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

Abstract

Frailty, a condition characterized by a reduced physiological reserve and resilience, is highly prevalent among older adults. 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. 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. 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. 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.