Associação entre ambiente percebido e nível de atividade física em pessoas idosas alagoanas: um estudo de base populacional

Abstract

The practice of physical activity is an important ally for maintaining the functional capacity of older dults, however there are situations that prevent this from being carried out. The neighborhood and physical activity are related, as the neighborhood can be a facilitator or a barrier to the practice of physical activity. Therefore, the objective of this study is to describe and associate the perceived environment with the level of physical activity in older adults in Alagoas. This is an observational, analytical and descriptive, population-based, cross-sectional study. The sample for this study is made up of older adults living in the city of Maceió and eleven other municipalities in the state of Alagoas. To analyze the level of Physical Activity, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used – domain 4 (leisure). To assess the neighborhood we use the adapted Environmental Perception Scale (EPA). We analyzed 998 older adults, 66.1% of the sample were female, with an average age of 71 years. In terms of physical activity, 15% of the olders were considered active. The neighborhood perception variables that are associated with physical activity were the presence of green areas in the neighborhood (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.03 – 2.21), if traffic does not make walking in the neighborhood difficult (OR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.03 – 2.18) and neighborhood safety when walking at night (OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.45 – 0.93). Our study points out that the fact that older adults perceive the neighborhood in which they live as safe at night, safe in traffic and with the presence of green areas results in an association with the level of physical activity.