Physical Activity (PA) Among Middle-Aged Women: Initial and Current Influences and Patterns of Participation

Abstract

This study investigated the initial and current influences for doing physical activity (PA), current levels of PA participation, and future plans for it. Participants were 200 women aged 45 to 64 years old. Factor loadings of influences were explored using Principal Components Analysis. Pearson bivariate correlations, t-test, and ANOVA were used to show the differences among the influences, sociodemographic characteristics, and present/future PA participation. Personal fulfillment was the main initial influence, while health benefits/self-care, and outdoor/family activities were the most important current influences. The results highlight the factors that best explain present PA participation and also plans for activity in the future.

Keywords:

• physical activity
• women
• aging
• social influences
• participation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was funded by the University of Barcelona (PUB2009A). The authors express their thanks to Christopher Gladwin for his invaluable help in correcting the English-language manuscript. The English-language correction received the financial support of the PsicoSAO-Research Group in Social, Environmental, and Organizational Psychology (2009 SRG 210; Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del DIUE from the Generalitat de Catalunya).