scholarly journals The Relationships between Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction and Happiness among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

Author(s):  
Hsin-Yu An ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Cheng-Wei Wang ◽  
Hui-Fei Yang ◽  
Wan-Ting Huang ◽  
...  

Physical activity has benefits on physical and psychological health. The aims of this study were to investigate (1) the relationships between physical activity and life satisfaction and happiness in young, middle-aged, and older adults while controlling for demographic characteristics, and (2) the relationships between age and life satisfaction and happiness for different physical activity levels. A total of 2345 healthy adults were recruited. Demographic characteristic, physical activity, life satisfaction, and happiness were collected. Participants were divided into young, middle-aged, and older adult groups based on age, and physical activity was categorized as high, moderate, and low. After controlling for demographic characteristics, participants with high and moderate activity levels had significantly higher life satisfaction and happiness than those with a low activity level across the total population and the three age groups. Age squared was a significant predictor of a positive curvilinear between age and life satisfaction and happiness. Physical activity was significantly related to life satisfaction and happiness in young, middle-aged, and older adults. In addition, life satisfaction and happiness increased with increasing age. The results support the promotion of physical activity.

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Pastuszak ◽  
Krzysztof Lisowski ◽  
Joanna Lewandowska ◽  
Krzysztof Buśko

Summary Study aim: Systematic physical activity is an effective preventive measure that supports the preservation of physical health and psychological health. Three expressions employed that relate to the work carried out with MET-min/week as a measure of the level of total physical activity are intense activity, moderate activity, and walking. These were applied to students studying Physical Education. In the process, those who failed to meet the requirements for the ‘sufficient’ level according to IPAQ criteria and as recommended by the WHO were identified. Material and methods: Research was conducted amongst 146 students: 50 from Charles University (CU) and 96 from the University of Physical Education in Warsaw (UPE). The total physical activity of students was determined according to the accepted standards (IPAQ). WHO recommendations concerning physical activity per week were converted into MET-min/week used by IPAQ as follows: physical activity needs to achieve at least 1200 MET-min/week to increase its effect on health. Results: The study of Physical Education students at CU shows that they were significantly more active than their counterparts at UPE. Total physical activity per week as measured by IPAQ at CU was 9525.2 ± 4275.9 for men and 10964.3 ± 4092.0 MET-min/week for women. At UPE, this was 4034.3 ± 2617.8 for men and 2469.8 ± 1721.2 MET-min/week for women. The difference in total levels of physical activity carried out by these students was found to depend largely upon their involvement in championship sports. Inclusion of WHO recommendations in the assessment of physical activity of students increased the proportion of individuals with low activity levels, particularly in the group of not-training students. Conclusions: It is recommended either that the WHO criterion “of activity level for health” be added to the IPAQ classification, thus toughening the requirements of the moderate level of activity, or, alternatively, an additional threshold of completing at least 1200 MET-min/week be applied, with the recommendation that this is achieved on a regular basis.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna E. Mathews ◽  
Natalie Colabianchi ◽  
Brent Hutto ◽  
Delores M. Pluto ◽  
Steve P. Hooker

Background:The objectives of this study were to assess (1) pedestrian activity levels among adults, (2) where and why adults engage in pedestrian activity, and (3) what adults consider when deciding where to engage in pedestrian activity.Methods:Pedestrian activity was assessed in 12,036 California adults, ≥18 years, using a random digit-dial telephone survey.Results:Significant differences were identified by race, sex, age, and physical activity level in the type, location, and purpose of pedestrian activities. Men engage in pedestrian activity at work, and women engage in pedestrian activity while escorting children to school and running errands. Whites primarily engage in leisure-time pedestrian activity, and non-whites are more likely to engage in pedestrian activity for transportation. Older adults were less active than their younger counterparts.Conclusions:These findings should be considered by public health agencies and their partners as they continue to increase and promote opportunities for pedestrian activity. Additional research is needed to assess older adults’ physical activity patterns and preferences, barriers, and facilitators to effectively tailor physical activity promotion efforts to this at-risk group.


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.


Author(s):  
Jin Luo ◽  
Raymond Y. W. Lee

AbstractPhysical activity brings significant health benefits to middle-aged adults, although the research to date has been focused on late adulthood. This study aims to examine how ageing affects the self-reported and accelerometer-derived measures of physical activity levels in middle-aged adults. We employed the data recorded in the UK Biobank and analysed the physical activity levels of 2,998 participants (1381 men and 1617 women), based on self-completion questionnaire and accelerometry measurement of physical activity. We also assessed the musculoskeletal health of the participants using the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements provided by the UK Biobank. Participants were categorised into three groups according to their age: group I younger middle-aged (40 to 49 years), group II older middle-aged (50 to 59 years), and group III oldest middle-aged (60 to 69 years). Self-reported physical activity level increased with age and was the highest in group III, followed by group II and I (P < 0.05). On the contrary, physical activity measured by accelerometry decreased significantly with age from group I to III (P < 0.05), and the same pertained to the measurements of musculoskeletal health (P < 0.05). It was also shown that middle-aged adults mostly engaged in low and moderate intensity activities. The opposing trends of the self-reported and measured physical activity levels may suggest that middle-aged adults over-report their activity level as they age. They should be aware of the difference between their perceived and actual physical activity levels, and objective measures would be useful to prevent the decline in musculoskeletal health.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Wilhelmson ◽  
Emelie Fritzell ◽  
Kajsa Eklund ◽  
Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff

Functional and physical impairment are factors believed to lead to declined life satisfaction among older adults. This study aimed to examine life satisfaction among older adults and the influence of frailty. Baseline data from two studies addressing frail older adults aged 80+ in Gothenburg, Sweden, (n=577) were used. Frailty was measured through eight indicators. Life satisfaction was measured with Fugl-Meyer’s instrument LiSat-11. Perceived life satisfaction was rather high within the studied population, with 66% being satisfied with life as a whole. Most life satisfaction items were significantly associated with frailty status, with non-frail participants being satisfied to a higher extent for all items with the exception of financial situation, sexual life and partnership relation. The factors significantly explaining life satisfaction were psychological health, partner relationship, leisure and ADL. This study shows that older adults’ satisfaction with life as a whole is almost as high as in younger age groups. Respondents with higher degree of frailty reported significantly lower degrees of life satisfaction, indicating a possibility to maintain life satisfaction by preventing or delaying the development of frailty.


Author(s):  
Saengryeol Park ◽  
So-Youn Park ◽  
Gapjin Oh ◽  
Eun Jung Yoon ◽  
In-Hwan Oh

This study used an isotemporal substitution (IS) model to determine the potential reallocation effects of sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) on subjective health and stress in South Koreans with data from the Sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015. The analysis included 791 participants whose accelerometer-measured PA was available, divided into three age groups (young adults = 151; mid-age adults = 334; older adults = 306). We adopted SB, light PA (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) to determine how time was allocated to each activity level, then examined the effects of reallocation on subjective health and stress across age groups. The analyses were performed in three steps: single-activity, partition, and IS model. An additional ANCOVA was conducted on statistically significant outcomes (i.e., subjective health of young and older adults). We found that among young adults, reallocating 30 min/week of SB to LPA and to MVPA was linked to high levels of subjective health. In older adults, reallocating 30 min/week of SB and LPA to MVPA was associated with high subjective health. However, this relationship was not observed in mid-age adults. None of the age groups showed a relationship between any activity reallocation and stress. Our findings provide the first insight on the development of interventions aimed at promoting active, healthier lifestyles on the basis of behavior reallocation in South Koreans.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shilpa Dogra ◽  
Liza Stathokostas

Background. Sedentary behavior is emerging as an important risk factor for poor health. Physical activity has proven to be important in determining overall successful aging (SA) among older adults; however, no data exists on the influence of sedentary behavior on SA. The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether there is an association between sedentary behavior and successful aging, independent of physical activity levels.Methods. 9,478 older (M= 4,245;F= 5,233) and 10,060 middle-aged (M= 4.621;F= 5,439) adults from the Healthy Aging cycle of the Canadian Community Health Survey were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted with SA and its three components as outcomes while physical activity and sedentary behavior were entered as main exposures.Results. Among older adults, compared to those who were sedentary (4 hours or more/day), those who were moderately (2–4 hours/day) and least sedentary (<2 hours/day) were 38% (OR: 1.38; CI: 1.12–1.69) and 43% (OR: 1.43; CI: 1.23–1.67) more likely to age successfully, respectively. Among middle-aged adults, those who were least sedentary were 43% (OR: 1.43; CI: 1.25–1.63) more likely to age successfully.Conclusions. These novel findings suggest that sedentary activities are significantly associated with lower odds of SA among middle-aged and older adults, potentially in a dose-dependent manner.


Author(s):  
Magdalena Dąbrowska-Galas ◽  
Jolanta Dąbrowska

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a behavioral modality that may help decrease negative symptoms of menopause and enhance some positive aspects of mental health, including self-esteem. Reduced self-esteem may put menopausal women at higher risk of negative outcomes of menopause and result in a more unpleasant and stressful menopausal experience. The objective of this study was to examine the role of physical activity level on self-esteem in middle-aged women. Methods: Women aged 45–60 from Poland took part in this study. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Menopause Rating Scale and Beck Depression Inventory were used in this study. Results: Among the 111 women, the mean age was 51.7 ± 4.7. The most severe symptoms among studied women concerned sexual problems (1.71 ± 1.5), irritability (1.58 ± 1.37) and joint and muscular discomfort (1.56 ± 1.55). Women with higher total PA level had better self-esteem (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that physical activity levels can be associated with self-esteem. Most middle-aged women reported high physical activity levels. These results have clinical implications for the inclusion of PA in the lives of middle-aged women to improve self-esteem and mental health.


1998 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan M. Schroeder ◽  
Karen L. Nau ◽  
Wayne H. Osness ◽  
Jeffrey A. Potteiger

Measurements of functional ability, balance, strength, flexibility, life satisfaction, and physical activity were compared among three populations of older adults (age 75-85 years). Sixty-nine subjects performed the Physical Performance Test (PPT). timed Up and Go. 1 repetition maximum (IRM) leg press and extensions, and Modified Sit and Reach. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for the Elderly and Satisfaction With Life Scale were also completed. No difference was found among the groups for life satisfaction. Individuals living in a nursing facility had poorer PPT scores, dynamic balance, leg extension strength, leg press strength, flexibility, and physical activity than individuals living in assisted-care facilities and the community. Assisted-care individuals had significantly lower PPT scores and leg strength than community-living individuals. The decline of ADL performance and physical activity may be accounted for by loss of strength, balance, and flexibility, all associated with a loss of independence.


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