Moving through the years: why do older adults take part in physical activity programmes and continue their involvement?

Abstract

The reasons why older adults join physical activity programmes and why they continue their involvement after six months are examined in this thesis. Members of the Fifties Forward Club at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre were studied in the belief that this sample was representative of many older New Zealanders. Fieldwork was completed over a five-month period during 1994 with 152 self-administered questionnaires, 11 in-depth qualitative interviews and five group interviews. Previous involvement with the programme as part of my work with the Hillary Commission provided the background and personal motivation for this research. The findings indicated that benefits gained from participation in the programme meant that most people taking part had integrated physical activity into their lifestyle thus continuing their involvement long past the traditional "drop-off time" of six months. Other findings relate to participants' previous level of physical activity, overall assessment of health, fitness and use of medication. A discussion of issues relating to participation in physical activity by older adults, recommendations for the development of other programmes based on this Fifties Forward model and suggestions for further research in this area conclude this thesis.