PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND SELF-RATED HEALTH AMONG 55-YEAR-OLD TO 89-YEAR-OLD DUTCH PEOPLE

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of physical activity and the possible mediating role of perceived physical self-efficacy (P PSE) on self-rated health (SRH) in the 55- to 89-year-old Dutch popula tion. The data are based on a structured interview carried out in a ra ndom sample of 120 subjects-60 men and 60 women with the average ages of 69 and 71 years, respectively-in Sassenheim, the Netherlands, as a pilot study of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). The resu lts of linear multiple regression analyses showed that physical activi ty was a significant predictor of self-rated health. Moreover, the res ults supported the role of PPSE as a mediator in the association betwe en physical activity and self-rated health status even when age, gende r, and chronic diseases were controlled, These findings suggest that i n the elder population, increasing perceived physical self-efficacy ma y be more important for perceived health than raising the level of phy sical activity.