Sports Health in Older Age: Prevalence and Risk Factors - Systematic Review

Abstract

Exercise prevalence in older adults often shows low levels, with a considerable portion of this demographic being physically inactive. Myriad studies have also depicted gender disparities in exercise prevalence, highlighting that men tend to engage in more physical activity compared to women. The primary objective of this research is to highlight sports health in older age, prevalence, and risk fac-tors through a systematic review. This research employs a systematic review method by searching reputable journal databases such as Science Direct and Pubmed. The inclusion criteria in this study were articles published in the last five years related to exercise in the elderly, addressing topics such as exercise prevalence, risk factors for exercise, physical activity participation, the health of the elderly, and barriers to exercise. The exclusion criteria in this study were articles published in non-reputable journals. The researchers selected and analyzed 16 articles meeting the inclusing criteria for this systematic review. For standard operations, this study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) assessment. The research findings reveal that within the first group, various risk factors significantly impede exercise in older adults, including chronic health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. In addition, factors such as lack of knowledge about the benefits of exercise, fear of injury, and social isolation contributed to reduced participation in physical activity. Furthermore, the findings with-in the second group underscore the significance of information that various exercises through health sports activities to support body health in old age. The results of the third group show that some treatments of sports health therapy are suitable for the elderly. Understanding these multifaceted factors is paramount to design effective interventions to increase sports participation in the elderly. Therefore, the promotion of active and healthy lifestyles in older adults should consider the social, economic and health factors that influence individuals' decisions. This holistic approach can contribute to improving the quality of life and well-being of older adults, concurrently reducing the burden of age-related diseases. Keywords: active lifestyle, older age, physical activity, Sports Health