Abstract

RAMALHO, André; PETRICA, João  and  ROSADO, António. Psychosocial determinants of sedentary behavior among older adults: qualitative study. CPD [online]. 2019, vol.19, n.1, pp.147-165.  Epub Aug 17, 2020. ISSN 1989-5879.

In recent years there has been a progressive research about sedentary behavior. However, the empirical evidence is still scarce regarding the psychosocial determinants of the siting time in older adults. Thus, the main purpose of the study was to identify and understand the psychosocial factors that determined the different sedentary behaviors of older adults. A total of 20 elderly persons, aged between 65 and 75 years (M = 68 years; SD = 1.6 years) participated in this study. The participants were selected intentionally and data was collected through a semi-structured interview guide and data analysis followed an inductive process. Results indicated that following psychosocial determinants of the sedentary behavior in older adults: strength of habit, compensatory behaviors, positive representation of sedentary behaviors and social support. It seems that sedentary behaviors of elderly can be determined by automatic and intentional processes. The older adults may also use cognitive strategies with the intent to compensate for sitting time through active behaviors and social support of older adults can contribute to the promotion of sedentary time or the interruption of the same. In this way, the understanding of psychosocial factors constitutes an important contribution to the explanation of the sedentary time of older adults.

Keywords : sedentary lifstyle; aging; epidemiologic factors.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )