REASONS PRESENTED BY ELDERLY PEOPLE FOR PARTICIPATING IN A SOCIAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROJECT IN FORTALEZA-CE

Abstract

This investigation analyzed the reasons given by the elderly to participate in a social physical activity project in Fortaleza/CE. This is a qualitative study, with an ethnographic focus. Nine elderly people of both sexes participated in the research, seven females and two males, with a mean age of 70.1±6.7 years. The research was carried out at a private university, which has a social project of physical activity. For data collection, certain resources were used, such as participant observation, a field diary, and in-depth interviews. The material was examined through thematic analysis, typical of ethnographic studies. As a result, it could be noted that health prevention, medical indication, and socialization were the reasons that led the participants to join the project, in common with research of a biomedical nature. Thus, it is concluded that the reasons that led the elderly to join the social physical activity project are strongly influenced by biomedical perspectives, in addition to the desire for socialization.