Correlation between the Physical Activity Volume and Cognitive and Mental Capacity among Elderly People in China: A Cross-sectional Study Based on the 2020 CHARLS Database

Background At present, due to the progress of the aging population in China and the government's attention to healthy aging, people are putting increasing emphasis on the cognitive function and psychological function of elderly people. Therefore, the goal of our study was to investigate the relationships between physical activity and cognitive and psychological function in order to provide suggestions for exercise guidance. Methods A total of 5871 participants who met the inclusion criteria were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) was used to assess mental capacity, and cognitive function was included in three domains:orientation, memory,and calculation.and the total physical activity data were obtained via interviews. ADL and IADL scores were used to determine the presence or absence of daily physical function impairment. Results The prevalence of depression was 8.1%, and 31.6% of the elderly participants experienced depressive symptoms. A total of 15.6% of the elderly individuals had insufficient weekly physical activity, and 3.9% of the elderly individuals had daily functional problems (DFPs). The physical activity volume (PAV) was negatively correlated with the CESD-10 score, orientation, calculation, and memory. Conclusion Our study confirmed that insufficient weekly physical activity was associated with a greater risk of depression, cognitive impairment and DFP impairment in elderly Chinese people.