Health Promotion and Exercise Behavior of Older Adults through a Physical Activity Program

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research employed a one-group pretest-posttest design. The objectives were to (1) study the lifestyles, health status, and physical activity of older adults; (2) develop a physical activity program consistent with the lifestyles and health status of older adults; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of the developed program among older adults in Wang Hin Subdistrict, Mueang District, Tak Province. The study was conducted from October 31, 2025 to March 31, 2026. The sample consisted of 50 older adults selected through purposive sampling. The research instruments included the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, with test-retest reliability coefficients ranging from 0.53 to 0.96, and the Senior Fitness Test, with test-retest reliability coefficients ranging from 0.93 to 0.98 and an Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) greater than 0.50 Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Paired-Samples t-test at a significance level of 0.05

The results revealed that older adults in Wang Hin Subdistrict showed changes in health status, lifestyles, and physical activity after participating in the program. Physical health indicators, including heart rate, body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference, tended to improve, while physical activity behaviors increased in terms of frequency, duration, and intensity, with vigorous-intensity activity rising from 24 to 37 participants. Sedentary behavior decreased from 5.94 to 3.94 hours per day, shifting the overall physical activity level from low-to-moderate to moderate-to-high. The 8-week program, based on the physical literacy framework (knowledge, motivation, confidence, and community participation), significantly decreased heart rate (86.72 to 74.78 bpm) and waist circumference (90.84 to 86.14 cm), along with body weight and BMI (p < .05). Physical fitness - muscular strength, flexibility, agility, and cardiovascular endurance - also significantly improved (p < .05), indicating the program's effectiveness in promoting health and physical fitness among older adults.