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[START SCRUBBING] Housework tied to better memory, falls protection

Housework was associated with sharper memory, attention span, and better leg strength, and by extension, greater protection against falls in older adults, in a recent study. The findings were independent of other regular recreational and workplace physical activities, and active commuting.

Given that housework involves physical activity and is an indicator of the ability to live independently, the researchers wanted to explore whether doing household chores might contribute to healthy aging and boost physical and mental capacity among older adults in a high-resource country.

The study included 489 randomly selected adults ages 21 and 90, with fewer than five underlying conditions and no cognitive issues. All were living independently in one large residential town in Singapore, and able to carry out routine daily tasks.

Participants were divided into two age bands: 21–64-year-olds (average age, 44), classified as "younger," and 65–90-year-olds (average age, 75), classified as "older." 

Participants were quizzed about the intensity and frequency of household chores they regularly did, as well as how many other types of physical activity they engaged in. Light housework included washing up, dusting, making the bed, hanging out the washing, ironing, tidying up, and cooking. Heavy housework was defined as window cleaning, changing the bed, vacuuming, washing the floor, and activities such as painting/decorating.

Only around a third (36%) of those in the younger group and around half (48%) of those in the older age group met the recommended physical activity quota from recreational physical activity alone. But nearly two thirds (61%, younger; and 66%, older) met this target exclusively through housework.

After adjusting for other types of regular physical activity, the results showed that housework was associated with sharper mental abilities and better physical capacity - but only among the older age group.

Cognitive scores were 8% and 5% higher, respectively, in those doing high volumes of light or heavy housework compared with those in the low-volume groups. 

Heavy housework was associated with a 14% higher attention score; light housework was associated with 12% higher short-term memory scores. Further, sit-to-stand time was 8% faster and balance/coordination scores were 23% faster in the high-volume group compared to the low volume group. 

The authors state, “Incorporating [physical activity] into daily lifestyle through domestic duties (i.e., housework) has the potential to achieve higher [physical activity], which is positively associated with functional health, especially among older community-dwelling adults."

To download the full study, published in BMJ Open, click here

 

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