Short-Term Lifestyle Strategies for Sustaining Cognitive Status

Abstract

Cognitive decline impacts older adults, particularly their independence. The goal of this project was to increase understanding of how short-term, everyday lifestyle options, including physical activity, help an older adult sustain cognitive independence. Using a secondary analysis of lifestyle choices, we drew on a dataset of 4,620 community-dwelling elders in the US, assessed at baseline and one year later using 2 valid and reliable tools, the interRAI Community Health Assessment and the interRAI Wellness tool. Decline or no decline on the Cognitive Performance Scale was the dependent variable. We examined sustaining one's status on this measure over a one-year period in relation to key dimensions of wellness through intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual variables. Engaging in physical activity, formal exercise, and specific recreational activities had a favorable effect on short-term cognitive decline. Involvement with computers, crossword puzzles, handicrafts, and formal education courses also were protective factors. The physical and intellectual domains of wellness are prominent aspects in protection from cognitive decline. Inherent in these two domains are mutable factors suitable for targeted efforts to promote older adult health and well-being.

Observed Physical Function Is Associated With Better Cognition Among Elderly Adults: The Adventist Health Study-2

“…Compared to non-vegetarians with PPT scores at or below the mean, vegetarians with PPT scores above the mean did better on cognitive processing speed tasks but these results did not achieve statistical significance (b ¼ 0. 18 ; p ¼ 0.01) appeared to be driving the association. Similar to PPT, the relationship between TUG and cognitive processing speed was independent of selfreported level of vigorous physical activity (Model 3, Table 3B).…”

“…A number of population-based observational and experimental studies suggest that in addition to greater education, lifestyle factors may individually protect against the development of MCI, including participating in cognitively stimulating activities, being physically active, consuming a diet high in mono-and poly-unsaturated fatty acids and following the Mediterranean diet. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] Diet is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), [24][25][26][27] and CVD in turn is associated with cognitive dysfunction. 28 Having a physically active lifestyle which could lead to greater physical fitness, may protect the aging brain by improving cerebral blood flow, increasing cortical and hippocampal volumes, and improving synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis.…”

The Role of Health-promoting Lifestyle in Predicting Cognitive Status of Older Clergymen

“…Mahmoudi et al showed the effect of spiritual health on the adoption of self-care behaviors in the elderly [9]. Some studies have examined the relationship between religion and the dietary regime of the elderly and have reported religion as one of the influential factors in the nutrition of the elderly [10].…”

Physical Activity and Positive Psychological Well-Being Attributes Among U.S. Latino Older Adults

“…High quality of life, or life satisfaction, has been the most commonly proposed defi nition of successful aging, which includes happiness, relationships between desired and achieved goals, social functioning, and overall wellbeing (Bowling & Dieppe, 2005). In addition, evidence supports that physical activity, whether light (1.6 to 3 metabolic equivalents) or moderate/vigorous (3 to 5.9 and 6+ metabolic equivalents, respectively) intensity, contributes to higher levels of cognitive function in older adults (Howard et al, 2016;Loprinzi, Lee, & Cardinal, 2015), including Latino older adults (Wilbur et al, 2012). Latino older adults were motivated to stay physically active for an improvement in health, quality of work, and physical strength (Mathews et al, 2010).…”