Is all movement equal at every age? Differentiating the impact of physical activity types on depressive symptoms and mental acuity in an aging India

BACKGROUND: The geriatric population has been growing worldwide, leading to a higher prevalence of cognitive conditions in older persons, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries like India. Physical activity (PA) is associated with improved mental well-being and lessen these symptoms, but most of the researches are carried out on the Western nations and there is a gap in the Indian context. OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlation amongst different forms of physical activities and their association with cognitive impairment (CoI) and depressive symptoms among Indian older adults. METHODOLOGY: We analysed dataset from the wave 1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (2017-18), covering 59,813 respondents aged 45 years or older. The Adjusted Prevalence Ratios (APRs) were assessed utilizing the Multivariable Poisson Regression models, accounting for demographic and socioeconomic factors. FINDINGS: Estimated prevalence of CoI among older adults was 11.11%, while depressive symptoms affected 27.39% of the study population. Individuals engaging in vigorous physical activity had a lower prevalence of CoI (7.72%) than those who were not involved in such activities (12.27%) (APR of CoI: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.94-1.22). Holistic PA, such as yoga, was associated with the lowest prevalence of CoI (4.69%) compared to those not engaging in such activities (11.77%) with an APR of 1.42 (95% CI: 1.22-1.67). Depressive symptoms were less prevalent among individuals engaged in any form of physical activity. The lowest proportions were observed among participants involved in holistic activities (23.76%) compared to non-participants (27.76%). CONCLUSION: Engagement in physical activities, including holistic practices, can be beneficial in reducing the risk of cognitive function deterioration and depressive symptoms. Engagement in these activities can be promoted as a non-pharmaceutical therapeutic approach to alleviate the mental well-being and cognitive functioning in this population. More research evidence, especially from longitudinal studies, is needed. These correlations need to be verified and further substantiated through longitudinal research.