Prevalence of total physical activity, muscle-strengthening activities, and excessive TV viewing among older adults; and their association with sociodemographic factors

The study aimed to describe the prevalence of meeting moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), muscle-strengthening (MS) activities, and television (TV) viewing guidelines, and their association with sociodemographic factors. Data from older adults aged 65 or above were sampled by age and sex to the population aged 65+ years for each area in Taiwan and collected through telephone interviews. The prevalence of meeting MVPA and MS activities, MVPA and MS activities guidelines, and excessive TV viewing were calculated. We also investigated their associations with sociodemographic variables using logistic regression analyses. A total of 1068 older adults (response rate: 32.5%) participated in the present study. 79.4% met the MVPA guidelines (150 min weekly), 25.3% met the MS guidelines (twice a week), 22.4% met both MVPA and MS guidelines, and 53.1% engaged in excessive TV viewing (more than or equal to two hours per day). Overall, in old age, low educational level was associated with lower odds of meeting MVPA and MS activities, and both the MVPA and MS activity guidelines; while living alone and having no full-time job had higher odds of excessive TV viewing. A large number of older adults do not meet the MS recommendations, but are engaged in excessive TV viewing. Our findings may be important for public health interventions to promote MS and avoid excessive TV viewing, especially for at-risk subgroups.