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Physical activity in older people: a systematic review
Fei Sun1, Ian J Norman, Alison E While
1Second Military Medical University, School of Nursing, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
BMC Public Health
|May 8, 2013
Summary
Physical activity in older adults is vital for health and independence. However, compliance with physical activity guidelines varies widely, with older age groups and women being less active.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) is crucial for disease prevention, independence, and quality of life in older adults.
- Current PA levels and guideline adherence among older adults remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize current data on physical activity levels in older adults (aged 60+).
- To determine the proportion of older adults meeting established physical activity recommendations.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was performed on studies published since 2000.
- Included studies reported PA levels and guideline adherence in non-institutionalized older adults.
- Fifty-three relevant papers were included in the final review.
Main Results:
- Reported physical activity guideline adherence ranged significantly from 2.4% to 83.0%.
- Variations in defining and measuring PA created methodological challenges.
- Older age groups and women were less likely to meet PA recommendations, particularly for leisure-time activities.
Conclusions:
- Significant heterogeneity exists in PA levels and guideline adherence among community-dwelling older adults.
- There is a need for standardized, validated measurement methods and representative sampling for future research.
- Consistent data collection is essential for comparing PA trends across different populations and over time.
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