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Physical Activity Over the Life Course and Its Association with Cognitive Performance and Impairment in Old Age
Author(s) -
Middleton Laura E.,
Barnes Deborah E.,
Lui LiYung,
Yaffe Kristine
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02903.x
Subject(s) - medicine , odds ratio , confidence interval , marital status , logistic regression , demography , body mass index , life course approach , diabetes mellitus , cross sectional study , gerontology , population , psychology , endocrinology , social psychology , environmental health , pathology , sociology
OBJECTIVE: To determine how physical activity at various ages over the life course is associated with cognitive impairment in late life. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional study. SETTING: Four U.S. sites. PARTICIPANTS: Nine thousand three hundred forty‐four women aged 65 and older (mean 71.6) who self‐reported teenage, age 30, age 50, and late‐life physical activity. MEASUREMENTS: Logistic regression was used to determine the association between physical activity status at each age and likelihood of cognitive impairment (modified Mini‐Mental State Examination (mMMSE) score >1.5 standard deviations below the mean, mMMSE score≤22). Models were adjusted for age, education, marital status, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, depressive symptoms, smoking, and body mass index. RESULTS: Women who reported being physically active had a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in late life than women who were inactive at each time (teenage: 8.5% vs 16.7%, adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.53–0.80; age 30: 8.9% vs 12.0%, AOR=0.80, 95% CI=0.67–0.96); age 50: 8.5% vs 13.1%, AOR=0.71, 95% CI=0.59–0.85; old age: 8.2% vs 15.9%, AOR=0.74, 95% CI=0.61–0.91). When the four times were analyzed together, teenage physical activity was most strongly associated with lower odds of late‐life cognitive impairment (OR=0.73, 95% CI=0.58–0.92). However, women who were physically inactive as teenagers and became active in later life had lower risk than those who remained inactive. CONCLUSIONS: Women who reported being physically active at any point over the life course, especially as teenagers, had a lower likelihood of cognitive impairment in late life. Interventions should promote physical activity early in life and throughout the life course.