title: Leisure-time physical activity over the life course and cognitive functioning in late mid-adult years: a cohort-based investigation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of the present study was to estimate the association between different leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) parameters from 11 to 50 years and cognitive functioning in late mid-adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a prospective birth cohort study including participants in the UK National Child Development Study (NCDS) from age 11 to 50 years. Standardized z scores for cognitive, memory and executive functioning at age 50 represented the primary outcome measures. Exposures included self-reported LTPA at ages 11, 16, 33, 42, 46 and 50 years. Analyses were adjusted for important confounders including educational attainment and long-standing illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adjusted difference in cognition score between women who reported LTPA for at least 4 days/week in five surveys or more and those who never reported LTPA for at least 4 days/week was 0.28 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20-0.35], 0.10 (95% CI 0.01-0.19) for memory score and 0.30 (95% CI 0.23-0.38) for executive functioning score. For men, the equivalent differences were: cognition 0.12 (95% CI 0.05-0.18), memory 0.06 (95% CI -0.02 to 0.14) and executive functioning 0.16 (95% CI 0.10-0.23).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides novel evidence about the lifelong association between LTPA and memory and executive functioning in mid-adult years. Participation in low-frequency and low-intensity LTPA was positively associated with cognitive functioning in late mid-adult years for men and women. The greatest benefit emerged from participating in lifelong intensive LTPA.
authors.affiliation: King's College London, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dregan
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gulliford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult