Household tasks linked with a sharper memory

OLDER adults who regularly perform household chores have better memory and attention span, according to a new study.

Researchers said elderly people who participated in a combination of light housework and more physically demanding chores appeared to have “higher cognitive function”.

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

The new study, published in the journal BMJ Open, examined data on almost 500 pensioners and younger adults aged between 21 and 90.

All were living independently and able to carry out routine day-to-day tasks.

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

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.

Only around a third (36 per cent) of those in the younger group and just under half (48 per cent) 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 per cent of adults aged 64 and younger and 66 per cent of older adults – met the targets exclusively through housework. Overall, they found that a combination of light housework, including washing the dishes, dusting and making the bed, and ‘heavy housework,’ such as window cleaning and vacuuming, was “associated with higher cognitive function” among older adults, but not younger adults. More specifically, older adults who participated in more heavy housework had 14 per cent higher attention span scores. And those who regularly performed light housework tested better on memory tests. 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.