Challenges to physical activity participation among older people living with HIV: Scoping review

Older people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (OPLWH) have lower physical activity levels than other population groups. Inadequate physical activity participation increases the risks of age-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Therefore, this scoping review aimed to describe the challenges experienced by OPLWH in physical activity participation. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework for conducting scoping reviews was used. Articles that described physical activity among OPLWH in all contexts, were written in English, and published between 2015 and 2025 were included. Searches were conducted from the 23 January 2025 from Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus using the following keywords: challenges, older, HIV, and physical activity. Two reviewers selected studies against the eligibility criteria, and disagreements were discussed. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and analysed using content analysis. A total of 1291 studies were screened by title and abstract, and 17 were included. Most (35.3%, n = 6) were from the United States of America. Two themes emerged: individual-related challenges and community or environmental-related challenges. Individual-related challenges include poor physical health, pain, depression, and lack of motivation. Community or environmental-related challenges were HIV-related stigma, environmental safety concerns, and negative gym experiences. The review was limited by a low inclusion of sub-Saharan African countries, affecting the generalisability of its findings to this region.

• Epidemiology and Determinants of Health
  • Determinants of Health
• Determinants of Health
  • Social support
  • Health services
  • Stigma/discrimination
  • Other
• Population(s)
  • Older adults (>50 years)
  • General HIV+ population
• Mental Health
  • Depression
  • Neurocognitive disorders
• Co-morbidities
  • Cardiovascular
  • Cancer
  • Age related disorders
  • Other