Senior organizations at the time of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic life style and health competence of seniors. Part II.

Introduction and objective: Making healthy choices in any decade of life increases the chances for maintaining health as ageing progresses. In activities which build human health potential, protective factors, defined by a health-promoting life style and health competence, determined by cognitive and social skills, play important roles. The aim of the study was verification of the life style and health competence of seniors associated with senior organizations at the time of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Material and methods: The basic tool used in the study was an author-constructed questionnaire containing proposals from the European Health Literacy Questionnaire HLS-EU-Q47. The criterion for selection was participation in meetings of senior organizations in the Lublin Province in eastern Poland.

Results: The seniors in the study were highly aware of the importance of a health-promoting life style and physical activity from the aspect of good physical and mental wellbeing. The majority regularly engaged in physical activity and refrained from using stimulants. Although a part of respondents sporadically consumed alcohol, only a small percentage declared tobacco smoking, or use of other addictive substances. Despite many reports indicating that children and the elderly are most exposed to a low level of health competence, the results of the study demonstrated that the respondents obtained high results in this respect.

Conclusions: Seniors associated with senior organizations showed a more pro-health life style, compared to the general population of senior Poles. Regular physical activity, healthy eating habits, and avoidance of stimulants favoured their wellbeing. The functioning of senior organizations may constitute a justified way of protecting the quality of life of the largest age group in the future.