A scoping review of physical activity interventions for older adults

Abstract

Background To inform implementation and future research, this scoping review investigates the volume of evidence for physical activity interventions among adults aged 60+. Our research questions are: (1) what is the evidence regarding interventions designed to increase total physical activity in adults aged 60+ years, in accordance with three of the four strategic objectives of GAPPA (active societies, active environments, active people); (2) what is the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of physical activity programmes and services designed for older adults?; and (3) What are the evidence gaps requiring further research? Methods We searched PEDro, MEDLINE, CINAHL and Cochrane from 1 January 2010 to 1 November 2020 for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of physical activity interventions in adults aged 60+. We identified interventions designed to: (1) increase physical activity; and (2) deliver physical activity programmes and services in home, community or outpatient settings. We extracted and coded data from eligible reviews according to our proposed framework informed by TIDieR, Prevention of Falls Network Europe (PROFANE), and WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). We classified the overall findings as positive, negative or inconclusive. Results We identified 39 reviews of interventions to increase physical activity and 342 reviews of programmes/services for older adults. Interventions were predominantly structured exercise programmes, including balance strength/resistance training, and physical recreation, such as yoga and tai chi. There were few reviews of health promotion/coaching and health professional education/referral, and none of sport, workplace, sociocultural or environmental interventions. Fewer reported outcomes of total physical activity, social participation and quality of life/well-being. We noted insufficient coverage in diverse and disadvantaged samples and low-middle income countries. Conclusions There is a modest but growing volume of evidence regarding interventions designed to increase total physical activity in older adults, although more interventional studies with long term follow-up are needed, particularly for GAPPA 1. Active Societies and GAPPA 2. Active Environments. By comparison, there is abundant evidence for GAPPA 3. specific programmes and services, but coverage of sport and workplace interventions, and diverse samples and settings is lacking. Comprehensive reviews of individual studies are now needed as well as research targeting neglected outcomes, populations and settings.

Digital Technologies for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Older People: Protocol for a Scoping Review

“…Our preliminary inspection of studies suggests that while older people may use more modern technologies, such as smartphone apps or wearables, they also use (and possibly prefer) other technological solutions and devices, such as websites accessed via computers. Furthermore, while physical activity was the primary focus of previous reviews in this field (eg, the review by Taylor et al [20] and reviews listed in Table 1), healthy aging is associated with various health outcomes. According to our preliminary inspection of studies, these may also include nutrition, and mental and cognitive functioning.…”

“…Furthermore, interventions for health promotion and disease prevention targeting the needs of older people are often nondigital (only 12 out of 486 reviews addressed eHealth interventions for this population) [19]. Finally, the most common health target of digital interventions for health promotion and disease prevention is physical activity, according to a scoping review [20] and recent systematic reviews that assessed the efficacy of such interventions in older people (Table 1). As illustrated in Table 1 and discussed in other scoping reviews [17,21], the terminology in the field of digital health promotion and disease prevention is highly diverse, and a uniform definition of the age of older people does not exist.…”

Embedding Physical Activity Within Community Home Support Services for Older Adults in Ireland – A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Enablers

“…The majority of structured exercise programs are delivered by allied health professionals and outside of the home, for example in community health centers. 18 Commonly cited barriers by older adults to engaging in community-based physical activity programs include subjective poor health and a lack of transport. 19 Furthermore, older adults in receipt of formal home support services have expressed a preference for being physically active through the activities they enjoy, such as walking and gardening, rather than engaging in structured exercise programs.…”

Exploring Potential Benefits of Accumulated Multicomponent-Training in Non-Active Older Adults: From Physical Fitness to Mental Health

“…To pursue the aims of holistic health development and maintenance, both PA dose and quality must be considered and appropriately designed [22]. Training should be structured in ways that ensure that overall increments in physical active time and physical fitness [23] translate into preserving functional mobility [13] and good mental and psychosocial health [16]. A relevant aspect of PA training that may contribute to holistic health development is the extent to which it also challenges high-level cognition, such as executive function, relevant to health, wealth, safety, and success in multiple life domains [24].…”