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Society faces significant challenges adjusting to the greater number of people living longer. However, wouldn't you rather face these challenges than go back to the " good old days " when "old" people were a lot younger than today? View all articles by Steve Vernon on CBS MoneyWatch» Steve Vernon helped large employers design and manage their retirement programs for more than 35 years as a consulting actuary. Now he's a research scholar for the Stanford Center on Longevity, where he helps collect, direct and disseminate research that will improve the financial security of seniors.
Steve Vernon. Please enter email address to continue. Please enter valid email address to continue. Chrome Safari Continue. Be the first to know. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Gender differences in the predictors of physical activity among assisted living residents. J Nurs Scholarsh. Factors that negatively affected physical activity in older men were age, number of chronic diseases and depression; and in women the number of chronic diseases and depression.
In this study, Oliveira et al. Estud Interdiscipl Envelhec. Brito et al. Rev Bras Enferm. The authors observed a statistically significant correlation between functional impairment and number of chronic diseases; and between self-rated health and PA, the latter only among men.
Older individuals who reported four or more chronic diseases, perceived their health as poor and did not engage in physical activity, exhibited a high prevalence of functional impairment. A study by Gopinath et al. Sci Rep. The authors also highlighted the importance of investing in public health initiatives to encourage older people to engage in physical activity. Adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet, engaging in physical activity, managing stress, taking preventive measures and fostering social relationships are factors that contribute to longevity 25 Profile of lifestyle of older elderly persons.
Rev Bras Geriatr Gerontol. Santos et al. Rev Bras Epidemiol. Leijon et al. Who is not adhering to physical activity referrals, and why? Scand J Prim Health Care. Sawatzky et al. Physical activity as a mediator of the impact of chronic conditions on quality of life in older adults.
Health Qual Life Outcomes. As such, to guarantee the health of this population it is essential to establish preventive strategies to minimize the risks of developing chronic diseases and encourage PA.
Baert et al. Motivators and barriers for physical activity in the oldest old: A systematic review. Ageing Res Rev. Establishing health education programs to raise awareness about the importance of PA seems to be the most promising means of achieving this goal. The main facilitators were enjoying PA, socializing, PA benefits, appropriate exercises and having company to exercise.
Health education initiatives should target all age groups, in order to raise awareness about the importance of PA, develop mechanisms to promote adherence and improve strategies that foster a healthy lifestyle and habits, as well as preventive behavior to minimize risk factors for chronic diseases.
Older adults with chronic conditions may become heavily dependent on medication. A recent study demonstrated that individuals with hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol took on average 4.
The changing face of chronic illness management in primary care: a qualitative study of underlying influences and unintended outcomes. Ann Fam Med. Saude Publica. Medication intake increases as the population ages. An integrative review of drug utilization by the elderly in primary health care. The authors identified a trend of drug use in this group, particularly psychotropic medications and polypharmacy, highlighting the need to establish strategies for preventing adverse events and adopting technologies that facilitate medication control for older adults.
This corroborates Lago et al. Among chronic conditions, falls and different types of fractures are also cited. Gasparotto et al. However, there was no significant correlation between PAL and number of falls in this study. A systematic review analyzing the most recent scientific evidence regarding the effect of physical exercise on preventing falls in community-dwelling older adults concluded that PA is effective at preventing falls, and exercise programs combining balance training with 3 or more hours of exercise a week produced the best results, suggesting moderate to intense PA for long-term fall prevention 36 Rev Bras Med Fam Comunidade.
Our study reinforces the literature about highlighting the importance of implementing strategies to ensure older adults stay active, regardless of age and type of activity. This effective, low-cost nonpharmacological approach could contribute to minimizing different chronic conditions in older people and a longer life with greater independence, autonomy and quality.
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