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The Benefits of Physical Activity in Later Life for Society

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Abstract

In this health economics chapter, the consequences of physical inactivity on society are considered. Those who are inactive have higher health care needs, increased costs and a poorer quality of life. This seems to be true for older adults living in the community and also for residents of long-term care accommodation. Programs that aim to improve physical activity in community-dwelling older adults only have a modest impact on quality of life and tend to add to the costs in the short term. The effectiveness of physical activity programs on quality of life and health care costs in older adults living in long-term care accommodation and/or with dementia remains to be confirmed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Geeske Peeters

  2. Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Geeske Peeters

  3. Department of Sports Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil

    Sheila Tribess & Jair S. Virtuoso-Junior

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  1. Geeske Peeters
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  2. Sheila Tribess
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  3. Jair S. Virtuoso-Junior
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, United Kingdom

    Samuel R. Nyman

  2. Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Anna Barker

  3. Department of Physiotherapy, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

    Terry Haines

  4. School of Health Sciences, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom

    Khim Horton

  5. Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom

    Charles Musselwhite

  6. Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Geeske Peeters

  7. College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University, Uxbridge, United Kingdom

    Christina R. Victor

  8. Institute of Psychogerontology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany

    Julia Katharina Wolff

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Peeters, G., Tribess, S., Virtuoso-Junior, J.S. (2018). The Benefits of Physical Activity in Later Life for Society. In: Nyman, S., et al. The Palgrave Handbook of Ageing and Physical Activity Promotion. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71291-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71291-8_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71290-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71291-8

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