Associations between Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Greece
Anna Psarrou,
Theodoula Adamakidou,
Paraskevi Apostolara,
Alexandra Koreli,
Marianna Drakopoulou,
Sotirios Plakas,
Dimos Mastrogiannis,
Alexandra Mantoudi,
Stelios Parissopoulos,
Afroditi Zartaloudi,
Marianna Mantzorou
Affiliations
Anna Psarrou
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Theodoula Adamakidou
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Paraskevi Apostolara
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Alexandra Koreli
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Marianna Drakopoulou
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Sotirios Plakas
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Dimos Mastrogiannis
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Alexandra Mantoudi
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Stelios Parissopoulos
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Afroditi Zartaloudi
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Marianna Mantzorou
MSc Program in Community and Public Health Nursing, Nursing Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Physical activity is an important factor in achieving healthy aging, offering older persons multiple benefits in terms of maintaining and improving their health and wellbeing. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of physical activity on the quality of life of older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May 2022, using the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). A total of 124 people aged 65 and over participated in the survey. The average age of the participants was 71.6 years, and 62.1% were women. Participants showed a moderate quality of life with regard to the physical health dimension (mean score 52.4) and a higher quality of life with regard to the mental health dimension (mean score 63.1) compared to the expected values of the population. Low levels of physical activity were recorded among older adults, reaching a rate of 83.9%. A moderate or high level of physical activity has been found to contribute to a better physical functioning (p = 0.03), vitality (p = 0.02) and general health (p = 0.01). Finally, comorbidity had a negative impact on physical activity (p = 0.03) and quality of life regarding mental and physical health in older adults. The study showed very low levels of physical activity in older Greek adults. The management of this problem, which was intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, should be a high priority in public health programs focusing on healthy aging, as physical activity affects and promotes many of the basic aspects of quality of life.
