%0 Journal Article
%T Can physical activity improve the mental health of older adults?
%A Nicola T Lautenschlager
%A Osvaldo P Almeida
%A Leon Flicker
%A Aleksandar Janca
%J Annals of General Psychiatry
%D 2004
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1475-2832-3-12
%X The world's population is aging at a rapid pace. In Australia, for example, in 2001 more than 2.3 million persons were above the age of 65, which is 12.4% of the total population. It is expected that this number will increase to 6 million over the next 50 years thus amounting to 24.2% of the total population [1].Whilst increasing longevity is a positive development, it also leads to an increase in age-related diseases and disabilities with all its social and financial implications for society. Somatic disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, movement disorders, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and special sensory deficits are all highly prevalent in later life. Mental disorders are also frequent in later life (affecting approximately 20% of old people), with dementia and depression being the most prevalent conditions in this age group [2]. Moreover, dementia and depression are the leading causes of years of life lost due to disability in Australia [3]. Currently, more than 25 million people worldwide have dementia, with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) being the most frequent cause of dementia in Western societies [4].There is an urgent need to focus research on the development and evaluation of effective preventative strategies, such as those successfully introduced to decrease the incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Delaying the clinical onset of AD by two years would reduce the total number of AD cases by approximately 600,000 in the USA alone [5]. Physical activity (PA) is often seen as an intervention that has the potential of decreasing the burden associated with depression and cognitive impairment in later life and this paper represents a critical review of the evidence that supports such an association.Sedentary lifestyle is becoming increasingly common at all ages [6]. A recent survey found that 62% of Australians were sufficiently active to enjoy the health benefits associated with PA in 1997 but, worryingly, this number declined to
%U http://www.annals-general-psychiatry.com/content/3/1/12