Leisure-time physical activity and neuropsychiatric symptoms of community-dwelling persons with cognitive impairment.
Physical activities are recommended to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of nursing home residents with mild dementia. However, relevant information is not available for community-dwelling persons with cognitive impairment. Therefore, this cross-sectional study examined the effects of leisure-time physical activities on cognitively impaired persons' neuropsychiatric symptoms and their family caregivers' distress. Activities were described in terms of their frequency, duration, number of different types, and energy expenditure. Participants were 58 dyads of persons with cognitive impairment and their family caregivers. Data on leisure-time physical activities and neuropsychiatric symptoms were collected using a 7-Day Physical Activity Recall and Chinese Neuropsychiatric Inventory, respectively. The most frequently reported activity was strolling (70.7%). The mean weekly activity frequency, duration, and energy expenditure were 4.52 (SD=4.27) times, 3.7 (SD=4.38) h, and 771.47 (SD=886.38) kcal, respectively. The number of different activity types negatively and significantly predicted cognitively impaired persons' mood and psychosis as well as family caregivers' distress.
School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: yulandac@mail.cgu.edu.tw.
Yi-Chen
YC
Chiu
College of Nursing and Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA.
Ann M
AM
Kolanowski
School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
Chien-Ying
CY
Huang
Graduate Institute of Sports and Leisure Management, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Li-Jung
LJ
Lin
School of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Care and Management, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Ting-Huan
TH
Chang
Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Department of Health Care Management, College of Management, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
Kuang-Hung
KH
Hsu
Department of Neurology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei, Taiwan.
Chaur-Jong
CJ
Hu
Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ying-Jen
YJ
Chen
D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity
Cognitive impairment; Duration; Energy expenditure; Family caregiver distress; Frequency; Leisure-time physical activity; Type