Analysis of the Effect of Different Physical Exercise Protocols on Depression in Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

CONTEXT: Physical exercise (PE) is an effective treatment for depression, alone or as an adjunct. OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of indicators regarding the frequency, intensity, duration, and type of physical exercise (PE). This study aims to synthesize and analyze the dose-effect of different PE protocols in adult subjects in the treatment of depression, based on the analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). DATA SOURCES: The search was conducted using Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library electronic databases. STUDY SELECTION: Studies with an exercise-based intervention published by December 31, 2021 were identified. RCTs and meta-analyses involving adults with depression were also included; 10 studies were selected, including a total of 956 subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 1. RESULTS: Effect sizes were summarized using standardized mean differences (95% confidence interval) by effected randomized models. The results reinforce that exercise appears to be beneficial in improving depression among adults aged 18 to 65 years. Interventions lasting above 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity and group interventions seem to have a more significant effect on reducing depression. Studies have revealed that aerobic exercise, compared with resistance or flexibility, has a more positive effect on depression. CONCLUSION: PE can be a way to reduce depression and can be used as a possible adjunctive tool for pharmacological and/or alternative treatments. Considering the findings of this study, it is important that health professionals (eg, exercise physiologists, physicians, nurses, psychologists) promote the practice of PE as a complementary alternative and act early to prevent the worsening of depression. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020188909.

Age and Sex Differences in Physical Activity of Portuguese Adults and Older Adults.

This study aims to explore data on objectively measured physical activity from a sample of adults and older adults and to investigate the achievement of the minimum physical activity required for health benefits. Participants, 257 women (age 58.99 ± 18.93 years, BMI 26.75 ± 4.57 kg·m-2) and 178 men (age 49.22 ± 20.39 years, BMI 26.81 ± 3.51 kg·m-2), wore an accelerometer for 4 to 7 days. Approximately 40% of the time was spent daily in sedentary behaviors during waking hours. Our results do not sustain the suggestion that adult men are more physically active than women. The results indicated a decrease in intensity of physical activity with age, in men and women, but not in successive age groups. Around 75% of adults and 30% of older adults accumulated the minimum daily physical activity for health benefits, in periods shorter than 10 min, above moderate intensity. The number of steps taken per day revealed that most men and women (except the oldest) attained or exceeded the lower threshold for deriving health benefits. To obtain relevant health benefits, future physical activity interventions should aim at reversing the amount of sedentary behaviors, emphasizing increments in, at least, the lower levels of PA, and maintaining walking habits.

Effects of Exercise on Quality of Life in Subjects with Alzheimer's Disease: Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that progressively affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It can interfere with daily activities and lead to a decline in cognitive abilities over time. Exercise-based interventions can complement Alzheimer's disease treatment. Exercise is a valuable tool in all healthcare settings and has shown promise as an effective cognitive improvement intervention for people with cognitive impairments. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyze the effect of physical exercise on the QoL of subjects with Alzheimer's disease. A search was performed with the help of the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science. Randomized controlled trials with exercise-based interventions were selected. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, which included interventions based on exercise. The effects were summarized using standardized mean differences (95% confidence intervals) using random-effect models. The results showed that exercise had no significant effect on the QoL of subjects with Alzheimer. Thus, the effect of exercise interventions on the QoL of patients with Alzheimer's disease is not conclusive. More research is needed about this topic and the way in which the QoL is assessed; the necessity to conduct an objective way to assess the QoL in this population is mandatory.

Analysing the Effects of Different Types of Exercise on Dyspnoea and Fatigue in Adults through COPD-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Clinical Trials.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous lung condition, the main symptoms of which are dyspnoea and fatigue. Though exercise has been recommended for subjects with COPD, its benefits remain unclear. The aim of this study was to summarise, through a systematic review and meta-analysis, the available evidence on the effects of aerobic, resistance, stretching, and combined exercise on the main symptoms of COPD. METHODS: Search was performed using the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with interventions based on aerobic, resistance and/or combined exercise published until July 2022 were identified. The effects were summarised based on standardised mean differences (95% confidence intervals) using random and fixed effect models. RESULTS: Eight studies were selected, including a total of 375 subjects. The results obtained showed that resistance exercise, aerobic exercise and combined exercise seem to improve dyspnoea and fatigue symptoms in COPD subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In general, we can conclude that exercise-based interventions appear to improve the main COPD symptoms and may benefit quality of life in this population.

Effect of different types of exercise in adult subjects with fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials.

Exercise has been recommended for fibromyalgia treatment. However, doubts related to exercise benefits remain unclear. The objective of this study was to summarise, through a systematic review with meta-analysis, the available evidence on the effects of aerobic, resistance and stretching exercise on pain, depression, and quality of life. Search was performed using electronic databases Pubmed and Cochrane Library. Studies with interventions based on aerobic exercise, resistance exercise and stretching exercise published until July 2020 and updated in December 2021, were identified. Randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses involving adults with fibromyalgia were also included. Eighteen studies were selected, including a total of 1184 subjects. The effects were summarised using standardised mean differences (95% confidence intervals) by random effect models. In general, aerobic exercise seems to reduce pain perception, depression and improves quality of life; it also improves mental and physical health-related quality of life. Resistance exercise decreases pain perception and improves quality of life and moreover improves the physical dimension of health-related quality of life. It was also observed that resistance exercise appears to have a non-significant positive effect on depression and the mental dimension of health-related quality of life. Studies revealed that stretching exercise reduces the perception and additionally improves quality of life and health-related quality of life. However, a non-significant effect was observed on depression. We conclude that exercise may be a way to reduce depression, and pain and improve the quality of life in adult subjects with fibromyalgia and should be part of the treatment for this pathology.

Assessment in Sport and Exercise Psychology: Considerations and Recommendations for Translation and Validation of Questionnaires.

Translating and validating measurement instruments in sport and exercise psychology is not an easy task. Rather, it is a task that requires effort and time, for the process is not limited to a simple translation to translate words from one language to another, just in order to make valid and reliable measure. All researchers should be aware that the only proper way is to adopt rigorous and robust methodologies to conduct the process from the preliminary stage of translation to reaching the validation stage of the psychological variable. Only so is it possible to avoid creating fragile and inadequate psychological assessment instruments that can jeopardize the entire investigation to be held with its use. Thus, the main objective of this work is to promote reflection and discussion on the subject by presenting some considerations and recommendations about translation and validation of questionnaires for psychological assessment applied to sport and exercise domain.

Capturing and Quantifying Tactical Behaviors in Small-Sided and Conditioned Games in Soccer: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: To systematically describe and analyze the tracking systems, the variables, and the statistical methods used to evaluate the players and teams' tactical behavior in small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs). Methods: A search was done in Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scielo databases to identify manuscripts published between 2008 and 2019 that manipulated small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs) and analyzed tactical behaviors of players and teams. Results: From 349 articles identified, 31 were selected for review. To collect positional data, the global positioning system (GPS), the local position measurement (LPM) system, and TACTO were identified as reliable tracking systems. Twenty-one positional variables were identified to evaluate tactical behaviors, grouped into five main categories: team balance, playing space, width and length of playing space, and interpersonal distance. Tactical behavior patterns were analyzed using approximate entropy, sample entropy, Shannon entropy, and patterns of coordination between players and teams were analyzed using relative phase and running correlation. Discussion: The tracking systems analyzed were reliable but revealed different advantages and disadvantages of their use. Authors should define the use of each tracking system based on their purpose and level of precision required for analysis. A great duplication was observed on the variables used with similar purposes of tactical analysis. The identification of the variables according to their purpose of analysis will allow a better understanding of their use in the future.

Perceived Barriers of Physical Activity Participation in Individuals with Intellectual Disability-A Systematic Review.

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) tend to have a sedentary lifestyle, with low physical fitness and an increased risk of chronic diseases. One reason for the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle is the existence of barriers to participation in physical activity (PA). The purpose of this systematic review is to update knowledge about the perceived barriers of PA participation in individuals with ID. Electronic searches were carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science databases, from September 2020 to May 2021, and included articles published between January 2016 and May 2021. The terms used were: "mental retardation", "intellectual disability", "intellectual disabilities", "physical activity", "motor activity", "barriers", "obstacles", "embarrassment" and "constraint", in combination with the Boolean operators "AND" or "OR". After the methodological process, five studies were included for analysis. These studies revealed the existence of several perceived barriers to regular PA participation, which were grouped into five main groups: personal (6 topics), family (4 topics), social (13 topics), financial (1 topic) and environmental (1 topic). The knowledge and identification of participation barriers can be of extreme importance both to institutions and professionals aiming to enhance the participation of individuals with ID in regular PA programs.

The Passion Scale-Portuguese Version: Reliability, Validity, and Invariance of Gender and Sport.

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the original version of the Passion Scale (14 items, two factors). We tested it within a sample of mixed gender Portuguese athletes from different sports, including adapted sports. In addition to demonstrating reliability, validity, and confirmatory factor analyses of the Passion Scale, we sought to analyze the invariance of this measure between males and females and across six types of sports (soccer, futsal, swimming, surf, bodyboard, and adapted sports). We recruited 1,316 athletes to test this scale from both genders (1,109 males; 207 females), aged 14-59 years (M = 21.83; SD = 8.67). Our main results revealed weaknesses in the factor model for the original instrument (14 items and two factors) leading us to reject the model. However, after adapting the model (to eight items and two factors), the psychometric properties of the Passion Scale improved substantially and then exhibited (a) good fit to the data and (b) invariance between gender and across sports. Our new proposed version of the Passion Scale can be used with confidence to analyze the passion athletes feel when practicing their sport.

Can Interpersonal Behavior Influence the Persistence and Adherence to Physical Exercise Practice in Adults? A Systematic Review.

Objective: Motivation seems to be a fundamental indicator of long-term physical exercise adherence. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) argues that social environment plays a central role in the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which might directly affect the quality of one's motivation. Individuals who appear to be more self-determined tend to persist longer at certain behaviors. Therefore, this body of work intends to analyze the relationship between motivational variables and behavioral outcomes in the exercise context, having as theoretical background the Self-Determination Theory. Methods: This systematic review was conducted through an electronic search on Web of Science, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO. Data such as instruments, main predictors and results were collected from studies published between 1985 and 2018. A total of 35 empirical studies were considered for a detailed analysis. Results: Results showed the relevance of autonomy support performed by exercise professionals, as well as the major contribution that these behaviors have toward the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, besides the inherent benefits of developing more autonomous regulations. According to the literature, few studies have analyzed interpersonal thwarting behavior and the way this relates to basic psychological needs' frustration. Nether less, there seems to be a negative relationship between less self-determined regulations and exercise practice. Conclusion: Despite the existence of numerous cross-sectional studies that demonstrate positive correlations between SDT and behavioral outcomes in the exercise context, longitudinal research that analyzes all six dimensions of interpersonal behaviors and their relationship with persistence and adherence to exercise proves to be crucial. However, according to this review, interventions based on SDT appear to be fundamental when it comes to promote the maintenance of a long-term exercise practice.

Functional Outcomes and Quality of Life After Ankle Fracture Surgically Treated: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Ankle fractures (AFs) are the most common fractures of the lower limbs found in emergency services. Approximately 53% of these fractures are unstable and treated surgically. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review evaluating functional outcomes and quality of life of patients with AFs surgically treated. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Five electronic databases were searched, without any limit on publication dates. Only patients with an unstable AF that was surgically treated were included; functional outcomes and the quality of life were controlled by the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey instrument. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Five studies were included in the analysis, including 267 patients. The values of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale ranged between a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 points. Patients with surgically treated AF reported less functionality and physical capacity compared with the nonfractured population. Some patients experienced vitality, emotional, and mental health limitations for a long period. Most surgically treated patients reported no pain and a good health and social status. CONCLUSION: Limitations in functionality and physical capacity represent the main threats to health-related quality of life in patients with surgically treated AFs.

Determinants and Reasons for Dropout in Swimming -Systematic Review.

The present research aims to systematically review the determinants and reasons for swimming dropout. The systematic review was conducted through electronic searches on the Web of Knowledge and PsycInfo databases from 2 February to 29 July 2015, using the keywords dropout, withdrawal, motives, reasons, sport, framework-theories, motivation, swim*, review, attrition and compliance. Fifteen studies were found and six were fully reviewed and its data extracted and analysed. Most studies were undertaken in Canada and in the United States of America (USA), and one study was conducted in Spain. Most participants were female (65.74%), and the main reasons for dropout were 'conflicts with their trainers', 'other things to do', 'competence improvements' failure', 'parents, couples or trainers' pressure', 'lack of enjoyment' and 'get bored'. This review contributes to the present knowledge on the understanding of dropout in swimming. However, it is necessary to continue researching on this topic, validating measurement instruments and studying the motivational processes related to dropout and persistence.

Effects of dual-task interventions on gait performance of patients with Parkinson's Disease: A systematic review / Efeito da dupla tarefa na marcha em pacientes com doença de parkinson: uma revisão sistemática

OBJECTIVE: Parkinson's disease is characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms that impair patients' gait performance, especially while performing dual/concurrent tasks. These deficits impair patients' daily function, because dual-tasking is a crucial ability in terms of everyday living. The aim of this study was to systematically review the effects of dual task interventions on gait performance of patients with Parkinson's disease. METHOD: Studies were retrieved from MEDLINE/PubMed, LILACS and SciELO. We used the PICOS strategy to determine eligibility criteria. The search strategy included an advanced search on the included databases, using the following search query: "Parkinson's Disease" AND "Double Task" OR "Concurrent Tasks" OR "Gait" AND "Walk". Study selection was carried out by two independent researchers and a third one was called when consensus was needed. RESULTS: A total of 188 articles were identified: 169 articles from Medline/PubMed, 10 articles in SciELO, 8 articles in LILACS and 1 item from manual searches. A total of 56 articles were analyzed regarding the eligibility and exclusion criteria based on full text. A final total of 7 studies were included in the systematic review. CONCLUSION: The different types of dual-task interventions reported (dance, sound stimuli, visual and somatosensory) were associated to improvements in several gait performance indicators of Parkinson's disease patients, including gait speed, stride time and length, cadence and step length. External stimuli seem to play a critical role on specific training effects on dual-task gait performance.

OBJETIVO: A Doença de Parkinson é caracterizada por sintomas motores e não motores que prejudicam a marcha, especialmente durante a realização de tarefas duplas/simultâneas. Estes déficits afetam o funcionamento diário do paciente já que a realização de tarefas duplas é uma habilidade crucial para a vida normal.O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma Revisão Sistemática sobre os efeitos das tarefas duplas sobre a marcha em pacientes com Doença de Parkinson. MÉTODOS: Os estudos foram recuperados do MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO e Lilacs. Adotamos a estratégia PICOS para determinar os critérios de elegibilidade. A estratégia de busca foi realizada utilizando uma pesquisa avançada MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO e Lilacs com os seguintes termos adotados "Doença de Parkinson", "Dupla Tarefa", "Tarefas Concorrentes", "Marcha" e "Caminhada". Operadores booleanos AND e OR foram utilizados para combinação dos termos. A seleção dos estudos foi realizada por dois pesquisadores independentes que, em caso de desacordo, procuraram um consenso sobre a seleção. RESULTADOS: Foram identificados um total de 188 artigos:169 artigos do PubMed/Medline, 10 artigos no SciELO, 8 artigos no LILACS e 1 artigo em buscas manuais. Após uma seleção inicial, 56 artigos foram analisados pelos critérios de elegibilidade e os critérios de exclusão, sendo que um total de sete estudos foi incluído na revisão sistemática. CONCLUSÃO: De acordo com os estudos analisados nesta revisão, os diferentes tipos de intervenção incluídos (dança, estímulos sonoros, visuais e somato-sensoriais) permitem melhorias em vários indicadores de marcha tais como a velocidade, tempo da passada, cadência e comprimento do passo. A utilização de estímulos externos aparentam desempenhar um papel crítico nos efeitos espeíficos do treinamento na marcha em condições de dupla-tarefa.

Influence of weather variables on physical activity assessed by accelerometry across age and gender groups / Influência das variáveis do clima na atividade física avaliada por acelerometria em homens e mulheres de diferentes faixas etárias

The purpose of this research was to study the effects of weather on physical activity and compliance to minimum physical activity recommendations. Participants included 257 women and 178 men. Time spent in physical activity, average daily steps, and weather variables were gathered and analysed to explore the influence of weather on PA and compliance with the PA recommendations. In result, environmental factors may have a weak influence in an individual will to engage in PA, and individuals highly committed to an active lifestyle (based on the number of steps taken per day) did not seem to be influenced by any of the weather variables. To conclude, considering the known barriers to an active lifestyle, this information is markedly important since engaging in physical activity on a day-to-day basis may be of extreme relevance to the maintenance of a healthy status, especially in the elderly.

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os efeitos do clima na atividade física e no cumprimento das recomendações para a atividade física, numa amostra constituída por 257 mulheres e 178 homens. O tempo despendido em atividade física, média de passos diários, e as variáveis do clima, foram recolhidas e analisadas no sentido de explorar a influência do clima na atividade física e no cumprimento das recomendações para a atividade física. Os resultados indicam que os fatores do clima têm uma fraca influência na vontade de um indivíduo se envolver na atividade física, e que indivíduos altamente comprometidos com um estilo de vida ativo (baseado no número de passos dados por dia) não parecem ser influenciados por qualquer das variáveis do clima. Considerando o conhecimento disponível associado às barreiras à manutenção de um estilo de vida ativo, esta informação parece ser relevante em trabalhos de intervenção, já que o envolvimento na atividade física diariamente é importante para a manutenção de um bom estado de saúde, especialmente nos idosos.

The neurotrophic factor receptor RET drives haematopoietic stem cell survival and function.

Haematopoiesis is a developmental cascade that generates all blood cell lineages in health and disease. This process relies on quiescent haematopoietic stem cells capable of differentiating, self renewing and expanding upon physiological demand. However, the mechanisms that regulate haematopoietic stem cell homeostasis and function remain largely unknown. Here we show that the neurotrophic factor receptor RET (rearranged during transfection) drives haematopoietic stem cell survival, expansion and function. We find that haematopoietic stem cells express RET and that its neurotrophic factor partners are produced in the haematopoietic stem cell environment. Ablation of Ret leads to impaired survival and reduced numbers of haematopoietic stem cells with normal differentiation potential, but loss of cell-autonomous stress response and reconstitution potential. Strikingly, RET signals provide haematopoietic stem cells with critical Bcl2 and Bcl2l1 surviving cues, downstream of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and cyclic-AMP-response element binding protein (CREB) activation. Accordingly, enforced expression of RET downstream targets, Bcl2 or Bcl2l1, is sufficient to restore the activity of Ret null progenitors in vivo. Activation of RET results in improved haematopoietic stem cell survival, expansion and in vivo transplantation efficiency. Remarkably, human cord-blood progenitor expansion and transplantation is also improved by neurotrophic factors, opening the way for exploration of RET agonists in human haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Our work shows that neurotrophic factors are novel components of the haematopoietic stem cell microenvironment, revealing that haematopoietic stem cells and neurons are regulated by similar signals.

Aging and DNA damage in humans: a meta­analysis study.

Age­related DNA damage is regarded as one of the possible explanations of aging. Although a generalized idea about the accumulation of DNA damage with age exists, results found in the literature are inconsistent. To better understand the question of age­related DNA damage in humans and to identify possible moderator variables, a metaanalysis was conducted. Electronic databases and bibliographies for studies published since 2004 were searched. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for age­related DNA damage were calculated in a random­effects model. A total of 76 correlations from 36 studies with 4676 participants were included. Based on our analysis, a correlation between age and DNA damage was found (r=0.230, p=0.000; 95% confidence interval=0.111­0.342). The test for heterogeneity of variance indicates that the study´s results are significantly high (Q (75)=1754.831, p=0.000). Moderator variables such as smoking habits, technique used, and the tissue/sample analyzed, are shown to influence age­related DNA damage (p=0.026; p=0.000; p=0.000, respectively). Nevertheless, sex did not show any influence on this relation (p=0.114). In conclusion, this meta­analysis showed an association between age and DNA damage in humans. It was also found that smoking habits, the technique used, and tissue/sample analyzed, are important moderator variables in age­related DNA damage.

Portuguese adults' physical activity during different periods of the year.

This study aims to describe the daily physical activity (PA) of a sample of adults over the course of 1 year and to examine if there are any changes in achieving PA recommendations when assessed at different periods of the year. Participants, 257 women (age: 58.99 ± 18.93 years, BMI: 26.75 ± 4.57 kg m(-2)) and 178 men (age: 49.22 ± 20.39 years, BMI: 26.81 ± 3.51 kg m(-2)), wore an accelerometer 4-7 days. Periods of data collection were defined as T1 (September to December), T2 (January to April) and T3 (May to July). From T1 and T2, men from 20 to 39 years significantly increased values of daily average ct.min(-1) (U = 506, p = 0.012), due to an increase in moderate-to-vigorous PA by 15.96 min (U = 455, p = 0.003). Achievement of the two PA recommendations varied throughout the year and among the gender/age groups. Results from this study showed that women generally maintain their level of PA throughout the year, whereas men show some variation, and that there are periods of the year when individuals are more likely to be involved in PA, or perform lower-intensity activities, especially older age groups. Also, recommendations of minimum PA are not accomplished in a constant way throughout the year. PA interventions should be conducted while being mindful of the time of year in which they will take place in order to help maintain a consistent PA level throughout the year to ensure health benefits from PA.

Use of accelerometry to measure physical activity in adults and the elderly / Actividade física em adultos e idosos avaliados por acelerometria

OBJECTIVE: To review the use of accelerometry as an objective measure of physical activity in adults and elderly people. METHODS: A systematic review of studies on the use of accelerometty as an objective measure to assess physical activity in adults were examined in PubMed Central, Web of Knowledge, EBSCO and Medline databases from March 29 to April 15, 2010. The following keywords were used: "accelerometry," "accelerometer," "physical activity," "PA," "patterns," "levels," "adults," "older adults," and "elderly," either alone or in combination using "AND" or "OR." The reference lists of the articles retrieved were examined to capture any other potentially relevant article. Of 899 studies initially identified, only 18 were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures abstracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Eleven studies were conducted in North America (United States), five in Europe, one in Africa (Cameroon) and one in Australia. Very few enrolled older people, and only one study reported the season or time of year when data was collected. The articles selected had different methods, analyses, and results, which prevented comparison between studies. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to standardize study methods for data reporting to allow comparisons of results across studies and monitor changes in populations. These data can help design more adequate strategies for monitoring and promotion of physical activity.

OBJETIVO: Analisar o uso da acelerometria como medida objetiva da atividade física em adultos e idosos. MÉTODOS: Revisão sistemática nas bases PubMed, Web of Knowledge, EBSCO e Medline, de 29 de março a 15 de abril de 2010. As palavras-chave utilizadas na busca foram: "accelerometry", "accelerometer", "physical activity", "PA", "patterns", "levels", "adults", "older adults" e "elderly", isoladamente ou combinadas usando "and" ou "or". As listas de referências dos artigos recuperados foram examinadas para captar artigos potenciais. Dos 899 estudos localizados, 18 foram revistos integralmente, com seus dados extraídos e analisados. RESULTADOS: Onze estudos foram realizados nos Estados Unidos, cinco na Europa, um em Camarões e outro na Austrália. Poucos envolveram idosos, e apenas um referiu a estação ou período do ano em que decorreu a coleta de dados. Os métodos, análises e resultados divergiram entre os estudos, impossibilitando uma análise mais aprofundada. CONCLUSÕES: Deve-se promover a padronização de procedimentos que permitam comparar resultados entre estudos e monitorizar alterações numa população. Esses dados contribuem para a adequação das estratégias de monitoramento e promoção da atividade física.

Use of accelerometry to measure physical activity in adults and the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To review the use of accelerometry as an objective measure of physical activity in adults and elderly people. METHODS: A systematic review of studies on the use of accelerometty as an objective measure to assess physical activity in adults were examined in PubMed Central, Web of Knowledge, EBSCO and Medline databases from March 29 to April 15, 2010. The following keywords were used: "accelerometry," "accelerometer," "physical activity," "PA," "patterns," "levels," "adults," "older adults," and "elderly," either alone or in combination using "AND" or "OR." The reference lists of the articles retrieved were examined to capture any other potentially relevant article. Of 899 studies initially identified, only 18 were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures abstracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Eleven studies were conducted in North America (United States), five in Europe, one in Africa (Cameroon) and one in Australia. Very few enrolled older people, and only one study reported the season or time of year when data was collected. The articles selected had different methods, analyses, and results, which prevented comparison between studies. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to standardize study methods for data reporting to allow comparisons of results across studies and monitor changes in populations. These data can help design more adequate strategies for monitoring and promotion of physical activity.