Environment and physical activity of seniors
Responsibility
Mgr. Jana Pelclová, Ph.D.Doc.
PaedDr. Ladislav Bláha, Ph.D. (UJEP Ústí n. Labem)
Pregradual student
Bc. Lada Dušková
Financial support
Palacky University, Internal university grant (IGA: FTK_2012_015)
Duration of the project
2012-2013
Aims
Along with biological and psychosocial factors (self-esteem, family and friends support, etc.), also the environmental factors such as safety paths (sidewalks), accessibility to services, the size of traffic, noise, street lighting, pollution or public transport around the residence stand out in promoting physically active and healthy lifestyle of seniors. The results of the research investigating the relationship between PA (or PI) and the environment may in urban planning significantly contribute to the implementation of the recommended amount of PA and, consequently, the health of adults and especially seniors.
Realization
The project will complement previous data collection within the research project and will increase the number of probands of 100 seniors, so that the total research sample would include 400 seniors. Participants are recruited within the senior clubs and the Third Age University in Olomouc and Usti nad Labem. Each senior will provide his written consent and be familiar with the operation of monitoring devices used and the questionnaire. At the same time seniors, who have been monitoring their daily physical activity by pedometer since October 2011, will be also included into this study. The termination of this annual monitoring is planned for September 2012 and the results of the annual physical activity regime in relation to the environment will also be incorporated in the output of this study.
Accelerometer ActiGraph GT1M will be used to determine the volume and intensity of physical activity within one week and the average daily number of steps. Seniors will fill time of their individual activities and inactivities within each day. Each participant will be after a week of monitoring submitted a feedback about his physical activity and inactivity, along with the evaluation key. ANEWS questionnaire will be used to characterize environmental built conditions. Environmental conditions are within the questionnaire distributed to residential density (Part 1), land use mix (2nd and 3rd part) and street connectivity (Part 4). Other areas reflect the environmental conditions as a motivating factor for the realization of active transport or walking. The land-use mix is defined by the availability of selected shops and facilities within a certain time interval and accessibility to services. This characteristic of environmental conditions is reflected as the most significant factor in terms of degree of walkability of the respondents.
