Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different Settings
We examined whether self-ratings of “being active” among older people living in four different settings (major city high and lower density suburbs, a regional city, and a rural area) were associated with out-of-home participation and outdoor physical activity. A mixed-methods approach (survey, trave...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Aging Research |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/501823 |
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| author | Rosemary L. Aird Laurie Buys |
| author_facet | Rosemary L. Aird Laurie Buys |
| author_sort | Rosemary L. Aird |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We examined whether self-ratings of “being active” among older people living in four different settings (major city high and lower density suburbs, a regional city, and a rural area) were associated with out-of-home participation and outdoor physical activity. A mixed-methods approach (survey, travel diary, and GPS tracking over a one-week period) was used to gather data from 48 individuals aged over 55 years. Self-ratings of “being active” were found to be positively correlated with the number of days older people spent time away from home but unrelated to time traveled by active means (walking and biking). No significant differences in active travel were found between the four study locations, despite differences in their respective built environments. The findings suggest that additional strategies to the creation of “age-friendly” environments are needed if older people are to increase their levels of outdoor physical activity. “Active aging” promotion campaigns may need to explicitly identify the benefits of walking outdoors to ambulatory older people as a means of maintaining their overall health, functional ability, and participation within society in the long-term and also encourage the development of community-based programs in order to facilitate regular walking for this group. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-441bf49468cf4fedbfc045013377ccce |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-2204 2090-2212 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Aging Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-441bf49468cf4fedbfc045013377ccce2025-02-03T05:47:32ZengWileyJournal of Aging Research2090-22042090-22122015-01-01201510.1155/2015/501823501823Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different SettingsRosemary L. Aird0Laurie Buys1School of Design, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, AustraliaSchool of Design, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, AustraliaWe examined whether self-ratings of “being active” among older people living in four different settings (major city high and lower density suburbs, a regional city, and a rural area) were associated with out-of-home participation and outdoor physical activity. A mixed-methods approach (survey, travel diary, and GPS tracking over a one-week period) was used to gather data from 48 individuals aged over 55 years. Self-ratings of “being active” were found to be positively correlated with the number of days older people spent time away from home but unrelated to time traveled by active means (walking and biking). No significant differences in active travel were found between the four study locations, despite differences in their respective built environments. The findings suggest that additional strategies to the creation of “age-friendly” environments are needed if older people are to increase their levels of outdoor physical activity. “Active aging” promotion campaigns may need to explicitly identify the benefits of walking outdoors to ambulatory older people as a means of maintaining their overall health, functional ability, and participation within society in the long-term and also encourage the development of community-based programs in order to facilitate regular walking for this group.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/501823 |
| spellingShingle | Rosemary L. Aird Laurie Buys Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different Settings Journal of Aging Research |
| title | Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different Settings |
| title_full | Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different Settings |
| title_fullStr | Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different Settings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different Settings |
| title_short | Active Aging: Exploration into Self-Ratings of “Being Active,” Out-of-Home Physical Activity, and Participation among Older Australian Adults Living in Four Different Settings |
| title_sort | active aging exploration into self ratings of being active out of home physical activity and participation among older australian adults living in four different settings |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/501823 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rosemarylaird activeagingexplorationintoselfratingsofbeingactiveoutofhomephysicalactivityandparticipationamongolderaustralianadultslivinginfourdifferentsettings AT lauriebuys activeagingexplorationintoselfratingsofbeingactiveoutofhomephysicalactivityandparticipationamongolderaustralianadultslivinginfourdifferentsettings |