Abstract
The Netherlands government emphasizes the importance of preventive care for the elderly. From an economic and preventive point of view the potential of exercise programmes to reduce the use of health care services by the elderly deserves attention. We present an overview of the literature on the effects of physical activity on health and psychological well-being of the elderly and their use of health services. Our review covers the period 1988-1993 and also includes review articles. We found almost sixty relevant articles which about all satisfied our methodological criteria. In men, physical activity probably has a positive influence on the frequency of ischaemic heart disease. Exercise delays the onset of osteoporosis in women. The results for other diseases are ambigious, despite the large amount of literature. Similarly, it is not clear yet whether physical activity can enhance well-being. Research on the effects of physical activity on the use of health services has hardly been done. We conclude that well-designed studies are needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of exercise programmes in the elderly.
| Translated title of the contribution | Effects of physical activity in the elderly; a review of recent literature and the feasibility of economic appraisal |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 237-249 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Tijdschrift voor Gerontologie en Geriatrie |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Publication status | Published - 1994 |
