Senior community centers

Health-promoting activities for the elderly is a prioritized area. The number of people above 80 years old in Sweden is expected to increase by 50 percent by 2031. Older individuals as a group has an increased risk of experiencing physical and mental health issues related to social isolation and frailty. Open meeting places (also called senior community centers or senior centers) are locations where older individuals can engage in social interaction, education, or physical activity.

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SBU Enquiry Service

Consists of structured literature searches to highlight studies that can address questions received by the SBU Enquiry Service from Swedish healthcare or social service providers. We assess the risk of bias in systematic reviews and when needed also quality and transferability of results in health economic studies. Relevant references are compiled by an SBU staff member, in consultation with an external expert when needed.

Question

What scientific studies have been published regarding the effect of senior center visits on the health and wellbeing of older people?

Method

A systematic literature search was performed using the following databases: Medline (via Ovid), Scopus, Cinahl (via EBSCO) and PsycInfo (via EBSCO).
Two authors independently assessed the abstracts of all identified studies.
Risk of bias in relevant systematic reviews was assessed using an assessment tool based on AMSTAR.

Identified literature

One relevant systematic review with low risk of bias were identified [1]. The results and conclusions are presented in Table 1. In one relevant systematic review, the risk of bias was considered to be high, therefore the results and conclusions are not reported [2]. In addition, 26 relevant primary studies were identified [3-28]. Primary studies are not assessed for risk for bias.

Table 1 Systematic reviews with low risk of bias.
Authors' conclusion:
”Despite broad inclusion criteria related to study design we found no studies that measured the effect of the use of senior centres, but predominantely the effects of participation in physical exercise programs conducted at senior centres.Physical exercise programs for elderly may improve balance and increase muscle strength in the legs. It is uncertain whether physical exercise has effect on quality of life, endurance or activities of daily living (ADL). It is uncertain whether seniors who participate in creative activities are more satisfied compared to those who participate in other activities at the senior centre.” 
Included studies Population, Intervention, Control Outcome and Results
Håvelsrud et al, 2011 [1]
Effekten av aktivitetstilbud på eldresenter
13 included studies:
6 RCT
1 cross-over
6 non-randomized controlled studies  
Setting:
USA: 9 studies
Brazil, Japan, Korea, Taiwan:
1 studie each		 Population:
Elderly over 67 years living at home 
Intervention:
Attending a senior centre, engagement in activities provided in the context of a senior centre. 
Control:
No use of senior centre or use of other alternative preventive health measures offered in the context of senior centre		 No studies measured the effect of senior centre use compared to no use 
Physical activity at senior centre vs. no intervention or other interventions at the centre
Self-reported health (2 studies, n=330):
Inconclusive results 
Balance (4 studies, n=413)
Small or no effect 
Muscle strength (5 studies, n=312)
Some increase in leg strength 
Endurance (3 studies, n=213)
Small or no effect 
Activities of daily living (2 studies, n=207)
Small or no effect 

References

  1. Havelsrud K, Thuve Dahm K, Sletsjoe H, Merete Reinar L. Knowledge Centre for the Health Services at The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH). 2011:Executive Summaries. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-016-0343-x.
  2. Song M, Seo K, Choi S, Choi J, Ko H, Lee SJ. Seniors centre-based health intervention programmes in the United States and South Korea: A systematic review. Int J Nurs Pract. 2017;23(5). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12568.
  3. Beck C, Fausett JK, Krukowski RA, Cornell CE, Prewitt TE, Lensing S, et al. A randomized trial of a community-based cognitive intervention for obese senior adults. J Aging Health. 2013;25(1):97-118. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.1177/0898264312467374.
  4. Benavent-Caballer V, Rosado-Calatayud P, Segura-Ortí E, Amer-Cuenca JJ, Lisón JF. The effectiveness of a video-supported group-based Otago exercise programme on physical performance in community-dwelling older adults: a preliminary study. Physiotherapy. 2016;102(3):280-6. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.physio.2015.08.002.
  5. Bøen H, Dalgard OS, Johansen R, Nord E. A randomized controlled trial of a senior centre group programme for increasing social support and preventing depression in elderly people living at home in Norway. BMC Geriatrics. 2012;12(1):20-. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.1186/1471-2318-12-20.
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  13. Johnson JK, Stewart AL, Acree M, Nápoles AM, Flatt JD, Max WB, Gregorich SE. A community choir intervention to promote well-being among diverse older adults: Results from the Community of Voices Trial. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 2020;75(3):549-59. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.1093/geronb/gby132.
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  15. Kim HS, Harada K, Miyashita M, Lee EA, Park JK, Nakamura Y, et al. Use of senior center and the health-related quality of life in Korean older adults. Journal of Preventive Medicine & Public Health. 2011;44(4):149-56. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.3961/jpmph.2011.44.4.149.
  16. Kimura M, Moriyasu A, Kumagai S, Furuna T, Akita S, Kimura S, Suzuki T. Community-based intervention to improve dietary habits and promote physical activity among older adults: a cluster randomized trial. BMC Geriatrics. 2013;13(1):8-. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.1186/1471-2318-13-8.
  17. Kwok T, Wong A, Chan G, Shiu YY, Lam KC, Young D, et al. Effectiveness of cognitive training for Chinese elderly in Hong Kong. Clin Interventions Aging. 2013;8:213-9. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S38070.
  18. Lee SH, Kim YB. Which type of social activities may reduce cognitive decline in the elderly?: a longitudinal population-based study. BMC Geriatrics. 2016;17:165-. Available from: https://www.fhi.no/en/publ/2011/the-effect-of-activity-in-the-elderly/.
  19. Leung AYM, Chau PH, Leung ISH, Tse M, Wong PLC, Tam WM, Leung DYP. Motivating Diabetic and Hypertensive Patients to Engage in Regular Physical Activity: A Multi-Component Intervention Derived from the Concept of Photovoice. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(7):05. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16071219.
  20. Marquet O, Maciejewska M, Delclòs-Alió X, Vich G, Schipperijn J, Miralles-Guasch C. Physical activity benefits of attending a senior center depend largely on age and gender: a study using GPS and accelerometry data. BMC Geriatrics. 2020;20(1):1-10. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.1186/s12877-020-01527-6.
  21. Pothier K, Kaushal N, Vrinceanu T, Lussier M, Bailly N, Comte F, et al. Bridging the Gap between Research and the Community: Implementing Physical and Cognitive Interventions to Improve Spontaneous Walking Speed in Older Adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(1). Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.3390/ijerph20010762.
  22. Raue PJ, Hawrilenko M, Corey M, Lin J, Chen S, Mosser BA. "Do More, Feel Better": Pilot RCT of Lay-Delivered Behavioral Activation for Depressed Senior Center Clients. Behav Ther. 2022;53(3):458-68. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.beth.2021.11.005.
  23. Sanchez M, Vidal J-S, Bichon A, Mairesse C, Flouquet C, Hanon O, Raynaud-Simon A. Impact of a public open-access community-based physical activity and fall prevention program on physical performance in older adults. Eur J Public Health. 2023;33(1):132-8. Available from: https://doi.org/doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckac186.
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Published: Report no: ut202335 Registration no: SBU 2023/1025
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