Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T06:21:54.101Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Physical activity and cognitive function of community Chinese elderly in Hong Kong (HK) and Guangzhou (GZ)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2014

Elena X. F. Su ,
Y. Q. lin ,
S. L. Zhang ,
Grace T. Y. Leung ,
Linda C. W. Lam  and
Helen F. K. Chiu
Elena X. F. Su
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China
Y. Q. lin
Affiliation:
Mental Health Center, Guangdong People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China
S. L. Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of the Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Grace T. Y. Leung
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Tai Po Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR China
Linda C. W. Lam*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China
Helen F. K. Chiu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Linda C. W. Lam, Department of Psychiatry, G/F, Multi Center, Tai Po Hospital, NT, Hong Kong. Phone: +852-2-6076040; Fax: +852-2-6671255. Email: cwlam@cuhk.edu.hk.
Get access

Abstract

Background:

Some studies demonstrated that physical activity may have beneficial effect on cognitive function. The objective of the study was to estimate the association between physical activity and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong Kong (HK) and Guangzhou (GZ).

Methods:

In the neighborhood of HK and GZ, a convenience sample of 557 (260 in HK and 297 in GZ) older persons without dementia aged over 60 years (73.4 ± 6.5) was recruited. Physical activity was measured using a checklist. Information on physical activity participation, cognitive function, and other variables were collected. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between physical activity and cognitive function.

Results:

Total number of physical activities showed significant association with the delayed recall test (p < 0.01) and category verbal fluency test (CVFT) (p < 0.01). However, with further adjustment for participation in intellectual activity, the coefficients were no longer statistically significant (p > 0.05)

Conclusion:

Physical activity may not be associated with better cognitive function among elderly Chinese independently of other factors.

Keywords

physical activitycognitive functionChinese elderly
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 27 , Issue 6 , June 2015 , pp. 959 - 966
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chan, A. S., Ho, Y. C., Cheung, M. C., Albert, M. S., Chiu, H. F. and Lam, L. C. (2005). Association between mind-body and cardiovascular exercises and memory in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 53, 1754–1760.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chiu, H. F. K. et al. (1994). Reliability and validity of the Cantonese version of the Mini-mental state examination: a preliminary study. Journal of the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists, 4 (Suppl. 2), 25–28.Google Scholar
Chu, L. W., Chiu, K. C., Hui, S. L., Yu, G. K., Tsui, W. J. and Lee, P. W. (2000). The reliability and validity of the Alzheimer's disease assessment scale cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) among the elderly Chinese in Hong Kong. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 29, 474–485.Google Scholar
Clark, W. B. and Hilton, M. E., eds. (1991). Alcohol in America: Drinking Practices and Problems, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Colcombe, S. and Kramer, A. F. (2003). Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: a meta-analytic study. Psychological Science, 14, 125–130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Colcombe, S. J. et al. (2006). Aerobic exercise training increases brain volume in aging humans. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 11, 1166–1170.Google Scholar
Conwell, Y., Forbes, N. T., Cox, C. and Caine, E. D. (1993). Validation of a measure of physical illness burden at autopsy, the cumulative illness rating scale. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 41, 38–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gomez-Pinilla, F., So, V. and Kesslak, J. P. (1998). Spatial learning and physical activity contribute to the induction of fibroblast growth factor: neural substrates for increased cognition associated with exercise. Neuroscience, 85, 53–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hagberg, J. M., Park, J. J. and Brown, M. D. (2000). The role of exercise training in the treatment of hypertension. Sports Medicine, 30, 193–206.Google Scholar
Hu, F. B. et al. (1999). Walking compared with vigorous physical activity and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. JAMA, 282, 1433–1439.Google Scholar
Iwasa, H., Yoshida, Y., Kai, I., Suzuki, T., Kim, H. and Yoshida, H. (2012). Leisure activities and cognitive function in elderly community-dwelling individuals in Japan: a 5-year prospective cohort study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 72, 159–164.Google Scholar
James, B. D., Wilson, R. S., Barnes, L. L. and Bennett, D. A. (2011). Late-life social activity and cognitive decline in old age. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 17, 998–1005.Google Scholar
Kelland, D. Z. and Lewis, R. F. (1996). The digit vigilance test: reliability, validity, and sensitivity to diazepam. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 11, 339–344.Google Scholar
Kivipelto, M. et al. (2001). Midlife vascular risk factors and Alzheimer's disease in later life: longitudinal, population based study. BMJ, 322, 1447–1451.Google Scholar
Ku, P. W., Stevinson, C. and Chen, L. J. (2012). Prospective associations between leisure-time physical activity and cognitive performance among older adults across an 11-year period. Journal of Epidemiology, 22, 230–237.Google Scholar
Lam, C. W. et al. (2009). Modality of physical exercise and cognitive function in Hong Kong older Chinese community. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24, 48–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lam, L. C., Ho, P., Lui, V. W. and Tam, C. W. (2006). Reduced semantic fluency as an additional screening tool for subjects with questionable dementia. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 22, 159–164.Google Scholar
Lee, T. M. C. and Chan, C. C. H. (2000). Stroop interference in Chinese and English. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 22, 465–471.Google Scholar
Leung, T. Y. et al. (2010). Examining the association between participation in late-life leisure activities and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong Kong. International Psychogeriatrics, 22, 2–13.Google Scholar
Lindsay, J. et al. (2002). Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: a prospective analysis from the Canadian study of health and aging. American Journal of Epidemiology, 156, 445–453.Google Scholar
Podewils, L. J. et al. (2005). Physical activity, APOE genotype, and dementia risk: findings from the Cardiovascular health cognition study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 161, 639–651.Google Scholar
Reiran, R. M. and Wolfson, D. (1995). Category test and trail making test as measures of frontal lobe functions. Clinical Neuropsychology, 9, 50–56.Google Scholar
Saczynski, J. S. et al. (2006). The effect of social engagement on incident dementia. American Journal of Epidemiology, 163, 433–440.Google Scholar
Schmand, B., Smit, J. H., Geerlings, M. I. and Lindeboom, J. (1997). The effects of intelligence and education on the development of dementia: a test of brain reserve hypothesis. Psychological Medicine, 27, 1337–1334.Google Scholar
Snowden, M. et al. (2011). Effect of exercise on cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults: review of intervention trials and recommendations for public health practice and research. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 59, 704–716.Google Scholar
Sofi, F. et al. (2007). Leisure time but not occupational physical activity significantly affects cardiovascular risk factors in an adult population. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 37, 947–953.Google Scholar
Stefanick, M. L., Mackey, S., Sheehan, M., Ellsworth, N., Haskell, W. L. and Wood, P. D. (1998). Effects of diet and exercise in men and postmenopausal women with low levels of HDL cholesterol and high levels of LDL cholesterol. New England Journal of Medicine, 339, 12–20.Google Scholar
Stern, Y. (2002). What is cognitive reserve? Theory and research application of the reserve concept. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 8, 448–460.Google Scholar
Sturman, M. T. et al. (2005). Physical activity, cognitive activity, and cognitive decline in a bi-racial community population. Archives of Neurology, 62, 1750–1754.Google Scholar
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009). “National survey on drug use and health, 2008: Codebook”. SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, Rockville, Md. Available at: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/cgi-bin/file?comp=none&study=26701&ds=1&file_id=994670.Google Scholar
Teychenne, M., Ball, K. and Salmon, J. (2008). Associations between physical activity and depressive symptoms in women. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 5, 27.Google Scholar
Vemuri, P. et al. (2014). Association of life time intellectual enrichment with cognitive decline in the older population. JAMA Neurology, 71, 1017–1024.Google Scholar
Verghese, J. et al. (2006). Leisure activities and the risk of amnestic mild cognitive impairment in the elderly. Neurology, 66, 821–827.Google Scholar
Wilson, R. S. et al. (2002). Participation in cognitively stimulating activities and risk of incident Alzheimer disease. JAMA, 287, 742–748.Google Scholar
Yoshitake, T. et al. (1995). Incidence and risk factors of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease in a defined elderly Japanese population: the Hisayama study. Neurology, 45, 1161–1168.Google Scholar