Physical activity among primary care elderly women at Family Health Unit in Ceara state, Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To assess the physical activity among 122 elderly women attending a family health practice from Crato city, Brazil. METHODS: To determine the level of physical activity it was used the Questionnaire Baecke Modified for seniors (QBMI). The statistical analysis was composed of descriptive and inferential analysis. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 for Windows. The significance level and statistical error considered was 5% (p < 0,05). RESULTS: According to the results of QBMI, it was found high prevalence of physical activity (NAF > 2.10) in most older studied (67,2%), which was mainly due to the practice of leisure activity (93,4%) as regular walk. Level of physical activity medium (1,70-2,10) was found in 32,8% of the participants, mainly influenced by indoor activities (26,2%). CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the levels of physical activity assessed by QBMI were relatively high among elderly women who practiced regular physical activity. Further studies aimed to investigate interventions that may increase the physical activity levels among elderly people are recommended.