Abstract
IntroductionThe objectives of this review paper were to synthesize the data from randomized controlled trials in the literature to come to a conclusion on the effects of e-health interventions on promoting physical activity in older people.MethodsThe Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and SportDiscus databases were searched for articles about studies that 1) recruited subjects with a mean age of > 50 years, 2) tested e-health interventions, 3) employed control groups with no or less advanced e-health strategies, 4) measured physical activity as an outcome, 5) were published between 1st January 2008 and 31st May 2019, and 6) employed randomized controlled trials. The risk of bias in individual studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. To examine the effects of the interventions, variables quantifying the amount of physical activity were extracted. The within-group effects of individual studies were summarized using Hedges g and 95% confidence intervals. Between-group effects were summarized by meta-analyses using RevMan 5.0 with a random effect model.ResultsOf the 2810 identified studies, 38 were eligible, 25 were included in the meta-analyses. The within-group effect sizes (Hedges g) of physical activity in the intervention group at T1 ranged from small to large: physical activity time (0.12 to 0.84), step counts (− 0.01 to 11.19), energy expenditure (− 0.05 to 0.86), walking time (0.13 to 3.33), and sedentary time (− 0.12 to − 0.28). The delayed effects as observed in T2 and T3 also ranged from small to large: physical activity time (0.24 to 1.24) and energy expenditure (0.15 to 1.32). In the meta-analysis, the between-group effect of the e-health intervention on physical activity time measured by questionnaires, physical activity time measured by objective wearable devices, energy expenditure, and step counts were all significant with minimal heterogeneity.ConclusionE-health interventions are effective at increasing the time spent on physical activity, energy expenditure in physical activity, and the number of walking steps. It is recommended that e-health interventions be included in guidelines to enhance physical activity in older people. Further studies should be conducted to determine the most effective e-health strategies.
Highlights
The objectives of this review paper were to synthesize the data from randomized controlled trials in the literature to come to a conclusion on the effects of e-health interventions on promoting physical activity in older people
This review found that online social support is a common e-health strategy to promote physical activity in older people
E-health interventions are effective at increasing the amount of time spent on physical activity, the energy expended in physical activity, and the number of walking steps
Summary
The objectives of this review paper were to synthesize the data from randomized controlled trials in the literature to come to a conclusion on the effects of e-health interventions on promoting physical activity in older people. Physical activity is widely recognized as an effective intervention for reducing mortality and dependence-inducing diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancers) in older people [2]. The evidence shows that sustainable physical activity at beneficially high levels of intensity is an important element of improved cognitive function. A systematic review of 39 studies showed that physical activity improved the cognitive function of the older participants regardless of their cognitive status [5]. Another systematic review of nine studies showed that for older people physical activity led to improvements in frailty syndrome, body composition, as well as in the performance of many physical functions (e.g., balance, muscle strength) [6]
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Schedule a callMore From: European review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity
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