Functional social support and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults: A scoping review

BACKGROUND: Globally, the population of older people is increasing and is estimated to reach nearly 2.1 billion by 2050. Physical activity (PA) is one of the key components for healthy ageing, as it can prevent noncommunicable diseases, improve mental health, cognitive functioning and quality of life. However, PA decreases with age. About two-thirds of those aged 65-74 years and three-quarters of those aged 75 or more do not meet PA guidelines. A systematic review from 2017 showed that social support (SOSU) and loneliness are associated with PA in older people. The aim of this scoping review was to update that systematic review by identifying and mapping all of the available knowledge, including results from mixed-methods and qualitative studies, and to explore associations between functional SOSU and PA in older people. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna-Briggs manual. Empirical studies investigating associations between functional SOSU and PA levels in older adults were identified through a systematic search of the electronic databases Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, PsycInfo, PSYINDEX, SocINDEX and Scopus up to March 2022, without time or geographic restrictions. After removing duplicates, 17,196 articles were screened for titles and abstracts by two independent researchers. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were set in advance. RESULTS: 88 articles matched the inclusion criteria; 71% were quantitative studies and 29% qualitative studies. Most studies used self-reported PA measures, only 13% of the studies used objective-reported PA measures. Most studies showed a significant positive association between functional SOSU and PA. The results were analysed separately for the different SOSU types. CONCLUSIONS: Functional SOSU is positively associated with PA while lack of SOSU is a major barrier to exercise. The study offers a comprehensive overview of measures for SOSU and PA and thereby informs future research and policy-making. KEY MESSAGES: • Older adults have lower levels of SOSU and PA. • One way of promoting PA in older age is facilitating high levels of SOSU.