The relationship between physical activity and health-related quality of life in people with dementia: an observational study

Recent research suggests the positive effect of physical activity on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in people with dementia may be mediated through improved activities of daily living (ADL) and reduced depressive symptoms. One hundred and twenty-four people with dementia and their informal carers were recruited from the South East of England for this observational study. A subset of participants wore an accelerometer for 30 days. A series of bivariate analyses were completed, alongside mediation analyses. In people with mild to moderate severity dementia, weak positive associations were widely reported between physical activity indices and HRQL, though only single association reached statistical significance (rs=0.25, p=0.03). Mediation analysis revealed no significant indirect effects across the models after controlling for cognition. Future research needs to explore such relationships with a greater emphasis on the modality and psychosocial components of physical activity rather than just frequency, duration and intensity.