Physical and mental fitness examined

On April 29, 2015, the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz, the closing event for the research project “Activities for Seniors in the Czech-Saxon Border Region” took place. The project was carried out last year by the Faculty of Social Sciences in collaboration with the Liberec-based association ProWel. During the event, various cognitive and physical tests were used to assess the physical and mental fitness of approximately 80 senior citizens each from the Görlitz district and the Liberec region, ranging in age from 60 to 84. More than 50 seniors attended the closing event in the large lecture hall of the GI Building (Blue Box). The project director, Prof. Dr. habil. Gisela Thiele, presented some key findings from the analysis of all test results. A comparison of the results from the Görlitz district and the Liberec region revealed insightful differences.

For example, cholesterol levels were lower among the Czech participants, while the German seniors had, on average, good blood pressure readings. This may be attributable to corresponding long-term health policies with different priorities in the two countries. In the tests regarding memory performance, the German participants achieved good results. The project also revealed differences regarding family life. For example, the Czech seniors have closer contact with family and friends, while 7% of the German participants complained of loneliness.

A specialized procedure was used to determine which behavioral types the test subjects belonged to. Behavior was analyzed in terms of success and failure. The majority of German test participants (39%) belong to the behavioral type characterized by moderate correctness: They respond to external feedback but remain rigid in their own ideas. Their behavior is not guided by spontaneous impulses. The majority of Czech test participants (30%) chose an easier task next, despite having succeeded in the previous one. For them, avoiding failure is more important than achieving success. At just 8 percent, the German participants represented the smallest proportion of seniors in this behavioral type.

However, the findings from the individual studies cannot be automatically applied to all seniors in both regions, as they participated in the project of their own volition and were not selected based on a representative distribution generated by a random number generator. For both project teams, however, it was important to test the various studies on the older target group in terms of their feasibility and organization, thereby providing a trial run for a larger research project. This is because the individual assessment methods—which were originally developed on the Czech side for competitive athletes—were tested for the first time on the 65+ target group. A proposal for a larger research project with 500 participants is to be submitted.

A manual of more than 180 pages presented and evaluated the various test results in great detail. The seniors participating in the project received a copy of this manual. Interested parties can download the text from the bilingual website www.activsenior.eu.