Background: Physical activity in the elderly is influenced by aspects of aging that cause personal, mental, environmental, and social changes. Increases in factors that are barriers to activity cause physical energy expenditure to decrease.
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to survey the relationship between energy expenditure in metabolic equivalent units (MET) and factors that are barriers to physical activity in elderly people in Kashan, Iran.
Methods: This is a descriptive analysis done in 2014. The study population was 400 people above 60 years old in medical facilities in Kashan. Multistage sampling was used in 10 clinics in 5 areas of Kashan. The sample size was varied according to gender and elderly population. Contributors were given questionnaires concerning energy expenditure levels in physical activity and factors that are barriers to being active.
Results: The average age among the study population was 67.6 ± 6.8 years median, and the interquartile range (IQR) of barriers to physical activity among Kashan's elderly was (8.75) ± 33. Average energy expenditure was 326.21 ± 364.84 based on metabolic equivalent units (MET). In fact, 340 persons (85%) were practically without any active energy expenditure. The most common barrier was the lack of an appropriate place for doing physical activity; 298 (74%) of the participants cited this barrier. The results show the Spearman rank-order correlation is significant (P = 0.038, r = 0.104) between barriers to physical activity and activity energy expenditure in Kashan's elderly.
Conclusions: Decreasing barriers to physical activity among the elderly causes physical activities to increase; therefore, energy expenditure is increased. Decreasing social and environmental problems for the elderly is effective in increasing physical activity and energy expenditure.
Keywords: Aging; Barrier Factors; Energy Expenditure; Physical Activity.