SynthesisSports medicine - open2023
Effects of Physical Activity Interventions on Strength, Balance and Falls in Middle-Aged Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Sports medicine - open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 35 citations in OpenAlex.
- Snacktivity™ to Promote Physical Activity in Primary Care, Community Health and Public Health Settings: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Trial
- A graded personalized exercise program's effect on muscle and body fat: randomized controlled trial.BMC public health · 2025Trial
- Impact of a Multicomponent Exercise Training Program on Muscle Strength After Bariatric Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Obesity surgery · 2024Trial
- Co-designing a culturally appropriate mHealth physical activity intervention for midlife women experiencing menopause in Saudi Arabia: stakeholder recommendations.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Physical activity, falls, and dementia risk in adults aged ≥ 60: evidence from three cohorts.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026Article
- Evidence-based interventions for promoting healthy aging: a scoping review.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2026Article
- Article
- Longitudinal association of intensity-specific physical activity and sedentary behavior with dynapenia among older Taiwanese adults.European review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity · 2025Article
- The Impact of Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity on Bone Health: A Narrative Review from the Rehabilitation Working Group of the International Osteoporosis Foundation.Calcified tissue international · 2025Review
- Cognitive Stimulation and Strength Training in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effectiveness of Physical Activity-Led Workplace Health Promotion Interventions: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Case Report: Multifactorial Intervention for Safe Aging in Place.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effects of Physical Activity Level, Strength, Balance, and Body Composition on Perceived Health in Healthy Adults.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Age and Postural Stability in Firefighters: An Analysis of Anterior Reach Asymmetry and the Two-Foot Length Criterion.International journal of exercise science · 2025Article
- Biomechanical perspectives on image-based hip fracture risk assessment: advances and challenges.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Review
- The prevalence and correlates of falls in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: cross-sectional study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Single-Leg Balance and Lower Limb Strength: Quantitative Analysis with the Balance Master System.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2024Article
- Physical activity levels and musculoskeletal disease risk in adults aged 45 and above: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- The impact of track and field training on dynapenia: gender differences in age-related decline of vertical jump performance among older adults.Frontiers in aging · 2024Article
- Does internet use promote the health of empty-nest older adults in rural China? The mediating role of social participation using a propensity score matching approach.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWeak lower body strength and balance impairments are fundamental risk factors for mobility impairments and falls that can be improved by physical activity (PA). Previous meta-analyses have focused on these risk factors in adults aged ≥ 65 years. Yet, the potential of PA for improving these risk factors in middle-aged populations has not been systematically investigated. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to examine the effect of general and structured PA on lower limb strength, postural balance and falls in middle-aged adults.
methodsA computerized systematic literature search was conducted in the electronic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. PA intervention types were classified according to the ProFaNE taxonomy. Randomized controlled trials exploring the effects of PA on strength (e.g., leg press one-repetition-maximum), balance (e.g., single limb stance) and falls (e.g., fall rates) in adults aged 40-60 years were systematically searched and included in a network analysis. Moderator analyses were performed for specific subgroups (age, sex, low PA). The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) Scale.
resultsOut of 7170 articles screened, 66 studies (median PEDro score 5) with 3387 participants were included. Strong, significant effects on muscle strength were found for strength (SMD = 1.02), strength-aerobic (SMD = 1.41), strength-endurance (SMD = 0.92) and water-based (SMD = 1.08) training (52 studies, I
conclusionsStructured PA interventions in middle-aged adults improve strength and balance outcomes related to functional impairments and falls. Strength training increases both strength and balance and can be recommended to prevent age-related functional decline. However, the interpretability of the results is limited due to considerable heterogeneity and the overall low methodological quality of the included studies. Long-term trials are needed to determine the preventive potential of PA on strength, balance and falls. This meta-analysis may inform guidelines for tailored training during middle age to promote healthy aging. Prospero registration: CRD42020218643.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.