The Impact of Pandemic-Related Restrictions on Dementia Risk Factors in Older Adults

Adults aged 65+ are at highest risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, and prior to the distribution of vaccines in the U.S., were strongly advised to quarantine at home to reduce risk of infection. This study examines how COVID-19 restrictions impacted various dementia risk factors and social determinan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied gerontology 2024-05, Vol.43 (5), p.515-519
Main Authors: Simone, Tamar, Peltz, Carrie, Rosenberg, Dori E., Barnes, Deborah E., Fleckenstein, Lynn E., Dublin, Sascha, Yaffe, Kristine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
COVID-19
COVID-19 - epidemiology
COVID-19 - prevention & control
Dementia
Dementia - epidemiology
Diet
Emotions
Exercise
Humans
Older people
Pandemics
Risk Factors
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Summary:Adults aged 65+ are at highest risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, and prior to the distribution of vaccines in the U.S., were strongly advised to quarantine at home to reduce risk of infection. This study examines how COVID-19 restrictions impacted various dementia risk factors and social determinants of health among older adults. Data came from the Systematic Multi-Domain Alzheimer's Risk Reduction Trial, a randomized controlled trial of a multi-domain intervention in higher-risk older adults (aged 70–89). A questionnaire was administered to participants (n = 156; 90.7% response rate) between May 2020 and March 2021. The data show a significant decline in social activity, physical activity, and mood among respondents. Compared to living with others, living alone was associated with worsened physical activity, diet, and subjective memory/thinking, adjusted for sex and age. These results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated several risk factors for dementia in older adults, particularly in those living alone.
ISSN:0733-4648
1552-4523
1552-4523
DOI:10.1177/07334648231210671