ELDERLY PEOPLE ADHESION TO A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM: PURPOSES AND SIGNIFICANCE

Abstract

The study aims to identify the purposes for elderly people adhering to physical activi- ty (PA) programs and to determine the significance of PA. The research adopts a cross-sectional descriptive methodology; and data is collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. The sample is composed of 199 elderly people – 195 female and 4 male. The participants have an average age of 70.03 ± 6.17 years old; and 46.7% of them belong to class “C”, according to ABEP. Results indicate ‘health prevention’ as the main purpose for adhesion, 68.8%, and as the primary significance attributed to PA, 75.9%. The paper concludes appointing that this perception denotes a conscious attitude to the relation between PA and health.