Physical Activity, Functional Status and Quality of Sleep among Ambulant Older Adults

Ageing is a natural process. The elderly are a vulnerable group and ageing further complicates the situation with consequent medical and social concerns. Healthy ageing is vital and is a prerequisite for economic growth of countries. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done to assess the physical activity, functional status and quality of sleep among ambulant older adults. A total of 150 participants were selected using simple random sampling technique. Demographic profile was collected using an Interview Guide and Standardized tools of Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale and The Pittsburgh Quality Sleep Index (PQSI) were used to assess the physical activity, functional status and the quality of sleep respectively. Results: Findings revealed that the mean age of the study participants was 65.79 with Standard Deviation of 6.19, Majority (86.67%) of them rarely or never do physical activities, 24.67% were functionally independent and only 2% had good sleep. Conclusion: The findings of this study will enlighten the health care professionals regarding the activity, functional status and quality of sleep among the older adults in the community. It will further help the healthcare professionals in planning relevant and appropriate intervention to care for elderly in various health care settings.