Individual and Partner Exercise Status and Cognitive Function in Older Adults

The present study used a linear mixed model analytic approach to assess the association between
a combined respondent and spousal exercise score and cognitive outcomes of older adult
respondents drawn from a nationally representative dataset, The Health and Retirement Study.
Informed by the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC), the present study sought to
understand the role of both an individual and their spouse’s aerobic physical activity in an
individual’s cognitive outcomes and trajectories. Utilizing longitudinal survey data collected
across twelve years (N=3,189), the combined exercise status of a married couple was found to be
a significant predictor of cognitive outcomes; when an interaction between time and couple
exercise status was included in the model, this was also found to be a significant predictor of four
specific cognitive outcomes. The highest cognitive benefit was identified among individuals
where both they and their partner participated in the recommended amount of aerobic physical
activity, suggesting an additive effect. These findings and their implications are discussed
further.