Desk-based jobs may offer protection against poor cognition in later
life

Date:
July 7, 2020
Source:
University of Cambridge
Summary:
People who work in jobs that require less physical activity -
typically office and desk-based jobs - are at a lower risk of
subsequent poor cognition than those whose work is more physically
active, suggests new research.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== People who work in jobs that require less physical activity -- typically
office and desk-based jobs -- are at a lower risk of subsequent poor
cognition than those whose work is more physically active, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge.


==========================================================================
Lack of physical activity and exercise are known risk factors for
major health conditions, including cognitive impairments such as memory
and concentration problems. However, evidence as to whether physical
activity actually protects against cognitive decline has often been
mixed and inconclusive.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge examined patterns of
physical activity among 8,500 men and women who were aged 40-79 years
old at the start of the study and who had a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and educational attainment. The individuals were all part of
the EPIC-Norfolk Cohort. In particular, the team were able to separate
physical activity during work and leisure to see if these had different associations with later life cognition.

"The often used mantra 'what is good for the heart, is good for the
brain' makes complete sense, but the evidence on what we need to do as individuals can be confusing," said Shabina Hayat from the Department
of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge. "With
our large cohort of volunteers, we were able to explore the relationship between different types of physical activity in a variety of settings."
As part of the study, participants completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire, including information on the level of physical activity
during both work and leisure, and underwent a health examination. After
an average 12 years, the volunteers were invited back and completed a
battery of tests that measured aspects of their cognition, including
memory, attention, visual processing speed and a reading ability test
that approximates IQ.

While many studies have only been able to report cross-sectional findings,
the ability to follow up EPIC-Norfolk participants over a long period
allowed the researchers to examine data prospectively. This helped
them rule out any bias resulting from people with poor cognition --
possibly as a result of cognitive impairment or early dementia -- being
less likely to be physically active due to poor cognition, rather than
poor cognition being a result of physical inactivity.

Among their findings, published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the researchers report:
* Individuals with no qualifications were more likely to have
physically
active jobs, but less likely to be physically active outside
of work.

* A physically inactive job (typically a desk-job), is associated with
lower risk of poor cognition, irrespective of the level of
education.

Those who remained in this type of work throughout the study period
were the most likely to be in the top 10% of performers.

* Those in manual work had almost three times increased risk of poor
cognition than those with an inactive job.

"Our analysis shows that the relationship between physical activity
and cognitive is not straightforward," explained Hayat. "While regular
physical activity has considerable benefits for protection against
many chronic diseases, other factors may influence its effect on future
poor cognition.

"People who have less active jobs -- typically office-based, desk jobs -
- performed better at cognitive tests regardless of their education. This suggests that because desk jobs tend to be more mentally challenging than manual occupations, they may offer protection against cognitive decline."
It was not possible to say conclusively that physical activity in leisure
time and desk-based work offer protection against cognitive decline. The researchers say that to answer this question, further studies will be
required to include a more detailed exploration of the relationship of
physical activity with cognition, particularly on inequalities across socio-economic groups and the impact of lower education.

The research was supported by the Medical Research Council, Cancer
Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Cambridge. The original
story is licensed under a Creative_Commons_License. Note: Content may
be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Hayat, SA et al. Cross-sectional and prospective relationship
between
occupational and leisure time inactivity and cognitive function
in an ageing population. International Journal of Epidemiology,
2020 DOI: 10.17863/CAM.51130 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200707113335.htm

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