Healthy aging: characteristics associated with physical activity levels among Québec seniors

Physical activity is fundamental to maintaining and improving physical and mental health. However, the proportion of active people decreases with age. In Québec, 39% of seniors were classified as active or moderately active in 2014-2015. We analyzed sociodemographic and other health-related factors based on data from the Québec Population Health Survey 2014-2015 to determine which factors are associated with leisure and transportation physical activity among Quebecers aged 65 and over.

The results show that those who are less likely to be active are women, those aged 75 and over, those with a college diploma or less, and those living in low-income households. Seniors who are overweight, who are dissatisfied with their social life, current smokers, and those with poorer self-perceived health are also less likely to be active. Thus, for the population aged 65 and over, physical activity levels vary depending on several factors. Knowledge of these factors helps target less active seniors and then intervene to increase their level of physical activity in order to improve their physical and mental health.