Understanding active living in older age
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding perceptions and practices of active and sedentary living and the potential for change in older adults in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort: a qualitative study
IRAS ID
157876
Contact name
Simon Griffin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Cambridge
Research summary
Levels of physical activity (PA) decrease in later life, at a time when primary and secondary prevention of chronic conditions is important. Active living – which includes leisure, household, transport and occupational physical activities – has significant health benefits for older adults, improving physical and mental health, mobility and independence. PA interventions for older adults, however, have typically succeeded in producing only small or short-lived changes.
PA research largely uses quantitative methods, for example measuring and describing patterns of active and sedentary living and changes over time. In contrast, qualitative research can explore and understand motivations behind behavioural patterns and barriers to change. Despite the recognition that active living should be promoted across the population, there has been little qualitative research on active – and even less, sedentary – living to explore understandings, motivators and barriers to adopting and maintaining more active lifestyles, in particular in older age.
This qualitative study aims to explore the perceptions, practices and motivations of older adults (EPIC-Norfolk cohort participants) towards active and sedentary living and engage them in exploring potential challenges and facilitators of change. In the first phase of the study, we will conduct semi-structured interviews and up to two participant-observation sessions with participants to find out about their attitudes towards active living, health and ageing, their typical activities and their social context. In the second phase, with a subset of willing participants we will use the participatory method of photovoice, asking participants to create photos of how they envisage changing or maintaining their activity levels in later life, and then invite them to a focus group to discuss the barriers and facilitators that they have documented. Following current evidence, our analytical focus will be on life course and social influences on active living, and gender and class differences in expectations of and resistance to active living.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/1047
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion