Predicting Older Australians' LeisureTime Physical Activity

Abstract

Despite well-publicised health and social benefits of physical activity, liketheir younger counterparts, the majority of older people tend to lead relatively sedentary lives. This crosssectional study investigates the impact of residential locality, specifically whether older adults live in their own home in the community (n = 374) or in independent living units in retirement villages (n = 323), on participation in the leisuretime physical activities (LTPA) of walking, swimming, dancing and lawn bowls. The research illustrates that, despite being older andin poorer health, retirement village residents report greater frequency of participation in the LTPA of walking, dancing and lawn bowls than older Australians living in the community. As encouraging physical activity is a global public healthpriority, these findings suggest that a priority for future research is to investigate how and why the social and physical environment of retirement communitiesmight foster LTPA among older adults.

Key Words:

• Residential location
• retirement village
• community
• leisuretime physical activity
• walking