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A Descriptive Systematic Review of Physical Activity Interventions for Caregivers: Effects on Caregivers’ and Care Recipients’ Psychosocial Outcomes, Physical Activity Levels, and Physical Health

  • Original Article
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Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Caregiving can adversely impact individuals’ psychosocial and physical well-being. An important task in health research is to find effective ways to enhance caregivers’ health and functioning.

Purpose

To provide a systematic review of the efficacy of physical activity (PA) interventions for caregivers on their and the care recipients’ psychosocial outcomes, PA levels, and physical health.

Methods

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist, a descriptive systematic review of studies examining the effects of PA interventions for caregivers on their outcomes and those of the care recipients was conducted. Studies were primarily identified through searching electronic databases.

Results

Fourteen studies were reviewed. PA interventions significantly decreased caregivers’ distress and increased their well-being, quality of life, sleep quality, PA levels, self-efficacy for caregiving or exercise, and readiness for exercise. Most PA interventions targeted the caregiver alone. Two studies examined the impact of the intervention on the care recipient and found no significant effect.

Conclusions

PA interventions hold promise in improving caregivers’ outcomes. However, more high quality trials are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

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Acknowledgments

SL is supported by a FRQS Research Scholar Award – Junior 1. This review was conducted in the context of a study funded by Prostate Cancer Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ingram School of Nursing, Wilson Hall, 3506 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7, Canada

    Sylvie D. Lambert RN, BSc(N), PhD, Sophia Kapellas RN, BSc(N), Anne-Marie Bruson RN, BSc(N), MSc(N) & Melanie Myrand RN, BSc(N), MSc(N)

  2. St. Mary’s Research Centre, 3830 Avenue Lacombe, Hayes Pavilion, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1M5, Canada

    Sylvie D. Lambert RN, BSc(N), PhD

  3. Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, 475 Pine Ave West, Montreal, Quebec, H2W 1S4, Canada

    Lindsay R. Duncan BA, MA, PhD

  4. Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2W6, Canada

    Daniel Santa Mina (RKin), BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD

  5. Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, ELLICSR—Cancer Survivorship Centre, 585 University Avenue, Munk Building, B PMB 130, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada

    Daniel Santa Mina (RKin), BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD

  6. Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, KNB 240, Canada

    Nicole Culos-Reed BA, MSc, PhD

  7. Schulich Library of Science and Engineering, Macdonald-Stewart Library Building, 809 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C1, Canada

    Angella Lambrou MLIS

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  1. Sylvie D. Lambert RN, BSc(N), PhD
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  2. Lindsay R. Duncan BA, MA, PhD
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  6. Daniel Santa Mina (RKin), BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sylvie D. Lambert RN, BSc(N), PhD.

Ethics declarations

Authors’ Statement of Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards

Authors Sylvie Lambert, Lindsay R. Duncan, Sophia Kapellas, Anne-Marie Bruson, Melanie Myrand, Daniel Santa Mina, Nicole Culos-Reed, and Angella Lambrou declare that they have no conflict of interest. As this is a review, ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000, do not apply.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Electronic Supplementary Appendix S1

PRISMA Checklist (DOCX 22.6 kb)

Electronic Supplementary Appendix S2

Example of search strategy—Medline database (DOCX 487 kb)

Electronic Supplementary Appendix S3

Methodological quality of included studies (DOCX 36 kb)

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Lambert, S.D., Duncan, L.R., Kapellas, S. et al. A Descriptive Systematic Review of Physical Activity Interventions for Caregivers: Effects on Caregivers’ and Care Recipients’ Psychosocial Outcomes, Physical Activity Levels, and Physical Health. ann. behav. med. 50, 907–919 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9819-3

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