10.6084/m9.figshare.5172985.v1
Notthoff N.
Notthoff
N.
Reisch P.
Reisch
P.
Gerstorf D.
Gerstorf
D.
Supplementary Material for: Individual Characteristics and Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Systematic Review
Karger Publishers
2017
Physical activity
Aging
Individual characteristics
Demographics
Self-efficacy
Motivation
Locus of control
Health
2017-07-05 06:25:52
Journal contribution
https://karger.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Supplementary_Material_for_Individual_Characteristics_and_Physical_Activity_in_Older_Adults_A_Systematic_Review/5172985
<p><b><i>Background:</i></b> People aged 50 years and older are
regularly identified as the most sedentary group in the population.
However, even within this group, there are considerable interindividual
variations in physical activity (PA) levels. They have been the subject
of many studies. Based on single studies, no clear picture as to which
characteristics are important has emerged. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The
goal of our contribution was to identify which individual
characteristics are consistently linked to high PA levels in older
adults. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted a systematic review of the
literature considering demographic characteristics (gender, education,
marital status, employment), health (subjective, health problems), and
psychological factors (motivation, self-efficacy, locus of control). A
systematic search of abstracts in the database Web of Science and a
thorough screening process according to a priori specified criteria
yielded 63 studies for inclusion in this review. <b><i>Results:</i></b>
Two psychological factors - motivation and self-efficacy - and the
perception of one's health seem to be consistently linked to higher PA
levels in older adults. Selected demographic variables - gender and
education - may be important for some types of PA. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b>
Our review suggests that differentiation of PA by domains is important
for identifying and understanding which individual characteristics are
associated with PA levels and how. Pinpointing what reliably
distinguishes older adults who are active from those who are not is
essential for designing effective interventions to promote PA in later
life.</p>