Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
|
Daily Overview |
| Session | |
|
WR1_1: Abstract presentations: Green Spaces, Sustainability and Health Location: White room 1 Session Chair: Antonina Tcymbal | |
    | |
12:20pm - 12:30pm
Integrating Movement, Sleep and Mental Health: A Mixed Methods Study among Socially Disadvantaged Older Adults in Urban Community Settings 1: Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Active Neighborghoods and Lifestyle Interventions, Belgium; 2: University of Brussels, Mental Health Research Group, Belgium Background Older adults in socially disadvantaged situations face multiple barriers to maintaining physical activity, sleep quality and mental wellbeing. This study aimed to investigate 24‑hour movement behaviours, sleep patterns and mental health, and to identify multilevel motivators and barriers for health‑enhancing physical activity. Methods A mixed‑methods design was applied. Quantitative self‑report questionnaires assessed movement behaviour, sedentary time, sleep duration/efficiency and mental health indicators. A subsample of 39 participants additionally wore wrist accelerometers to objectively assess physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep. Qualitative data were gathered through nine focus groups in community centres, exploring motivations, barriers and programme needs. Results A total of 144 older adults (age 44–96 years; majority female; high proportion living alone) completed questionnaires. Participants reported low physical activity, high sedentary time (6–12 hrs/day) and frequent barriers including poor health, lack of motivation, financial constraints, and not knowing how or where to start. Sleep problems were highly prevalent, including sleep onset latency up to 120 min, nighttime awakenings, pain and temperature‑related disturbances, and sleep efficiency often <80%. Mental health issues included low mood, reduced motivation, loneliness and difficulty performing daily tasks.Accelerometry data (n=39) confirmed very low moderate‑to‑vigorous physical activity, high sedentary time and fragmented sleep, aligning with self‑reported patterns. Focus groups (n=54) revealed strong preferences for group‑based, low‑threshold, socially oriented activities and emphasized the importance of safety, accessibility and minimal digital demands. Conclusions: Interrelated challenges across movement, sleep and mental health highlight the need for socially responsive, group‑based HEPA interventions tailored to disadvantaged older adults. | |
