Self-Reported Physical Activity Among Older Acadians

Abstract

North American society is aging. Individuals who are older are often confronted with a variety of issues such as transportation, health care, adequate income, and maintaining physical activity levels. Older adults are not a homogeneous group, for instance, Canadian society has been mainly composed of two cultures, English and French. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of demographic, health, and lifestyle variables on the self-reported physical activity of 1,281 older Acadians, residing in Eastern Canada. The demographic variables included age, sex, and education, while the health variables comprised self-perceived health and functional limitations. Four lifestyle variables were included: control, smoking, drinking, and social activity. A hierarchical regression analysis determined the contribution of these variables on self-reported physical activity. All variables were significant except for age, control and drinking, which accounted for 17% of the variance. Although health accounts for a greater percentage of the variance, lifestyle variables did contribute significantly to the model. The findings served to reinforce the need to further examine the contribution of lifestyle variables on self-reported physical activity in older Acadians.

Key Words:

• Physical activity
• older men and women
• self-report