ReviewThe South African journal of physiotherapy2025
Physical activity and ageing: The role of physiotherapy in promoting healthy ageing.
Review in The South African journal of physiotherapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: The global rise in the older population, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, has heightened the impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), responsible for 74% of global deaths and the leading cause for years lived with disability. Physical activity (PA) has proven to manage NCDs; however, 80% of older adults in sub-Saharan Africa engage in low-to-moderate PA levels. Objectives: This literature review explores current evidence on the effects of PA on ageing and NCDs in older people in sub-Saharan Africa. Insights gained will enable physiotherapists to refine their PA prescriptions, aligning short-term rehabilitative goals with the broader scope NCD management while fostering principles of healthy ageing. Method: Electronic searches were conducted in: PubMed, EBSCOhost (Academic Search Premier - Africa-Wide Information, CINAHL, Health Sources Premier), Scopus and Google-Scholar to identify peer-reviewed studies published after 2010 related to PA, ageing, NCDs and older people (OP) in sub-Saharan Africa. Results: A structured PA protocol, comprising aerobic activity at 60% - 79% of maximal heart rate and resistance training at 50% - 60% of one-repetition maximum (3 weekly sessions each), proved effective in reducing NCDs. Integrating lifestyle behaviour changes further enhanced outcomes, notably improving blood sugar management and cardiac health. Conclusion: Structured aerobic and resistance PA, combined with lifestyle education, significantly reduces NCD risk factors in older adults, supporting healthy ageing. Clinical implications: The current research base in the field of ageing in SSA is limited, indicating the need for non-pharmacological interventions to manage the prevalence of NCDs, including in mental/cognitive health, where PA has a direct influence.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.