Graduate Institute of Sports and Health, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua City, Taiwan.
J Epidemiol. 2012;22(3):230-7. doi: 10.2188/jea.je20110084. Epub 2012 Feb 18.
Few studies have explored the relations between naturally occurring changes in physical activity and cognitive performance in later life. This study examined prospective associations between changes in physical activity and cognitive performance in a population-based sample of Taiwanese older adults during an 11-year period.
Analyses were based on nationally representative data from the Taiwan Health and Living Status of the Elderly Survey collected in 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2007. Data from a fixed cohort of 1160 participants who were aged 67 years or older in 1996 and followed for 11 years were included. Cognitive performance (outcome) was assessed using 5 questions from the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire. Physical activity (exposure) was self-reported as number of sessions per week. The latent growth model was used to examine associations between changes in physical activity and cognitive performance after controlling for sociodemographic variables, lifestyle behaviors, and health status.
With multivariate adjustment, higher initial levels of physical activity were significantly associated with better initial cognitive performance (standardized coefficient β = 0.17). A higher level of physical activity at baseline (1996) was significantly related to slower decline in cognitive performance, as compared with a lower level of activity (β = 0.22). The association between changes in physical activity and changes in cognitive performance was stronger (β = 0.36) than the previous 2 associations. The effect remained after excluding participants with cognitive decline before baseline.
Physical activity in later life is associated with slower age-related cognitive decline.
很少有研究探索晚年体力活动的自然变化与认知表现之间的关系。本研究在一个基于人群的台湾老年人样本中，在 11 年的时间内，考察了体力活动变化与认知表现之间的前瞻性关联。
分析基于 1996 年、1999 年、2003 年和 2007 年全国代表性的台湾健康与老年人生活状况调查的数据。包括了年龄在 1996 年为 67 岁或以上的 1160 名固定队列参与者的数据，随访时间为 11 年。认知表现（结局）使用简短便携精神状态问卷中的 5 个问题进行评估。体力活动（暴露）自我报告为每周的运动次数。使用潜在增长模型，在控制社会人口统计学变量、生活方式行为和健康状况后，考察体力活动变化与认知表现变化之间的关联。
在进行多变量调整后，较高的初始体力活动水平与较好的初始认知表现显著相关（标准化系数β=0.17）。与较低的活动水平相比，基线（1996 年）较高的体力活动水平与认知表现的下降速度较慢显著相关（β=0.22）。与前两个关联相比，体力活动变化与认知表现变化之间的关联更强（β=0.36）。排除基线前认知能力下降的参与者后，该效应仍然存在。
晚年的体力活动与与年龄相关的认知能力下降速度较慢有关。
