Perceived Barriers to Perform Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling Elderly- A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Purpose:  Regular physical activity is essential for healthy ageing and offers a range of health benefits, including reduced risk of all-cause. According to physical activity guidelines, excepting cases where contraindicated, physical activity should be part of every elderly plan of care. Elderly individuals due to deteriorating physical abilities and inappropriate infrastructural facilities are more likely to perceive barriers to proactively participate in community driven activities which needs to be analyzed and understoodObjective: To identify the perceived barriers to perform physical activity in community dwelling elderly.

Methods: Elderly population above 65 years of age were considered for this observational survey, a total of 150 physically inactive community dwelling elderly subject met the inclusion criteria and were considered for the study. “Barriers to Physical activity” survey questionnaire was administered and descriptive analysis was performed.

Result: The descriptive analysis showed that the most commonly perceived barriers to participate in physical activity as frequently reported by the respondents were poor health (75.3%), fear of falling or injury (67.3%), and lack of interest (62.7%).These findings highlight health-related and motivational concerns as major deterrents to engaging in physical activity. Additionally, a considerable proportion of participants cited lack of time (41.3%), lack of transport (42%), and lack of company (44.7%) as obstacles. In contrast, fewer participants reported lack of opportunities (36.7%) and time constraints (41.3%) as barriers.

Conclusion: This study provided relevant data on the perception of barriers to physical activity in elderly population dwelling in urban and sub-urban communities in Dharwad. The perceived barriers should be considered at the time of designing the health promotion and intervention programs as well as policy making and infrastructural facilities for elderly population to promote participation in physical activity.