Impact of physical exercise on health and social interaction in older adults: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of physical exercise on the physical and mental health of older adults using meta-analysis and to analyze the moderating variables influencing this relationship. The goal was to provide a scientific basis for identifying effective exercise methods to enhance the physical and mental health of the older adults. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Data were processed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 18.0 statistical software. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model, and relevant moderating variables were tested. RESULTS: The study findings indicated that physical activity significantly improves the physical and mental health of older adults across various dimensions. Specifically, it showed a large effect size for enhancing social interactions (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.14, 0.69], P = 0.0002), a medium effect size for improving physical health (SMD = 0.42, 95% CI [0.20, 0.48], P = 0.003), and a small effect size for improving mental health (SMD=0.34, 95% CI [0.37, 1.19], P < 0.001). All differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Physical exercise has a positive impact on improving the physical and mental health of older adults, particularly in enhancing physical health, psychological well-being, and social interactions.