THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE

Aim: The assessment of quality of life (QoL) among elderly people is of great importance when preparing health care programmes for this social group. Many researchers indicate that poor health is less frequently observed in senior citizens who display levels of physical activity (PA) prescribed by WHO. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the level of PA among students of the University of the Third Age (U3A) and their self-assessment concerning their QoL. Methods: The research sample consisted of 131 students from three U3A in West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. PA was assessed with the aid of a short Polish version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The assessment of QoL was conducted with the use of a Polish version of the WHO Quality of Life - BREF instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: The present study has shown that highly active U3A students declare high QoL in the psychological and social domains more often than other respondents. Conclusion: The level of PA recommended by WHO has a positive impact on the perceived QoL. Possible differences are visible mostly in the assessment of different domains of life in relation to the presented levels of PA.