The prevalence and correlates of meeting the current physical activity for health guidelines in older people: a cross-sectional study in Brazilian women

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the prevalence and correlates of meeting the current physical activity for health (PAfH) guidelines, proposed by the World Health Organization in 2010, in community-dwelling older women from Brazil. A cross-sectional study was performed with 1806 women (aged 60.0-92.7 years) who were randomly selected from eighteen care centers. The short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to determine the weekly time spent in physical activities, and this variable was categorized into three categories (0<150min/wk; 1: 150-299.9min/wk; 2: ≥300min/wk). Age, race/ethnicity, economic class, education level, occupational and marital status, body mass index and blood pressure status, medical conditions, use of medications, and self-rated health status were the potential correlates. The ordinal logistic regression was used as a measure of association. From the total group of participants, 49.9% followed the current recommendations related to basic health benefits (150-299min/wk), and 35.9% met the guidelines for additional health effects (300 or more min/wk). Women with secondary complete education (OR=1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-1.74), positive self-rated health (OR=5.25, 95% CI: 2.10-13.09), and high blood pressure (OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.09-1.62) were more likely to meet the current PAfH guidelines than their peers with primary incomplete education, negative self-rated health, and normal blood pressure. Increasing age was inversely associated with meeting the PAfH guidelines (odds ranging: 0.77-0.48). These results highlighted the elderly population subgroups, in a developing country, that needspecific guidelinesfor inclusion inhealth programs andmotivation toparticipate in physical activities.