A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND SELF-RATED HEALTH IN CANADIANS OVER 55 YEARS OF AGE

This paper examines factors associated with physical activity and heal th status among the 796 subjects aged 55 and older who appear in both the 1981 Canada Fitness Survey (CFS) and The Campbell's Survey on Well -Being (CSWB), a longitudinal follow-up to the CFS. The CSWB can provi de information about changes in physical activity patterns and health between 1981 and 1988. Although nonresponse to the overall survey was low, item nonresponse was problematic in some cases. Approximately 50% of the sample were nor assessed on physical fitness measures (e.g., b ody mass index), while 14% and 38% refused to answer questions concern ing alcohol consumption and family income, respectively. Of specific i nterest are the relationships of physical activity levels and self-rat ed health with socioeconomic status, age, gender, smoking history, alc ohol consumption, and measures of body composition.