The Relationship between Physical Exercise and Cognitive Function in Korean Middle Aged and Elderly Adults without Dementia

Youngseung Koh, Yeonsu Oh, Haesung Park, Woorim Kim and Eun-Cheol Park
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Youngseung Koh: Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
Yeonsu Oh: Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
Haesung Park: Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
Woorim Kim: Division of Cancer Control & Policy, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do 10408, Korea
Eun-Cheol Park: Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: This study investigated the association between physical exercise and cognitive function in Koreans aged 45 years or above without dementia. Data from the 2006 to 2018 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) were used. The general characteristics of the study population were investigated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The association between total exercise time per week and cognitive function, measured based on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, was investigated using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on age, educational level, and marital status. A total of 8888 participants were investigated, of which 5173 (58.2%) individuals did not exercise regularly. Among participants who did exercise, 676 (7.6%) individuals were categorized into the Q1, 1157 (13.0%) into the Q2, 908 (10.2%) into the Q3, and 974 (11.0%) into the Q4 group. The mean MMSE score was 26.81 ± 3.17. Compared to the ‘no’ exercise group, better MMSE scores were found in the Q1 (β: 0.3523, p ≤ 0.0001), the Q2 (β: 0.2011, p ≤ 0.0001), the Q3 (β: 0.4075, p ≤ 0.0001), and the Q4 groups (β: 0.3144, p ≤ 0.0001) after adjustment. The magnitude of this association was stronger in participants aged 65 years or above and in single or separated individuals. The findings of this study confirm a positive association between physical exercise and MMSE scores in the middle aged and elderly.

Keywords: physical exercise; exercise duration; exercise frequency; cognitive function; middle aged; elderly (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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