PESSOA IDOSA, URBANISMO E ATIVIDADE FÍSICA Aspectos urbanos da cidade de Manaus e sua influência na prática de atividade física. Uma análise a partir do Guia das Cidades Amigas da Pessoa Idosa da OMS

Abstract

Since the advent of the industrial revolution, a considerable portion of the world's population has migrated from the countryside to live in cities. However, today this process - urbanization - has received a new catalyst, leading to the booming growth of cities. In addition to the intense process of urbanization, the world's population is experiencing an exponential process of ageing. Data from the WHO (2009) states that in the year 2000 the population of elderly people in the world was 600 million and that by the year 2050 this population will reach approximately 2 billion. At the same time, the city of Manaus, Brazil is experiencing the repercussions of this situation. Its general population has grown tremendously, from one million to more than two million people in the last three decades alone, generating a huge demand for infrastructure and services. Respectively, its population aged over 60, which currently stands at approximately 215,000 people, could reach 500,000 in just over a decade (IBGE, 2010; 2023). In parallel with this context, societies are showing increasingly sedentary behavior, while science is giving greater prominence to the regular practice of physical activity as a predictor of physical and mental health. Thus, due to the scarcity of studies exploring this theme, there is an urgent need for research that addresses the issue of urbanism, human ageing and the practice of physical activity. The WHO (2009) has developed the "Age-Friendly Cities" project which, together with the concept of "active ageing", aims to provide older people with an ageing process linked to dignity and well-being, based on intense social involvement, resulting from an improvement in the infrastructure and services provided by cities. In this sense, the primary objective of this research was to analyze the influence of the urban aspects of the city of Manaus as agents that facilitate or hinder the practice of physical activities by the elderly, as well as to verify how the city of Manaus fits into the WHO perspective, with regard to the concept of "Friendly Cities for the Elderly". In order to shed light on the challenges posed by this research, a field study was carried out using a methodology based on the qualitative paradigm, with an interpretative and essentially exploratory nature. The instruments used to find the status quo were participant observation, focus group discussions and field diaries. The information emerging from the perceptions of the research subjects was examined using content analysis, discourse analysis and a hermeneutic process. The results point to various factors and urban aspects that have a positive influence, while other aspects have a negative influence on the practice of physical activity. Consequently, the city of Manaus presents a certain paradox, as its urban aspects partly facilitate and can be considered friendly, while others hinder the practice of physical activities and cannot be considered friendly to older people. The knowledge that emerges from this study contributes to a better understanding of the problem and the adequacy of infrastructure and services, as well as the development of public policies aimed at the needs of the elderly, and at encouraging the practice of physical activity. Keywords: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, URBANISM, ACTIVE AGING, MANAUS.