The Combined Effects of Smoking, Drinking, and Physical Activities on the Cognitive Health of Older Adults
2024
Effects of Smoking, Drinking, and Physical Activity on Older Adults' Cognitive Health
Sample size: 7467
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Su Yan-Jhu, Dugan Elizabeth, Avila Jaqueline
Primary Institution: University of Massachusetts Boston
Hypothesis
How do smoking, drinking, and physical activities combined affect the cognitive health of older adults?
Conclusion
High levels of physical activity and some drinking are linked to better cognitive health, while smoking is linked to poorer cognitive health.
Supporting Evidence
- The most common health behavior combination was never smoking, no drinking, and high-level physical activity.
- Respondents with no smoking, no drinking, and no physical activities had lower cognitive function compared to the reference group.
- Policies promoting physical activity may improve cognitive health in older adults.
Takeaway
If older people stay active and drink a little, their brains work better, but smoking makes their brains work worse.
Methodology
This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2018 Health and Retirement Study, assessing cognitive function and health behaviors among older adults.
Participant Demographics
Respondents aged 65 and older from the U.S.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
-1.56, -0.71
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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