Prevalence of Physical Inactivity and Associated Factors Among Older Caregivers of Older Adults

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of physical inactivity (PI) and associated factors in older caregivers of older adults. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted including 312 older caregivers. Sociodemographic, clinical, and care-related characteristics were considered the independent variables for the determination of associated factors with PI in the logistic regression model. Results: The prevalence of PI was 75.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = [70.1%, 80.0%]). The following factors were associated with PI: being female (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8, 95% CI = [1.3, 5.9]), being older than 75 years of age (OR = 7.1, 95% CI = [2.2, 22.9]), not having a marital life (OR = 4.2, 95% CI = [1.1, 15.8]), being prefrail (OR = 6.2, 95% CI = [1.7, 21.9]), and being frail (OR = 14.8, 95% CI = [3.8, 57.7]). Discussion: The prevalence of PI was high and associated with the female sex, an advanced age, and not being married. Specific public policies considering these results should be created for older caregivers.