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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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"My heart couldn't take it"
— older women's beliefs about exercise benefits and risks | | Author(s) | Sandra O'Brien Cousins |
| Journal title | Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, vol 55B, no 5, September 2000 |
| Pages | pp P283-P294 |
| Keywords | Exercise ; Older women ; Attitude ; Social surveys ; Canada. |
| Annotation | Daily physical activity is advocated by health agencies as a way of reducing many of the health risks affecting old age, but older women are generally not heeding the message. The Health Belief Model proposes that sedentary living occurs when people believe that the risks of exercising exceed the benefits. To clarify the beliefs that act as incentives and barriers to more active living, the author asked 143 independent-living women in Vancouver aged 70 and over to respond to open-ended questions on their beliefs about benefits and risks for 6 fitness activities: brisk walking, aquacize, cycling, stretching slowly to touch toes, modified push-ups from a kneeling position, and supine curl-ups. Content analysis organised perceived risks into 19 categories and perceived benefits into 6 categories. Respondents generally recognised broad health benefits to fitness activities, but beliefs about risks were strong, anatomically specific, and sometimes sensational in description. The findings suggest that many older women feel physically vulnerable, are unsure about actual risks and benefits of exercise, and in the face of medical uncertainty, report medical reasons why they should be excused from fitness-promoting exercise. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-001123208 A |
| Classmark | CEA: BD: DP: 3F: 7S |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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