The Relationship between Social Cognitive Theory in Enchancing Physical Activity in The Elderly: A Systematic Review

The high number of elderly people has led to various health problems that must be faced. However, there are still elderly people who are reluctant to carry out regular physical activity, so the health status and quality of life of the elderly also decline. Aims: This systematic review aims to identify the relationship between social cognitive theory (SCT) on physical activity in the elderly. Methods: This systematic review method approach is based on PRISMA. This systematic review examines several research articles from journal databases, namely PubMed and ScienceDirect, and obtained 13 articles in 2019-2024. The keywords used in the search are “Social Cognitive Theory”, “SCT”, “Physical Activity”, “PA”, and “Elderly”. The articles reviewed met the inclusion criteria, namely relevant article topics, original research articles in English, and publications in the last five years. The eligibility criteria were then assessed separately using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist tool.  Results: From a total of 13 articles reviewed, it can be concluded that the majority of articles explain how important the social cognitive patterns that elderly people must have in relation to the physical activity of the elderly, such as predicting the physical activity of the elderly, increasing the exercise behavior of the elderly, influencing the level of physical activity for people with chronic diseases, and adjusting physical activity with the abilities of the elderly. The higher an elderly person's social cognition, self-efficacy, encouragement, and social support to be able and willing to carry out physical activities in accordance with the elderly's abilities and physical condition. Conclusion: The social cognition of the elderly places more emphasis on the ability of the elderly to learn things around them, so that the elderly have self-efficacy, encouragement, and social support to do things in according to their goals and beliefs. Health workers in provide health services to the community, social cognitive theory can be used for alternative to increase the physical activity of the elderly. A personalized smartphone-based intervention based on SCT is highly effective for promoting physical activity in older adults.