Long-Term Care

Research suggests adolescent activity linked to mental health in women

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, July 8, 2010

An active lifestyle during the teenage years may provide young women with a healthy mind in late life, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Approximately 9,395 women – all of whom were over age 65 and most were white – participated in the study, according to The New York Times.

The women’s cognitive abilities were assessed and they were asked about their physical activity during their teenage years, as well as at certain ages in adulthood. The results revealed that regular activity at any age lowered the risk for cognitive impairment later in life, but especially for individuals who reported active teenage years. Of the women who said they were physically active on a regular basis during adolescence, only 8.5% experienced cognitive impairment later in life.

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