Physical Activity Interventions for Older Adults With Dementia or Cognitive Impairment in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review

Dementia is a growing public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), driven mostly by an ageing population and increasing life expectancy. Evidence has shown that physical activity is an effective, non-pharmacological intervention to improve health outcomes for people living with dementia, but the extent to which it has been utilized among older adults with dementia in SSA remains unclear. This scoping review aimed to map and describe physical activity interventions targeting older adults with dementia or cognitive impairments in SSA using JBI guidelines. We systematically searched seven electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus and African Journal Online). We also searched Google Scholar, and other gray literature sources. A total of three studies were found, all three were interventional studies. Intervention characteristics were described using the FITT-VP framework (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type, Volume, and Progression) and compared to international recommendations for physical activity. Outcomes and diagnostic tools were also described, alongside considerations of cultural tailoring. Findings indicate that despite a low volume of studies, interventions implemented largely aligned with international physical activity recommendations for older adults living with chronic health conditions. Improvements were reported in cognitive function, functional ability, and societal participation. However, there was limited use of culturally tailored diagnostic and outcome assessment tools, and interventions. The last eligible study was published in 2021, highlighting a stagnation in research despite the increasing prevalence of dementia in SSA. Potential reasons include underdevelopment of dementia research, diagnostic challenges, and poor indexing of African research in academic databases. Nevertheless, this review showed that physical activity is a promising strategy to address the growing gap in dementia care in SSA. Future research should focus on developing physical activity interventions co-designed with the local communities and adapted to the sociocultural contexts.