title: Perceived barriers to physical activity in older and younger veterans with serious mental illness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Individuals with serious mental illness endorse many more medical and psychosocial barriers to physical activity (PA) than the general population. However, it is unknown if older adults with serious mental illness are at greater risk of experiencing barriers to PA than their younger counterparts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study utilized a national VA dataset to compare veterans with serious mental illness ages 55 and older (n = 9,044) to veterans with serious mental illness ages 54 and younger (n = 8,782) on their responses to a questionnaire assessment of barriers to PA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older veterans were more likely to endorse arthritis and cardiopulmonary disease, and less likely to endorse work schedule, as barriers to PA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions designed to increase PA for young/middle-aged adults with serious mental illness may be broadly useful for older adults with serious mental illness, with some modification to address specific health concerns. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5), Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC).
authors.forename: Anjana
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9155-5524
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muralidharan
authors.affiliation: VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5), Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC).
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Klingaman
authors.affiliation: School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.affiliation: VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5), Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC).
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*