Abstract
BackgroundPhysical activity and exercise are among the most important, simplest, and cheapest approaches to anxiety treatment, especially for the elderly. Their positive effects on improvement of mental disorders in the elderly have attracted a considerable level of attention. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effect of sport on reducing anxiety in the elderly using meta-analysis.MethodsIn this study, national and international databases of SID, MagIran, IranMedex, IranDoc, Cochrane, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched to find studies published electronically from 1999 to 2019. Heterogeneity between the collected studies was determined using the Cochran's test (Q) and I2. Due to presence of heterogeneity, the random effects model was used to estimate the standardized mean difference of sport test scores obtained from the measurement of anxiety reduction among the elderly, between the intervention group before and after the test.ResultsIn this meta-analysis and systematic review, 19 papers finally met the inclusion criteria. The overall sample size of all collected studies for the meta-analysis was 841 s. Mean anxiety score before and after intervention were 38.7 ± 5.6 33.7 ± 3.4 respectively, denoting a decrease in anxiety score after intervention.ConclusionResults of this study indicates that Sport significantly reduces Anxiety in the Elderly. Therefore, a regular exercise program can be considered as a part of the elderly care program.
Highlights
Physical activity and exercise are among the most important, simplest, and cheapest approaches to anxiety treatment, especially for the elderly
In this work, all studies focusing on the effect of sport on the elderly anxiety were systematically reviewed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines
In which standard deviation of mean (SD) had been reported, the standardized mean difference index was used in the meta-analysis
Summary
Physical activity and exercise are among the most important, simplest, and cheapest approaches to anxiety treatment, especially for the elderly. Their positive effects on improvement of mental disorders in the elderly have attracted a considerable level of attention. Aging is an inevitable process in all human beings [1] It is a natural developmental stage in which particular physical, psychological, and social changes occur [2]. The elderly are more prone to stress and anxiety as a result of loss or reduction of self-esteem, reduction of activity and stimulation, loss of friends and relatives, loss of physical independence and chronic diseases, changes in daily life or living environment, fear of death and lack of social support [6, 7]. Over 40 million adults in the US suffer from anxiety disorders [6]
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