Abstract
Objective: Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA), only one-third of older adults meet the recommended levels. The present study focused on psychosocial determinants of PA following retirement. Social cognitive theory (SCT) was used to better understand pre- and post-retirement adults’ thoughts about PA, the reasons why some individuals are more active than others, and how PA is incorporated into daily life after retirement.Design: Seven focus groups of older adults (N = 37, M = 64, SD = 5.20; males = 20) representing a range of PA levels and retirement length participated in one of seven focus groups.Results: Aligned with SCT, self-efficacy beliefs along with perceptions about barriers and benefits of PA were among the major determinants of PA. Findings highlighted the importance of social support, positive outcome expectations and self-regulatory strategies as motivators. The lack of structure in retirement was a hindrance to incorporating PA into daily routine but, when incorporated, PA provided a sense of purpose in the lives of retired individuals.Conclusion: It is important to understand the meaning of retirement as a life transition and how it affects beliefs about PA to inform SCT-based health promotion interventions targeting individuals in retirement age.
Highlights
MethodsThirty-seven (male = 20) older adults from West Midlands, UK between 54 and 79 years old (M = 64, SD = 5.20) were invited to participate in focus groups arranged by self-reported levels of physical activity (PA) and retirement length
The present study focused on psychosocial determinants of physical activity (PA) following retirement
Participants were offered a broad definition of PA, which allowed for a wide range of perceptions of PA to emerge
Summary
Thirty-seven (male = 20) older adults from West Midlands, UK between 54 and 79 years old (M = 64, SD = 5.20) were invited to participate in focus groups arranged by self-reported levels of PA and retirement length. Twenty-six participants reported engaging in moderate/vigorous PA for more than 2.5 h per week, while 11 reported being insufficiently active due to engaging in less than 2.5 h of PA per week (Department of Health, 2013). Eighteen participants reported retiring between 2 and 5 years ago, six retired more than 10 years ago, and thirteen either planned to retire within the two to three years or were within their first year of retirement. Most participants (n = 36) were of white British origin, and one was of mixed origin
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