Effect of Different Types of Physical Activity on Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

1Physical activity is associated with greater independence in old age. However, little is known 2 about the effect of physical activity level and activity type on activities of daily living (ADL). 3 This review systematically analyzed the effects of physical activity level and activity type on 4 ADL in older adults (mean age, 60+). Electronic search methods (up to March 2015) 5 identified 47 relevant, randomized controlled trials. Random effects meta-analyses revealed 6 significant, beneficial effects of physical activity on ADL physical performance (SMD = 7 0.72, 95% CI [0.45, 1.00]; p < 0.01), with the largest effects found for moderate physical 8 activity levels, and for activity types with high levels of mental (e.g. memory, attention), 9physical (e.g. coordination, balance) and social (e.g. social interaction) demands. Inconsistent 10

Physical Activity in Older Adults: An Investigation in a Metropolitan Area of Southern Italy

“…However, our findings are not completely consistent with those of a previous population-based cohort study reporting that women had greater levels of light PA but lower levels of sedentary behavior and moderate-to-vigorous PA than men [21]. A systematic review analyzing the effects of PA levels on the activities of daily living in older adults found the largest health effects for moderate PA, concluding that moderate PA levels may produce the greatest benefits in performing the activities of daily living [22]. Therefore, the lower levels of moderate PA reported among women may have important consequences for their independence.…”

Is achieving 7,000 steps/day associated with older adults’ lower-extremity performance? Cross-sectional and prospective findings from Taiwan

“…Consistent with those of previous studies [6,[25][26][27] indicating that meeting physical activity recommendation can help to improve or delay the loss of physical function in older adults, our results further extend previous ndings by demonstrating that achieving the recommended minimum level of step-based physical activity (7,000 steps/day) is also protective for older adults against lower-extremity functional decline. Our ndings can be explained by a number of previous laboratory-based trials, which demonstrated that accumulating a certain amount of physical activity in short bouts has the same health bene ts as engaging in the same overall amount of activity in a single continuous period in terms several health indicators [28][29][30][31].…”

Effectiveness of a simplified reablement program to minimize functional decline in hospitalized older patients

“…Mounting evidence from large‐scale epidemiological studies, randomized controlled trials and meta‐analytic reviews offer compelling evidence that physical activity positively influences older adults' abilities to carry out ADL . However, our findings did not concur partially due to the difference in population.…”