Author(s): Ramalho, André ; Afonso, João Pedro Cardoso ; Paulo, Rui ; Duarte-Mendes, Pedro ; Serrano, João ; Petrica, João
Date: 2024
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/9072
Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco
Subject(s): Movement behaviors; Ageing; Observational study; Real-time data capture; Comportamientos de movimiento; Envejecimiento; Estudio observacional; Captura de datos en tiempo real
This study examines patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in individuals aged 65 years and older in the Beira Baixa region of Portugal with the aim of identifying differences between rural and urban settings. We analyzed data from 40 partici-pants, including 19 rural residents (mean age = 74.7 years, SD = 8.5 years) and 21 urban residents (mean age = 70.1 years, SD = 5.2 years), using a retrospective cross-sectional design complemented by an ecological momentary assessment to capture real-time behav-ior. The thematic analysis revealed that both cohorts were predominantly sedentary, especially in terms of television consumption. Physical activities were mainly limited to tasks such as housework, gardening and occasional walking, with minimal social interactions. Urban participants, in particular, reported meeting more frequently with family at home and in the neighborhood. Both groups pri-marily used indoor spaces and nearby streets for physical activity. Our findings highlight the urgent need for tailored weekend physical activity programs to improve sedentary lifestyles among older adults in both rural and urban areas. This study contributes to the liter-ature by highlighting the specific leisure-time preferences and activity patterns of older Portuguese adults, providing a basis for the development of adaptive, age-appropriate interventions.
