The association between intra-individual and extra-individual determinants, and lifetime sports behavior on leisure time physical activity. A ctoss-sectlonal study with older adults

摘要

There exists convincing evidence that physical activity (PA) helps older people stay healthy. Nevertheless, many older people remain inactive. Interventions can enhance PA, but they focus mainly on social-cognitive determinants and often neglect environmental influences. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association between individual and environmental factors and PA. We asked 592 people between 50 and 60 years old about intra-individual and extra-individual factors, their lifetime sports behavior and their current volume of PA. Structural equation modeling revealed an acceptable model-fit (RMSEA = .03; SRMR = .05; CFI = .95). The model showed that lifetime sports behavior was most strongly associated with PA (beta = .27), followed by intra-individual (beta = .22) and extra-individual (beta = .10) factors. We also explored moderators via two-step cluster analyses. These findings illustrated that lifestyle and place of residence primarily moderated the associations. Interventions intended to enhance the PA of older people should include both intra-individual and extra-individual factors, and it may be helpful to support these people when they are younger. Additionally, they should be targeted by lifestyle and place of residence.