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Quantifying physical activity in aged residential care facilities: A structured review.
Ríona Mc Ardle1, Karen Sverdrup2, Silvia Del Din1
1Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, UK.
Ageing Research Reviews
|February 16, 2021
Summary
Aged residential care residents engage in low volumes and intensities of physical activity (PA). Future research should focus on total volume and low-light intensity PA for better intervention outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) in aged residential care (ARC) may slow decline.
- Current understanding of PA volume, intensity, and patterns in ARC residents is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the volume, intensity, and pattern of PA among ARC residents.
- To analyze PA across different care levels.
- To provide recommendations for future research.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 30 studies involving 48,760 participants.
- PA assessed using questionnaires and technological tools, predominantly accelerometers (70%).
Main Results:
- ARC residents exhibit low volumes and intensities of PA across all care levels.
- Limited day-to-day variation in PA patterns was observed.
- Studies had limited inclusion of residents with cognitive impairment, potentially biasing results.
- Methodological inconsistencies and varied PA outcome measures affected findings.
Conclusions:
- Total PA volume and low-light intensity PA are recommended as more effective interventional outcomes than high-intensity PA.
- Future research should standardize methodologies and PA outcome measures for ARC residents.
