Causes of drop out from a physical exercise supervised program specific to older adults

Abstract

Introduction: Physical exercise when performed regularly brings several health benefits, especially for older adults. However, there are barriers that induce these individuals to withdraw from exercise. Objective: This study investigated the causes of drop out from a supervised physical exercise program specific to older adults. Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was applied by telephone contact, containing questions about their reasons for leaving the program. Demographic data were analyzed by relative and absolute frequencies, and the Chi-square test was used to verify the associations between the variables collected. A significance level of 5% was considered. Results: Fifty-nine older adults were interviewed and the main reasons for drop out were lack of time (33.9%), emergence or worsening of disease (28.8%), and the need to care for family members with health problems (18.7%). A high percentage of older adults (62.7%) showed a worsening in health status after leaving the program, with changes in muscle strength (80.0%), balance (76.7%), and motor coordination (40.0%). Conclusion: A professional intervention is suggested to enable organizational control of factors related to lack of time, as well as a logistical monitoring service for older adults and/or family members who fall ill, promoting the return to practice as soon as possible.

Leisure time physical activity among older adults in Brazil: a time series analysis of a population-based survey (2009-2020)

“…Robust evidence supports that a higher level of leisure time physical activity is frequently observed among men, younger individuals, and those with higher education level 19 . The hypotheses behind this evidence involves cultural factors, namely: men participating more of collective activities, whereas women, prefer individual activities with less physical strength 20 ; lack of motivation to practice physical activity due to natural reduction of conditioning, especially from the second half of life 21 , 22 ; and practice of physical activity in other domains (occupational activity, commuting activity 23 , and household activity) competing with leisure time physical activity among individuals with a lower education level 24 . Adults with lower educational level are more likely to have lower socioeconomic status, leading to worse health outcomes compared to those with a higher educational level, a concept called educational gradient in health 25 , 26 .…”

Long-Term Effect of Physical Exercise on the Risk for Hospitalization and Death in Dialysis Patients

“…The dropout rate during the 6-month trial was higher in the active arm of the trial than in the control arm (47 versus 21 patients). This issue is common to most trials that test physical exercise programs (30–32). In our trial, the 47 patients who dropped out during the 6-month trial had similar demographic and clinical characteristics as compared with those who completed the 6-month trial (Supplemental Table 2), but bias or residual confounding in the benefit observed in the active group cannot be excluded.…”

Factors Influencing Adherence to Training Programs in Gyms in the Northern Region of Santa Catarina, Brazil

“…Esteves et al [13] points out that the main causes for poor adherence to the training program were lack of time, distance, lack of motivation, increased working hours and unqualified professional service. Estimating that the value / price of the monthly fee is not always a reason for dropping out, becoming the least relevant factor in this regard [14,15,16].…”