Impact of Perceived Safety and Barriers on Physical Activity Levels in Community-Dwelling Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Singapore: A Cross-Sectional Mixed Methods Study

in Journal of Aging and Physical Activity

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Jacqueline Giovanna De RozaNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2774-5411*
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David Wei Liang NgNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore

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Chunyan WangNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore

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Cindy Seok Chin SohNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore

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Ling Jia GohNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore

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Blessy Koottappal MathewNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore

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Teena JoseNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore

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Chwee Yan TanNational Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore, Singapore

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Kar Cheng GohNational University Health System, Singapore, Singapore

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2021-0184
Keywords:
exercise; aging; obstacles; pandemics
First Published Online:
12 Jul 2022
In Print:
Volume 31: Issue 1
Page Range:
89–95
Restricted access

This descriptive cross-sectional mixed methods study conducted in Singapore aimed to describe community-dwelling older adults’ differences in physical activity (PA) based on perceived safety to exercise, barriers to PA, and preferred modes of PA during a pandemic. Out of 268 older adults, 25.4% felt unsafe to exercise during the pandemic. More participants who felt unsafe were aged 75 years and older (72.1% vs. 57.0%, p = .028) and lacked formal education (54.4% vs. 37.0%, p = .040). Barriers included difficulties exercising with masks, family concerns, and exercise center closures. Those who felt unsafe were significantly more likely to exercise at home and had significantly shorter duration of exercise and walks per week (2.72 vs. 4.50 hr, p = .002). Perceived barriers and exercise preferences should be considered when developing programs to improve older adults’ PA during pandemics.

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