Doing MORE housework can boost Brits’ memories, scientists say

DOING MORE housework can boost Brits’ memories and attention span for older people, scientists say.

Researchers have found that elderly people who participate in a combination of light housework appears to give people a “higher cognitive function”.

AlamyScientists wanted to find out whether household chores could help mental capacity in elderly people[/caption]

Experts in Singapore wanted to assess whether doing household chores contributes towards healthy ageing by boosting physical activity levels and mental capacity.

The link was seen independently of how much other physical activity the over-65s did in either their work or leisure time, researchers said.

Researchers examined walking speed and sit-to-stand speed from a chair – which is indicative of leg strength and falls risk – to assess the participants’ levels of physical activity.

Their mental agility was also assessed with tests designed to examine memory, language and attention span.

Participants were quizzed about the intensity and frequency of household chores as well as other types of physical activity.

Their paper, published in BMJ Open, is based on almost 500 adults in Singapore who underwent tests to determine their physical and cognitive health.

They were divided into two age bands; between 21 and 54, with an average age of 44, and between 65 and 90, with an average age of 75.

The results of memory tests and physical tests, such as how quickly people could move from sitting to standing and walking speed, showed that housework was linked to sharper mental abilities and better physical capacity, but only in the older group.

Only around a third (36%) of those in the younger group and just under half (48%) of those in the older age group – aged 65 and over – met recommended physical activity levels from recreational activities alone.

But around two thirds – 61% of adults aged 64 and younger and 66% of older adults – met the targets exclusively through housework.

Cognitive scores were 8 per cent and 5 per cent higher in the over-65s doing high volumes of light or heavy housework respectively, than in those doing less.

The sit-to-stand time was 8 per cent faster in those doing higher volumes of heavy housework, and balance scores were 23 per cent higher.

This included washing the dishes, dusting, making the bed, doing the laundry, hanging out the laundry, ironing, tidying up and cooking meals – even harder chores such as window cleaning, changing beddings, beating the mat, vacuuming, washing or scrubbing the floor, and chores involving sawing, repairing or painting.

Meanwhile, those who regularly performed the more physically demanding jobs around the house had reduced sit-to-stand times and better balance and co-ordination scores compared with those who did not regularly engage in these activities.

The authors point out that the study is an observational one so no firm conclusions can be drawn and they called for more research to establish the link between household jobs and health.

“In conclusion, our study suggests that a combination of light and heavy housework is associated with higher cognitive function, specifically in attention and memory domains, among community-dwelling older adults,” they wrote.

“Furthermore, the positive associations of housework levels with physical and sensorimotor functions in older adults were intensity dependent.

“Housework may also complement recreational physical activity among current older community-dwelling adults in high-income countries towards healthier ageing.

“Future longitudinal and intervention studies are required to establish causality between housework activities and functional health.”