Physical, Functional, Psychological, and Social Effects of a Physical Activity Program in Adults and Older Adults During and/or After Hospitalization for COVID-19: A Systematic Review
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2022-12
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Abstract
Background: It is necessary to investigate the effects of physical activity (PA) on the recovery of adults and the elderly, consideringPA positively affects pathologies that share similarities with COVID-19. We present the results of a systematic review whose objectivewas to analyze the physical, functional, psychological, and social effects of PA in adults and the elderly during and/or afterhospitalization for COVID-19.Methods: Searches were conducted between July and August 2021, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviewsand Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and non-randomized interventional studies were includedin the databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database(PEDro), and electronic search engines. Study quality was assessed using the PEDro for RCTs and the methodological index scale fornon-randomized studies. This systematic review included original articles investigating the physical, functional, psychological, andsocial effects of any PA program on adults and older adults.Results: A total of 302 studies were found. After applying filters according to the eligibility criteria, five studies were finally includedfor analysis, three RCTs and two intervention studies without a control group. Although the studies measured different variables of thephysical, functional, and psychological components, the results showed significant differences in the variables between the control andintervention groups in both the RCTs and the single-group studies. The variables assessed in the social aspect were less homogeneous.Conclusion: In the available scientific evidence, respiratory muscle training was the most widely used intervention, which showedpositive results in the physical, pulmonary, psychological, and social components. More research is required on the effects of PA on thepopulation studied.Keywords: physical exercise, physical activity, relaxation, respiratory therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, COVID-19IntroductionIn December 2019, an outbreak of acute respiratory disease characterized by fever, dry cough, and shortness of breathbegan in Wuhan (People’s Republic of China). Weeks later, a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was identified.1 The disease evolves similarly to theinfluenza virus, with general pain, sputum, weakness, and headache.2 However, in other cases, several risk factors areassociated with COVID-19 complications and mortality, including chronic respiratory disease (8.0%), cardiovasculardisease (13.2%), hypertension (8.4%), diabetes (9.2%), and cancer (7.6%). 3–6 In addition to the aforementioned, somepeople experience psychological symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, among others.7Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2022:15 2399–2412 2399© 2022 Rosero et al. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing thework you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Forpermission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).Risk Management and Healthcare Policy Dovepressopen access to scientific and medical researchOpen Access Full Text ArticleReceived: 18 August 2022Accepted: 28 November 2022Published: 22 December 2022
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physical exercise, physical activity, relaxation, respiratory therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, COVID-19
Citation
Rosero, I. D., Barreto, J., Cardona, C., & Ordoñez-Mora, L. T. (2022). Physical, Functional, Psychological, and Social Effects of a Physical Activity Program in Adults and Older Adults During and/or After Hospitalization for COVID-19: A Systematic Review. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 15, 2399–2412. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S386708