Level of physical activity and accidental falls in elderly: a systematic review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze studies evaluating the association between the level of physical activity and the occurrence of accidental falls in the elderly. A systematic literature review of the LILACS and MEDLINE databases was conducted. As inclusion criteria, complete scientific articles investigating subjects older than 60 years, published in Portuguese, English or Spanish, were selected. Twenty-nine articles were retrieved, five from LILACS (1982 to 2007), two from MEDLINE (1966 to 1996), and 22 from MEDLINE (from 1997 to 2007). Ten (35%) articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria and 19 (65%) were excluded. A cross-sectional design was the most frequent type of study (60%). The studies identified suggest an association between the level of physical activity and factors related to the occurrence of falls such as functional disability, quality of life and independence to perform daily activities. Falls were found to restrict physical activity in some studies. In view of the heterogeneity of the studies in terms of methods and assessments, it was not possible to determine whether a better level of physical activity is able to decrease the incidence of falls in the elderly.