Abstract
Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the population all over the western world. However, the majority of research as well as recommended practices and discourses related to healthy aging have come primarily from the United States.
Czech context (where they have been often applied) is in this respect considerably less researched. The present study examines possible cultural differences related to participation in physical activity in a sample of 426 Czech (n=254) and American (n=172) older adults.
An identical battery of questionnaires was administered to both samples in order to measure their self-reported participation in physical activity and its motivational correlates. Subsequently, both groups were compared by independent two sample t-test.
The results suggest significant differences between the Czech and American sample. In most measures, the Czech respondents stated significantly higher participation in physical activity than the American respondents.
Interestingly, respondents in the American sample indicated significantly higher level of motivation and cognitive strategies (e.g. life-style and barriers self-efficacy, self-monitoring, relapse prevention) as well as perceived social support related to physical activity. Also, between-group differences have been found in prevalent types of physical activity.
The American respondents mostly mentioned participation in leisure or sporting activities (i.e. various exercise programs), whereas the majority of the Czech respondents indicated work or lifestyle related activities (i.e. gardening or working around the house) as the main source of physical activity. These results suggest that Czech older adults may participate in more habitual forms of physical activity, perceiving it more as a means to certain outcomes rather than as an outcome by itself.