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.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of physical activity and the possible mediating role of perceived physical self-efficacy (PPSE) on self-rated health (SRH) in the 55- to 89-year-old Dutch population. The data are based on a structured interview carried out in a random sample of 120 subjects--60 men and 60 women with the average ages of 69 and 71 years, respectively--in Sassenheim, the Netherlands, as a pilot study of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). The results of linear multiple regression analyses showed that physical activity was a significant predictor of self-rated health. Moreover, the results supported the role of PPSE as a mediator in the association between physical activity and self-rated health status even when age, gender, and chronic diseases were controlled. These findings suggest that in the elder population, increasing perceived physical self-efficacy may be more important for perceived health than raising the level of physical activity.

The aim of this study was to examine the role of socio-economic status and the practice of physical exercise in explaining variation in muscle strength in 50 to 60-year-old women. Consequently, four study groups combining education and physical activity were formed: (1) university education, physically active; (2) university education, sedentary; (3) vocational or lower level of education, physically active; (4) vocational or lower level of education, sedentary. Maximal isometric strength of hand grip, arm flexion, body flexion and extension as well as dynamic power of the abdominal muscles were measured in 112 women. The results of the maximal isometric strength measurements were standardised by body mass index. The means of the maximal isometric strength results and sit-up tests were compared between the groups using two-way analysis of variance. The physically active women performed better than the sedentary in both the isometric and dynamic tests. Greater muscle strength was also found among the more highly educated compared with the less educated. The less educated sedentary women showed the poorest performance in the strength tests.

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We studied changes of physical activity among noninstitutionalized 65 years and older persons over a sixteen-year follow-up period. The focus of our interest was on changes in involvement, frequency, intensity, and various modes of physical activity. Furthermore, we studied changes in perceived importance, motives for, and obstacles to participation in physical activity. The results showed that the proportion of those reporting less frequent and intensive activities increased. Men were more active than women over the follow-up time (in 1988 P = .015, in 1996 P = .007, in 2004 P = .001). The biggest difference at the end of the followup between men and women was found in participation in supervised exercise classes (39% and 14%, resp.). Most popular forms of physical activity were walking and calisthenics at home. Men undertook more modes of physical activity than women. The importance of physical activity declined during the followup in both gender groups but more among women than men. The most common obstacles to physical activity were poor health and lack of interest. The promotion of health maintained it's place as the most important reason for physical activity over the follow-up period.