Ahn Sangwoo, Cobb Sandra J, Butler Rochelle, Abdullah Saeed M, Boltz Marie P, Chung Misook L, Roberson Patricia N E, Lee Jung-Ah, Zhao Xiaopeng, Anderson Joel G
Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Department of Neurology Memory Disorders Clinic, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
West J Nurs Res. 2025 Aug;47(8):770-785. doi: 10.1177/01939459251341197. Epub 2025 May 29.
Caregiving for people living with cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, can negatively affect informal caregivers' health.
Our review aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of physical activity on physical and psychological health and well-being among informal caregivers of people with cognitive decline because no comprehensive evidence has been drawn so far.
A literature search of 9 databases was conducted to identify appropriate randomized controlled trials. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA (version 18.0) with the standardized mean difference (Hedge's ) used to calculate the effect size of interventions.
Twelve studies were included (n = 1163 total participants, all of whom were informal caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; mean age = 64 years), 2 of which were rated as strong in methodological quality, 1 as weak, and the remaining 9 showing moderate quality. Physical activity, consisting of walking, Tai Chi, or multicomponent activities (aerobic, strengthening, stretching, and/or balance activities), exerted beneficial effects on static balance as an element of physical health and psychological well-being as an element of well-being with moderate effect sizes.
Nurses may suggest that informal caregivers engage in physical activity to improve physical and mental well-being, potentially decreasing onerous aspects of caregiving. Given the limited number of studies in our review, future research is warranted to identify the optimal type and dose of physical activity to improve informal caregivers' health.
照顾认知能力下降的人群，包括患有阿尔茨海默病及相关痴呆症的患者，可能会对非正式护理人员的健康产生负面影响。
由于目前尚未得出全面的证据，我们的综述旨在系统评估体育活动对认知能力下降患者的非正式护理人员的身心健康和幸福感的影响。
对9个数据库进行文献检索，以确定合适的随机对照试验。使用STATA（版本18.0）进行荟萃分析，采用标准化均值差（Hedge's ）来计算干预措施的效应大小。
纳入了12项研究（共1163名参与者，均为阿尔茨海默病及相关痴呆症患者的非正式护理人员；平均年龄 = 64岁），其中2项在方法学质量上被评为强，1项为弱，其余9项显示为中等质量。体育活动，包括散步、太极拳或多组分活动（有氧运动、强化运动、伸展运动和/或平衡运动），对作为身体健康要素的静态平衡以及作为幸福感要素的心理健康产生了有益影响，效应大小中等。
护士可能会建议非正式护理人员进行体育活动，以改善身心健康，可能会减少护理工作中繁重的方面。鉴于我们综述中的研究数量有限，未来有必要进行研究以确定改善非正式护理人员健康的体育活动的最佳类型和剂量。
