A Longitudinal Analysis of Physical Activity Levels in European Older Adults: The Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe

Eleni Theodoropoulou^1, , Nektarios A. M. Stavrou¹, Konstantinos Karteroliotis¹ and Maria Koskolou¹

¹School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

Cite this paper:
Eleni Theodoropoulou, Nektarios A. M. Stavrou, Konstantinos Karteroliotis and Maria Koskolou. A Longitudinal Analysis of Physical Activity Levels in European Older Adults: The Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Journal of Physical Activity Research. 2024; 9(1):1-7. doi: 10.12691/jpar-9-1-1

Abstract

Background: The health benefits of physical activity (PA) are well established. The current study investigated the vigorous and moderate PA levels over time in older Europeans analyzing data of the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, which is a cross-national database of the older population. Methods: Longitudinal analyses were conducted for twelve countries that participated in repeated measures in 2015, 2017 and 2020. In total, 9.011 individuals (63.04±22.96 years) answered the PA questions. Principal Findings: Analyses indicated decreases in vigorous PA over time, as adults that never participated in vigorous PA increased from 39% (2015) to 45.8% (2020). These findings were confirmed for moderate PA. Greater reductions in PA were found in southeast countries, such as Greece and Poland, whereas lower decreases in PA were observed in north countries, such as Switzerland and Denmark. Conclusion: The declining PA trends in several European countries indicate the importance of promoting an active and healthy lifestyle in aging populations. Future studies should be carried out to investigate the PA discrepancies among European countries.

Keywords:
exercise SHARE project repeated measures Europeans old age

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