Geographical, methodological, and thematic trends in clinical trial protocols on exercise and physical activity in older adults in Latin America and the Caribbean

Walter Sepúlveda‐Loyola; Cintya Elisabeth Odar-Rojas; N. L. S. R. Trindade; Ademilson Silva; Ruth Clarivel Vega-Rojas; Jennifer Campos-Aguayo; Cristián Barros-Osorio · Geriatrics Gerontology and Aging (2026) · DOI: 10.53886/gga.e0000394_en

Resumen

Objective: To describe the geographic, methodological, and thematic characteristics of clinical trial protocols on exercise and physical activity interventions for older adults in Latin America and the Caribbean. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was based on an analysis of secondary records of a review of clinical trial protocols registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database to identify protocols registered until June 2025. Eligible trials targeted adults ≥ 65 years of age, included exercise or physical activity as a primary intervention, and were conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean. The extracted data included country, intervention type, study design, recruitment status, outcomes, and funding source. Interventions were classified into 9 categories. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings. Results: A total of 185 protocols from 27,518 screened records met the inclusion criteria. Most were from Brazil (81.6%), followed by Chile (8.6%) and Mexico (5.4%). Muscle strengthening (19.7%) and multicomponent physical activity (18.1%) were the most frequent types, while 33.5% included non-conventional modalities, such as aquatic therapy, dance-based programs, Tai Chi, yoga, exergaming, and electrostimulation. Motor function was the most common primary outcome (39.5%). Most studies were completed (59.5%) and primarily funded by universities, with minimal involvement from industry (0.5%). Conclusions: This is the first registry-based analysis of exercise and physical activity trial protocols for older adults in Latin America and the Caribbean, revealing a strong concentration in Brazil, a focus on muscle strengthening and multicomponent programs, and emerging innovative modalities. The limited outcome diversity and minimal private sector involvement highlight key gaps that should be addressed to strengthen the region’s research capacity and impact.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas