Perceptions and experiences of leisure-time physical activity among older adults following a heart attack

Abstract

Leisure has been found to improve later-life well-being and to help people in coping with life changes (Dupuis & Alzheimer, 2008; Michèle et al., 2019). Leisure activities, including leisuretime physical activity, may significantly affect healthy aging and improve health-related quality of life among older persons. However, there is a lack of literature revealing the determining factors of participation in leisure-time physical activity among older adults following a heart attack. The aim of this research was to explore the perceptions and experiences of leisure-time physical activity among older people who have had a heart attack. To obtain participants’ perspectives, a parallel mixed-methods design was used. Data were collected from 10 participants using a survey (Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity questionnaire) to measure leisure-time physical activity, followed by a face-to-face interview. A qualitative descriptive technique was used to guide the qualitative data collection and analysis. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze the demographics and the RAPA questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. Four main themes, making lifestyle changes after a heart attack, engagement in leisure-time physical activity, perceptions about leisure-time physical activity after a heart attack, and constraints were generated to describe participants’ perceptions and experiences of leisure-time physical activity. Leisure-time physical activity participation after a heart attack was influenced by several motivators which led to engagement in leisure activities. Participants experienced several constraints in engaging in leisure-time physical activity, however, they described different ways of negotiating those constraints.