Active aging: prevalence and gender and age differences in a population-based study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Active aging is crucial for elderly well-being and quality of life.
• Understanding participation in various activities is key to promoting healthy aging.
• Previous studies highlight gender and age disparities in health behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze prevalence rates of active aging indicators in Brazilian elders.
• To investigate gender and age differences in participation across four dimensions of active aging.
• To identify challenges and disparities in promoting active aging among the elderly population.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using data from the Campinas Municipal Health Survey (2014-2015).
• Inclusion of 986 elderly individuals residing in Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil.
• Prevalence rates estimated using Poisson regression to calculate prevalence ratios (PR).

Main Results:

• 40.2% participated in sociocultural activities, 25.3% in leisure-time physical activity, 21.7% used the Internet, and 22.1% engaged in paid work.
• Men showed higher prevalence in physical activity at work (PR=2.10), commuting (PR=1.61), and leisure (PR=1.44).
• Older women (80+) exhibited lower participation rates in six activities compared to younger elderly women, suggesting age-related differential effects.

Conclusions:

• Significant participation exists in some active aging indicators, but challenges remain in less frequent activities.
• Gender disparities are evident, particularly in physical activity and paid work.
• Advanced age may have a differential impact on active aging participation between genders, necessitating targeted interventions.