Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 3;17(17):6415. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176415.
Sedentary behavior is associated with negative health outcomes and unhealthy aging. Older adults are the most sedentary age group, and decreasing sitting time represents an intervention target for improving health. Determinants of sedentary behavior have been examined in older adults living in their own homes, yet less is known about sedentary behavior of older adults in residential care facilities. The purpose of this study was to explore factors contributing to sedentary behavior among residents of independent and assisted living facilities. We conducted eight focus groups with residents ( = 44) and semi-structured interviews with staff ( = 6) across four living facilities. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using an iterative, inductive approach. Three salient themes were identified. Residents and staff both viewed sedentary behavior negatively unless it was in the context of social engagement. Additionally, fear of falling was discussed as a significant contributor to sedentary behavior. Finally, residents felt the community living environment contributed to their sedentary behavior while staff did not. Our findings provide valuable insight for designing targeted interventions for older adults in residential facilities and suggest thinking beyond the individual and considering environmental influences on sedentary behavior in the residential care setting.
久坐行为与健康不良和衰老有关。老年人是久坐时间最长的人群，减少久坐时间是改善健康的干预目标。已经对居住在自己家中的老年人的久坐行为决定因素进行了研究，但对于居住在养老院的老年人的久坐行为知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨独立生活和辅助生活设施居民久坐行为的影响因素。我们在四个生活设施中与居民（=44 人）进行了八次焦点小组讨论，并与工作人员（=6 人）进行了半结构化访谈。使用迭代的、归纳的方法对音频记录进行了转录和分析。确定了三个突出的主题。居民和工作人员都认为久坐行为是消极的，除非是在社交活动的背景下。此外，跌倒恐惧被认为是导致久坐行为的一个重要因素。最后，居民认为社区居住环境促成了他们的久坐行为，而工作人员则没有。我们的研究结果为设计针对养老院老年人的有针对性的干预措施提供了有价值的见解，并建议超越个人思维，考虑居住环境对养老院中久坐行为的影响。
