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Archana Singh-Manoux, PhD, Melvyn Hillsdon, PhD, Eric Brunner, PhD and Michael Marmot, PhD, MBBS, FFPHM, FRCP

All of the authors are with the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, England. Archana Singh-Manoux is also with INSERM, U687, Saint-Maurice Cedex, France.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Archana Singh-Manoux, PhD, INSERM, Unit 687, National Institute of Health and Medical Research, HNSM, 14 rue du Val d’Osne, 94415 Saint-Maurice Cedex, France (e-mail: archana.singh-manoux{at}st-maurice.inserm.fr).

Objectives. We examined the association between physical activity and cognitive functioning in middle age.

Methods. Data were derived from a prospective occupational cohort study of 10308 civil servants aged 35–55 years at baseline (phase 1; 1985–1988). Physical activity level, categorized as low, medium, or high, was assessed at phases 1, 3 (1991–1994), and 5 (1997–1999). Cognitive functioning was tested at phase 5, when respondents were 46–68 years old.

Results. In both prospective (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.30, 2.10) and cross-sectional (OR=1.79; 95% CI=1.38, 2.32) analyses, low levels of physical activity were a risk factor for poor performance on a measure of fluid intelligence. Analyses aimed at assessing cumulative effects (summary of physical activity levels at the 3 time points) showed a graded linear relationship with fluid intelligence, with persistently low levels of physical activity being particularly harmful (OR=2.21; 95% CI=1.37, 3.57).

Conclusions. Low levels of physical activity are a risk factor for cognitive functioning in middle age, fluid intelligence in particular.

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