Abstrakt: |
The link between activity (physical, social and cognitive) and cognitive functioning (CF) is complex; theoretical evidence indicated that it was mediated by depressive symptomology. The current study intended to elucidate how depressive symptomology mediates between different dimensions of activity and cognitive functioning by taking into account negative emotionality (i.e., personality variable) as a covariate. This study recruited 350 community-dwelling older adults in Rawalpindi, Pakistan through a purposive sampling technique. Cognitive functioning was measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPAQ) assessed physical activity, social activity was examined using Lubben's Social Network Scale (LSNS-6), Late Life Cognitive Activity (LLCA) measure was used to assess cognitive activity, negative emotionality was assessed using Negative Emotional Scale from Short form of Big Five Inventory and depressive symptomology was measured using Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Hayes process model 4 was utilized to test the mediation effects in this correlational study. Physical activity (r =.454, p <.01), social activity (r =.586, p <.01) and cognitive activity r =.632, p <.01) have significant positive associations whereas negative emotionality (r = −.609, p <.01) and depressive symptoms (r = −.733, p <.001) have significant negative associations with cognitive functioning. Moreover, depressive symptoms partially mediated the relationship between social activity and cognitive functioning (β in direct model = 0.322, p <.001; β in full mediational model = 0.078, p =.003) and for cognitive activity and cognitive functioning (β in direct model = 0.324, p <.001; β in full mediational model = 0.161, p <.001) but fail to mediate between physical activity and cognitive functioning after controlling for the effects of negative emotionality. Altogether, this study's findings suggest that different domains of activity exert significant effects on depressive symptomology and cognitive functioning in the aging population. Understanding these results can help to optimize activity (physical, social, and cognitive) interventions to improve cognitive aging and minimize depressive symptomology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |