Low level of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in elderly: a systematic review of the parameters

Ozeas De Lima Lins-Filho,Tatiane Melo De Lima,Daniela Karina Da Silva Ferreira,Marisa Moreira Braga

doi:10.1590/1980-0037.2020v22e60810

Abstract

Abstract Sedentary behavior tends to increase with aging and several studies have focused on analyzing the components which may influence this pattern of behavior. Indirect and direct measuring have been used to determine the relative parameters to this phenomenon while there is no consensus about which parameter should be adopted to conceptualize sedentary behavior, making difficulty to establish comparisons among the studies on this population. The aim of this study was to systematically review the characterization of low level of physical activity and sedentary behavior in studies with older people. Electronic search on Scielo, LILACS, MEDLINE, PubMed, and ISI Web of Knowledge was carried out. Selection of the studies included: original manuscripts, with elderly analyzing sedentary behavior or low-level pf physical activity through direct and indirect measure. Search initially screened 190 manuscripts yielding 10 relevant studies. Questionnaire, self-reported questionnaire and accelerometer were the instruments used in the studies. Sedentary behavior or low level of physical activity was characterized by analyzing sitting time, physical activity on leisure time, counts per minute, engaging in moderate or vigorous intensity during day or performing physical activities with MET <1.5. There is no standardization of the parameters adopted to characterize sedentary behavior on studies, generating divergent results and making it difficult to establish comparisons.

Highlights

IntroductionIt has been recommended to perform at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week to increase physical activity levels and reduce sedentary behavior[5]
Sedentary behavior is generally characterized by any activity that requires an energetic demand between 1.0 and 1.5 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) in a sitting or reclined position, using the computer or watching television, for example, and it is a risk factor independent of physical activity practice[10,11,12], and it is associated with others unhealthy behaviors and negative health outcomes[13,14,15,16]
The present study shows that there is a high prevalence of sedentary behavior in the elderly population and a predisposition for this behavior to increase with age

Summary

Introduction

It has been recommended to perform at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week to increase physical activity levels and reduce sedentary behavior[5] It may reduce body fat, blood pressure, glycemic levels and increase muscle and bone mass, preserve functional capacity and memory, ameliorate cognitive function and many others benefits[6,7].Physical inactivity is associated with the development of many chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cancer[8,9]. Sedentary behavior is generally characterized by any activity that requires an energetic demand between 1.0 and 1.5 METs in a sitting or reclined position, using the computer or watching television, for example, and it is a risk factor independent of physical activity practice[10,11,12], and it is associated with others unhealthy behaviors and negative health outcomes[13,14,15,16]

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Conclusion