Physical activity, social support, and working memory in older adults: evidence from a Chinese sample

This study examined the associations between physical activity (PA), social support and working memory performance in older adults. With a particular focus on the potential moderating role of social support. Using a cross-sectional design, we recruited 123 community-dwelling older adults who completed assessments of PA (MET-min/week), social support (SSRS total score), and working memory performance across 0-back, 1-back, and 2-back conditions. After standardizing PA and SSRS, an interaction term was constructed. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted after standardizing variables, with age, sex, and education controlled. The results indicated that both PA and social support were positively associated with 2-back accuracy, while no significant associations were observed for 0-back or 1-back performance. A significant moderating effect of social support was observed, such that the association between PA and working memory was stronger at higher levels of social support. These findings suggest that higher levels of physical activity and social support are associated with better high-load working memory performance, and that social support may enhance the cognitive benefits of physical activity in older adults.