The elderly and the beach: revealing meanings

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira,Ana Luíza Teixeira de
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Outros Autores: Côrte,Beltrina
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Geriatrics, Gerontology and Aging (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://ggaging.com/details/316
• topic: Aging health, physical activity, aged, topophilia, beach.

<p><b>OBJECTIVE:</b> The study was carried out in the city of Santos, SP (Brazil) with the aim of understanding the meaning of the term beach environment for elderly individuals who regularly attend this natural space for the performance of physical activities.<br> <b>METHOD:</b> This qualitative study, supported by the gerontology literature, applied the methodological resources of the analysis of oral reports and observations of activities developed by a group of elderly individuals. Volunteers were selected to participate in the study: five men (average age of 71.8 years) and five women (average age of 75.4 years). Socioeconomic data were collected using a questionnaire with closed questions. An open interview with a dialogue nature was then conducted. Data on information from the questionnaire were organized in a databank and later structured in the form of tables to facilitate the reader's understanding.<br> <b>RESULTS:</b> For the interviewed, physical activity is directly related to the welfare and improvement of health. The beach as a natural area, becomes a space for leisure and socializing, which is also established as an option for practicing exercises. The people also showed a sense of belonging and attachment to place (topofilia) and considered the moment of physical activities on the beach, propitious to make friendship and to increase social network.<br> <b>CONCLUSION:</b> In reports, the desire to move, to do exercises and the importance attached to health, prevailed, so the elderly do not consider the environment of the beach the determinant factor to make physical activity, however highlight the importance and satisfaction of performing activities in a public environment, natural and very well structured.</p>