PAOLInA · Physical Activities of Older Adults: Longitudinal Interdisciplinary Analysis

Physical Activities of Older Adults: Longitudinal Interdisciplinary Analysis

The PAOLInA-project focused on physical activities of older citizens of European countries. The goal was to show what is covered by the term “physical activities” (PAs), and to differentiate the PAs into domains according to their purpose (e.g. sports in leisure time, PA needed for self-care, PA as form of transportation, etc.). The Experienced Researcher (ER) hypothesized that the overall involvement of older adults in PA does not necessarily decline as the individuals are getting older, but that some types of activities may even increase or replace others. If these interdependencies are neglected in the measurement older adults may appear as more inactive than they actually are. The ER also examined and continues to examine the factors that influence the change of the PAs. In this context, she is looking at the interplay between individual characteristics and the attributes of people’s living environments. The objectives addressed in the PAOLInA-project provide a useful basis for interventions aimed at increasing PA in older adults. Aim 1: To determine how PA develops in the late and latest years of life. 1) Does the overall level of PA change as people grow older, and how? Project Outcome: Using a nationally representative dataset from the Netherlands, the ER showed that the overall level of PA decreases as people grow older. 2) Do certain domains of PA gain importance as people age, whereas others lose importance? When considering the proportional contribution of various PA domains to PA time, some PA domains such as light housework and walking for transportation gain in importance, whereas others such as heavy housework lose importance, and still others such as structured sports remain relatively constant at low levels. 3) How are age-related changes in PA related to meeting of PA recommendations? This question is still being examined. Aim 2: To determine how the interplay of individual characteristics and environmental factors influences PA trajectories in old age. 1) Which combination of individual characteristics and environmental attributes supports the maintenance of PA in old age over the long term? In a systematic review of the literature, the ER identified two psychological variables (motivation, self-efficacy) as well as subjective health as factors that are consistently linked to higher PA levels in older adults. Some demographic variables (e.g., gender, education) may be important, but there impact seems to depend on PA domain. The systematic review of the literature also showed that PAs are rarely differentiated by domain or purpose, or – at least – measurement of PA is not accurately described in the literature in many cases. 2) Are some environments particularly supportive of PA engagement, even when people are predisposed to decreasing their PA based on their individual characteristics? 3) Can certain individual characteristics allow people to thrive and maintain PA into the latest years of life, even when environmental conditions are unfavourable? Research questions 2 and 3 are still being examined.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union