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Description
According to World Health Organization (2020), South Korea has the fastest growing aged population in the world. It is expected to become a ‘Super-Aged Society’ in three years where more than 20% of their total population is aged 65 years and older. With the rapid increase in the population aged 65 and older, various social problems are emerging, such as an increase in the suicide rate of the elderly and the increase in medical expenses which brings about a heavy burden on the national finances. Therefore, the health of the elderly is an important issue in South Korea. Many studies suggest that regular physical activity for the elderly is a vital element for maintaining health and improving the quality of life. Despite the proven effectiveness of physical activity, there has been little research on why they do not participate in physical activities and what factors affect their physical activities. Drawing upon Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, this study aims to systematically analyze factors influencing physical activity among the elderly in South Korea. Reasons for the results are discussed and compared to previous studies exploring factors affecting participation of the elderly in physical activity.
This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2022S1A5C2A07090938).
