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Introduction
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines physical activity as “a ny bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity refers to all movement including during leisure time, for transport to get to and from places, or as part of a person’s work.” 1. This organization evidences the importance of physical activity differentiated by life cycle and, accordingly, proposes that for those with ages below 17 it is advisable to practice physical activity at least 60 minutes a day, while for subjects with ages between 18 and 64 or older, at least 150 minutes per week are recommended 1.
In general, the practice of physical activity is a protective factor against diseases and, therefore, helps to improve the quality of life. However, data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that 1 out of 4 adults do not perform the recommended physical activity. In Latin America and the Caribbean, physical inactivity levels increased from 33% to 39% between 2011 and 2016, especially in adults and older adults, women are less active (32%) than men (23%) 1.
Consequently, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) such as emails, websites, videos, accelerometers, mobile applications, mobile phones, global positioning systems (GPS), among others, can support counselors and professionals who work on physical activity to promote changes in people’s lifestyles. Since they have transformed the way in which things are observed, perceived, captured, interpreted and processed, their proper use can counteract the negative effects of physical inactivity 2,3.
Previously, technology was not as accessible as now in the so-called information society. Technological advances initiated in the twentieth century led to the emergence of this new concept, which includes tools and channels to access information and to build new modes of expression, new models of participation and, ultimately, new forms of cultural recreation 4,5.
The innovation of ICTs favors the creation of increasingly complete, complex and integrated audiovisual and multimedia materials that have gradually been incorporated into the daily life of the individual. Thus, it is common for even the smallest homes to have a technological device 6,7.
Therefore, it is crucial to use the appeal of these technologies and the influence of disciplines such as Physical Education to increase the need to innovate instruction and encouragement in physical activity. This resource may become the new route if it is placed at the service of humanity as an input for quality of life improvement 8-10. The objective of this work is to analyze the scientific evidence on the use of information and communication technologies for the promotion of physical activity.
Method
A bibliographic search of the literature published in scientific journals between 2013 and 2019, registered in search engines and databases such as Google Scholar, SciELO, Redalyc, Virtual Health Library, PubMed, JSTOR and Science Direct, was conducted.
The initial selection of articles was made based on title, abstract, year of publication, language, country and source of publication of the references identified (first filter). The full text version of the articles that passed the first filter was obtained, and the rest of the documents were analyzed based on the inclusion criteria of the variables related to the central topic, i.e., the mediation of ICTs in the promotion of physical activity in different populations.
A matrix analysis document was developed in Excel. The variables analyzed were population group, ICT used, strategy or activity, result, country and year. Finally, a categorization was carried out according to the proposed objective.
The ethical parameters of Resolution 8430 of 1993 (Ministry of Health) 11 and the Declaration of Helsinki 12 were considered for the development of the work. There was not any risk for humans since the work was done with published articles.DeCs (Descriptors in Health Sciences) and MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) descriptors were used according to the following search strategies (Table 1).
Table 1 Web bibliographic search strategies.
| GOOGLE SCHOLAR SEARCH STRATEGY |
| Strategy #1: Non-advanced search: Use of technology to promote physical activity; Interval: 2013-2019Results: 14,604. Items downloaded: 6 |
| Strategy #2: Non-advanced search: Use of technology to promote physical activity; Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy #3: Exact phrase “Physical activity” “technology”; Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 73. Items downloaded: 4 |
| Strategy #4: Exact phrase “Physical activity and technology” Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 6. Items downloaded: 4 |
| Strategy #5: Exact phrase “Technological strategies to promote physical activity”; Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy #6: Exact phrase “Technology and innovation for physical activity”; Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy #7: All the words “Technology and innovation for physical activity”; Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 9. Items downloaded: 2 |
| Strategy #8: Exact phrase “Technology” “Innovation” “Physical Activity”; Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 1790. Items downloaded: 6 |
| Strategy #9: Exact phrase; allintitle: “Physical Activity” “Technology”; Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 7. Items downloaded: 2 |
| TOTAL DOWNLOADS: 21 |
| SciELO |
| Strategy # 1: integrated method; “Use of technology to promote physical activity”; regional. Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 2: integrated method; “Use of technology for physical activity”; regional. Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 3: integrated method; “Technology and physical activity”; regional. Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 4: (Physical activity) AND (technology); all indexes; Results: 39. Items downloaded: 3 |
| Strategy # 5: (Physical activity) AND (technology); abstract; Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 6: (Physical activity) AND (technology); Title; Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 7: (Physical activity) AND (TICS); Title; Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 8: (Physical activity) AND (TICS); all indexes; Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 9: (Physical activity) AND (TICS); abstract; Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 10: (Physical activity) AND (innovation); all indexes; Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 11: (Physical activity) AND (innovation); abstract; Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 12: (Physical activity) AND (innovation); Title; Results: 0 |
| TOTAL DOWNLOADS: 3 |
| VIRTUAL HEALTH LIBRARY |
| Strategy # 1: (tw: (physical activity)) AND (tw: (technology)) AND (instance: “regional”) In: Title, abstract and subject. Results: 64. Items downloaded: 9 |
| Strategy # 2: ti: ((tw: (physical activity)) AND (tw: (technology))) AND (instance: “regional”) AND (la :(“es”) AND year_cluster :(“2014” OR “2017 “OR” 2015 “OR” 2016 “)). Results: 21. Items downloaded: 0 |
| Strategy # 3: (tw: (physical activity)) AND (tw: (innovation)) AND (instance: “regional”). Results: 7. Items downloaded: 0 |
| Strategy # 4: ti: ((tw: (physical activity)) AND (tw: (innovation))) AND (instance: “regional”) AND (la :(“es”). Items downloaded: 0 |
| Strategy # 5: (tw: (tics)) AND (tw: (physical activity)) AND (instance: “regional”) AND (la :( “es”)). Results: 2. Items downloaded: 1 |
| Strategy # 6: ti: ((tw: (tics)) AND (tw: (physical activity))) AND (instance: “regional”) AND (la :(“es”)). Results: 0 |
| TOTAL DOWNLOADS: 10 |
| REDALYC |
| Strategy # 1: “Technology in physical activity”. Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 5. Items downloaded: 1 |
| Strategy # 2: “technology” “physical activity”. Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 3: “technology” “physical activity”. Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 4: “TICS” “Physical activity”. Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 4: “App” “Physical activity”. Interval: 2013-2019. Results: 109. Items downloaded: 10 |
| TOTAL DOWNLOADS: 8 |
| PUBMED |
| Strategy # 1: (physical activity) AND technology AND “last 5 years” [PDat]. Results: 27. Items downloaded: 17 |
| Strategy # 2: Search (physical activity) AND technology Sort by: Best Match Filters: published in the last 5 years. Results: 7. Items downloaded: 2 |
| Strategy # 3: (physical activity [Title / Abstract]) AND technology [Title / Abstract] AND “last 5 years” [PDat]. Results: 284. Items downloaded: 18 |
| Strategy # 4: (physical activity [Title / Abstract]) AND TICS [Title / Abstract] AND “last 5 years” [PDat]. Results: 145. Items downloaded: 15 |
| TOTAL DOWNLOADS: 54 |
| JSTOR |
| Strategy # 1: (physical activity) AND (technology)); 2013-2019; Journals. Results: 21. Items downloaded: 1 |
| Strategy # 2: (ti: (physical activity) OR tb: (physical activity)) AND (ti: technology OR tb: technology). Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 3: (ab: (physical activity) AND ab: (technology)); 2013-2019. Results: 13. Items downloaded: 0 |
| Strategy # 4: (ab: (physical activity) AND ab: (TICS)). Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 5: (ti: (physical activity) OR tb: (physical activity)) AND (ti: TICS OR tb: TICS). Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 6: (ab: (physical activity) AND ab: (APP)). Results: 0 |
| TOTAL DOWNLOADS: 1 |
| SCIENCE DIRECT |
| Strategy # 1: Keywords (“physical activity” “technology”) From: 2013 - To: 2019. Results: 66. Items downloaded: 3 |
| Strategy # 2: Keywords (“physical activity” “TICS”) from: 2013 - To: 2019. Results: 24. Items downloaded: 2 |
| Strategy # 3: Keywords (“physical activity” “technology”) - Article type (REV) from: 2013 - To: 2019. Results: 22. Items downloaded: 5 |
| Strategy # 4: Keywords (“physical activity” “technology”) - Article type (REV, FLA) from: 2013 - To: 2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 5: Keywords (“physical activity” “TICS”) - Article type (REV, FLA) from: 2013 - To: 2019. Results: 0 |
| Strategy # 6: Keywords (“physical activity” “APP”) - Article type (REV, FLA) from: 2013 - To: 2019. Results: 0 |
| TOTAL DOWNLOADS: 10 |
Source: Compiled by the authors.
Results
A total of 107 articles were identified in the initial search, 63.2% (73) of them were published in English. After discarding duplicates and those without an exact relationship with the subject of study, 100 were included for the final review. Once they were read in full, 32 articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected (Figure 1).
Table 2 shows the main results derived from the review, note the way in which both in the different population groups, as some health conditions and in athletes, different information and communication technologies have been used for the promotion of physical activity, stand out as the most used technologies and that have demonstrated the most adherence in all groups are the use of computer applications (App) and mobile phones, some of them used in combination with other technologies. Spain and the United States are the countries where this form of intervention has been implemented the most.
Discussion
The practice of physical activity positively influences the construction of values, skills and improvement of quality of life in the different stages of the life cycle and health conditions. The most relevant results of this work show the use of various technologies in the promotion of physical activity in a differential way, they also emphasize that such technologies should be a starting point as new intervention alternatives incorporated from early childhood and reinforced throughout life 43. The results of the promotion of physical activity in children show how different technologies, ranging from the use of devices and sensors to the consolidation of programs that motivate creativity and imagination, have been used and integrated. These results contain relevant information when compared to the results of Vera, Sánchez and Sánchez 44, who highlight that the promotion of physical activity in recreational spaces increases healthy parameters in school population. They are also consistent with the results of several studies that highlight the need to transform the teaching of physical activity in children by using other technologies and strategies that encourage adherence to making educational centers into promoters of healthy lifestyles through technology 45,46.
Regarding the practice of physical activity in adolescents and young people, Carrasco et al 47, Gallegos 48 and Martinez and González 49 show that it should be mediated by motivation through different and non-traditional strategies, which allow to enjoy good physical health. Besides, the practice of physical activity influences the improvement of personal image perception, which generates positive changes in relation to sociability, academic performance and citizen competencies. All of the above is combined to increase the frequency of physical activity and to improve the quality of life in this group in this new era of the use of technology. The results of the work carried out are consistent with previous approaches because they highlight how ICT have mediated to achieve adherence to physical activity programs through the use of mobile phones, websites, and APP, among others; the results show motivation, appropriation, satisfaction and impact on body image.
In healthy adults, the use of different technologies for the promotion of physical activity has generated great acceptance and their results have been reflected in adherence to programs, increase of practice frequency and intensity, reduction of sedentary behaviors, and healthy habits development. Similarly, Gómez et al 50, conclude that maintaining the motivation for the promotion of physical activity of all adults in the long term allows to consolidate healthy lifestyle habits. In adults with pathologies the results show how the use of technology for the promotion of physical activity has managed to generate clinical changes and favor rehabilitation processes and its costs. Likewise, Velez et al 51 conclude that physical activity helps to reduce metabolic risk and problems; it also frames a differential pattern on the impact of quality of life and health condition improvement if the use of electronic health is added 52.
To carry out physical activity with greater precision, it is essential to complement training sessions with strategies that allow the athlete to increase physical performance. This research showed that the use of technological tools such as APP and GPS improve sports performance and reduce the possibility of injuries or illnesses. Likewise, Prieto, Giraldo and Salas concluded that another effective strategy is proprioceptive training, considered as an adequate, important and fundamental complement to the physical activity of the athlete. Such strategy increases the ability to develop simple and complex motor actions and, therefore, to achieve adequate performance in sports performance and to improve coordinative abilities. In this regard, the authors highlight that it is not necessary to promote the development of physical activity in athletes, but to seek strategies that motivate adherence to it 53.
Similarly, the study carried out by Vásquez and López allows to identify the importance for athletes to have spaces and contexts favorable to sports behavior and to the practice of physical activity; it also allows to show that there are several factors that influence motivation in athletes, among them, the methodologies used for practice 54.
Conclusions
There is important evidence on the use of technologies for the promotion of physical activity at different stages of life, which have mostly been cost effective; all of them have shown positive effects that motivate the adherence of participants and guarantee its continuity. The impact of such technologies has been reflected in health conditions and in the quality of life of those who benefit from them. The use of technologies as mediators to carry out activity has become a challenge both for people and for those involved in orientation, recovery or rehabilitation processes.
