ArticleInternational journal of epidemiology2023
Estimating the effect of physical activity on cognitive function within the UK Biobank cohort.
Article in International journal of epidemiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- Lifestyle for Brain health (LIBRA) score, cognition, brain volume, and dementia risk in the UK Biobank.GeroScience · 2026Article
- Observational
- Causal effects of reproductive traits on cognitive function: A two-sample and multivariable mendelian randomization study.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- An interactive tool to personalise 24-hour activity, sitting and sleep prescription for optimal health outcomes.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Article
- Exploring Links between Brain Image-Derived Phenotypes and Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity in the UK Biobank.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Associations of white matter hyperintensity regression and progression with cognitive and structural brain changes: a population-based cohort study.Alzheimer's research & therapy · 2026Article
- Cross-sectional study of activity habits, socioeconomic status, and cognitive performance in central China's adult population.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Exploring the relationship between cognition and mental health in intersex participants in the UK Biobank study.The Clinical neuropsychologist · 2025Article
- How to develop causal directed acyclic graphs for observational health research: a scoping review.Health psychology review · 2025Article
- Association of Oxidative Stress on Cognitive Function: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomisation Study.Molecular neurobiology · 2024Article
- Habitual glucosamine use, APOE genotypes, and risk of incident cause-specific dementia in the older population.Alzheimer's research & therapy · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPhysical activity (PA) has been associated with benefits for cognitive function (CF), but previous estimates of the strength of this relationship may have been biased due to limitations in statistical modelling practices that are common among observational studies. We aimed to address this by using a rigorously constructed conceptual causal model to guide an empirical analysis estimating the effect of PA on CF in the UK Biobank cohort of middle-aged and older adults.
methodsThis study analysed a subsample of 334 227 adults from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study. PA was measured subjectively by self-report and by device using accelerometry, and CF was measured using objective cognitive tests. Composite CF measures were derived to represent general and domain-specific performance. Effect coefficients were estimated using regression models, adjusting for a wide range of confounders specified by the assumed causal model, including genetic risk factors, and relevant health, sociodemographic and behavioural variables from across the lifespan.
resultsResults indicated very small effect sizes (standardized mean difference estimates all <0.01) of inconsistent direction, for both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.
conclusionsThe expected protective effect of PA on CF was not observed. This may reflect selection bias within UK Biobank, or the relatively young age of the sample at follow-up.
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