15.01.2020

Capabilities for physical activity among older immigrants

In an era of globalisation and demographic change, the issue of health promotion is becoming increasingly important, also for older people.

In a recently published study, Dr. Annika Frahsa and her colleagues have now analysed the interaction of individual and structural factors driving physical activity of immigrants in old age. Based on the analysis of group interviews with Turkish and Russian-speaking immigrants over 65 years of age in Germany, they show how the respondents perceive the manifold resources, environmental, social and individual factors that shape their capabilities for physical activity in old age.

Age-sensitive health literacy, family support, and adequate rules of access to infrastructures and services are seen as crucial for the subjective capabilities for action. The continuous commuting of the Turkish-born respondents and the socialisation of Russian-speaking respondents in and through organised sports are two major differences between these two groups of immigrants.

The results show that capabilities are interpreted subjectively and ambiguously by older immigrants. Therefore, the use of static terms such as barriers and options in analyses is not very helpful.

Physical activity-related intervention research as well as  physical activity providers should therefore reflect structures in a differentiated and individualised way and thus contribute to expanding the capabilities among groups, such as older immigrants, that have not yet been reached well.

The publication is online first in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity:
Frahsa, A., Streber, A., Wolff, A. R., & Rütten, A. (2020). Capabilities for Physical Activity by Turkish- and Russian-Speaking Immigrants Aged 65 Years and Older in Germany: A Qualitative Study, Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2018-0446.