Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Apr 16, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Apr 16, 2024 - Jun 11, 2024
Date Accepted: Jan 22, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
The role of environmental factors in technology-assisted physical activity intervention studies in older adults: a scoping review
ABSTRACT
Background:
The rapidly emerging integration of both technological applications and environmental factors in physical activity (PA) interventions among older adults highlights the need for an overarching investigation.
Objective:
This scoping review compiled the current literature and aimed to provide an overview of the role of physical, social, socioeconomic and systemic environmental factors in technology-assisted PA interventions in older adults.
Methods:
We systematically searched CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science for original longitudinal studies that report on the role of environmental factors in technology-assisted PA interventions that were related to health, functioning and/or behavior in independently living, community-dwelling older adults. Data on study characteristics, methodological aspects, intervention components, technology components, environmental factors, and study outcomes were extracted.
Results:
A total of 5,696 articles were screened, and 24 articles were included. Most studies were conducted in Europe (n=11), followed by North America (n=5), Asia (n=5), and Oceania (n=3). Social environmental factors were most often considered (n=18), followed by factors from the physical (n=8), socioeconomic (n=1), and systemic environment (n=1). Environmental factors were used as outcome (n=8), setting variable (n=7), moderator or facilitator (n=7), and intervention component (n=3). In most studies (n=19), the intervention had a beneficial effect on the outcome of interest, and the included environmental factor played a supportive role in achieving this effect. In some studies, no effect (n=2), mixed effects (n=2) or adverse effects (n=1) of interventions were reported.
Conclusions:
The investigation of environmental factors in this field is at an early stage. Included environmental factors were found to play a supportive role in achieving beneficial effects of technology-assisted PA interventions, but findings are based on a heterogeneous empirical platform. Significant potential remains to be lifted for better understanding intervention results and tailoring intervention programs through the inclusion of environmental aspects in technology-assisted PA interventions in older adults. Clinical Trial: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/R7QVZ
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