An Ecological Account of Seniors' Attitudes to Physical Activity: Social Marketing Implications

Abstract

Social marketing has an important role to play in addressing population overweight by encouraging individuals to engage in higher levels of physical activity and assisting policy makers in developing upstream programs to create social and physical environments that are conducive to this behaviour. Older Australians need particular attention as they have been neglected in previous Australian media campaigns designed to encourage increased physical activity and they remain an under-researched group despite their growing segment size and their heightened need for regular exercise to prevent age-related illnesses. The present study adopted the ecological model of behaviour analysis to explore the many and varied factors influencing seniors’ physical activity levels. Specific recommendations for future interventions targeting this group are provided.