Table 1 Characteristics of included studies
From: e-Health interventions for healthy aging: a systematic review
Study ID Country Related publications | Study design, duration of the intervention | Population and setting Number of participants (n) Age (years) Female/male | Description of the intervention Intervention group (IG) Control group (CG) | Outcome measures (primary outcome, secondary outcome) | Key findings | Effect size for physical activity (PA) [95% confidence interval] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ballesteros 2014 [42] Spain, Sweden, Greece | RCT, 12 months | Communities in Spain, Sweden, and Greece n = 41 Age range 65–85 GI: mean age 74, GC mean age 75 Female/male: IG 16/9 CG 11/5 | ICT-mediated social network: AGNES IG: AGNES CG: chat and coffee with the research team | Wellbeing (SPF-IL scale) | IG improved affective dimension (p < 0.05) at post-test. IG improved affective dimension 8.92 (SD 1.93) and 10.20 (SD 1.44), at pre- and post-test, respectively | No data on PA |
Cook 2015 [24] USA | RCT, 3 months | Workers aged 50 years and older n = 278 Age range 50 to 68 Female/male: IG 40/98, CG 50/89 | Web-based multimedia program (information and guidance) IG: web-based multimedia program CG: waitlist | Diet change, mild exercise, self-efficacy Eating practices, exercise planning, beliefs about aging | IG performed better on diet change (p 0.048), planning healthy eating (p 0.03), and mild exercise (p 0.01). IG vs CG showed effects on eating practices (p 0.03), exercise self-efficacy (p 0.03), exercise planning (p 0.03), and aging beliefs (p 0.01) | Not possible to calculate effect size |
Homma 2016 [52] Japan | Pilot RCT, 3 months | Two districts of Kurihara city n = 68 Mean age: IG 65.1, GC 67.2 Female/male: IG 22/13, CG 22/11 | IG: videophone group (interactive interviews) CG: document group (printed communication) Telemonitoring of health conducted in both groups | Physical activity, behavioral change self-assessment (PA and Diet) Clinical parameters (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, albumin) Perceived health condition and improved lifestyle | Both CG and IG improved average step per day: CG 5046 vs. 5992 (p < 0.01), IG 5829 vs. 7324 (p < 0.01); between group (p = 0.16). IG improved behavioral change for PA (p 0.004), diet (p 0.002), and lifestyles (p < 0.01). IG improved significantly in most clinical parameters such as blood pressure, HbA1c, albumin, BMI. IG perceived higher improvement in health condition and lifestyle (72.7% vs. 97.1% (p < 0.01). | 0.21 [− 0.28–0.70] |
Irvine 2013 [43] USA | RCT, 12 weeks | Sedentary men and women 55 years and over, community n = 368 Mean age 60.3 (SD 4.9) Female/male: IG 127/51, CG 129/61 | Web-based intervention to promote physical activity IG: web-based intervention CG: no access to website | Physical activity Body mass index Quality of life SF-12 health survey | IG improved on 13 of 14 outcome measures. IG maintained large gains on all 14 outcomes measures after 6 months. | 0.28 [0.05–0.51] |
Kim 2013 [44] USA | RCT, 6 weeks | African-American community n = 46 Mean age: GI 69.3 (SD 7.3), GC 70.5 (SD 7.5) Female/male: IG 21/5, CG 8/2 | Text messaging to motivate walking IG: pedometer, walking instructional manual and text messaging CG: without text messaging | Physical activity Step count Perceived activity levels Leisure, time, exercise, questionnaire (LTEQ) | IG improved steps vs. CG (679 vs. 398; p < 0.05), as well as LTEQ score (p < 0.05). Both groups increased their LTEQ score at 6 weeks (p < 0.001). | 0.12 [− 0.63–0.88] |
Kurti 2013 [45] USA | Quasi experimental (controlled trial), 2 months | Community members over 50 years in Florida n = 12 Mean age 65.5 Female/male: IG 5/1, CG 5/1 | Internet-based intervention (successive 5-day blocks) to increase physical activity in sedentary adults IG: monetary consequences CG: no monetary consequences | Physical activity | IG and CG reached the 10,000-step goal. IG vs. CG increased steps (182% vs. 108%) and met steps goals (87% vs. 52%). | Not possible to calculate effect size |
Lara 2016 [33] UK | RCT, 8 weeks | Workplaces in Northeast England n = 75 Mean age 61 (SD 4) Female/male: IG 38/12, CG 19/6 | Web-based intervention (LEAP) IG: LEAP CG: use NHS choices website, UK Department of Health | Physical activity, Mediterranean diet (MD adherence) | Both IG and CG improved outcomes and no significant differences were detected. | Not possible to calculate effect size |
Mouton 2015 [46] Belgium | RCT, 4 arms | One municipality in Belgium n = 204 Mean age 65 Female/male: IG1 20/13, IG2 27/13, IG3 25/13, CG 23/15 | Web-based, center-based or combined physical activity (PA) intervention IG1: web-based intervention IG2: center-based intervention IG3: mixed (center- and web-based) intervention CG: no intervention | Physical activity (PA) level Readiness for PA, awareness of PA (general), awareness of PA (opportunities in municipality) | IG3 improved in PA level (p 0.041), readiness for PA (p 0.001). IG3 improved on awareness of PA (p 0.003) and awareness of PA opportunities in municipality (p 0.001). | 0.06 No data available to calculate CI |
Myhre 2013 USA | RCT, 3 arms, 8 weeks | 2 cohorts from retirement communities in Arizona n = 41 Mean age 79.4 Female/male: IG1 9/5, IG2 9/4, CG 11/3 | Micro-blogging shared with others or kept private IG1: Facebook IG2: online diary CG: waitlist | Knowledge, letter memory, keep track | IG1: knowledge, memory task improved at time 2 vs. baseline (p < 0.01); keep track slightly improved (p < 0.10) | No data on PA |
Nyman 2009 [47] UK | RCT, no duration specified | Community in Southampton n = 302 Mean age 70.41 (SD 7.07) Female/male 187/115 | Website with tailored advice to undertake strength and balance training (SBT) IG: website with tailored advice CG: generic website | Attitudes to falls-related intervention scale (AFRIS) | No significant differences in attitudes toward SBT. IG participants indicated that advice was relevant (p 0.017) and activities good (p 0.047). | No data on PA |
Peels 2013a [48] Netherlands Related publications: Golsteijn 2014 [55], Peels 2012 [56], Peels 2013b [57], Peels 2014a [58], 2014b [59] | Cluster-RCT, 5 arms, 1 year | Community members n = 1729 Mean age 62 Female/male: IG1 127/51, IG2 144/112, IG3 111/113, IG4 93/100, CG 158/152 | Printed or web-based tailored physical activity intervention IG1: printed basic IG2: print-delivered with environmental information IG3: web-based basic IG4: web-based with environmental information CG: No advice | Process outcomes (appreciation, understanding of information) | IG1-IG2: printed intervention vs web-based intervention was significantly higher 92.7–98.2% read, 70.1–76.5% kept, and 39.9–56.8% discussed, and better appreciated (6.06–6.91 vs 5.05–6.11 on a scale of 1–10) | 0.10 [− 0.04–0.24] |
Slegers 2008 [49] Netherland | Feasibility RCT, 4 arms, 12 months | Community in Maastricht n = 236 Age range 64–75 Female/male: ? | Computer training and Internet usage IG 1: training and intervention IG 2: training, no intervention CG1: no training, no intervention CG2: not interested (passive control) | Physical and psychological well-being (SF-36) Social well-being and social network | Most outcomes were not significant. IG participants spent more time on learning new things. | 0.24 [− 0.14–0.63] |
van het Reve 2014 [50] Switzerland | Preclinical exploratory trial, 12 weeks | 2 institutions for older people and 1 organization providing home nursing care for seniors n = 44 Mean age (years) 75 (SD 6) Female/male: IG1 8/5, IG2 10/4, CG 10/7 | A tablet with ActiveLifestyle IG1: social group with tablet IG2: individual group with tablet GC: brochure group | Gait performance (dual-task walking) Physical performance Short physical performance battery (SPPB) Fall efficacy Fall efficacy scale international (FES-I) | IG1 and IG2 improved significantly in single and dual task walking. IG1, IG2, GC showed SPPB improvement (p 0.02) between pre- and post-test. Group difference for FES-I between GC and IG1et IG2 (p 0.04). | No data on PA |
Wijsman 2013 [55] Netherlands Related publications: Vroege 2014 [62], Broekhuizen 2016 [63] | RCT, 3 months | Community in Leiden n = 235 Age range 60–70 Mean age: GI 64.7 (SD 3.0), CG 64.9 (SD 2.8) Female/male: IG 47/72, CG 49/67 | Internet-based physical activity intervention: Philips DirectLife IG: Philips DirectLife CG: no intervention | Physical activity Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) Metabolic parameters Quality of life (RAND-36) | IG improved PA, weight, waist circumference, insulin and HbA1c (p < 0.001), and MVPA (p < 0.001). IG improved emotional and mental health (p < 0.03) and health change (p < 0.01). | 0.58 [0.31–0.85] |