Prevalence of commuting physical activity and associated factors in long-lived older adults

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of commuting physical activity and associate sociodemographic, behavioral and health characteristics in longlived older adults of Florianópolis/SC. This cross-sectional epidemiologic study included 343 individuals aged 80 and older; these individuals are members of community groups registered in the municipality of Florianópolis/SC. Sociodemographic information and health and behavior data were collected. To assess physical activity, the “commuting” domain of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used, adapted for older adults. Data were analyzed using Stata 11.0 with Logistic regression expressed in odds ratios and 95% confidence interval. The prevalence of commuting physical activity was 19.5%. The oldest members of the group (p= 0.011; OR= 0.90; 95%CI= 0.83/0.98), with worse health perception (p< 0.001; OR= 0.33, 95%CI= 0.18/0.60) and with hypertension diagnosis (p= 0.009; OR=0.47; 95%CI= 0.27/0.83) had lower odds ratio of commuting physical activity. Knowledge about sociodemographic, behavioral and health characteristics associated with commuting physical activity can serve as a basis for the development of programs and actions to encourage commuting physical activity among long-lived older adults.