepatic Insulin Resistance ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Peripheral Insulin Resistance ◽  
Triglyceride Accumulation

Background: Although the health benefits of regular physical activity and exercise are well established and have been incorporated into national public health recommendations, there is a relative lack of understanding pertaining to the harmful effects of physical inactivity. Experimental paradigms including complete immobilization and bed rest are not physiologically representative of sedentary living. A useful ‘real-world’ approach to contextualize the physiology of societal downward shifts in physical activity patterns is that of short-term daily step reduction. Results: Step-reduction studies have largely focused on musculoskeletal and metabolic health parameters, providing relevant disease models for metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes (T2D), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), sarcopenia and osteopenia/osteoporosis. In untrained individuals, even a short-term reduction in physical activity has a significant impact on skeletal muscle protein and carbohydrate metabolism, causing anabolic resistance and peripheral insulin resistance, respectively. From a metabolic perspective, short-term inactivity-induced peripheral insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, with consequent liver triglyceride accumulation, leads to hepatic insulin resistance and a characteristic dyslipidaemia. Concomitantly, various inactivity-related factors contribute to a decline in function; a reduction in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle mass and muscle strength. Conclusions: Physical inactivity maybe particularly deleterious in certain patient populations, such as those at high risk of T2D or in the elderly, considering concomitant sarcopenia or osteoporosis. The effects of short-term physical inactivity (with step reduction) are reversible on resumption of habitual physical activity in younger people, but less so in older adults. Nutritional interventions and resistance training offer potential strategies to prevent these deleterious metabolic and musculoskeletal effects. Impact: Individuals at high risk of/with cardiometabolic disease and older adults may be more prone to these acute periods of inactivity due to acute illness or hospitalization. Understanding the risks is paramount to implementing countermeasures.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Chronotype, Physical Activity and the Estimated Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3701
Author(s):  
Ngeemasara Thapa ◽  
Boram Kim ◽  
Ja-Gyeong Yang ◽  
Hye-Jin Park ◽  
Minwoo Jang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Mini Mental State Examination ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Daily Physical Activity ◽  
Estimated Risk ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
State Examination

Our study examined the association between chronotype, daily physical activity, and the estimated risk of dementia in 170 community-dwelling older adults. Chronotype was assessed with the Horne–Östberg Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Daily physical activity (of over 3 METs) was measured with a tri-axial accelerometer. The Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) was used to measure the estimated risk of dementia. The evening chronotype, low daily physical activity, and dementia were positively associated with each other. The participants with low physical activity alongside evening preference had 3.05 to 3.67 times higher estimated risk of developing dementia, and participants with low physical activity and morning preference had 1.95 to 2.26 times higher estimated risk than those with high physical activity and morning preference. Our study design does not infer causation. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that chronotype and daily physical activity are predictors of the risk of having dementia in older adults aged 70 years and above.

How Many Steps Are Enough? Dose–Response Curves for Pedometer Steps and Multiple Health Markers in a Community-Based Sample of Older Australians

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Ewald ◽  
John Attia ◽  
Patrick McElduff
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Dose Response ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Markers Of Inflammation ◽  
Health Target ◽  
Steps Per Day ◽  
Dose Response Curves

Background:Although an overall public health target of 10,000 steps per day has been advocated, the dose–response relationship for each health benefit of physical activity may differ.Methods:A representative community sample of 2458 Australian residents aged 55–85 wore a pedometer for a week in 2005–2007 and completed a health assessment. Age-standardized steps per day were compared with multiple markers of health using locally weighted regression to produce smoothed dose–response curves and then to select the steps per day matching 60% or 80% of the range in each health marker.Results:There is a linear relationship between activity level and markers of inflammation throughout the range of steps per day; this is also true for BMI in women and high density lipoprotein in men. For other markers, including waist:hip ratio, fasting glucose, depression, and SF-36 scores, the benefit of physical activity is mostly in the lower half of the distribution.Conclusions:Older adults have no plateau in the curve for some health outcomes, even beyond 12,000 steps per day. For other markers, however, there is a threshold effect, indicating that most of the benefit is achieved by 8000 steps per day, supporting this as a suitable public health target for older adults.

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