Background: Engaging in regular exercise is widely recognized as a highly efficient method to mitigate age-related disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the correlations between physical activity and the quality of life, happiness, and depression levels in elderly women. Methods: In this study, a descriptive-correlational method was employed. The participants were 390 elderly women (aged 65 and above) who were chosen through a convenience sampling procedure in Tehran, Iran, in 2023. The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (range of scores from 0 to 793), SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire (range of scores from 0 to 100), Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (range of scores from 0 to 87) and Geriatric Depression Scale (range of scores from 0 to 15) were used for measuring exercise activity, quality of life, happiness and depression, respectively. For data analysis, Pearson correlation test and regression analysis in SPSS version 26 and Lisrel 8.1 were applied. Results: Descriptive results showed that in general the level of physical activity in students was below average (114.09±15.78). Likewise, the quality of life was below average (39.83±7.40). Happiness was also below average (5.97±2.19). Finally, depression was higher than average (53.64±9.90). The findings indicated that physical activity has a direct association with the quality of life (β=0.356, T=5.137). Additionally, physical activity has a direct association with happiness (β=0.448, T=6.556). However, it was observed that physical activity has an indirect association with depression (β=-0.229, T=-3.671). Conclusions: The study results clearly indicated that engaging in physical activity significantly contributes to improving the overall wellbeing and health-related quality of life among elderly women. Thus, prioritizing the enhancement of physical and exercise routines is strongly advised as a primary approach to enhance wellbeing and health-related quality of life in elderly women. |
- Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, Borodulin K, Buman MP, Cardon G, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(24):1451-1462. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955. PubMed PMID: 33239350; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7719906. ##
- Agbangla NF, Séba M-P, Bunlon F, Toulotte C, Fraser SA. Effects of Physical Activity on Physical and Mental Health of Older Adults Living in Care Settings: A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses. Int J Environ Res Public Health.2023;20(13):6226. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20136226. PubMed PMID: 37444074; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10341127. ##
- Pinheiro MB, Oliveira JS, Baldwin JN, Hassett L, Costa N, Gilchrist H,et al. Impact of physical activity programs and services for older adults: a rapid review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2022;19(1):87. doi: 10.1186/s12966-022-01318-9. PubMed PMID: 35836187; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9284866. ##
- Wickramarachchi B, Torabi MR, Perera B. Effects of Physical Activity on Physical Fitness and Functional Ability in Older Adults. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2023;9:23337214231158476. doi: 10.1177/23337214231158476. PubMed PMID: 36860700; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9969476. ##
- Blewitt CL, Chockalingam N. The role of “non-traditional” physical activities in improving balance in older adults: a review. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise. 2017;12(2):446-462. doi: 10.14198/jhse.2017.122.21. ##
- Chen S, Ling J, Cheng Y. Physical activity and body mass index were interactively related to health-related quality of life among older adults. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2023;104:104833. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2022.104833. PubMed PMID: 36240587. ##
- Nascimento MM, Gouveia ÉR, Gouveia BR, Marques A, França C, Freitas DL, et al. Exploring mediation effects of gait speed, body balance, and falls in the relationship between physical activity and health-related quality of life in vulnerable older adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(21):14135. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192114135. PubMed PMID: 36361009; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9655035. ##
- Lau JH, Nair A, Abdin E, Kumarasan R, Wang P, Devi F, et al. Prevalence and patterns of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and their association with health-related quality of life within a multi-ethnic Asian population. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):1939. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-11902-6. PubMed PMID: 34696751; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8544627. ##
- Liao YH, Kao TW, Peng TC, Chang YW. Gender differences in the association between physical activity and health-related quality of life among community-dwelling elders. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2021;33(4):901–908. doi: 10.1007/s40520-020-01597-x. PubMed PMID: ##
- Kim SK, Cho DH, Shim JR, Ha JH. Factors affecting physical activity and health-related quality of life in the Elderl. J Korean Assoc Phys Educ Sport Girls Women. 2019;33:129–141. doi: 10.16915/jkapesgw.2019.9.33.3.129. ##
- Lee O, Kim YS. Association between grip strength as diagnostic criteria of sarcopenia and health-related quality of life in Korean elderly. Korean J Sports Med. 2018;36:15–23. doi: 10.5763/kjsm.2018.36.1.15. ##
- Dana A, Abdi K, Salehian MH, Mokari Saei S. Psychosocial Distress among Teenage Girls within the Coronavirus Outbreak: The Role of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time. Women Health Bull. 2022;9(3):150-155. doi: 10.30476/WHB.2022.94886.1173. ##
- Brett L, Traynor V, Stapley P. Effects of Physical Exercise on Health and Well-Being of Individuals Living With a Dementia in Nursing Homes: A Systematic Review. J Am Med Dir 2016;17(2):104-16. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2015.08.016. 2015. PubMed PMID: 26432622. ##
- Abdi K, Hosseini FB, Chaharbaghi Z, Ghorbani S. Impact of Social Support on Wellbeing and Health-Related Quality of Life among Elderly Women: Mediating Role of Physical Activity. Women Health Bull. 2022;9(2):104-109. doi: 10.30476/WHB.2022.94981.1174. ##
- Filges T, Siren A, Fridberg T, Nielsen BCV. Voluntary work for the physical and mental health of older volunteers: A systematic review. Campbell Syst Rev. 2020;16(4):e1124. doi: 10.1002/cl2.1124. PubMed PMID: 37016617; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8356337. ##
- Sossa Rojas A. Physical Exercise and Older People: Always a Happy Relationship? Four Qualitative Reflections to Deepen Understanding. Soc Sci.2024;13: doi: 10.3390/socsci13020120. ##
- Khazaee-Pool M, Sadeghi R, Majlessi F, Rahimi Foroushani A. Effects of physical exercise programme on happiness among older people. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2015;22(1):47-57. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12168. PubMed PMID: 25492721. ##
- Lee J, Kim J, Chow A, Piatt JA. Different Levels of Physical Activity, Physical Health, Happiness, and Depression among Older Adults with Diabetes. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2021;7:2333721421995623. doi: 10.1177/2333721421995623. PubMed PMID: 33763506; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7944526. ##
- An HY, Chen W, Wang CW, Yang HF, Huang WT, Fan SY. The Relationships between Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction and Happiness among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(13):4817. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17134817. PubMed PMID: 32635457; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7369812. ##
- Bae W, Ik Suh Y, Ryu J, Heo J. Physical Activity Levels and Well-Being in Older Adults. Psychol Rep. 2017;120(2):192-205. doi: 10.1177/0033294116688892. PubMed PMID: 28558621. ##
- Ravari A, Mirzaei T, Bahremand R, Raeisi M, Kamiab Z. The effect of Pilates exercise on the happiness and depression of elderly women: a clinical trial study. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2021;61(1):131-139. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.20.10730-8. PubMed PMID: 32734750. ##
- Leite B, de Bem Fretta T, Boing L, Coutinho de Azevedo Guimarães A. Can belly dance and mat Pilates be effective for range of motion, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms of breast cancer women? Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;45:101483. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101483. PubMed PMID: 34517217. ##
- Penseyres I, Martin JL. [Improving understanding of the physiological mechanisms of exercise to better treat depression]. Rev Med Suisse. 2018;14(605):950-952. PubMed PMID: 29722503. French. ##
- Baniasadi T, Ranjbari S, Khajeaflatoon Mofrad S, Ghorbani S. Correlations Between Social Support and Physical Activity with Depression and Happiness in Elderly Women with Memory Impairment. Women Health Bull. 2023;10(3):165-172. doi: 10.30476/WHB.2023.98614.1230. ##
- Chang PS, Knobf T, Oh B, Funk M. Physical and Psychological Health Outcomes of Qigong Exercise in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Chin Med. 2019;47(2):301-322. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X19500149. PubMed PMID: 30827152. ##
- Wang R, Feng Z, Liu Y, Lu Y. Relationship between neighbourhood social participation and depression among older adults: A longitudinal study in China. Health Soc Care Community. 2020;28(1):247-259. doi: 10.1111/hsc.12859. PubMed PMID: 31595604. ##
- Baniasadi T, Ranjbari S, Abedini A, Dana A, Ghorbani S. Investigation the Association of Internet Addiction with Mental Health and Physical Activity in Teenage Girls: The Mediating Role of Parental Attitude. Women Health Bull. 2022;9(4):243-250. doi: 10.30476/WHB.2022.96915.1197. ##
- Kandola A, Ashdown-Franks G, Hendrikse J, Sabiston CM, Stubbs B. Physical activity and depression: Towards understanding the antidepressant mechanisms of physical activity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019;107:525-539. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.040. PubMed PMID: 31586447. ##
- Logan SL, Gottlieb BH, Maitland SB, Meegan D, Spriet LL. The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) questionnaire; does it predict physical health? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013;10(9):3967-86. doi: 10.3390/ijerph10093967. PubMed PMID: 23999546; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3799529. ##
- Brazier JE, Harper R, Jones NM, O'Cathain A, Thomas KJ, Usherwood T, et al. Validating the SF-36 health survey questionnaire: new outcome measure for primary care. BMJ. 1992;305(6846):160-4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.305.6846.160. PubMed PMID: 1285753; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1883187. ##
- Hills P, Argyle M. The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire: A compact scale for the measurement of psychological well-being. Personality and Individual Differences. 2002;33(7):1071–1082. doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(01)00213-6. ##
- Sheikh JI, Yesavage JA. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. In: Brink TL, editor. Clinical Gerontology: A Guide to Assessment and Intervention. New York: The Haworth Press; 1986. pp. 165–173. ##
|