A systematic review of studies that included both measures of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in older adults

Abstract

Objective: The main aim of this study is to identify, appraise and synthesize evidence on the level of physical activity and sedentary behavior in older adults. Method: This review was restricted to studies published between January 2006 and January 2019 and included studies that reported physical activity and sedentary behavior in older adults (≥65 years old) without chronical health conditions. Results: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies reported data for older adults residing at assisted care facilities, showing results of moderate to vigorous physical activity  much lower than those reported in studies with older adults living in the community (2 min/per day and 37.2 min/per day, respectively). Conclusion: Sedentary behavior is high in the elderly, with men presenting higher values than women. moderate to vigorous physical activity has very low values, and with the advancing age there is a decrease in the same.