Active or passive aging? : analysis of selected socioeconomic factors in the Polish population

The aim of this study was to identify the factors that determined the participation of people aged 60 years and older in physical activity (PA) at least once or more frequently in the year before the survey. The analysis included sociodemographic variables, any certificate of disability, level of physical fitness, and declared sports skills. The study used data from the “Participation of Poles in Sports and Physical Recreation in 2012” survey (designed and conducted by Statistics Poland). Questionnaires from 2724 people qualified for analysis. An analysis of frequency and odds ratio (followed by logistic regression analysis) was used to evaluate the determinants of participation of older adults in PA. Participation in PA was declared by 23.7%, most often by older adults aged 60–64 years (chi2 = 67.72; p < 0.001). With age, the likelihood of participation in PA declined until the age of 75, when the percentage of active participants increased to 27.4%. Of the variables analyzed (logistic regression model), only very good (p < 0.001) and good (p = 0.002) levels of self-rated physical fitness, secondary (p = 0.014) or tertiary (p = 0.003) education, and a higher number of declared sports skills (p < 0.001) had a favorable effect on the frequency of participation in PA. The low PA of Poles aged 60 years and over (especially those entering retirement age) requires social intervention. Instead of focusing sports policy on increasing the number of participants, it seems more reasonable to focus on individuals living in rural areas with lower socio-professional status and physical fitness. It is necessary to use an individual approach (according to abilities, skill level, and needs) and create systems of interrelations that would provide older adults with support (including the use of social resources).