Effectiveness and Acceptability of e- and m-Health Interventions to Promote Physical Activity and Prevent Falls in Nursing Homes—A Systematic Review

Age-related decreases in physical activity (PA) and a decline in physical functioning lead to increased fall risk. As falls are a major cause of accidental deaths and hospitalization in older adults, PA promotion and fall prevention are important measures, especially in nursing homes (NH). With advances in information and communication technology, e- and m-health solutions have been developed to positively influence various health-related factors. To date, only little research exists on the implementation of these technologies to promote health in NH. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to provide an overview of the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of e- and m-health interventions aimed at promoting PA and preventing falls in NH. Additionally, the effectiveness of such interventions regarding the secondary outcomes physical function, cognitive function, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and psychosocial status was examined. A systematic literature search was performed in five databases and studies published until 15 November 2021, were considered for inclusion. All studies that examined the effectiveness and/or the acceptability and feasibility of e- or m-health interventions in promoting PA and preventing falls in NH, without restriction on language or date of publication, were included in the final synthesis. Of the 1,358 records retrieved, 28 studies were included in this systematic review. Twenty-four studies contained digital exergaming as an intervention or as a part of the intervention, the four additional studies on e-health interventions only examined a small number of outcomes. No m-health intervention study was identified. Data synthesis indicates that exergaming may be effective in reducing the number of falls and fall risk in NH residents. Several significant improvements were also reported regarding secondary outcomes albeit not consistent across studies. No conclusion can be drawn about the effects of exergaming and other e-health interventions on PA, as data is scarce. E-health interventions were mostly reported as feasible and well accepted by NH residents. However, these findings may not be applicable to NH residents with advanced physical and/or cognitive impairments, since they were excluded in many studies. Therefore, more research examining other digital solutions besides exergaming to promote PA in this specific population is critical. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42021289488