Older adults, particularly those living with health conditions, who hold positive views on aging (VoA) are more likely to partake in vigorous, physical exercise, according to an August study published in Healthcare.
Researchers from the University of Surrey analyzed data from 1,699 individuals aged 50 years and older who live in the UK. On average, each participant had one noncommunicable disease. They also scored 2.98 on vigorous physical activity, meaning they participated in vigorous physical activity between 4 and 10 times in the last month.
Personal views on aging (PVoA) were measured with the Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC-Gains; AARC-Losses) 10-item version, which assesses awareness of (perceived) age-related gains and losses. Respondents rated how each item applied to them on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being not at all and 5 being very much. General views on aging (GVoA) were assessed with the 12-item Expectations Regarding Aging (ERA) scale, which assesses expectations regarding aging in relation to physical health; mental health; and cognitive function.
Results showed that participants with higher AARC-Gains, lower AARC-Losses, more positive ERA, and fewer noncommunicable diseases were cross-sectionally associated with greater probability of engagement with vigorous physical activity. Authors note that further research must be conducted to analyze how VoA interacts with illness beliefs and perceptions in its relationship with health behaviors and outcomes. For example, older adults may perceive chronic illness as a sign of aging and therefore be less likely to partake in healthy behaviors.
“As physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are major contributors to the global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCD), fostering active habits among adults with noncommunicable diseases is a public health priority,” authors said. “Findings of this study indicate that participants with more positive and less negative VoA show greater likelihood of engaging in vigorous physical activity and particularly that positive general VoA can moderate the effect of the number of NCDs.”