Understanding the relationship between community mobility and cognitive function in older adults

The extent of individuals' mobility within their community-;how much they get out and about-;may be linked to their cognitive function, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

In the study of 7,016 Black and white adults aged 52 years and older who completed various questionnaires, greater community mobility was significantly associated with better cognitive function, although the association was small.

Because higher atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk is associated with both mobility limitations and cognitive decline, investigators hypothesized that associations between mobility and cognition would be stronger among individuals with a history of or at high risk of ASCVD, but they found that this was not the case. In fact, the association was strongest in individuals with a low risk of ASCVD.

This study provides further evidence that our cognitive and physical health are interconnected. It suggests that we need to take a holistic approach that addresses both lifestyle and more traditional measures of health."

Emily B. Levitan, ScD, corresponding author of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health