Activity Engagement Across Stages of Cognitive Health

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cognitive Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Cognitive decline in older adults is a growing public health concern.
• Activity engagement is crucial for maintaining quality of life in aging populations.
• Understanding the relationship between cognitive status and activity patterns is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how activity engagement varies across different cognitive health stages in older adults.
• To identify specific health behaviors and activities associated with lower cognitive function.
• To inform strategies for promoting well-being in aging individuals with cognitive impairment.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Microbiome in Aging of Gut and Brain (MiaGB) study (August 2022 - December 2023).
• Utilized health history, activity engagement questionnaires, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for cognitive assessment.
• Employed one-way ANOVA and chi-squared tests with Bonferroni post hoc analyses to compare group differences.

Main Results:

• Participants scoring ≤17 on MoCA were older (average 84 years), predominantly White, non-Hispanic females with lower education and medium income (p < 0.001).
• Significant differences in active engagement were found across most health behaviors (p < 0.05), excluding childcare.
• Lower cognitive status correlated with higher reported rates of hypertension, osteoarthritis, and depression.

Conclusions:

• Older adults with diminished cognitive function report more clinical ailments and reduced engagement in meaningful activities.
• Interventions promoting meaningful activity engagement are recommended to enhance the quality of life for older adults with cognitive decline.
• Tailored activity modifications across cognitive health levels are necessary to support well-being in aging populations.