Structured Physical Activity Interventions for Older Adults With Dementia in Africa

TL;DR

This paper reviews how structured physical activity can help older adults with dementia in Africa, finding limited but promising evidence for cognitive benefits.

Contribution

The study provides the first scoping review of structured physical activity interventions for dementia in Africa.

Findings

Most interventions were multicomponent and facility-based, delivered by professionals over 6-12 weeks.

Improved mood, memory, and attention were observed in some studies.

Few interventions were culturally tailored, and none addressed nonverbal dementia needs.

Abstract

Structured physical activity (PA) interventions and their cognitive benefits for older adults living with dementia in Africa remain underexplored, despite the continent’s 2-20% current prevalence rate. This, however, is projected to rise by 350% by the year 2050. Thus, we reviewed the extent to which the cognitive and functional benefits of PA for older adults living with dementia are being explored in Africa. We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for conducting a scoping review and reported our findings using guidelines from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). We identified articles across African journals and international databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus. Dissertations and other non-peer-reviewed works were also considered for analysis. Search terms included ‘physical activity intervention’ and ‘ dementia.’ We included only articles published in English that had a structured physical activity component and targeted older adults diagnosed with dementia or cognitive impairment. Across 24 publications, we found that most of the interventions were multicomponent (e.g., aerobics, walking, and dancing), facility-based, and delivered over a period of 6 to 12 weeks by physiotherapists or trained caregivers. We also found improved mood, memory, and attention span in various studies. Few interventions incorporated culturally-grounded practices, and none explicitly addressed the needs of older adults with nonverbal dementia. In sum, structured PA interventions show promise for cognitive improvement for dementia care in Africa, but evidence remains limited. Future research should prioritize culturally-tailored, scalable models to meet the continent’s rising dementia burden.