The relationship between physical fitness and health self-assessment in elderly

The process of population aging inclines to seek determinants of the quality of life in the older people. Health self-assessment is the one of the main elements of the quality of life. In the older people it is associated with functional efficiency. The aim of the study was to determine correlations of physical fitness and health self-assessment.

The study group included 123 people aged 60 to 86 years. Physical fitness was evaluated using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT). Self-esteem of health was assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire.

The analysis included sex factor and the occurrence of chronic diseases. When comparing with healthy participants, people suffering from chronic diseases revealed a lower level of physical fitness (P < .05) and health self-assessment (P < .05). The results of a significant percentage of study participants were worse than norms proposed as standards. The percentage of people below norms varied depending on sex, age, and SFT assessment and ranged from 0 to 89.5%.

Physical fitness and health self-assessment among elderly may be strongly determined by cultural conditions, for example, habits, lifestyle in various regions. The application of conclusions suggests that the key element of rehabilitation programs among elderly should be focused on improving coordination and locomotor capabilities. Assessment of the elderly is more clearly associated with physical fitness in women than in men and also more in patients chronically ill than in healthy person. Comprehensive assessment of physical fitness according to standardized values does not indicate the diversity by sex.