“There’s More to Life than Just Walking”: Older Women’s Ways of Staying Healthy and Happy

Abstract

This study assessed a range of activities reported by older women in Australia. Women between 75 and 81 years of age (N= 3,955) from the older cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health responded to a request in a self-report survey for additional information concerning their health. Of these 3,955 women, 509 reported taking part in a variety of activities. Qualitative analysis of responses identified 55 coded categories of activities that were subsequently classified into four major themes: physical activities, creative pursuits, lifestyle, and social interaction. The data show that these older women are taking part in a wide range of activities.