Exploring recreational activities of the aged in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

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Exploring recreational activities of the
aged in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

• BY
• Foster Frempong and Iddrisu Abubakari
• Kwame Nkrumah University of Scieence and
  Technology,
• Department of Geography and Rural Development
• Kumasi

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• "An old man sitting on the ground sees something
  a child can't see even if he climbs a tree."
  Dagbani proverb

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Introduction

• The aged are persons who are 65 years and over
  (Mba, 2002 United Nations, 2001)
• The worlds aged population is expected to rise
  from 606 million in 2000 to almost 2 billion by
  2050, representing an increase of about 230
  percent over the period.

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Introduction contd.

• The aged may experience an increase incidence of
  age-related disease and disability
• Aside natural causes, this might be due to lack
  of participation in active recreational
  activities or exercise

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Introduction contd.

• Participating in active recreational activities
  can enhance health, including
• reduced incidence of physical and mental health
  problems
• delay in functional decline
• reduction of chronic disease onset and
• stabilization of psychological and physical
  abilities

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Introduction contd.

• These make participation in recreational
  activities for the aged a MUST for good health
  and high quality of life
• Increase in active recreation is a possible
  prevention strategy for cancer, obesity, and
  cardiovascular disease (salmo et al, 2003).

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Introduction contd.

• Also participating in active recreation can
  strengthen social cohesion and make new friends.
• Although there are lots of benefits of active
  recreation to the aged, there are large numbers
  of people who do not take part in recreational
  activities

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Introduction contd.

• Adults who spent more time in sedentary life
  style will have an increase likelihood of being
  overweight or obese (Takemi et al, 2008).
• Recognition of the growing older population has
  generated increased research interest in this
  area.

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The aged in Ghana

• Greater numbers of people live up to two and
  three decades after retirement
• The demographic profile of Ghana revealed that
  persons aged 65 years and above constitutes 5 per
  cent of the Ghanaian population (GSS, 2005).

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The aged in Ghana contd.

• Ghanas ageing population had been precipitated
  more by rapid fertility decline and improvements
  in public health measures, personal hygiene,
  sanitation and nutrition
• The aged population in Ghana
• 1960 1970 12.5 2000 2010
  4.6
• 1970 1984 11.1 (1,167,532)
• 1984 2000 32.5

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Problem statement

• Routine active recreation improves ones general
  physical health and decreases the risk of medical
  conditions
• Studies have shown that active recreation plays a
  role in the maintenance of cognitive vitality in
  older age (Colcombe et al, 2004, Newson Kemps,
  2006)

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Problem statement contd.

• In the midst of these, many individuals still
  remain inactive.
• Again, the rate of active recreation engagement
  declines with increasing age (Hamdorf, Starr,
  Williams, 2002).

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Problem statement

• It is therefore necessary to understand more
  about those factors which may influence
  individual participation in recreational
  activities for the aged

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Objectives

• Examine motivational factors to leisure time
  active recreation participation among the Jachie
  society of the aged
• Examine constraints to participation in
  recreational activities by the aged

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Study Area

• Jachie is a town in the Bosomtwe District in the
  Ashanti Region of Ghana
• Temperature of the area seems to be uniformly-
  high and throughout the year with a mean of
  around 24ºC.
• Relative humidity (RH) is generally high
  throughout the year

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Study area contd.

• Jachie society of the Aged was formed in 2005
  with an initial population of 70.
• It now has a population of 305, 105 males and 200
  females.
• Members of the association were mainly from the
  Jachie Township

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Study area contd.

• Jachie has two health facilities One Government
  health center and an eye clinic
• Cross-sectional study design was used for the
  study

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Findings from the study
Sex of respondents
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Reported health conditions of respondents
Health Conditions Frequency Percentage ()
Stroke 2 2
Heart disease 6 6
Rheumatism 29 29
Back pain 23 23
High blood pressure 21 21
Diabetes 12 21
Other disease 7 7
Total 100 100
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Recreational activities among respondents
Recreational activities Frequency Percentage
Morning walking 52 52
Gardening 22 22
Playing musical instrument 2 2
Other activities 24 24
Total 100 100
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Motivation EU SI A I EI
Desire to maintain physical health 1 13 42 43
Interesting and fun 1 1 21 43 34
Desire to engage in challenging activities 6 40 35 18
Desire for enjoyment and happiness 1 5 59 34
Desire to improve cardiovascular fitness 2 3 20 57 18

Desire to be with friends 18 37 10 23 12
Desire to improve body shape 76 14 5 4 1
Desire to meet new friends 44 39 11 4 1
Desire to improve and obtain skills 67 11 8 10 4
1Extremely unimportant, 2Slightly important,
3Average, 4Important, 5Extremely important
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Motivation for leisure

• Motivation for leisure for the aged could be
  classified into
• Fitness motive
• Enjoyment and fun motive
• Social motive
• There was a very weak negative relationship
  between age and fitness motive

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Constraints to participating in leisure activity

• Intrapersonal Lack of energy, lack of
  interest,
• health problems
  and age
• Interpersonal Lack of encouragement, no
• partner, no
  external motivation
• Structural - Transportation, financial
  cost and
• inconvenient

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Constraints EU SI A I EI
Health problems 8 11 44 36
Lack of energy 4 6 44 33 8
No knowledge on available recreational facilities 13 19 50 15 1
Lack of interest 19 16 11 7
Financial cost 32 25 20 5 9
1Extremely unimportant, 2Slightly important,
3Average, 4Important, 5Extremely important
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Recommendations

• Awareness creation By government and
  recreational facilities providers
• Educational programmes should be instituted,
  promoted and sustained for the aged
• There should be planned pension programme to
  empower the aged financially.

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• Old age in Africa is considered a blessing -
  people grow old and get a special status
• http//www.squidoo.com/genuine-respect-for-old-age
  d-people-in-african-tradition - accessed 3 - 08 -
  2012

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• THANK YOU