BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) in older people is critically important in the prevention of disease, maintenance of independence and improvement of quality of life. Little is known about the physical activity of the older adults or their compliance with current physical activity guidelines.MethodsA systematic literature search of the published literature was conducted. Included were published reports of original research that independently reported: the PA level of non-institutional older adults (aged 60 years and over); and the proportion of older adults in the different samples who met PA recommendations or guidelines. The review was restricted to studies published since 2000 to provide a current picture of older adults’ PA levels.ResultsFifty three papers were included in the review. The percentage of older adults meeting recommended physical activity ranged from 2.4 – 83.0% across the studies. Definitions of “recommended” physical activity in older adults varied across the studies as did approaches to measurement which posed methodological challenges to data analysis. Older age groups were less likely than the reference group to be regularly active, and women were less likely than men to achieve regular physical activity, especially leisure time physical activity, when measured by both subjective and objective criteria.ConclusionThe review highlights the need for studies which recruit representative random samples of community based older people and employ validated measurement methods consistently to enable comparison of PA levels over time and between countries.

The impact of radiotherapy on the heart has become an area of interest in recent years. Many different cardiac dose-volume constraints have been associated with cardiac toxicity and survival; however, no consistent constraint has been found. Many patients undergoing treatment for lung cancer have risk factors for cardiovascular disease or known cardiac comorbidities; however, there is little evidence on the effects of radiotherapy on the heart in these patients. We aim to provide a summary of the existing literature on cardiac toxicity of lung cancer radiotherapy, propose strategies to avoid and manage cardiac toxicity, and suggest avenues for future research.

Many registered nurses (RNs) are not achieving the recommended daily levels of physical activity. This study collected data from 623 RNs about their personal health behaviours and their professional, physical activity-related health-promotion practices. The findings showed that 75% of the sample reported engaging in personal physical activity, 25% were at risk of hazardous drinking or active alcohol use disorders, 17% were past smokers and 11% were current smokers, 47% reported having a normal body weight-size, and 73% desired to be a normal body weight-size. Nearly half of the sample reported that they were promoting physical activity within their clinical practice. Personal physical activity behaviour, perceived health status, length of clinical practice, clinical specialty, and actual body weight-size were significantly related to the RNs' professional, physical activity-related practices. This study highlights a need for training on physical activity-related counselling, including awareness of the latest recommendations and strategies to promote physical activity. Health-care employers should also consider addressing nurses' barriers to the promotion of physical activity within their clinical practice so that all health-care contacts are able to maximise opportunities to promote active ageing.