Modeling environmental, social, and psychological barriers to physical activity in older adults with low physical activity: A principal component analysis

OpenAlex İngilizce

Physical activity(PA) is essential for healthy aging, yet many older adults face multiple coexisting barriers. This study aimed to identify dominant, variance-based patterns of physical activity barriers in older adults with low activity levels using principal component analysis (PCA), considering gender, age, and living status. A total of 1388 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years, aged 65 to 99 (mean age = 72.4 ± 6.2 years) with low PA levels, as defined by the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly(PASE), were recruited. Data were collected through the Physical Activity Barriers Scale for Older Individuals(PABSOI) and the Elderly Activity and Fear of Falling Questionnaire(EAQQ). PCA with varimax rotation was conducted to identify the main variance-based components explaining shared patterns among barrier dimensions. Gender, age, and living status were examined as subgroup moderators. Two principal components explained approximately 75% of the total variance. PC1 showed higher loadings for total barrier-related scores and environmental-related variables, while PC2 showed higher loadings for fear of falling and activity restriction. Women showed higher component loadings for psychological barriers, whereas men showed higher loadings for activity restriction. Living arrangements were associated with different barrier profiles, with fear-related barriers loading more strongly among those living with family and environmental barriers loading more strongly among those living independently. The findings highlight the relevance of interventions promoting physical activity in older adults, integrating personal, environmental, and psychological dimensions. Gender- and lifestyle-specific strategies, along with age-sensitive urban and social support initiatives, are essential for enhancing PA participation in the elderly population.