Determinants of self-assessment of physical fitness in persons aged 45-89

Background
Scientific studies on ageing have repeatedly shown positive correlations between physical activity and physical fitness and health. The following study shows that people who were involved in different forms of physical activity had higher self-assessment of own fitness, also in the long term. The aim of the study was to investigate the determinants of the self-assessment of physical fitness in people aged 45-89 years.

Material and methods
The study involved 300 persons aged 45-89 years, who were diagnosed with a diagnostic survey using the following research techniques: a questionnaire, interview and observation. The qualitative and quantitative analyses were based on the frequency of traits, chi-square independence tests, and multivariate correspondence analyses.

Results
Self-assessment of physical fitness depended on age, family roles and employment status. Higher levels of fitness were reported by (i) respondents engaged in recreational exercise and (ii) former professional athletes. Going on holidays in the previous year, travelling in the past and at present were also correlated with higher self-assessment of physical fitness.

Conclusions
Self-assessment of physical fitness seems to be a good indicator of the physical activity in the elderly. Positive self-assessment helps address the challenges of old age and seems to be crucial for successful ageing. Hence, there is a need to create programmes with a broader spectrum of influence to activate the elderly.