Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in Italy
Physical exercise and social activities play a role of primary importance in the prevention of diseases and in maintaining functional abilities in old age, nevertheless, maintaining a regular habit of exercise is considered a challenge during the aging process. Motivation to start and maintain physi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Physical Activity and Health |
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| Online Access: | https://account.paahjournal.com/index.php/up-j-pah/article/view/262 |
| _version_ | 1797777820806545408 |
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| author | Danilo Contiero Anna Rita Bonfigli Flavia Piccinini Paolo Fabbietti Elena Gambella Maria Velia Giulietti Cristina Gagliardi |
| author_facet | Danilo Contiero Anna Rita Bonfigli Flavia Piccinini Paolo Fabbietti Elena Gambella Maria Velia Giulietti Cristina Gagliardi |
| author_sort | Danilo Contiero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Physical exercise and social activities play a role of primary importance in the prevention of diseases and in maintaining functional abilities in old age, nevertheless, maintaining a regular habit of exercise is considered a challenge during the aging process. Motivation to start and maintain physical activity is an essential factor. In the case of older people, promoting exercise by means of activities intrinsically pleasurable is preferable to physical activity programs based on health improvements. From this perspective, our study is aimed to understand if preventative interventions combining physical activity, self-efficacy, and social participation in the context of a natural environment might be of help in increasing the level of physical activity. The sample was composed of 95 subjects, of which 40 were excluded because declared to be already engaged in regular physical activity at baseline. Considering the final sample of 55 subjects with low or no physical activity at baseline, 21 subjects (38.2%) improved the intensity of their physical activity at follow-up. They were younger (52.4% with age >=70 vs 82.4; p=0.017), mostly women (85.7% vs 58.8%; p = 0.036), and had a higher balance test score with respect to the others (3.6 ± 0.7 vs 2.8 ± 1.0; p=0.005). Results should be able to strengthen the concept that having a good level of physical conditions, such as good balance, facilitates the path for greater physical improvements and better quality of life among older adults. Balance issues may be cause of fear of falling and psychological difficulties which may have limited the effects of the programme. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:10:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7469e5189d4486e87a86304c7c28a2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2515-2270 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:10:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Activity and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7469e5189d4486e87a86304c7c28a2e2023-07-18T08:26:30ZengUbiquity PressPhysical Activity and Health2515-22702023-06-0171205–216205–21610.5334/paah.26287Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in ItalyDanilo Contiero0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2037-5016Anna Rita Bonfigli1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9619-0181Flavia Piccinini2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3484-0310Paolo Fabbietti3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2130-3070Elena Gambella4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9008-3601Maria Velia Giulietti5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3729-5434Cristina Gagliardi6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9429-8116Centre for Socio‐Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA – National Institute of Health & Science on Ageing, AnconaScientific Direction, IRCCS INRCA, 60127 AnconaCentre for Socio‐Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA – National Institute of Health & Science on Ageing, AnconaCenter for Biostatistic and Applied Geriatric Clinical Epidemiology, Italian National Research Center on Ageing (IRCCS INRCA), AnconaCentre for Socio‐Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA – National Institute of Health & Science on Ageing, AnconaScientific and Technological Area, Department of Neurology, INRCA-IRCCS National Institute of Health and Science on Aging, AnconaCentre for Socio‐Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA – National Institute of Health & Science on Ageing, AnconaPhysical exercise and social activities play a role of primary importance in the prevention of diseases and in maintaining functional abilities in old age, nevertheless, maintaining a regular habit of exercise is considered a challenge during the aging process. Motivation to start and maintain physical activity is an essential factor. In the case of older people, promoting exercise by means of activities intrinsically pleasurable is preferable to physical activity programs based on health improvements. From this perspective, our study is aimed to understand if preventative interventions combining physical activity, self-efficacy, and social participation in the context of a natural environment might be of help in increasing the level of physical activity. The sample was composed of 95 subjects, of which 40 were excluded because declared to be already engaged in regular physical activity at baseline. Considering the final sample of 55 subjects with low or no physical activity at baseline, 21 subjects (38.2%) improved the intensity of their physical activity at follow-up. They were younger (52.4% with age >=70 vs 82.4; p=0.017), mostly women (85.7% vs 58.8%; p = 0.036), and had a higher balance test score with respect to the others (3.6 ± 0.7 vs 2.8 ± 1.0; p=0.005). Results should be able to strengthen the concept that having a good level of physical conditions, such as good balance, facilitates the path for greater physical improvements and better quality of life among older adults. Balance issues may be cause of fear of falling and psychological difficulties which may have limited the effects of the programme.https://account.paahjournal.com/index.php/up-j-pah/article/view/262preventative multidimensional programmephysical activityolder peopleactive ageing |
| spellingShingle | Danilo Contiero Anna Rita Bonfigli Flavia Piccinini Paolo Fabbietti Elena Gambella Maria Velia Giulietti Cristina Gagliardi Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in Italy Physical Activity and Health preventative multidimensional programme physical activity older people active ageing |
| title | Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in Italy |
| title_full | Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in Italy |
| title_fullStr | Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in Italy |
| title_short | Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in Italy |
| title_sort | improving physical activity and health of older people involved in a social farming regional preventative multidimensional programme in italy |
| topic | preventative multidimensional programme physical activity older people active ageing |
| url | https://account.paahjournal.com/index.php/up-j-pah/article/view/262 |
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