Socio-Economic Determinants Influencing Physical Activity of the Elderly

Physical inactivity is one of the factors that lead to short life expectancy of Russians. In this research social-economic determinants of physical activity of Russian elderly people are considered. There also given some theoretical models on physical activity decision-making, empirical results of other articles on this topic and some other insights on physical activity topic from economics. Empirical research was based on SAGE survey (conducted by World Health Organisation in Russia in 2007-2010). As explanatory factors we took age, state of health, working status, place of living (rural or urban), ethnic background, psychological problems, lack of energy and so on. We find that pensioners physical activity is determined mostly by physical activity while doing some work (paid and unpaid work, ingathering, hunting, fishing for food, baby-minding, nursing and so on), but not by sports, fitness. We find that women and men behavior differs and determinants connected differently with physical activity of males and females. One of the most important things in the research was dividing decision on physical activity into two separate participation and intensity (if participated) decisions, which gave understanding of the fact that determinants in some cases differently related to both decisions. For realization of such approach we have used Heckman model (or probit and OLS models for participation and intensity equations respectively in cases when Heckman model wasn’t appropriate because of some tests results). In the research not only total physical activity level was considered but also 3 groups of physical activity (which in sum generate total level) separately, which let us confirm the fact that determinants relation to each type of activity is not the same. Results of research show us that determinants significance and relations with physical activity are similar to those in other research that held in other countries. The most significant factors for participation equation are age, state of health, lack of energy, ethnic background. As for intensity equation the most significant factors are sex, place of living (rural or urban), psychological problems.