Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are recognized as potential factors affecting cognitive function; however, there is limited evidence of their association with cognitive impairment (CI) in Indian populations. The present study aimed to investigate the role of PA and SB in CI among adults living in rural communities in the Mansa district of Punjab, India. The study included 1206 adults of both sexes, living in rural Punjab. Sociodemographic and lifestyle data were collected using modified interview schedules. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) assessed PA and SB, and cognitive function was evaluated using RUDAS. Low PA was associated with an increased risk of CI only among older adults (≥ 60 years) OR: 1.68 (0.98–2.88), p-value = 0.061, but not in the middle and younger age groups. Conversely, high SB was significantly associated with an increased risk of CI in both the older and middle age groups (40–59 years) OR: 2.17 (1.06–4.30), p-value = 0.026; OR: 1.83 (1.03–3.27), p-value = 0.040, respectively. Further, when examining the composite effect of PA and SB, the group with low PA and high SB had significantly increased odds of CI OR: 2.15 (1.19–3.88), p-value = 0.011 compared to the reference category of high PA and low SB in the overall sample. Adhering to recommended PA levels and maintaining low SB (< 7 h/day) can be beneficial in reducing the burden of CI. Additionally, reducing sedentary time may independently contribute to reducing the burden of CI among middle-aged individuals.
Yadav et al. (Mon,) studied this question.