Abstract Objective To examine the associations between physical activity (PA), sleep duration, and cognitive function among middle‐aged and older adults, focusing on the mediating and moderating roles of sleep duration. Methods Data were derived from the 2020 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. A cross‐sectional design was employed. Multiple linear regression and PROCESS Models 1 and 4 were used to analyze the effects of PA intensity and sleep duration on cognitive function, as well as their interactive relationships. Results Sleep duration was a significant positive predictor of cognitive function ( B = 0.214, p < 0.001). Moderate‐ and light‐intensity PA were negatively associated with cognitive performance ( B = −1.068 and B = −1.401, p < 0.001), whereas vigorous‐intensity PA was positively associated ( B = 0.546, p < 0.001). Sleep duration buffered the negative effect of moderate‐intensity PA on cognition but amplified the detrimental effect of light‐intensity activity. Moreover, sleep duration suppressed the positive association between vigorous PA and cognitive function. Conclusion PA and sleep duration appear to be associated with cognitive function through interaction and mediation pathways. Optimizing both PA and sleep behaviors may contribute to the preservation of cognitive function.
Zhang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.