Physical Activity and Perceived Self‐Efficacy in Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of self-efficacy in older adults, with physical activity, age, and sex as the predictor variables. Regression analyses revealed physical activity to be the only statistically significant predictor of self-efficacy. These findings may be of interest to counselors who work with older people. The population of the United States is rapidly aging. Life expectancies for men and women are increasing (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1997), and the over-65 age group is projected to double in size by 2020 (Bokovoy & Blair, 1994). Within the population of older Americans, the number of individuals over 85 is expected to quadruple (Zedlewski, Barnes, Burt, McBride, & Meyer, 1990). From a social perspective, individuals in the 8th and 9th decades of life are expected to be involved in the health care system to an unprecedented degree if population growth continues as projected (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992). National cross-sectional surveys of physical activity consistently report that physical activity declines with age and that older adults participate in less physical exercise than do younger adults (Stephens & Caspersen, 1994). Physical activity refers to "any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that increases energy expenditure above the basal level" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996a, p. 20). This definition includes all physical activities, as well as structured physical exercise. The relationships between health and activity and between sedentary living and disease are well documented (Cousins & Keating, 1995; Paffenbarger & Lee, 1996). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1996b) reports that "as many as 250,000 deaths per year in the United States have been attributed to a lack of regular physical activity" (p. 24). If the health care system is to be responsive to the needs of an increasingly older population, preventive measures to maximize independence will have to be explored and developed. Moving the older population from a sedentary to an active lifestyle is a challenge for health and mental health practitioners. Intuitively, we propose that the developmental tasks associated with independence and autonomy of the young-old, meaning those near 65 years of age, would differ from those of the old-old, meaning those 75 years and older. Yet, most research considers older adults to be a homogeneous group. This study looks at the relationship between physical activity and perceptions of self-efficacy in older adults, considering the group to be heterogeneous and not homogeneous. Bandura (1989) asserted that people who believe they are capable of controlling their lives are more likely to be able to do so. Self-efficacy expectations are not concerned with the skills individuals possess but what they think they can do with whatever skills they possess (Bandura, 1986). Individuals with a strong sense of self-efficacy are able to adapt emotionally to life's challenges and difficult situations without becoming overanxious (Maddux & Lewis, 1995) and depressed (Davis-Berman, 1988, 1990). Older individuals are faced with a variety of major life changes and losses. Perception of self-efficacy or confidence is an essential aspect of their coping efforts to deal with the negative life events that are associated with psychological distress and depression (Holahan & Holahan, 1987a, 1987b). In addition, highly efficacious older individuals are more independent (Abler & Fretz, 1988; Wahl, 1991) and have more enhanced feelings of control over their environment (Rodin, Bohm, & Wack, 1982) than do ol der individuals who are less efficacious. According to Myers (1990), efficacy expectations play a key role in successful aging. Aging is not an illness but a life condition that bears investigation with different parameters such as physical activity and self-efficacy. Previous investigators have attempted to understand the factors that might promote psychological and physical well-being among different populations across the life span. …