Improving Physical Activity and Health of Older People Involved in a Social Farming Regional Preventative Multidimensional Programme in Italy

Physical exercise and social activities play a role of primary importance in the prevention of diseases and in maintaining functional abilities in old age, nevertheless, maintaining a regular habit of exercise is considered a challenge during the aging process. Motivation to start and maintain physical activity is an essential factor. Among older adults, when promoting exercise, it is preferable to focus on means of activities intrinsically pleasurable, rather than on health improvements. From this perspective, our study is aimed to understand if preventative interventions combining physical activity, self-efficacy, and social participation in the context of a natural environment might be of help in increasing the level of physical activity. The sample was composed of 95 subjects, of which 40 were excluded because declared to be already engaged in regular physical activity at baseline. Considering the final sample of 55 subjects with low or no physical activity at baseline, 21 subjects (38.2%) improved the intensity of their physical activity at follow-up. They were younger (52.4% with age >=