Physical activity and related factors among elderly women

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine physical activity among the elderly women with Barthel Index (BI) that has been recommended for the functional assessment of older people.Methods: The sample was obtained every women from the entire nursing home population (n = 190) in the city of Kashan, in 2008. Information was eventually collected by interview from persons and nurses. Activity was assessed using the Barthel Index (BI) test. Data analysis was performed with SPSS.Results: The results indicated the following: The More than 30% of the women reported decreased physical activity during their stay in the nursing home. Barthel Index score was> 75 in 15%, 51-75 in 24% and < 50 in 61% of women. Age, total number of medical conditions, and presence of cardiovascular were significant with low Barthel Index score (p< 0.001).Conclusions: The results suggest that living conditions and factors related to health and functional capacity affect the level of physical activity among nursing home residents. In order to encourage this population to be physically active, attention should be paid not only to physical exercise but also to associated factors, such as satisfaction with everyday life and health