Last updated on 5-12-2024 by Laïla Boulbayem
Why do we study physical activity in older adults?
- Engaging in regular physical activity across various domains — such as transportation, work, leisure time, and household activities (including gardening) — offers numerous health benefits for older adults, including improved cardiovascular health, enhanced muscle strength, better mental health, and a reduced risk of falls and injuries.
- Older adults can stay active through diverse contexts. For instance, active commuting (e.g., walking or cycling) can reduce cardiovascular disease rates, while household chores and recreational activities — enjoyable and easier to sustain — contribute to overall physical movement.
- Studying domain-specific physical activity is essential for guiding policymakers and shaping public health strategies. This allows for the design of targeted interventions that promote active lifestyles among older adults and improve their overall health and well-being.
How do we do it?
- Physical activity of older adults was examined using the long version of the self-report International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), specifically adapted for old adults. This questionnaire is used to assess the intensity, frequency, and duration of physical activity across four domains:
- transportation-related physical activity: activities such as walking or bicycling to travel from one place to another ;
- work-related physical activity: this includes walking at work, engaging in moderate physical activity tasks (e.g., carrying light loads), and performing vigorous-intensity activities (e.g., carrying heavy loads or construction work) ;
- household-related physical activity: moderate-to-high intensity activities at home (e.g., washing windows, scrubbing floors, or raking) or in the (vegetable) garden ;
- leisure time-related physical activity: activities like walking and cycling during free time (not related to transportation), as well as moderate-to-vigorous intensity activities (e.g., swimming).
- The percentage of physical activity in each domain was calculated by dividing the time spent in a given physical activity domain by the total time spent on physical activity across all domains.
- Although questionnaires have many advantages, they also have limitations. People often struggle to accurately assess the intensity of their physical activity. This misjudgement, combined with forgetfulness and a desire to provide socially acceptable answers, can result in overestimating their physical activity levels. These results are best suited for comparing groups (e.g., by sex, age, or socio-economic status) rather than for drawing absolute conclusions.
Key results
Older adults spend most of their physical activity time on household-related physical activity.
Older adults spend an equal amount of their physical activity time on transport-related physical activity as they do on leisure time-related physical activity.
Older men engage in more leisure time-related physical activity compared to older women, while older women dedicate more time to household-related physical activity.
Older adults with low-educational levels spend less time on leisure time-related physical activity compared to older adults with mid- and high-educational levels.
Among older adults, the proportion of physical activity time dedicated to household-related physical activity is higher in Wallonia than in Flanders.
Age and sex
Average percentage of physical activity performed by older adults aged 65 years and above in transportation, work, leisure time and household, by sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Household-related physical activity covers physical activities performed at home and in the garden.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include institutionalised (including those in care homes) or hospitalised individuals, or those who could not be interviewed without assistance (e.g., individuals with dementia).
- Overall, older adults spend 21% of their physical activity time in transport-related physical activity and 22% in leisure time-related physical activity. This is lower than the proportion of time spent on household-related physical activity (47%).
- The proportion of time spent in work-related physical activity for older adults is 2%.
- There is a difference between women and men in leisure time-related and household-related physical activity: men spend more of their physical activity time on leisure time-related physical activity (26%) compared to women (18%), while women spend more time on household-related physical activity (51%) compared to men (44%).
Educational level
Average percentage of physical activity performed by older adults aged 65 years and above in transportation, work, leisure time and household, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex and socioeconomic status.
- Household-related physical activity covers physical activities performed at home and in the garden.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include institutionalised (including those in care homes) or hospitalised individuals, or those who could not be interviewed without assistance (e.g., individuals with dementia).
- Older adults with low-educational levels spend 19% of their physical activity time on leisure time-related physical activity, which is less than older adults with mid- (26%) and high-educational levels (27%).
- There is no difference in proportion of physical activity time spent on transport-related, work-related, or household-related physical activity across different educational levels.
Region
Average percentage of physical activity performed by older adults aged 65 years and above in transportation, work, leisure time and household, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Adjusted = results weighted for season, age, sex and socioeconomic status, and adjusted according to age and sex based on linear regression model (using the Belgian population of 2022-2023 as reference).
- Household-related physical activity covers physical activities performed at home and in the garden.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include institutionalised (including those in care homes) or hospitalised individuals, or those who could not be interviewed without assistance (e.g., individuals with dementia).
- The proportion of physical activity time that older adults spend on household-related physical activities is higher in Wallonia (53%) compared to Flanders (45%).
- There is no difference in the proportion of physical activity time spent on transport-related, work-related setting, and leisure time-related physical activity between Flanders and Wallonia.
Please cite this page as: Sciensano. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in older adults: Domain-specific physical activity, Food Consumption Survey 2022-2023, December 2024, Brussels, Belgium, https://www.sciensano.be/en/results-national-food-consumption-survey-2022-2023/physical-activity-and-sedentary-behaviour-older-adults/domain-specific-physical-activity-older