 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
|
| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Faith D. Lees, MS, The SENIOR Project, University of Rhode Island, 2 Chafee Road, Kingston, RI 02881, Phillip G. Clark, ScD, Program in Gerontology, University of Rhode Island, White Hall G-15, Kingston, RI 02881, Claudio R. Nigg, PhD, Department of Public Health Science, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, Phillip Newman, PhD, University of Rhode Island, Upper College Road, Quinn Hall, Kingston, RI 02881, and Sandra D. Saunders, MS, MPH, The SENIOR Project, Health Promotion Partnership, University of Rhode Island, 8 Washburn Hall, Kingston, RI 02881-2001, 401-874-4095, s.saunders@uri.edu.
Longer life expectancy, rapid population growth, and low exercise participation rates of adults 65 and over justify the need of better understanding of the exercise behavior of older adults. Self-efficacy is one of the most powerful predictors of exercise, however, the majority of measures that have been used in previous research have not been designed specifically for older adults. The primary objectives of this focus group study were to determine factors that influence exercise self-efficacy beliefs and barriers that have the greatest influence on the exercise behavior of older adults. A total of six focus groups, three with exercisers and three with non-exercisers, were conducted at various senior centers, apartment complexes, and athletic facilities throughout Rhode Island. The majority (n=57) of the sixty-six individuals were females 65 and older. Results from these focus group data identified thirteen barriers to exercise. In the focus groups with non-exercisers, the three most frequently mentioned barriers were the fear of falling, inertia, and negative affect. In the focus groups with exercisers, participants identified inertia, time constraints, and physical ailments as being the most significant barriers to exercise. More barriers were identified within focus groups with non-exercisers indicating that exercise self-efficacy may be more important in the adoption of exercise than during maintenance for older adults. These findings suggest that when developing health promotion interventions to increase exercise among older adults, issues such as the fear of falling among non-exercisers, time constraints among regular exercisers, and inertia should be addressed.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.