Determining Indicators of Successful Aging in a Population of Individuals Living in an Active-Living Community
Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: In the United States, the older population in consistently growing, with 17.7% of adults over the age of 65 in South Carolina alone. As aging populations grow, research must examine factors linked to longevity and extended quality of life, as well as facts in both middle and later life that are associated with higher levels of successful aging (SA). This study examined the relationship between the Community Health Activities Model Program (CHAMPS) or the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP II) and fourteen selected markers of health and SA. Anthropometric data (including bodyweight, height, blood pressure, grip strength, body mass index, body composition, waist circumference, hip circumference, SPO2, mid-arm muscle circumference and pulse) was collected from participants over the age of 45 at three time points over a 12-week period. Statistical analysis showed that higher levels of activity in older adults were associated with a number of improved health markers including increased lean body mass and decreased waist circumference. This supported the idea that individuals living in an active living community who engage in the more developed built environment and resources for physical activity have a number of indicators associated with successful aging. The physiological indicators measured, and the questionnaire responses provided suggest that access to a safe, available built environment that promotes physical activity could be of benefit to all individuals as they age to promote the attainment of successful aging.
Source: TigerPrints (Clemson University)
Author: Olivia Tant Trapp
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3082782031