scholarly journals Perceptions, Opinions, Beliefs, and Attitudes About Physical Activity and Exercise in Urban-Community-Residing Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 215013272092413
Author(s):  
Elgloria A. Harrison ◽  
Lillie Monroe Lord ◽  
Elmira Asongwed ◽  
Phronie Jackson ◽  
Tiffany Johnson-Largent ◽  
...  

Background: This research study illustrates the perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes of older adults residing in an urban community as major factors to understanding barriers and motivators in older African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians adults within Washington, DC. Methods: Eight focus group sessions conducted with 58 older adults to determine their understanding of physical activity and exercise, as well as of barriers to, motivators for, and benefits of physical activity and exercise. Results: The results showed that dance was the preferred physical activity and exercise, fixed or limited income were the main barriers, and prolonged life, more energy, and a stronger body were the main benefits. Conclusion: The results will assist in recommendations to policy makers on programs for older adults that will increase physical activity and exercise for local citizens. These interventions are more likely to increase older adults’ ability to remain in their communities and improve their overall health and well-being.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adria Quigley ◽  
Marilyn MacKay-Lyons ◽  
Gail Eskes

Physical activity and exercise have emerged as potential methods to improve brain health among older adults. However, there are currently no physical activity guidelines aimed at improving cognitive function, and the mechanisms underlying these cognitive benefits are poorly understood. The purpose of this narrative review is to present the current evidence regarding the effects of physical activity and exercise on cognition in older adults without cognitive impairment, identify potential mechanisms underlying these effects, and make recommendations for exercise prescription to enhance cognitive performance. The review begins with a summary of evidence of the effect of chronic physical activity and exercise on cognition. Attention then turns to four main biological mechanisms that appear to underlie exercise-induced cognitive improvement, including the upregulation of growth factors and neuroplasticity, inhibition of inflammatory biomarker production, improved vascular function, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation. The last section provides an overview of exercise parameters known to optimize cognition in older adults, such as exercise type, frequency, intensity, session duration, and exercise program duration.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 929-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Spiteri ◽  
David Broom ◽  
Amira Hassan Bekhet ◽  
John Xerri de Caro ◽  
Bob Laventure ◽  
...  

Identifying the difference in the barriers and motivators between middle-aged and older adults could contribute toward the development of age-specific health promotion interventions. The aim of this review was to synthesize the literature on the barriers and motivators for physical activity in middle-aged (50–64 years) and older (65–70 years) adults. This review examined qualitative and quantitative studies using the theoretical domain framework as the guiding theory. The search generated 9,400 results from seven databases, and 55 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included. The results indicate that the barriers are comparable across the two age groups, with environmental factors and resources being the most commonly identified barriers. In older adults, social influences, reinforcement, and assistance in managing change were the most identified motivators. In middle-aged adults, goal-setting, the belief that an activity will be beneficial, and social influences were identified as the most important motivators. These findings can be used by professionals to encourage engagement with and adherence to physical activity.


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e018653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Gwyther ◽  
Rachel Shaw ◽  
Eva-Amparo Jaime Dauden ◽  
Barbara D’Avanzo ◽  
Donata Kurpas ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo elicit European healthcare policy-makers’ views, understanding and attitudes about the implementation of frailty screening and management strategies and responses to stakeholders’ views.DesignThematic analysis of semistructured qualitative interviews.SettingEuropean healthcare policy departments.ParticipantsSeven European healthcare policy-makers representing the European Union (n=2), UK (n=2), Italy (n=1), Spain (n=1) and Poland (n=1). Participants were sourced through professional networks and the European Commission Authentication Service website and were required to be in an active healthcare policy or decision-making role.ResultsSeven themes were identified. Our findings reveal a ‘knowledge gap’, around frailty andawareness of the malleability of frailty,which has resulted in restrictedownership of frailtyby specialists. Policy-makers emphasised the need to recognise frailty as a clinical syndrome but stressed that it should be managed via an integrated and interdisciplinary response to chronicity and ageing. That is, through social co-production. This would require aculture shift in carewith redeployment of existing resources to deliver frailty management and intervention services. Policy-makers proposedbarriers to a culture shift,indicating a need to be innovative with solutions to empower older adults to optimise their health and well-being, while still fully engaging in the social environment. Thecultural acceptance of an integrated care systemtheme described the complexities of institutional change management, as well as cultural issues relating to working democratically, while insignposting adult care, the need for a personal navigator to help older adults to access appropriate services was proposed. Policy-makers also believed thatscreening for frailtycould be an effective tool for frailty management.ConclusionsThere is potential for frailty to be managed in a more integrated and person-centred manner, overcoming the challenges associated with niche ownership within the healthcare system. There is also a need to raise its profile and develop a common understanding of its malleability among stakeholders, as well as consistency in how and when it is measured.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
L. Jayne Beselt ◽  
Michelle C. Patterson ◽  
Meghan H. McDonough ◽  
Jennifer Hewson ◽  
Scott MacKay

Physical activity (PA) and social support have known benefits for the well-being and health of older adults, and social support is associated with PA behavior and positive affective experiences in PA contexts. The aim of this study was to synthesize qualitative research conducted on the experiences of social support related to PA among older adults (age ≥55 years). Following meta-study methodology, the authors searched nine databases and extracted information from 31 studies. Results were synthesized in terms of common themes and in light of theoretical and methodological perspectives used. The qualitative literature identifies supportive behaviors and social network outcomes which may be useful for informing how best to support older adults to be physically active. This literature rarely reflected the experiences of vulnerable populations, and future research should aim to further understand supportive behaviors which enable older adults to overcome barriers and challenges to being physically active.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e032605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Katherine Huffman ◽  
Jason Brian Reed ◽  
Theresa Carpenter ◽  
Steve Amireault

IntroductionPhysical activity (PA) is an important aspect for health and well-being, yet many older adults do not maintain their PA long term. The identification of key factors that are associated with, and likely causally related to, older adults’ PA maintenance is a crucial first step towards developing programmes that are effective at promoting long-term PA behaviour change. The purpose of this protocol is to outline a systematic review that will examine the relationship between four motives (ie, satisfaction, enjoyment, self-determination and identity) and older adults’ PA maintenance.Methods and analysisStudies that investigated PA maintenance with a sample mean age ≥55 years will be included. Five electronic databases (PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses) were searched on 6 April 2018 with no publication date limit (ie, from inception). One reviewer screened 100% of titles and abstracts (k=21 470) while a random subsample (20%) was screened independently by two reviewers. An update of the search was run on 1 October 2019. All studies for which the full text was retrieved will be independently screened by two reviewers. Data pertaining to study sample, design, motives, PA (eg, measurement validity evidence, study definition of maintenance) and essential bias domains (eg, bias due to missing data) will be extracted. Study-level effect sizes will be calculated, and if the number of studies is ≥5, a random-effects meta-analysis will be performed using inverse-variance methods; a narrative synthesis will be performed otherwise.Ethics and disseminationThe university’s Human Research Protection Program determined that the proposed study qualifies as exempt from the Institutional Review Board review under Exemption Category 4 (PROPEL #: 80047007). Results will be published in a peer-review journal, and the findings will help inform future interventions with older adults.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018088161.


Oncotarget ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (39) ◽  
pp. 25402-25413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Galli ◽  
Andrea Chirico ◽  
Luca Mallia ◽  
Laura Girelli ◽  
Michelino De Laurentiis ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1146-1155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Carriedo ◽  
José A. Cecchini ◽  
Javier Fernandez-Rio ◽  
Antonio Méndez-Giménez

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