Activity behavior and cognitive performance in older adults living in a senior housing facility: the impact of frailty status

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Frailty, a condition characterized by a reduced physiological reserve and resilience, is highly prevalent among older adults. Aims: This study examined differences in physical activity (PA) level, sedentary behavior (SB) time, and cognitive performance in older adults living in a senior housing facility (SHF) as a function of frailty status. Methods: This study assessed 100 older adults from a SHF in the Midwest area of the United States. Participants were categorized as frail or non-frail according to scores observed in the short physical performance battery (SPPB), using the cutoff of nine previously stated in the literature. PA level and SB time were self-reportedly assessed using the physical activity scale for the elderly (PASE) and SB using a specific questionnaire developed for the older adult population. Cognitive performance was assessed using a collection of tests measuring cognitive processing speed, verbal learning, visuospatial memory, and verbal fluency. Results: Frail and non-frail older adults reported similar PA level and SB time (P >.05). Frail older adults performed significantly (P <.05) worse than their counterparts, non-frail in all measures of cognitive function. However, after controlling the analysis for age, only processing speed (SDMT scores) remained statistically different (P <.05) between groups. Discussion/conclusion: Older adults living in a SHF with different frailty status (i.e., frail vs. non-frail) report similar levels of PA level and SB time; but our findings suggest that non-frail older adults appear to have better cognitive function in terms of processing speed compared to the frail group.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)703-709
Number of pages7
JournalAging Clinical and Experimental Research
Volume32
Issue number4
Early online dateJun 26 2019
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cognition
  • Frailty
  • Physical activity
  • Sedentary behavior

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Aging
  • Geriatrics and Gerontology

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