DecreAsing sedentary behaviour and inCreasing physical acTIvity fOr healthy ageiNg (ACTION) study

By the year 2050 we are expected to have around 2.1 billion older persons across the globe. In Canada alone, seniors make up a bigger share of the population than children under the age of 14. Many older individuals experience high levels of sedentary behaviour (SB) and do not engage in recommended physical activity (PA) levels. Literature suggests that both increased PA and decreased SB are associated with increased total life expectancy (number of years lived). This project will analyze large amounts of data coming from international longitudinal studies in order to understand whether engaging in PA and SB after the age of 65 might contribute to healthy ageing, taking into account chronic health conditions, functional and cognitive independence, and mental health outcomes. The outputs of this project will hopefully lead to the development of evidence driven interventions and guidelines on PA and SB for older populations.