Among the older adult population, physical activity rates are even lower in rural communities compared to urban ones. This descriptive qualitative study investigated the perception of physical activity among ten older adults living in rural Saskatchewan. Findings revealed that older adults living in rural Saskatchewan identified social-ecological elements that facilitate physical activity, such as improved health, independence and mobility, as well as social cohesion and opportunities for physical activity.
With the known benefits of physical activity and the harmful effect of physical inactivity, why were more people not active. This led me to ask what physical activity meant to people, especially among older people who had had. Little research has been conducted on physical activity among older adults residing in rural Canada, particularly in the Prairie provinces.
The results of this study will contribute to emerging research in physical activity and will be valuable to programmers, service providers, and city planners in developing interventions to increase physical activity among older adults. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the socio-ecological factors that influence or contribute to physical activity among older adults in rural Saskatchewan.
CHAPTER II – REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
According to Finch (1997), older adults generally recognized that physical activity was necessary to improve health and was an important factor in. Studies that have examined the facilitating and inhibiting elements among older adults have identified numerous insights into physical activity engagement. Finch (1997) reported that older adults perceived physical activity as beneficial to health and well-being.
Studies conducted in rural Canada have yielded similar results among personal facilitators of physical activity in older adults. Studies from rural communities in Canada yield similar results regarding social facilitators of physical activity. Personal barriers identified in rural Canadian studies also included aging in addition to perceived physical activity.
Atlantic Canada had a large population of older adults and so did the level of physical activity among that population. Saskatchewan, where the number of older adults is steadily increasing and physical activity is declining (Statistics Canada, 2011).
CHAPTER III – CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Physical activity was defined as any form of skeletal muscle movement that increases energy expenditure compared to resting levels (Katzmarzyk & Tremblay, 2007). To investigate the elements that contribute to physical activity and the elements that form a barrier to participation in physical activities in rural areas. Areas of interest to be explored for this study included participants' beliefs and attitudes about physical activity, as well as their perceived benefits, enjoyment, and competence in being physically active.
This study examined the support participants received from their family, friends and community and how that affected their physical activity. Certain elements within the physical environment can influence participation in physical activities, including climate and seasonal differences, as well as features of the built environment such as access to safe sidewalks and good lighting, as well as access to transportation and services in the community. It was hypothesized that a combination of these factors would influence participation in physical activities within community members.
It was also hypothesized that older adults would describe a variety of activities as physical activity, from housework to exercise classes. Consideration of all these factors and assumptions led to the following research question: What are the perceptions of physical activity among older adults in rural communities in the province of Saskatchewan.
CHAPTER IV – METHOD
Theory within QD often appears in the background knowledge of the researcher through experience, knowledge gained in the subject area, and through reviewing the works of others in the field (Sandelowski, 2009). QD leads to valuable information that describes the perception of the participants in their natural. Researchers using QD seek to obtain an insider's view of participant's experiences and describe that experience in the everyday language of the people directly involved (Sandelowski, 2000).
As the aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the perception of physical activity among older adults in rural Saskatchewan with the aim of informing practice and providing the unheard voices in an area where little research exists exposed, QD was selected as the most suitable. approach to answer the research question. QD with its pragmatic approach to research allows for the flexibility in choosing a sampling strategy that is in line with the purpose of the research. All eligible participants were provided with an overview of the research study including the purpose of the study.
Observational data generation for this study included a review of the town websites for service information, population, a background history and. The interview guide used in the study consisted of open-ended questions based on socio-ecological elements (personal, social and environmental) that influenced physical activity (Appendix E). This data also helped develop a broad understanding of the participant's experience within their community and helped provide a point of reference when the participant described their perceptions.
For example, when the participant described the physical activities in which she was still involved, a reflective note was made that the researcher mentally compared the participant's strenuous activity and age with a family member similar in age and activity to the researcher. The goal of a QD study is to collect data and present findings in the participants' words, ensuring minimal researcher interference and interpretation (Sandelowski, 2000); therefore, in order to discover the meaning of the data, the researchers create and assign codes to the words and phrases of the participants (Neergaard et al., 2009). Content analysis is a data analysis approach that is often used when the researcher prefers clear description over data interpretation (Vaismoradi et al., 2013).
Data generated in the audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim by the researcher and reviewed several times, allowing the researcher to become immersed in the data. All codes retained their original color under the assigned heading as a means of verifying the accuracy of the data against the definition and heading. Prior to participation in this study, participants were presented with a written purpose of the study and informed consent was required before proceeding (Appendix B, Appendix D).
CHAPTER V – Results
Participants were asked how they defined physical activity and what physical activity meant to them. Facilitators of participation in physical activity and barriers to physical activity among participants provided insight into what might help older adults living in rural settings remain physically active. The questions presented to the participants were intended to explore the socio-ecological influences on their engagement in and involvement in physical activity.
Carol said: “Some days I get bored, but I have diabetes so I know how important physical activity is”. In Betty's words, physical activity meant “being able to do what you want to do to maintain my own home and have a social life.” Physical activity helped her “stay flexible enough to do everything I want and enjoy.”
Helen summed up the view of the research participants on the benefits of physical activity: “I feel good. All this served as an important promoter of participation in both intentional physical activity and everyday activities. In addition to connecting with others socially,. community volunteering allowed older adults to engage in physical activity by performing the movement and tasks necessary to complete the tasks they were required to do as volunteers.
Similarly, Helen, Dorothy, Barbara and Carol all agreed that their community had a lot to offer for physical activity. All participants said they felt their community was safe and supportive of their physical activity. Rural areas supported physical activity by maintaining roads and footpaths in most seasons.
There were many personal, social, and environmental catalysts of physical activity among older adults in rural Saskatchewan. The questions presented to the participants also aimed to explore the socio-ecological barriers to their engagement in physical activity and included personal, social and environmental elements. These socio-ecological influences, whether personal, social or environmental, served as barriers to engaging in physical activity for the older adults in this study.
CHAPTER VI - DISCUSSION
Consistent with the literature, health and independence are a key element in physical activity engagement among older adults. Study findings also suggested that living in a safe and supportive environment facilitated physical activity among older adults in this study. Overall, it is clear that the physical and built environments contain important facilitating elements of physical activity engagement among older adults.
In addition to the weather, the aging process itself was a perceived barrier to physical activity for many older adults in this study. There is evidence in the literature that aging is a perceived barrier to physical activity participation among older adults. 2009) reported that older adults reduced physical activity and often stopped when they experienced pain.
Interventions that address personal, social, and environmental factors may be more effective in increasing physical activity levels in older adults. Family members were also an important facilitator and occasionally a barrier to adults participating in physical activity. This study investigated the perception of physical activity among rural residential older adults in Saskatchewan using descriptive qualitative methodology.
Findings from this study revealed the perceptions of physical activity among older adults in rural Saskatchewan using a socio-ecological model and will add to existing research in the area. Findings from this study reinforced that personal and social elements influenced physical activity engagement among older adults. Therefore, valuable insight could be gained by addressing the role of family members in older adults' physical activity participation.
In addition to family members influencing physical activity, older adults also perceive volunteer service in the community as a facilitator of physical activity. One area of exploration to aid in this understanding is exploring the role of volunteering in supporting physical activity among older adults in rural communities. From an environmental perspective, the most common barrier to physical activity among the rural elderly in this study was the weather, especially when conditions turned icy.
Additional research could examine how indoor and alternative options in rural areas influence physical activity engagement among older adults. This qualitative descriptive study of perceptions of physical activity among older adults in rural Saskatchewan offered a greater understanding of physical activity among the older adult population in a rural context.
