CC BY
7Physical activity for longer and more quality life of senior people
UDC 796.034.2
m
Dr. Hab., Professor V.G. Shilko1 PhD, Associate Professor N.L. Guseva1 V.S. Kolpashnikova1
1National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract
Objective of the study was to survey the factors of influence of the senior population physical activity and offer a life quality improvement physical training model.
Methods and structure of the study. We run, for the purposes of the study, a SF-36 questionnaire survey [5] at the National Research Tomsk State University's physical education Department, and a life quality improvement physical training model testing experiment that took 3 years. The experimental physical training service was provided by a physiotherapist and doctor and included theoretical classes (introductory and final parts of 10 minutes each and 40-minute main part) plus practical circuit physical training service, with 2-3-days rest breaks. The female sample was split up into a Younger Group (YG, n=20) of 62-66 year-olds and Senior Group (SG, n=15) of 71-74 year-olds, with both groups trained for 1 hour twice a week. The YG was trained under an Active Longevity physical training program (1 gym and 1 swimming pool session); and the SG training system was dominated (80%) by swimming practices plus standard physical conditioning exercises (20%). The group progresses were tested by the pre- versus post-experimental tests and surveys.
Results and conclusions. The questionnaire surveys and physical training model testing experiment showed the undoubted need for special physical activation and physical training service to senior population groups geared to facilitate their further productive and active work; mitigate the burden on the age-specific health service system; cut down the relevant social costs; and mitigate the potential negative impacts on the national socio-economic progress agenda.
Keywords: senior people, ageing issues, physical activity, physical exercises, life quality, life expectancy, active longevity, physical training, questionnaire survey, health rate.
Background. The growing life expectancy rates reported by statistical services of the Russian Federation urge the relevant governmental agencies to give a special priority to the population aging related challenges to mitigate the potential negative impacts on the national socio-economic progress agenda [24]. Presently the national policies in this domain are geared to set due provisions to facilitate the health-and age-sensitive inclusion of the professionally competent and able senior population in active labor. Such policies are expected, on the one hand, to reduce the financial burden on the active younger population by reducing the social costs and, on the other hand, im-
prove the seniors' living standards, life quality and active longevity in the context of the naturally high demand of this group for health services [1].
Objective of the study was to survey the factors of influence of the senior population physical activity and offer a life quality improvement physical training model.
Methods and structure of the study. We run, for the purposes of the study, a SF-36 questionnaire survey [5] at the National Research Tomsk State University's physical education Department, and a life quality improvement physical training model testing experiment that took 3 years [4]. The experimental physical
training service was provided by a physiotherapist and doctor and included theoretical classes (introductory and final parts of 10 minutes each and 40-minute main part) plus practical circuit physical training service, with 2-3-days rest breaks. The female sample was split up into a Younger Group (YG, n=20) of 6266 year-olds and Senior Group (SG, n=15) of 71-74 year-olds, with both groups trained for 1 hour twice a week. The YG was trained under an Active Longevity physical training program (1 gym and 1 swimming pool session); and the SG training system was dominated (80%) by swimming practices plus standard physical conditioning exercises (20%). The group progresses were tested by the pre- versus post-experimental tests and surveys.
Results and discussion. The pre-experimental survey found 58.6%, 37.9% and 3.5% of the sample self-rating their health as mediocre, good and excellent on a 5-point scale; with none of the respondents checking the "bad" option. Furthermore, about 50% of the sample reported their health and physical fitness "slightly" limiting (average score) their everyday vital physical activity (food bags carrying, going upstairs, covering a 1-plus km distance etc.). And about 50% of the sample reported difficulties in some or a few daily chores they had to stop due to fatigue or inability to complete the work for other reasons.
Emotions are a commonly known to be of special influence on the life quality, psychophysical health, working capacity, family climates and relationships with friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc. We surveyed the sample how often for the last 4 weeks the emotional issues required extra willpower from them to keep up the family/ job/ social contacts, and 43.6%, 46.5% and 9.9% rated such complicating emotional issues influential, non-influential and somewhat influential, respectively, on a five-point scale. It should be emphasized in this context that sociologists do believe that good social contacts/ communications are indispensable for successful 'secondary socialization' of seniors whose circles of live contacts tend to narrow with age living them lonely and, hence, susceptible to the relevant life quality and life expectancy issues.
An international survey by the Global Age Watch Index demonstrated that the seniors' life quality and life expectancy rates heavily depend on their health rate and mental/ social wellbeing, particularly in the 60-plus year old groups. It should be noted in this context that the Russian Federation is now ranked only 86th on the lists of the senior population health indices i.e. with the least developed nations [1].
This was the reason for us to survey the sample on how often and much for the last month they suffered from physical pain and to what extent the psychophysical discomforts hampered their indoor chores and outdoor activities. Most of the sample (85.3%)
reported very little to moderate pains that were of little influence (65% reported little of some influence) on their performance or work completion rates. Despite the fact that only 14.7% reported feeling 'no pains at all', 34.5% reported being successful and timely in their day-works, that means that about 20% of the pain-reporting respondents are still quite effective in their daily chores.
It should be mentioned that none of the sample reported "severe' and 'very severe" pains for the last month otherwise they could hardly qualify for the sample. Furthermore, a fairly high share (27.6%) of the sample reported their physical and emotional issues for the last month having no effect on their social contacts including relationships with families, friends and colleagues. This finding demonstrates once again the importance of social contacts for senior people who tend to rank them more important than whatever health disorders. Findings of a somatic health survey were of special interest for us. Regardless of the actual physical and mental health rates, most of the both groups (48.7%) rated their health as good as the peers' health, and 33.3% rated their health excellent for their age group.
Prior to developing the physical training models for both age groups, we surveyed the actual physical activity for the last month and profiled it by the scopes and intensities - using a Physical Activity Questionnaire Survey form we designed based on the International Physical Activity Prevalence Study (www.ipaq. ki.se). The questionnaire survey tested the physical activity formats with the quantitative and qualitative rating criteria to find if and to what extent the sample is fit for the physical training model in the functional and psychophysical fitness domains.
Having analyzed the responses, we tested both groups with the following last-month physical activity (on a 3-point scale): 36.4% were tested with physical inactivity (physical activity under 21 points); 45.5% with poor physical activity (21-28 points) and only 18.1% with fair age-specific physical activity (28-plus points). These data gave us the grounds to rank 80% of the age group with the sedentary lifestyle detrimental to their mental and physical health and potentially hampering their everyday chores.
The post-experimental survey was run in March 2020 (six months after the physical training model testing experiment) to rate health of the sample and make adjustments to the physical training model in view of the sample comments and ideas. We used a special questionnaire survey form with a special priority to the physical training service update and efficiency improvement aspects. The questionnaire survey found 93.4% of the sample (both groups) rating their health 'much better' and 'slightly better', and only 6% reporting 'some worsening' of the perceived
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health rate after the experiment. In addition, 64.3% and 14.3% of the sample reported moderate and high progress in the walking speeds, respectively.
Furthermore, 85.3% of the sample favored a combined (group plus individual) training model, and 70.5% acknowledged benefits of the group trainings as compared to the individual ones, particularly when such trainings are assisted and controlled by designated physical education coaches or instructors. The sample also emphasized the desire to have a privileged access to sports clubs among the other mass senior population's physical activation and sporting initiatives.
It should be mentioned that none of the sample had doubts about the physical training service benefits for the seniors' life quality and active longevity and ranked the physical training service high among the other physical activity factors, with a special preference for the group training service models including professional and individualized instructor's service, his/her own good look and healthy lifestyle, plus reasonable diversity of the physical training systems customizable to the age- and health-specific needs, physical progress agendas and other factors.
Conclusion. The questionnaire surveys and physical training model testing experiment showed the undoubted need for special physical activation and physical training service to senior population groups geared to facilitate their further productive and active
work; mitigate the burden on the age-specific health service system; cut down the relevant social costs; and mitigate the potential negative impacts on the national socio-economic progress agenda.
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