A systematic review on the barriers and facilitators to physical activity in informal / unpaid carers in the UK

What are the barriers and facilitators to physical activity in unpaid / informal carers in the UK

A systematic review on the barriers and facilitators to physical activity in informal / unpaid carers worldwide

What are the barriers and facilitators to physical activity in unpaid / informal carers in the UK

Supporting adult unpaid carers via an online dancing intervention: A feasibility/acceptability study

Unpaid carers often experience poor mental and physical health linked to their caring role. Engagement in physical activity has been shown to alleviate these negative health outcomes, but it is harder for carers to find the time, energy and space to exercise. This qualitative study, based in the UK, explored the feasibility of an online, dance-based physical activity intervention with six female unpaid carers. Five themes resulted from the thematic analysis of the pre- and post-intervention interviews: Perceived physical health benefits of the intervention; Perceived mental health benefits of the intervention; Satisfactoriness of the dance classes; Impact of caring responsibilities on participation; and Suggestions for future classes. Further research is required to measure the effectiveness of the dance intervention in improving mental and physical wellbeing with larger samples including a wider mix of carers in terms of gender, age and health conditions of the care recipients, as well as international samples. Future research should also consider the barriers that some carers may face when accessing an online intervention, and alternative forms of exercise that may appeal to other groups of carers (e.g., male carers, older adult carers)

A systematic review on the prevalence of physical activity, and barriers and facilitators to physical activity, in informal carers in the UK

Background: It is estimated that 17% of the UK adult population are informal carers, usually for a family member, with a majority reporting that they are not able to engage in physical activity as much as they would like. The aim of this review is to provide a greater understanding of the prevalence of, and barriers and facilitators to, physical activity of informal carers in the United Kingdom. Methods: A systematic review of relevant databases and grey literature was undertaken, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidance, from its inception until July 17, 2020. Results: Barriers to physical activity include increasing aging, not wanting to leave the caree alone, the caree being unable to take part in activities, health conditions, fatigue, lack of time, and difficulties in changing the routine for the caree. Facilitators include an appreciation of the benefits of engaging in exercise, previous participation in activities, group activities with similar people, and having some free time. Conclusions: Due to the paucity of research into the prevalence of, and barriers and facilitators to, physical activity in informal carers in the United Kingdom, this systematic review highlights the need for further research, focusing primarily on the physical activity of informal carers caring for individuals with a range of conditions. A further systematic review exploring these issues internationally is warranted

Associations between total physical activity levels and academic performance in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Physical activity has been associated with positive health-related outcomes. Physical inactivity, conversely, has been associated with several negative health outcomes. One topic that has been consistently examined is the relationship between physical activity and academic performance in children, however studies that involve university-level students have not been aggregated to date. It is therefore the aim of this systematic review to examine the relationship between physical activity and academic performance in university-level students. Materials and Methods: This systematic review was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and included any study published until September 2023 that examined associations between physical activity and any measure of academic performance. SPORTDiscus; ERIC; the British Education Index; Scopus; Embase; Web of Science; and Pubmed were searched. A random effects meta-analysis was also undertaken, and risk bias was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Results: After screening, 36 studies were included, with six studies being included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found a significant association between physical activity (high versus low) and academic performance (high versus low performers) (odds ratio=3.04; 95% CI 1.84-5.02; p= Conclusion: Although this review found meta-analytic significant associations between physical activity and academic performance, these results should be treated with caution, as remaining studies yielded mixed results. Future study should aim to focus on objective measurements of physical activity where possible to further explore this potential relationship

The prevalence of physical activity among informal carers: a systematic review of international literature

Background- Previous research has found physical activity levels among carers are low, and that carers are at greater risk of physical inactivity than their non-carer counterparts. Alternatively, research also suggests providing care may be associated with higher levels of physical activity than the general population, due to physically active care duties. Overall, there is a need to better understand the physical activity levels of carers to develop appropriate interventions and policies to promote health and well-being among carers. Aim- To systematically review studies reporting the prevalence of physical activity among carers. Method- PubMed, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and CINAHL, OpenGrey, Google and Google Scholar were searched for eligible articles. Results- A total of 77 observational studies and 20 interventional studies were included. In low quality studies which examined adherence to physical activity guidelines, 16–84% of carers self-reported not meeting PA guidelines, whilst medium–high quality studies found 29.9 to < 99% of carers self-reported not meeting physical activity guidelines. However, it is not clear if carers are at higher risk of physical inactivity than non-carers. Studies which compared the physical activity levels of carers to non-carers reported conflicting results, and the association between hours of carers time, burden or strain, and physical activity was not consistent across studies. Conclusion- Further research with validated measures of different physical activity domains (leisure time, daily physical activity, caregiving duties), mental and physical health, is needed to better understand the physical activity behaviours of carers, and the associated health outcomes