A Pilot Study of Cognitive Function in Older Lawn Bowls Players: A Cross-Sectional Design

Low-intensity physical activities that incorporate cognitive engagement, such as dualtask or cognitive enrichment exercises, have been shown to improve cognitive function in older adults.Lawn bowls is a low-intensity sport that requires strategic planning and spatial judgment, creating a natural motor-cognitive dual-task environment.Despite its potential relevance, evidence of its cognitive benefits in older adults, particularly in Japan, remains scarce.Therefore, this pilot study investigated whether older adults who regularly play lawn bowls have superior global cognitive function compared to that of age-matched nonplayers.In this cross-sectional exploratory study, 22 older lawn bowls players and 15 age-matched non-players were recruited from community settings in Japan.Global cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).The participants also completed the Health Assessment Questionnaire for Old-Old Adults to assess their self-reported health status.MMSE scores (mean±standard deviation) were 28.8±1.4 for the lawn bowls group and 27.7±2.2for the control group (p = 0.075, effect size r = 0.293).After adjusting for sex, the scores were 28.8 (95% confidence interval: 28.0-29.5)for the lawn bowls group and 27.9 (26.9-28.9)for the control group (p = 0.178); a consistent 0.9-point difference in means was maintained.This pilot study suggests a potential association between regular lawn bowls participation and improved global cognitive function in older adults.Despite attenuated significance after adjusting for sex, consistent mean differences suggest lawn bowls as a promising, low-intensity strategy for cognitive health.Larger longitudinal interventional studies are required to confirm these findings.