Exercise improves sleep quality in older adults: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

IntroductionSleep disturbance is a common problem among the elderly and is associated with physical and mental health. Exercise has been reported as an alternative therapeutic strategy for people with sleep disturbances. However, this topic has not been systematically reviewed for older adults. This study was conducted to provide a protocol to systematically evaluate the effects of exercise on sleep quality in the elderly.Methods and analysisAn electronic search of the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases will be performed with no language restrictions, and data extraction will be performed by two independent reviewers. The reviewers will discuss and resolve any differences, and a third reviewer will be consulted in cases of uncertainty. Randomised controlled trials will be selected. The primary outcome will be an objective measurement of sleep quality (eg, polysomnography). The secondary outcomes will be self-reported sleep quality (using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale), and adverse events (such as falls and fractures). RevMan V.5.3.5 and Stata V.16.0 software will be used for meta-analysis. If the heterogeneity tests show slight or no statistical heterogeneity, the fixed effects model will be used; in other cases, the random effect model will be used for data synthesis.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol does not require ethical approval. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and journals.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021287980.

Distúrbios do sono e exercício físico regular na atenção primária à saúde: estudo observacional

“…According to Zhang et al 22 , sleep disorders are risk factors for major health problems, including systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes, cancer, mental and cognitive disorders. In addition to offering health benefits, an intervention based on regular exercise reduces the risk of mortality and chronic diseases, and can be considered a low-cost alternative 22 .…”

“…According to Zhang et al 22 , sleep disorders are risk factors for major health problems, including systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes, cancer, mental and cognitive disorders. In addition to offering health benefits, an intervention based on regular exercise reduces the risk of mortality and chronic diseases, and can be considered a low-cost alternative 22 . We observed that the PG volunteers had a higher prevalence of good sleep quality compared to the NPG, constituting data which corroborate a study performed with women over 60 years of age who participated in a regular physical exercise program and presented better levels of sleep quality 23 .…”