Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
School of Aging Studies
Major Professor
Brent J. Small, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
William E. Haley, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Olivio Clay, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Hongdao Meng, Ph.D., M.D., M.P.H.
Keywords
Aging, Cognition, Exercise, Memory, Minority
Abstract
The number of older adults in the United States is expected to increase in the years to come. As we age, cognitive performance is noted to decline. African American older adults are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to experience cognitive impairment and dementia. It is known that physical activity is a modifiable risk factor for dementia. It is not known the extent to which physical activity engagement is related to cognitive performance in African American older adults, and which variables, if any, moderate this association. To answer this question, the authors examined the association between three intensities of physical activity (mild, moderate, and vigorous) at two levels per intensity (between-person and within-person) and four domains of cognitive performance (episodic memory, working memory, total mental status, and total cognition). Data was analyzed at five time points using ten years of data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Results indicated that greater engagement in physical activity was associated with greater cognitive performance across a variety of domains. Younger age, higher years of education, and female gender moderated this association. Implications from this study indicate the effectiveness of engaging in a contextual factor of cognitive decline with regard to higher cognitive performance in minority older adults. Of note, an increase in physical activity engagement at different time points was associated with higher cognitive performance, indicating that the positive association between physical activity and cognition can be observed for individuals who initially do not engage in physical activity.
Scholar Commons Citation
Tate, Rio S., "The Relationship between Physical Activity and Cognitive Performance in African American Older Adults" (2025). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/11102
