ISSN 1392-0138
ISSN 2029-4174 (online)
|
2009 m. Nr. 3-4
 Levels of physical activity and quality of life in elderly women practitioners of formal and non-formal physical activities
Nelyse de Araújo ALENCAR, Márcia de Assunção FERREIRA, Jani Cleria BEZERRA, Rodrigo Gomes de Sousa VALE, Estélio Henrique Martin DANTAS
Background. Quality of life is a factor directly linked to the context of aging, being one of
those responsible for the increase or decrease of the population’s longevity. The objective
of this research was to evaluate the levels of physical activity and quality of life in elderly
women practitioners of formal and non-formal physical activities.
Materials and methods. The sample consisted of 122 elderly women aged 60 to
87 years (67.9 ± 6.9), accompanied by the Family Health Strategy from the city of Crato
(Ceará-Brazil), divided into two equal groups of 61 elderly women practitioners of formal
physical activities (AFF) and non-formal physical activities (AFNF). To determine the
level of physical activity, the Modified Baecke Questionnaire for the Elderly was used. The
quality of life was assessed by the WHOQOL-OLD questionnaire. The statistical treatment
comprised descriptive and inferential analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS, 16.0 version
for Windows. The level of significance and statistical error considered were 5% (p < 0.05).
Results. The levels of physical activity were low, the scores for the AFF group being
4.45 and for the AFNF group 1.71. The quality of life level was classified as medium
(AFF = 13.38 and AFNF = 11.84).
Conclusions. The group practicing the AFF showed better results in the evaluations of
Baecke and WHOQOL-old compared to the group of AFNF. We conclude that the participation
in a program of formal physical activity is able to improve quality of life.
It is recommended to conduct complementary studies aimed to analyze the relation of
physical activity to quality of life, with a view to emphasize the importance of the systematic
practice of exercises in improving the overall health status of the elderly.
Keywords: the elderly, physical activity, quality of life
|
Issues:
2011 - Vol.18 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 42010 - Vol.17 No. 1-2, No. 3-42009 - Vol.16 No. 1-2, No. 3-42008 - Vol.15 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 42007 - Vol.14 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 42006 - Vol.13 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 42005 - Vol.12 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 42004 - Vol.11 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 42003 - Vol.10 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 42002 - Vol.9 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 42001 - Vol.8 No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 |