European Review of Aging and Physical Activity最新文献

Background: Physical inactivity in older adults is a major public health concern associated with numerous non-communicable chronic conditions. Several behaviour theories have been advanced to address the issue of physical inactivity including Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of Change among older adults. The study aimed to primarily assess the cumulative effect of TTM-based interventions on physical activity and secondarily on self-efficacy among older adults.

Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases (including Cochrane Library, AgeLine, Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science Core Collections) was searched from inception to August 2024. Inclusion criteria comprised studies investigating TTM-based interventions on PA in individuals aged 60 and above, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Collaboration's tool for RCTs while ROBIN-I was used for non-RCTs. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation was used to evaluate the certainty of the evidence. Study findings were narratively synthesised in line with the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis framework.

Results: Three studies (two RCTs and one non-RCT) met the inclusion criteria, comprising 1,474 participants (65-89 years; 71% females). TTM interventions showed low certainty of evidence of no significant effects on physical activity or self-efficacy for the RCTs. In contrast, the non-RCT showed very low-certainty evidence for the significant effects of TTM on physical activity among participants in the under-maintenance and maintenance stages, with long-term benefits limited only to those already in the maintenance stage. For self-efficacy, there was very low certainty of evidence for the significant effects of TTM only among participants in the under-maintenance stage.

Conclusion: This review highlights the limited, inconsistent and low level of evidence of the effects of TTM-based interventions in promoting physical activity among older adults. Whilst for self-efficacy, there is limited, mixed and low to very low level of evidence for the beneficial effects of TTM interventions. More RCTs are needed to identify the most effective components of the TTM and understand the impact of different intervention delivery methods (e.g., digital versus face-to-face) for physical activity promotion in the older adult population.

Objective: This reporting guideline was developed to address the gap in methodological reporting standards for trials investigating physical exercise or training in older adults, aiming to enhance the quality, transparency, and replicability of such research. The aim is to improve the reporting of key elements, including population characteristics, intervention components [e.g., Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type (FITT) principles, tailoring, use of technology], study design and methods (e.g., recruitment, randomization, statistical analysis), as well as study results, including outcomes and adherence measures.

Methods: A six-stage process was used to develop this guideline. This included a three-round Delphi process involving experts from a large European network (COST Action PhysAgeNet), a comprehensive literature review of existing reporting guidelines, consensus meetings with international experts, and validation with journal editors who evaluated and refined the guideline.

Results: The final PETIO guideline includes an expanded checklist of items to report in the context of physical exercise interventions in older adults. Experts and editors agreed on essential items for improving quality, transparency, and replicability, such as intervention components (FITT) and setting, tailoring aspects, adverse events, and control group specifications. Notably, it was also emphasized that standardized reporting is critical for future meta-analyses and the implementation of future research protocols.

Conclusion: The guideline is expected to support researchers, peer reviewers, and journal editors in improving the quality and transparency of research on physical exercise interventions in older adults.  RELEASE DATE: 2025 (original version).

Availability: The guideline is freely accessible online in the supplemental material.

Background: Regular physical activity is essential for healthy aging, yet sustaining long-term engagement remains a challenge for many older adults. Emerging research highlights habit formation as a promising mechanism for maintaining physical activity, particularly when supported by contextual cues and digital technology.

Objective: This qualitative study explores how community-dwelling older adults incorporate physical activity into their daily lives, focusing on the processes of habit formation and maintenance, and the role of technology in supporting these behaviours.

Methods: Data were collected through three focus group interviews, one dyadic interview, and two workshop sessions conducted in Umeå, Sweden. Fifteen participants (mean age 73.3 years) with previous experience with regular physical activity contributed to the study. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data, following Braun and Clarke's six-phase approach.

Results: The analysis generated one overarching theme "Staying active through life's shifting seasons" which captures how participants adapted their physical activity routines in response to aging, health changes, and life transitions. Two interwoven subthemes were identified: "Building the habit scaffold" and "Cultivating a movement mindset". The first describes how participants constructed supportive frameworks for activity through routines, environmental adjustments, social contracts, and digital technology. The second highlights internal strategies such as emotional reframing, identity alignment, and the development of a personal philosophy around physical activity. Participants emphasized the importance of flexibility, self-awareness, and emotional engagement in sustaining activity. Technology, including smartwatches and fitness apps, was described as both a motivational aid and a feedback system, reinforcing routines and providing a sense of accountability. Seasonal variation and life events were common disruptions, requiring participants to renegotiate their habits and find new forms of physical activity.

Conclusions: Sustaining physical activity in later life is a multifaceted and adaptive process, maintained through the interplay of external scaffolding such as routines, cues, and supportive structures and internal orientations rooted in identity, emotion and meaning. Interventions that are practical, motivational, and flexible are likely to be most supportive. Digital technology can offer valuable support if embedded into personally meaningful and adaptable routines.

Trial registration: NA.

Background: As life expectancy increases, the incidence of age-related chronic health conditions and functional decline rises, increasing the need for institutional long-term care such as nursing homes. In Norway, 84% of nursing home residents have mild cognitive impairment or dementia. This population is characterized by a high burden of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), which contribute to limited physical activity (PA) and a largely sedentary lifestyle. Regular PA is essential for maintaining physical function (PF) and independence, yet nursing home residents spend most of their time being sedentary. The present study aims to explore sensor-based measured PA patterns and investigate how PA is associated with NPS and PF in nursing home residents.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the fourth wave of the population-based Trøndelag Health Study 70-years-and-older cohort (HUNT4 70+), including activity data from a total of 163 nursing home residents. PA was measured using two accelerometers placed on the lower back and thigh. PA patterns were described through the activity types walking, standing, sitting, and lying, activity bouts, and transitions. NPS was assessed using the Nursing Home Version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-NH), and PF using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). All outcome variables were grouped based on cognitive impairment and dementia severity, set by clinical experts using the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale.

Results: Participants' mean age was 87.8 years, and 62% were female. With a daily average of 17.6 min walking, 1.1 h standing, 9.9 h sitting, and 12.7 h lying, our nursing home residents spent approximately 94% of the day being sedentary. Walking and standing appeared predominantly in bouts under 10 min across cognitive impairment and dementia severity. No association was found between time spent walking, standing, sitting, lying and transitions from sedentary behavior to activity with NPS. Time spent walking, standing, lying and transitions from sedentary behavior to activity was significantly associated with PF.

Conclusions: PA mainly occurred in bouts shorter than 10 min and sitting and lying accounted for most of the daily behavior. No association was detected between time spent in different activities and NPS. Although time spent walking and standing was limited in all groups, it showed an association with PF. This may suggest that even small amounts of PA play a significant role in maintaining or improving physical capabilities in nursing home residents.

Background: Given that limited research has examined the relationships between lifestyle activities of varying intensities, including moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity (LPA), and sedentary behavior (SB), and dynapenia, which refers to an age-related decline in muscle function, this study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations between MVPA, LPA, and SB and the risk of dynapenia among older adults in Taiwan.

Methods: This longitudinal study included older adults aged ≥ 65 years with independent mobility, recruited from the National Taiwan University Hospital. Baseline data were collected from September 2020 to December 2021 and follow-up data were collected until December 2022. Participants wore a tri-axial accelerometer (GT3X + ActiGraph) on the hip for seven consecutive days to evaluate baseline time spent of MVPA (≥ 2020 counts/min), LPA (100-2019 counts/min), and SB (< 100 counts/min). To confirm the dynapenia classification at baseline and follow-up, participants underwent standard assessments, including handgrip dynamometry for muscle strength, bioelectrical impedance analysis for muscle mass, and a 6-m walk test for physical performance. Adjusted binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between lifestyle activities and dynapenia risks.

Results: Among 154 participants (mean age 80.3 ± 7.2 years; 53.9% women), 53.9% were classified as having dynapenia at baseline, compared to 55.2% at follow-up. Participants spent an average of 16.9 (± 26.6) min in MVPA, 249.5 (± 85.7) min in LPA, and 604.5 (± 76.4) min in SB daily. The longitudinal analysis results indicated that higher MVPA time was significantly associated with lower odds of dynapenia in both the unadjusted (odds ratio [OR] = 0.625, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.466-0.837) and fully adjusted models (OR = 0.578, 95% CI: 0.406-0.823). Each additional 10 min/day of MVPA was associated with 42.2% lower odds of dynapenia in the adjusted model. No significant prospective associations were observed between the LPA or SB time and dynapenia.

Conclusion: This study provides longitudinal evidence that higher MVPA levels are significantly associated with a reduced dynapenia risks among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. These findings underscore the importance of promoting MVPA as a part of lifestyle interventions aimed at preserving muscle function and preventing dynapenia in older populations.

Background: Physical capacity (PC) defines the limits for physical activity (PA), while activities in daily life typically remain submaximal. Older adults whose daily activities approach their physical capacity may experience less functional decline, though prospective evidence is limited. This study compared changes in physical function over a four-year follow-up between community-dwelling older adults categorized based on their combined baseline physical capacity and physical activity.

Methods: 312 community-dwelling older adults (75-85 years, 60% women) participated in this study. Baseline physical capacity was measured using the 5-second Mean Amplitude Deviation (MAD) during a maximal 10-meter walking test. Physical activity was assessed based on individuals' ~99.25th percentile MAD values from free-living accelerometry (representing an intensity equivalent to 75 min/week of physical activity), which were then used for group categorization into lowPC-lowPA, lowPC-highPA, highPC-lowPA, and highPC-highPA profiles. Physical function was assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and the 5x Sit-To-Stand (5xSTS) test. Analyses used nonparametric tests and generalized estimating equations.

Results: Significant changes in SPPB and 5xSTS were observed in all profiles (p < 0.05) except for the lowPC-highPA profile. The decline in SPPB was greater for low versus high physical activity profiles in both PC profiles (high PC: B -0.61, SE 0.24, 95% CI -1.08, -0.15; low PC: B -0.96, SE 0.35, 95% CI -1.62, -0.32), but no significant difference was found for the decline in 5xSTS time between physical activity profiles in either physical capacity profile.

Conclusions: Engaging in physically demanding activities, irrespective of baseline physical capacity, may help slow functional decline in old age. Older adults should be encouraged to engage in physically demanding activities to enhance their functional capacity.