Physical activity and cognitive function of community Chinese elderly in Hong Kong (HK) and Guangzhou (GZ).

BACKGROUND: Some studies demonstrated that physical activity may have beneficial effect on cognitive function. The objective of the study was to estimate the association between physical activity and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong Kong (HK) and Guangzhou (GZ). METHODS: In the neighborhood of HK and GZ, a convenience sample of 557 (260 in HK and 297 in GZ) older persons without dementia aged over 60 years (73.4 ± 6.5) was recruited. Physical activity was measured using a checklist. Information on physical activity participation, cognitive function, and other variables were collected. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between physical activity and cognitive function. RESULTS: Total number of physical activities showed significant association with the delayed recall test (p 0.05) CONCLUSION: Physical activity may not be associated with better cognitive function among elderly Chinese independently of other factors.