Active-Murcia program

secondary analysis, with a gender perspective, on the quality of life of participating women

Abstract

Background: Nowadays sedentarism has become a public health issue, as a matter of gender and age. Older women are more sedentary, which affects their Quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Activa-Murcia Program impact over the Quality of life in women participating in it.

Methods: Longitudinal retrospective descriptive study within a gender perspective was carried out, including women who had participated in the Activa-Murcia Program. A SF-36 Survey of Quality of Life has been evaluated, scoring age range in three different stages and the enviroment in which they live. An analysis of repeated measurements was carried aout using ANOVA, and the Bonferroni Test was used for the pairwise analysis.

Results: The sample included 1,140 women. “Overall health” dimension improved up to 3 points, except in women over 60. Score highed inversely proportional to their age in the following dimensions: “Vitality” in 9.9, 6.2 and 3.9; “Mental health” in 7.7, 5.6 and 3.7; “Declared health evolution” in 11.2, 8.6. and 7.6. Women between 30-44 years old living in rural areas and those over 60 living in urban areas did not improve in “Social functions”. Dealing with “Emotional Role”, women between 30-44 and women between 45-59 in urban areas improved (p<0.05). There was a statistical asociation between being highly aged and improving less in “Vitality”, “Emotional Role” and “Mental health”.

Conclusions: As women were getting older improve less in the dimensions of quality of life; so that could show, among others, an empowerment deficit.