Social marketing interventions to promote physical activity among 60 years and older: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Background Falls are a significant source of morbidity in people aged 65 and over, affecting one in three people in this age group. The scientific evidence indicates that physical activity is the most effective method for preventing falls among seniors. Although public health professionals often use social marketing to design and plan successful interventions, its use to promote physical activity and prevent falls among older people remains low. This article aims to provide a new systematic literature review of social marketing interventions promoting physical activity and targeting people aged 60 and over. Methods Following CRD’s guidance and PRISMA guidelines, we searched between January 2008 and July 2019 for relevant articles in five primary databases using predefined search and inclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers analysed the selected articles to identify evidence of the seven social marketing benchmark criteria, defined by experts in the field as the common elements that contribute to social marketing success. Results The final review included nine studies. Of the studies selected, three specifically targeted over 60-year-olds, whereas the others segmented the population into several age-based subcategories, including over 60-year-olds. Eight studies highlighted positive results for the participants with an increase in participation or an increase in physical activity level. None of the nine studies selected for this systematic review implemented the entire social marketing approach. Conclusion Few published interventions use the seven social marketing criteria. Further research is required to encourage uptake and inclusion in successful social marketing interventions to increase program effectiveness in this target population.

Social Marketing Intervention to Engage Older Adults in Balance Workshops for Fall Prevention: A Multicenter Quasi-Experimental Protocol Study

“…Few strategies used so far did not apply all the seven benchmark criteria ( 49 ). Fujihira et al ( 41 ) and Goethals et al ( 49 ) have showed that as a program frequently uses the social marketing benchmark criteria defined by Andreasen, it becomes more and more effective at changing the behaviors of its target population. Other reviews ( 18 , 19 , 50 ) have used the same classification criteria as Andreasen and reported similar findings.…”

“…Although this method has proven its worth in these other contexts, its use in getting older adults to take part in regular PA remains limited ( 41 ).…”

Devenir teórico-práctico del Marketing social en el cambio de comportamiento de ciudadanos en la era actual

“…La finalidad del marketing social es atender las necesidades y demandas del grupo de audiencia con la ayuda de los principios y técnicas del marketing comercial y difundir entre ellos el comportamiento deseado, reduciendo los obstáculos y animándolos a realizar un comportamiento social. En términos más simples, el mercadeo social es la aplicación de técnicas en temas sociales para motivar a las personas a ejecutar acciones o comportamientos que en última instancia son beneficiosos para ellos (Kotler y Roberto, 1992;Goethals et al, 2020).…”

Using social marketing for the promotion of cognitive health: a scoping review protocol

“…30 With regard to health promotion, a recent systematic review has shown that the use of social marketing strategies was effective in increasing participation in, or the level of physical activity among older adults. 31 The Behaviour Change Wheel 32 (BCW) is a model created from a review of frameworks for social marketing. Based on this model, it is possible to identify, for the first time, how elderly people perceive their capability, opportunity and motivation to adopt cognitive health promoting behaviours.…”

“… 30 With regard to health promotion, a recent systematic review has shown that the use of social marketing strategies was effective in increasing participation in, or the level of physical activity among older adults. 31 …”