Interventions for reducing sedentary behaviour in community-dwelling older adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Older adults exhibit high levels of sedentary behavior, exceeding 8.5 hours daily.
• Prolonged sedentary time is associated with increased risks of chronic diseases, frailty, functional decline, and premature mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce sedentary behavior in community-dwelling older adults.
• To compare these interventions against control conditions with no intervention or non-targeted approaches.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-RCTs.
• Searched multiple databases including CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to January 2021.
• Included studies targeting older adults (60+) living independently, excluding specific clinical populations.

Main Results:

• Seven studies (397 participants) were included, primarily involving individually-based behavior change techniques.
• Interventions showed a potential, though low-certainty, reduction in sedentary time (mean difference -44.91 min/day).
• Evidence on physical function, waist circumference, fitness, blood pressure, and glucose levels was of low to very low certainty, with uncertain impacts on mental health.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence is insufficient to confirm the effectiveness of interventions in reducing sedentary time or improving health outcomes in older adults.
• Low certainty and inconsistency in findings highlight the need for further research.
• Future studies should explore environmental, policy, and social norm modifications, utilize device-based measures, and collect data on quality of life and cost-effectiveness.