DETERMINANTS OF EXERCISE LEVEL IN THE SEDENTARY VERSUS UNDERACTIVE OLDER ADULT - IMPLICATIONS FOR PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY PROGRAM-DEVELOPMENT

This investigation identified demographic and health-related character istics of 1,877 sedentary, underactive, and regularly active individua ls aged 50 to 65 randomly sampled from a northern California city. Phy siological and psychosocial information was available in greater detai l for a subsample (n = 327) of sedentary and underactive persons who w ere subsequently enrolled in a randomized, controlled, clinical trial (SSHIP). Results suggested that unmarried men, women reporting poor he alth, and smokers were most likely to be completely sedentary. Sedenta ry and underactive individuals responded differently to two recruitmen t strategies designed to attract participants into SSHIP. In addition, the initially sedentary participants had significantly lower adherenc e rates across the 1-year exercise trial compared to the initially und eractive regardless of either the format or intensity of the program. These data underscore the utility of differentiating between levels of less-than-optimal physical activity in formulating campaigns promotin g physical activity as well as designing exercise interventions.