Les niveaux d’activité physique et de sédentarité chez les femmes à partir de 61 ans seraient liés à leur comportement socio-émotionnel durant l’enfance et à leur tempérament à l’âge adulte, selon une étude.

48 % of women aged 50 to 64 have engaged in physical or sports activities at least once a year, and 36% do so on a weekly basis, according to a study by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) published in 2017. But why do some women exercise and others do very little or none at all? Researchers might have found the answer.

Sedentary behavior linked more to profession than childhood

In a new study published in the BMC Public Health journal, scientists believe that levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior in women over the age of 61 may be linked to their socio-emotional behavior during childhood and their temperament as adults. To reach this conclusion, they used data from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS). Started in 1968, these studies have followed patients from the age of 8 for several decades.

Socio-emotional behavior (behavioral activity, controlled behavior, negative emotionality) was assessed at 8 years old, temperament at 42 years old, and physical activity and sedentary behavior at 61 years old. In men, scientists did not observe any link between these data. However, in women, behavioral activity recorded at 8 years old (such as playing with other children) predicted higher levels of daily sedentary behavior at 61 years old. Nevertheless, taking into account the participants’ professional status, the link between childhood behavioral activity and sedentary behavior was less evident.

Negative emotions and physical activity

“Girls who were more socially active in their childhood are more likely to pursue higher education and end up in professions such as expert roles, which involve a lot of sitting,” says Johanna Ahola, one of the authors.

As for temperament, scientists note that the one measured at 42 years old would influence women’s level of physical activity at 61 years old. In detail, those who experienced more negative emotions (frustration, sadness) at 42 years old engaged in less physical activity at 61 years old. “It is possible that women who experience more negative emotions have less pleasure in engaging in moderate to intense physical activities,” explains Tiia Kekäläinen, another author of this study.