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. 2024 Apr 1;53(4):afae080.
doi: 10.1093/ageing/afae080.

Barriers and motivators to undertaking physical activity in adults over 70-a systematic review of the quantitative literature

Alixe H M Kilgour  1 , Matthew Rutherford  2 , Joanna Higson  3 , Samantha J Meredith  4 , Jessica McNiff  3 , Stephanie Mitchell  3 , Anusan Wijayendran  2 , Stephen E R Lim  4 , Susan D Shenkin  1   5
Affiliations

Barriers and motivators to undertaking physical activity in adults over 70-a systematic review of the quantitative literature

Alixe H M Kilgour et al. Age Ageing. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Physical activity (PA) has multiple benefits for older adults (≥70 years old). Despite this many older adults do not undertake the World Health Organisation guideline recommended amount of PA. This systematic review examines barriers and motivators to PA in adults aged ≥70 years.

Methods: We analysed the quantitative literature, including observational studies and baseline data from randomised controlled trials. Studies examining specific diseases (e.g. cognitive impairment), or care home residents were excluded. Database searches of ASSIA, CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO and Web of Science were undertaken on 7 March 2023. Quality assessment was performed using the ROBANS tool. We synthesised the results using the socioecological model. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021160503).

Results: We identified 37 papers, n = 26,961, age 70-101 years (median 78), 62% female. We undertook a narrative review; meta-analysis was not possible. Overall risk of bias was low. A total of 23 studies addressed barriers, seven motivators, seven both. The most cited barriers were: concern about physical health/fitness (14 studies), lack of motivation/interest (13 studies), fear of falls/history of falling (11 studies) and environmental barriers (10 studies). Key motivators were: support from family/friends (five studies), social interaction (five studies), personal benefits (five studies) and outside facilities (five studies). Results varied across gender, age, functional ability and geographical location.

Discussion: To maximise PA in older adults, important modifiable factors identified in this review should be targeted: support from healthcare professionals; reducing fear of falls; and prioritising ease of access and safety of outdoor facilities. When considering future policy, a person-centred, age group appropriate approach will have the most impact.

Keywords: barriers; facilitators; older adults; older people; physical activity; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram summarising study inclusion.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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