scholarly journals Age-related decline of cognitive resources precedes and explains the decline in physical activity

Author(s):  
Boris Cheval ◽  
Dan Orsholits ◽  
Stefan Sieber ◽  
Delphine Courvoisier ◽  
Stéphane Cullati ◽  
...  

Objective: This study aimed to test whether the level of cognitive resources explain the engagement in physical activity across aging and whether the age-related decline of cognitive resources precede the decline in physical activity. Methods: Data from 105,206 adults aged 50 to 90 years from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used in adjusted linear mixed models to examine whether the engagement in moderate physical activity and its evolution across aging was dependent on cognitive resources. Cognitive resources and physical activity were measured 5 times over a 12-year period. Delayed recall, verbal fluency, and the level of education were used as indicators of cognitive resources. The frequency of engagement in moderate physical activity was self-reported. Dynamic structural equation models (SEM) were used to assess the temporal precedence of changes in cognitive resources and physical activity. Results: Results showed that lower cognitive resources were associated with lower levels and steeper decreases in moderate physical activity across aging. Results further revealed a time-ordered effect with a stronger influence of cognitive resources (delayed recall and verbal fluency) on subsequent changes in moderate physical activity than the opposite. Conclusion: These findings suggest that, after age 50, the level of engagement in moderate physical activity and its trajectory depend on the availability of cognitive resources.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Wöbbeking Sánchez ◽  
Antonio Sánchez Cabaco ◽  
Beatriz Bonete-López ◽  
José David Urchaga Litago ◽  
Manuel Joaquím Loureiro ◽  
...  

Objective: The specialised literature indicates that the two key aspects in active ageing are performing physical activity and life satisfaction. Regarding physical activity, this not only improves physical aspects of senior citizens, but also has a positive impact on mental well-being and satisfaction with one’s own life. The aim is to demonstrate the relationship between these two variables to explain healthy ageing.Method: In a sample of 300 senior citizen subjects, the influence of various sociodemographic variables (age, sex, institutionalisation, and level of education) on the performance of physical activity and life satisfaction, is analysed. The research design is a non-experimental study with two unique cross-sectional and correlational measurement groups.Results: An analysis of the results indicates that people with a higher level of education present differences in physical and motivational reserves. Furthermore, age and institutionalisation have an impact on physical reserves. Analysis using structural equation models allows key relationships between the variables analysed to be predicted, which can guide the implementation of active ageing.Conclusion: Motivational reserves affect healthy cognitive ageing through their positive impact on cognitive and physical reserves.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Ma ◽  
Liwang Gao ◽  
Joseph Tak-Fai Lau ◽  
Rahman Atif ◽  
Blair T. Johnson ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND This study primarily aimed to evaluate the associations between mental distress and COVID-19-related changes in behavioral outcomes, and potential modifiers (age, gender, and educational attainment) of such associations. OBJECTIVE The COVID -19 pandemic has led to elevated levels of mental distress attributed to prolonged lockdowns, business closures, and social isolation. Its impact on behavioral outcomes is however less known. This study is designed to primarily evaluate the associations between mental distress and COVID-19-related changes in drinking, smoking, physical activity and body weight, and potential modifiers of such associations including age, gender, and educational attainment. METHODS An online survey using anonymous network sampling was conducted in China during April-May, 2020 using a 74-item questionnaire distributed through social media. A national sample of 10,545 adults in 31 provinces provided data on socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related mental distress, and changes in behavioral outcomes. Structural equation models were used for data analyses. RESULTS About 13% of adults reported experiencing at least one symptom of mental distress. After adjusting for age, education, gender, ethnicity, marital status, residence, and number of chronic conditions, greater mental distress was associated with increased smoking and alcohol consumption (among current smokers and drinkers) and with both increased and decreased physical activity. Underweight adults were more likely to lose body weight (≥1 kg) whereas overweight adults were more likely to gain weight by the same amount. The association between mental distress and change in physical activity was stronger in adults aged 40 and above and those with high education. Mental distress was significantly associated with an increase in smoking in males but not females. CONCLUSIONS Mental distress was associated with increased smoking in males but not females. These findings inform the design of tailored public health interventions aimed to mitigate long-term negative consequences of mental distress on outcomes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Christiane Völter ◽  
Lisa Götze ◽  
Imme Haubitz ◽  
Janine Müther ◽  
Stefan Dazert ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Age-related hearing loss affects about one-third of the population worldwide. Studies suggest that hearing loss may be linked to cognitive decline and auditory rehabilitation may improve cognitive functions. So far, the data are limited, and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The study aimed to analyze the impact of cochlear implantation on cognition in a large homogeneous population of hearing-impaired adults using a comprehensive non-auditory cognitive assessment with regard to normal-hearing (NH) subjects. <b><i>Material and Methods:</i></b> Seventy-one cochlear implant (CI) candidates with a postlingual, bilateral severe or profound hearing loss aged 66.3 years (standard deviation [SD] 9.2) and 105 NH subjects aged 65.96 years (SD 9.4) were enrolled. The computer-based neurocognitive tool applied included 11 subtests covering attention (M3), short- and long-term memory (recall and delayed recall), working memory (0- and 2-back, Operation Span [OSPAN] task), processing speed (Trail Making Test [TMT] A), mental flexibility (TMT B), inhibition (cFlanker and iFlanker), and verbal fluency. CI patients underwent a neurocognitive testing preoperatively as well as 12 months postoperatively. Impact of hearing status, age, gender, and education on cognitive subdomains was studied. Additionally, after controlling for education and age, cognitive performance of CI subjects (<i>n</i> = 41) was compared to that of NH (<i>n</i> = 34). <b><i>Results:</i></b> CI users achieved significantly better neurocognitive scores 12 months after cochlear implantation than before in most subtests (M3, [delayed] recall, 2-back, OSPAN, iFlanker, and verbal fluency; all <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05) except for the TMT A and B. A significant correlation could be found between the postoperative improvement in speech perception and in the attentional task M3 (<i>p</i> = 0.01). Hearing status (<i>p</i> = 0.0006) had the strongest effect on attention, whereas education had a high impact on recall (<i>p</i> = 0.002), OSPAN (<i>p</i> = 0.0004), and TMT A (<i>p</i> = 0.005) and B (<i>p</i> = 0.003). Inhibition was mainly age-dependent with better results in younger subjects (<i>p</i> = 0.016). Verbal fluency was predicted by gender as females outperformed men (<i>p</i> = 0.009). Even after controlling for age and education NH subjects showed a significantly better performance than CI candidates in the recall (<i>p</i> = 0.03) and delayed recall (<i>p</i> = 0.01) tasks. Postoperatively, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups anymore. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Impact of cochlear implantation on neurocognitive functions differs according to the cognitive subdomains. Postoperatively, CI recipients performed as good as age- and education-matched NH subjects.


Author(s):  
Laura O. Gallardo ◽  
Alberto Abarca-Sos ◽  
Alberto Moreno Doña

The purpose of the study is to comparatively test the expectancy-value model in Chilean and Spanish samples. The model proposes: a social world (composed of social support, physical activity teasing, and weight teasing), expectancy (composed of perceived competence and appearance), task values (composed of enjoyment and stress) to predict physical activity and intention to be physically active. Participants were 497 (Chilean) and 1365 (Spanish) adolescents. Structural equation models and multi-group modelling were used. All the models presented adequate fit to the data. The results show that physical activity teasing is a contextual and essential variable; perceived competence and enjoyment influenced physical activity and intentions to be physically active; some differences appeared in the prediction of physical activity and intentions to be physically active when the multi-group model was run. Culturally tailored interventions are key to improving physical activity (PA) behaviors.


Assessment ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1310-1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Morales Ortiz ◽  
Aaron Fernández

Theoretical models of active ageing and cognitive reserve emphasize the importance of leading an active life to delay age-related cognitive deterioration and maintain good levels of well-being and personal satisfaction in the elderly. The objective of this research was to construct a scale to measure cognitively stimulating activities (CSA) in the Spanish language. The sample consisted of a total of 453 older persons. The scale was constructed from a list of 28 items and validated using structural equation models. The scale obtained showed a negative correlation with age and a positive correlation with education and physical activity. Using hierarchical regression models, CSAs were found to have a significant effect on attention when controlling for the effect of age and education. Likewise, a significant interaction between age and CSA was found on the measure of episodic memory. The validated CSA scale will enable the relationships between changes in cognitive functions and stimulating activities to be studied.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 999-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly M Kenzik ◽  
Wendy Demark-Wahnefried ◽  
Patricia A Ganz ◽  
Graham Colditz ◽  
Cheryl L Rock ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundBreast cancer survivors rank fatigue (e.g., decreased vitality) as their number one concern affecting quality of life. Excess adiposity is associated with decreased vitality in breast cancer survivors, yet weight loss intervention trials report inconsistent effects on this parameter.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of the Exercise and Nutrition to Enhance Recovery and Good Health for You trial, in which 692 overweight or obese breast cancer survivors ≤5 years from diagnosis, initiated weight loss interventions, and completed assessments semi-annually for 2 years. Assessments included the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire and the SF-36 MOS vitality subscale as an inverse measure of fatigue. Multilevel structural equation models estimated the direct effects of physical activity on vitality and indirect effects through body mass index (BMI) changes.ResultsWithin-person findings show that at assessments with greater physical activity, BMI was significantly lower (B = −0.07, p &lt; 0.001) and vitality was higher (B = 0.22, p &lt; 0.001). However, there was no direct relationship between lower BMI and higher vitality (B = −0.11, p = 0.262) after controlling for the relationship of physical activity with BMI and physical activity with vitality. The between-person indirect effect of physical activity change through BMI change to vitality was significant (B = 0.03, p &lt; 0.001). Participants whose physical activity was above the mean (B = 0.37, p &lt; 0.001) and whose BMI was below the mean (B = −1.05, p &lt; 0.001) were more likely to report greater vitality.ConclusionImprovements in vitality are primarily associated with increases in physical activity rather than BMI changes in this trial. Vitality was lower among survivors with higher BMI, although within-individual changes in BMI had no effect on vitality. Physical activity and weight loss share mechanistic links to vitality with physical activity potentially increasing (e.g., in an additive or synergistic manner) the effect of BMI reduction on vitality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Cheval ◽  
Zsófia Csajbók ◽  
Tomáš Formánek ◽  
Stefan Sieber ◽  
Matthieu P. Boisgontier ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims To investigate the associations of physical-activity trajectories with the level of cognitive performance (CP) and its decline in adults 50 years of age or older. Methods We studied 38 729 individuals (63 ± 9 years; 57% women) enrolled in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Physical activity was self-reported and CP was assessed based on immediate recall, verbal fluency and delayed recall. Physical-activity trajectories were estimated using growth mixture modelling and linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the associations between the trajectories and CP. Results The models identified two trajectories of physical activity: constantly high physical activity (N = 27 634: 71%) and decreasing physical activity (N = 11 095; 29%). Results showed that participants in the decreasing physical-activity group exhibited a lower level of CP compared to the high physical-activity group (immediate recall: ß = 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.92–0.95; verbal fluency: ß = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.97–0.98; delayed recall: ß = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.94–0.97). Moreover, compared with participants in the constantly high physical-activity group, participants in the decreasing physical-activity group showed a steeper decline in all cognitive measures (immediate recall: ß = −0.04; 95% CI = −0.05 to −0.04; verbal fluency: ß = −0.22; 95% CI = −0.24 to −0.21; delayed recall: ß = −0.04; 95% CI = −0.05 to −0.04). Conclusions Physical-activity trajectories are associated with the level and evolution of CP in adults over 50 years. Specifically, our findings suggest that a decline in physical activity over multiple years is associated with a lower level and a steeper decline in CP.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina S. Melby ◽  
Peter Elsborg ◽  
Glen Nielsen ◽  
Rodrigo A. Lima ◽  
Peter Bentsen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Research indicates that childhood motor competence (MC) can predict physical activity (PA) levels later in life and it has been argued that frequently engaging in a wide diversity of physical activities will eventually improve children’s MC. However, no longitudinal or experimental studies have confirmed this theoretical rationale. The aims of this study are to explore the longitudinal associations between diversified physical activities at age six and later MC and PA (time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA) (age nine and 13). Furthermore, we explore to what extent the longitudinal association between diversified physical activity and PA is mediated by MC. Methods Longitudinal data from the Copenhagen School Intervention Study were used for this analysis, where 704 participated (69% response rate). Diversified physical activity (self-reported), MC (The Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder battery of postural stability and locomotor skills) and PA (accelerometer) were assessed in the children at age six, age nine and age 13. A total of 654 participated in at least two of the measures and, therefore, were included in the analysis. Two structural equation models were constructed, with diversified physical activity at age six and MC and PA at age nine as predictors of PA and MC at age 13. Results The data from both models demonstrated good model fit. Diversified physical activity at 6 years of age was significantly associated with physical activity and MC at age 13, when adjusting for sex, age, intervention, weight, height, and previous levels of PA and MC. Diversified physical activity at age six was also positively associated with PA and MC at age nine, which were, in turn, positively related to PA at age 13 but to a lesser degree than diversified PA at age six. The association between diversified physical activity at age six and PA at age 13 was not mediated by MC at age nine. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that diversified physical activity at age six is important for the development of MC and PA in adolescence. Increasing the diversity of children’s daily physical activities, not only the amount and intensity, seems important for future PA behavior and thereby health promotion in a life course perspective.


Author(s):  
Offer E Edelstein ◽  
Iris Vered ◽  
Orly Sarid

Abstract Osteoporosis and its related fractures are major public health concerns. Physical activity (PA) is crucial for bone density preservation and fractures prevention. Yet, gaps in understanding exist regarding how ethno-cultural backgrounds might shape attitudes, intentions and actual PA participation. Based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) for predicting PA, the aims of this study were: (i) to compare attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, intentions and knowledge, across four ethno-cultural groups; (ii) to evaluate the fit of the model we constructed across four ethno-cultural groups of women: Israeli-born Jews and Israeli-born Bedouin-Muslims, immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Ethiopian immigrants. Four hundred women (one hundred from each group), aged &gt;65, completed valid and reliable questionnaires assessing knowledge, TPB components and actual PA. The level of knowledge on osteoporosis was relatively low among all four ethno-cultural groups. Intention to participate in PA was the only variable that directly predicted actual PA. Intention to participate in PA served as a mediator among attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control and actual PA. The structural equation models (SEMs) revealed that among Israeli-born Jews and Ethiopian immigrants, TPB components mediated the link between knowledge and intention to participate in PA. Among FSU immigrants and Israeli Bedouin-Muslims, the knowledge variable was not included in the final model, as its contribution was not significant. It is essential to better understand and augment interventions that enhance PA in the community, and to address the unique needs of each ethno-cultural group.


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