[Elderly people's level of participation in social and recreational activities in Barranquilla, Colombia].

OBJECTIVE

Determining elderly people's level of participation in social and recreational activities in Barranquilla, Colombia.

METHODS

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 469 elderly people; a basic activities of daily living scale, which had been adapted to the ongoing activities being carried out in the pertinent scenarios, was used for evaluating their level of participation in social and recreational activities. Bivariate analysis was used for estimating the relationship between level of participation and age-range and coexistence, using OR and χ2 tests.

RESULTS

The scale categorized 40.9 % of the subjects as having low participation and only 20.2 % as actively and voluntarily participating in the activities being offered. There was an increased risk of non-participation in social and recreational activities regarding adults being over 80 years of age (OR 3.3: (2.2-4.9) 95 % CI) and those living alone (OR 1.75: (1.09-2.82) 95 % CI).

CONCLUSION

A clear trend towards less participation was shown as aged increased; this is why social isolation becomes a risk factor for this group of people's quality of life. It is recommended that social networks promoting the elderly's health and quality of life should thus be strengthened.