Psychological correlates of physical activity among adults living in rural and urban settings
Middle-aged and older adults living in rural settings have been consistently less likely to report regular physical activity (PA) than those living in urban settings. While past literature has identified sociodemographic and environmental correlates of PA that may contribute to these differences, co...
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Published in | Frontiers in psychology Vol. 15; p. 1389078 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Switzerland
Frontiers Media S.A
10.04.2024
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Middle-aged and older adults living in rural settings have been consistently less likely to report regular physical activity (PA) than those living in urban settings. While past literature has identified sociodemographic and environmental correlates of PA that may contribute to these differences, consideration of psychological correlates has been limited. A total of 95 rural and urban adults ≥50 years old provided self-reported sociodemographic information, PA level, and psychological correlates of PA including measures assessing motivation, self-efficacy, social support, and attitudes related to PA. The average participant age was 68.6 years, and most were female (62.1%) and married (70.5%). While PA level did not differ significantly between the rural and urban groups, different psychological correlates contributed significantly to separate rural and urban linear regression models considering PA status. Among rural adults, more positive attitudes toward PA, and greater PA self-efficacy and social support were associated with greater amounts of PA while for urban adults, no psychological correlates were significantly associated with PA. Psychosocial factors may be key considerations in developing more effective PA interventions in middle-aged and older adults living in rural areas. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Reviewed by: Rafael Peixoto, Instituto Superior de Ciências Educativas, Portugal Andreia Teixeira, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal Edited by: Pedro Forte, Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of the Douro, Portugal |
ISSN: | 1664-1078 1664-1078 |
DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1389078 |