TY - GEN
T1 - The Effect of Interventions to Increase Physical Activity and Physical Function on Use of Analgesics and Healthcare Services Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
AU - Svensson, Nanna Herning
PY - 2025/3/4
Y1 - 2025/3/4
N2 - Background
The increase in the proportion of older adults will challenge healthcare systems due
to higher demands for services and more individuals with mobility limitations and
chronic pain conditions. Maintaining and improving physical functioning is essential
for independent living, and studies have shown that combined Exercise Referral
Schemes and Self-Management Strategy interventions benefit physical functioning
in community-dwelling older adults. However, it is unclear whether these
interventions will secondarily reduce the use of prescription analgesics and
healthcare services. Given the diversity of the older adult population, preventive
efforts beyond supervised exercise are needed. Self-Management Strategy
interventions may be beneficial, but their effectiveness, particularly in non-diseasespecific, community-dwelling older adults, requires further evidence.Objectives
Objectives I and II: Investigate whether Exercise Referral Schemes, alone or
combined with Self-Management Strategy interventions, are more effective in
reducing: I] the use of prescription analgesics; and II] healthcare service utilisation
[contacts with general practice and hospitalisation] compared to a Self-Management
Strategy/control intervention in community-dwelling older adults.
Objective III: To synthesise the evidence on the effectiveness of Self-Management
Strategy interventions targeting physical functioning, physical activity, healthrelated quality of life or sedentary behaviour on physical functioning and healthrelated quality of life in non-disease-specific, community-dwelling older adults. Methods
For objectives I and II, data from two randomised controlled trials were linked with
information from the Danish national health registries. Community-dwelling older adults were randomised to one of three interventions: a] Exercise Referral Schemes
and Self-Management Strategies; b] Standalone Exercise Referral Schemes; or c]
Self-Management Strategies/control group. Linear fixed effects regression models
estimated between-group differences in use of analgesics and healthcare services
over a two-year follow-up. For objective III, a systematic review with meta-analysis
was conducted following the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
Random effect models were used to estimate standardised mean differences in the
effectiveness of Self-Management Strategy interventions versus no or minimal
intervention. Results
Study I and II showed no statistically significant between-group differences in the
use of prescription analgesics or healthcare services. Study III showed that SelfManagement Strategy interventions, compared to no or minimal intervention, had a
statistically significant positive effect on self-reported physical functioning and
health-related quality of life, but no effect on objective physical functioning. The
certainty of the evidence was assessed as ‘very low’. ConclusionInterventions comprising of Exercise Referral Schemes, either alone or combined
with Self-Management Strategy interventions, were not found to be more effective
in reducing the use of prescription analgesics or healthcare services [contacts with
general practice and hospitalisations] in community-dwelling older adults. Findings
from the systematic review with meta-analysis showed that Self-Management
Strategy interventions may be effective in improving self-reported physical
functioning and health-related quality of life in non-disease-specific, communitydwelling older adults. However, the low certainty of evidence calls for future studies
to support these findings.
AB - Background
The increase in the proportion of older adults will challenge healthcare systems due
to higher demands for services and more individuals with mobility limitations and
chronic pain conditions. Maintaining and improving physical functioning is essential
for independent living, and studies have shown that combined Exercise Referral
Schemes and Self-Management Strategy interventions benefit physical functioning
in community-dwelling older adults. However, it is unclear whether these
interventions will secondarily reduce the use of prescription analgesics and
healthcare services. Given the diversity of the older adult population, preventive
efforts beyond supervised exercise are needed. Self-Management Strategy
interventions may be beneficial, but their effectiveness, particularly in non-diseasespecific, community-dwelling older adults, requires further evidence.Objectives
Objectives I and II: Investigate whether Exercise Referral Schemes, alone or
combined with Self-Management Strategy interventions, are more effective in
reducing: I] the use of prescription analgesics; and II] healthcare service utilisation
[contacts with general practice and hospitalisation] compared to a Self-Management
Strategy/control intervention in community-dwelling older adults.
Objective III: To synthesise the evidence on the effectiveness of Self-Management
Strategy interventions targeting physical functioning, physical activity, healthrelated quality of life or sedentary behaviour on physical functioning and healthrelated quality of life in non-disease-specific, community-dwelling older adults. Methods
For objectives I and II, data from two randomised controlled trials were linked with
information from the Danish national health registries. Community-dwelling older adults were randomised to one of three interventions: a] Exercise Referral Schemes
and Self-Management Strategies; b] Standalone Exercise Referral Schemes; or c]
Self-Management Strategies/control group. Linear fixed effects regression models
estimated between-group differences in use of analgesics and healthcare services
over a two-year follow-up. For objective III, a systematic review with meta-analysis
was conducted following the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
Random effect models were used to estimate standardised mean differences in the
effectiveness of Self-Management Strategy interventions versus no or minimal
intervention. Results
Study I and II showed no statistically significant between-group differences in the
use of prescription analgesics or healthcare services. Study III showed that SelfManagement Strategy interventions, compared to no or minimal intervention, had a
statistically significant positive effect on self-reported physical functioning and
health-related quality of life, but no effect on objective physical functioning. The
certainty of the evidence was assessed as ‘very low’. ConclusionInterventions comprising of Exercise Referral Schemes, either alone or combined
with Self-Management Strategy interventions, were not found to be more effective
in reducing the use of prescription analgesics or healthcare services [contacts with
general practice and hospitalisations] in community-dwelling older adults. Findings
from the systematic review with meta-analysis showed that Self-Management
Strategy interventions may be effective in improving self-reported physical
functioning and health-related quality of life in non-disease-specific, communitydwelling older adults. However, the low certainty of evidence calls for future studies
to support these findings.
U2 - 10.21996/3d9157d3-fd90-4122-afee-f7ea8cc86a0b
DO - 10.21996/3d9157d3-fd90-4122-afee-f7ea8cc86a0b
M3 - Ph.D. thesis
PB - Syddansk Universitet. Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet
ER -