Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39937696›Full record

SynthesisHealth promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice2025

Using the Staircase Approach to increase movement: a systematic search and review to inform a novel sedentary behaviour intervention for older adults.

Konstantina Katsoulis, Maria C Tan, Sean Horton, Samir K Sinha, Bill Kapralos, David Dunstan, Danielle R Bouchard, Jennifer L Copeland, Shilpa Dogra

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Konstantina KatsoulisOntario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Maria C TanOntario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Sean HortonUniversity of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Samir K SinhaDivision of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bill KapralosOntario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
David DunstanInstitute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Danielle R BouchardCardiometabolic, Exercise & Lifestyle Laboratory, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Jennifer L CopelandUniversity of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Shilpa DograOntario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTraditional approaches to supporting older adults in adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle have largely failed. The previously proposed "Staircase Approach" offers a new foundation for developing interventions and public health strategies; this approach includes Step 1 (changing sedentary behaviour) and Steps 2 to 4 (incorporating more physical activity of increasing levels of intensity). In this systematic search and review, we aimed to inform the co-creation of a novel Staircase Approach intervention for community-dwelling, inactive older adults, primarily focussed on Step 1.

methodsA systematic search was performed across six databases (MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, SPORTDiscus and Scopus).

resultsAfter duplicates were removed, 3427 titles and abstracts were screened. Fourteen articles (including 17 intervention groups) were included after full-text review. Five were randomized controlled trials, three compared two interventions and six were single-arm studies. Sample sizes ranged from 9 to 176 participants, and included 617 older adults at baseline. Mean age of samples ranged from 64.3 (standard deviation [SD] 3.8) to 85.1 (SD 6.2) years, while the intervention length ranged from less than one day to 6 months. Sedentary time interventions are well accepted; most studies had completion rates above 80%. Based on findings from within-group comparisons, half of the studies showed a reduction in sedentary time (6/12 groups) and half showed an increase in physical activity (6/12 groups). Based on findings from between-group comparisons, 2 out of 5 intervention groups showed improvements in sitting time and physical activity outcomes compared to controls. Satisfaction and adherence to interventions were generally high.

conclusionSedentary time interventions for older adults show promise and point to several components that may be included in an intervention focussed on Step 1 of the Staircase Approach.

Indexed as

ExerciseHealth PromotionSedentary BehaviorAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansIndependent LivingMaleMiddle Agedbehaviour changeintervention designintervention strategiesphysical inactivitysedentary timesitting

Identifiers

PMID39937696
PMCPMC11987589

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.