JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Older people are at increased risk of adverse health events because of reduced physical activity. There is concern that activity levels are further reduced in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many older people are practicing physical/social distancing to minimise transmission. mHealth/eHealth technologies may offer a means by which older people can engage in physical activity while physically distancing.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to assess the evidence for mHealth/eHealth technology in the promotion of physical activity amongst older people aged 50 years or over.

Methods:

We conducted a rapid review of reviews using PRISMA guidelines. We searched for systematic reviews published in the English language in three electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and Scopus. Two reviewers used predefined inclusion criteria to select relevant reviews and extracted data on review characteristics and intervention effectiveness. Two independent raters assessed review quality using the AMSTAR-2 tool.

Results:

Titles and abstracts (n=472) were screened and 14 full-text reviews assessed for eligibility. Initially we included five reviews, but excluded one from the narrative as it was judged to be of critically low quality. Three reviews concluded that mHealth/eHealth interventions were effective in increasing physical activity. One review found that the evidence was inconclusive.

Conclusions:

There is low to moderate evidence that interventions delivered via mHealth or eHealth approaches may be effective in increasing physical activity in older adults in the short term. Components of successful interventions include self-monitoring, incorporation of theory and behaviour change techniques, and social and professional support.