Older gay men's engagement with physical activity: A scoping review

Abstract

Older gay men experience an elevated prevalence of adverse health conditions that may be compounded by age-related deterioration. Some of these conditions may be ameliorated by regular adherence to physical activity (PA). However, many gay men participate in less PA than their age-matched heterosexual counterparts. With a focus on gay men aged 60 and over, the aims of this review were to examine the evidence for older gay men's engagement with PA and the research approaches used to describe this group. A systematic search of six academic databases (Academic Search Premier, Cinahl, PubMed, Sport Discus, APA PsychInfo and APA PsychArticles) generated 23 papers from 1970 to 2020 that focused on older gay men's engagement with PA. Although surveys were well represented in the literature, further studies utilising qualitative methodological frameworks have the potential to inform targeted interventional programs aimed at reducing less health disparities. The value of PA in older adults lies principally in improved performance of activities of daily living, independent living, increased longevity, decreased cognitive decline and improved mental well-being.

Exploring discrimination, social acceptance, and its impact on the psychological well-being of older men who have sex with men: A cross-sectional study

“…Respondents provide their responses on a 4-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater levels of social acceptance. The PAS demonstrates strong internal reliability, supported by a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.848 [ 40 ].…”

Aging well in an aging society: physical health in older lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults

“…The experience of marginalization and invisibility of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other non-heterosexual people have been explored in the literature mainly in the last decades ( D’Augelli et al, 2001 ; D’Augelli and Grossman, 2001 ; Fredriksen-Goldsen and Muraco, 2010 ; Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2013 ; Caceres et al, 2017 ; Fredricksen-Goldsen and de Vries, 2019 ; Kendrick et al, 2021 ). Notably, a particular line of research investigated the experiences of victimization and vulnerability in specific social settings, like physical activity-related contexts, focusing on the relationships between social invisibility, minority stressors, resilience dimensions, and physical health of older and young sexual and gender minority adults ( Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2015 , 2017 ; Ávila et al, 2018 , 2021 ; Baiocco et al, 2018a , b ; Kendrick et al, 2021 ; Pistella et al, 2024 ).…”

“…The experience of marginalization and invisibility of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other non-heterosexual people have been explored in the literature mainly in the last decades ( D’Augelli et al, 2001 ; D’Augelli and Grossman, 2001 ; Fredriksen-Goldsen and Muraco, 2010 ; Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2013 ; Caceres et al, 2017 ; Fredricksen-Goldsen and de Vries, 2019 ; Kendrick et al, 2021 ). Notably, a particular line of research investigated the experiences of victimization and vulnerability in specific social settings, like physical activity-related contexts, focusing on the relationships between social invisibility, minority stressors, resilience dimensions, and physical health of older and young sexual and gender minority adults ( Fredriksen-Goldsen et al, 2015 , 2017 ; Ávila et al, 2018 , 2021 ; Baiocco et al, 2018a , b ; Kendrick et al, 2021 ; Pistella et al, 2024 ). Thus, the present study will explore how experiences of coming out, minority stress, and personal resiliency could have an impact on the physical health of older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults.…”

“…Accordingly, with Meyer’s model (2003), some studies highlighted that older sexual minority people reported a higher level of internalized sexual stigma compared to their younger counterparts, probably due to past episodes of discrimination and the lack of rights and recognition that characterized past society ( Denison and Kitchen, 2015 ; Fredricksen-Goldsen and de Vries, 2019 ; Rosati et al, 2020 ). Moreover, several studies highlighted those experiences of discrimination and stigma (i.e., internalized sexual stigma) could predict lower levels of physical health and general health disparities between older LGB population and older heterosexual people ( Dilley et al, 2010 ; Scandurra et al, 2017 ; Fredricksen-Goldsen and de Vries, 2019 ; Kendrick et al, 2021 ; Pistella et al, 2024 ).…”