Sotomayor MPR, Sosa BDI, Parra CHA

Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 1-22
PDF size: 180.02 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Physical activity is body movement that makes the musculoskeletal system work, systematic movement implies quality of life, and hiking as a sport or tourism activity can facilitate the life quality in age ranges living in affordable geographical settings.
Objective: Determined the physical activity level in general and hiking in particular in the free time use of the Sangolquí population, taking into account two fundamental age ranges.
Methods: A representative sample of Sangolquí population was studied in Quito, Ecuador (447 subjects), divided into four strata by sex and age range (25-40 and 41-55 years). Two questionnaires are applied, the first one based on simple random sampling and related to physical activity level (physical activity frequency, leisure activities and tourism type), the second was based on discretionary sampling (37 subjects), for practitioners or not of hiking, adapting the IPAQ and Minnesota system to objective pursued in the investigation.
Results: As the age range increases, the level of physical activity frequency decreases, both in males (p = 0.0253) and females (p = 0.0049), selecting women a greater amount of social activities and rest. In men, a non-significant increase in physical activity was assessed as age increased (p = 0.0706). Men aged 25-40 years prefer adventure tourism (41.12%), a recurrent aspect for geographic region studied, decreasing significantly with increasing age (p = 0.0011), women aged 25-40 tend to choose adventure tourism (28.18%) and decrease significantly with increasing age (p = 0.0002). The active adventure tourism preferred by both women and men aged 25-40 years was rafting, but women and men aged 41-55 prefer hiking and walk, with a significant increase in increasing the age of choice in the female sex (p=0.000). Hikingers recognize that their physical condition is maintained (55%) and even improved (45%), which is significantly better than the other group performing other activities (CPMI: p=0.0031).
Conclusions: Increasing age shows a decrease in physical activity and changes in preferences for leisure time use. Hiking practitioners increase in percentage at an older age, valuing their physical condition better. It is recommended to promote hiking to the population of the ecuadorian mountainous region.