An Exploratory Study to Assess the Knowledge, Perception, Practice and Factors Influencing Non-adherence to Regular Exercise Regime among Elderly Women in Selected Community of Delhi

Introduction: The profound shift in the proportion of older or elderly Indians, taking place in the context of changing family relationships and limited social support system will bring with it a variety of social, economic and health care policy challenges.Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to assess the Knowledge, Perception and Practice of regular exercise regime among elderly women and to determine the factors influencing regular exercise regime among elderly women.Methods: The quantitative research approach with an exploratory survey research design was selected. 100 elderly women belonging to age group of 60-80 years were selected using purposive sampling technique from Tughlakabad extension, an urban area of Delhi. A structured interview schedule was used to collect the data. The data obtained was tabulated in Microsoft Excel Spread Sheet and was analyzed in terms of objective of the study using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: The findings revealed that majority of the women were having average knowledge (80%) and good perception (89%) but almost half of them (48%) were having poor practice of regular exercise. The most common reasons for non-adherence to regular exercise regime were that exercise can be replaced with house hold works (71%) and difficulty to find time from busy schedule (67%). Knowledge and perception, knowledge and practice were found to be significantly related. A significant association was observed with knowledge regarding exercise regime and educational status of women whereas practice was found significantly associated with their family income, education and working status.Conclusion: The study findings revealed that although the elderly women had good perception and average knowledge about the regular exercise regime, their practice for the same was poor. It was observed that elderly women had access to public amenities like parks for walking and open gym for practicing different exercises so there is a need for motivation, encouragement and support from the family members and society so that they can utilize these facilities