Leisure-time physical activity and neuropsychiatric symptoms of community-dwelling persons with cognitive impairment

Physical activities are recommended to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of nursing home residents with mild dementia. However, relevant information is not available for community-dwelling persons with cognitive impairment. Therefore, this cross-sectional study examined the effects of leisure-time physical activities on cognitively impaired persons' neuropsychiatric symptoms and their family caregivers' distress. Activities were described in terms of their frequency, duration, number of different types, and energy expenditure. Participants were 58 dyads of persons with cognitive impairment and their family caregivers. Data on leisure-time physical activities and neuropsychiatric symptoms were collected using a 7-Day Physical Activity Recall and Chinese Neuropsychiatric Inventory, respectively. The most frequently reported activity was strolling (70.7%). The mean weekly activity frequency, duration, and energy expenditure were 4.52 (SD = 4.27) times, 3.7 (SD = 4.38) h, and 771.47 (SD = 886.38) kcal, respectively. The number of different activity types negatively and significantly predicted cognitively impaired persons' mood and psychosis as well as family caregivers' distress.