TY  - JOUR
AU  - Koon, Lyndsie
AU  - Brustad, Robert
AU  - Babkes Stellino, Megan
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/11/27
TI  - Social Engagement and Task Complexity: Physical Activity Characteristics and Executive Function Among Older Adults
JO  - OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine
SP  - 064
VL  - 04
IS  - 04
AB  - Physical activity participation has been found to have a positive impact on cognitive function across a lifespan. For older adults, qualitative variables with the physical activity context may influence cognition than quantitative variables (e.g., intensity, duration). The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first objective was to develop taxonomies for two qualitative components within the physical activity environment: the level of task complexity (both motoric and cognitive) and the degree to which social engagement occurs during physical activity engagement. The second objective was to assess the relationships among these two components and the cognitive function of active, older adults.  Physical activities reported by the participants (N = 75) were evaluated separately for the level of task complexity and social engagement. Three components of executive function were measured as indicators of cognitive function and included inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Results from multiple regressions revealed that higher levels of social engagement or more complex physical activity among this sample of older adults did not contribute to variability in any of the three indices of executive function. However, the taxonomies developed to directly assess the variability in social engagement and task complexity for a variety of physical activities developed in this research serves as a meaningful contribution to the literature and can be utilized for intervention design among physical activity interventions across a lifespan.
SN  - 2573-4393
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.1904064
DO  - 10.21926/obm.icm.1904064
ID  - Koon2019
ER  -