A Survey of Physical-Activity Levels and Functional Capacity in Older Adults in South Australia
Abstract
Participation in physical activity declines with advancing age for a variety of reasons. The aim of this study was to assess the level of physical activity among older South Australians. Computer-aided telephone interviewing of 773 adults age 60 years and over was conducted using random-digit dialing. Rates of participation among adults age 60 years and over in walking and vigorous physical activity (68.1% and 11.7%, respectively) were significantly lower than for those age 18–59 years (77.6% and 38.9%, respectively). Walking was the most popular activity among those age 60 and over. The proportion reporting no physical activity rose from 7.0% in the 60- to 64-year age group to 25.7% in the 85+ group. The findings describe increases in physical inactivity coupled with declines in functional ability with advancing age and suggest that much work remains to fully understand how best to encourage older adults to remain physically active.
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The sample had physical activity rates comparable to other Australian studies of older adults measured using the AAS.
“and physical activity rates comparable to other Australian studies of older adults measured using the AAS [31-33].”
From A Physical Activity and Diet Program Delivered by Artificially Intelligent Virtual Health Coach: Proof-of-Concept Study (2020) · cites this paper as [31]
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“düşme eğiliminde olması bu faktörlerin anlaşılmasını daha da önemli hale getirmektedir (2,3,4).”
- Authors
- Hamdorf, P., Starr, G., & Williams, M.
- Venue
- Journal of Aging and Physical Activity
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2002-07
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 281-289
- ISSN
- 1063-8652 (ISSN-L)
- 1543-267X
- OpenAlex
- W217939315
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- physical activity, older adults, functional capacity, physical inactivity, walking, high-intensity exercise, age-related decline, South Australia
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