Physical Activity Over the Life Course and Its Association with Cognitive Performance and Impairment in Old Age
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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.
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Among four ages examined, teenage physical activity was most strongly related to better cognitive function and lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in old age.
“Of the four ages examined, teenage physical activity appeared to be most strongly related to better cognitive function and lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in old age (341).”
From Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases (2012) · cites this paper as [341]
Women who began physical activity later in life after inactive teenage years also had lower rates of cognitive impairment in late life.
“Women who began physical activity later in life after inactive teenage years also had lower rates of cognitive impairment in late life.”
From Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases (2012) · cites this paper as [341]
Women who reported physical activity at any point in life had a lower likelihood of cognitive impairment in late life.
“Women who reported being physically active at any point in life had a lower likelihood of cognitive impairment in late life (341).”
From Lack of Exercise Is a Major Cause of Chronic Diseases (2012) · cites this paper as [341]
Physical activity at age 30, age 50, and late-life is associated with reduced odds of developing cognitive impairment in women 65 and older.
“a multicenter, prospective study of women 65 and older showed that physical activity at three time points—age 30, age 50 and late-life—was associated with reduced odds of developing cognitive impairment [132].”
From The neuropathology of sport (2014) · cites this paper as [132]
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- Authors
- Middleton, L. E., Barnes, D. E., Lui, L., & Yaffe, K.
- Affiliations
- San Francisco VA Medical Center (US)
- Venue
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2010-07
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1322-1326
- ISSN
- 0002-8614 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-5415
- PMC
- PMC3662219
- OpenAlex
- W1573988570
- Cited by
- 339
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 13.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG005394, AG05394, R01AG005407, R01AG027576, K24AG031155, K01AG024069, AG-05407, R01AG027574)
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01AR035584, AR35583, AR-35584, AR 35582, R01AR035582, R01AR035583)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- physical activity, cognitive impairment, late-life cognitive decline, life course, older women, cognitive performance, physical inactivity
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Cognition Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Life Style, Middle Aged, Motor Activity, United States, Health Behavior, Exercise, Prevalence, Logistic Models
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