The main goal of the study was to determine the extent to which older people in Croatia are physically active and interested in other types of recreational activities in the community and individual or group hobbies. The study was part of the SENIOR 2030 project, conducted by the National Pensioners’ Convention of Croatia. The survey questionnaire was applied by telephone to a quota sample of 701 elderly people aged 65 and over from different parts of Croatia, representative by gender and region, according to the 2011 Census. The main finding of the research is that most of the elderly people (90%) were physically active in some form during the last 5 years, and the main types of activities mentioned were walking and working in the garden. Nevertheless, one in ten interviewed people was not physically active, primarily for health reasons. Interest in activities is generally high as 86% of participants stated that they are interested in some kind of activity and hobby. They are most interested in walking, spending time in nature, and socializing with friends. Although awareness of the importance of different activities for health is quite high, 54% of the interviewed persons state that they would not participate in free recreational groups or activities if they were organized in their communities. Physically active people and those generally interested in various hobbies and activities in the community are more often members of younger age subgroups. Due to the proven positive effects of physical activity and various forms of participation in the community on healthy and active aging, it is necessary to continue to educate people about the importance of such activities in the prevention of degenerative aging processes and improving the quality of life in old age, and to facilitate the inclusion of older people in various organized activities in the community.

physical activity, social participation, active aging, healthy aging, older people