Grant: Catalyst Grant: Analysis of CLSA Data

Worldwide, a new case of dementia is diagnosed every 3 seconds. Evidence shows that engaging in regular physical activity, reducing sedentary behaviour (e.g., sitting), and getting enough sleep can promote brain health and reduce the risk of dementia. The amount of time a person spends in each of these behaviours - physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep - is known as the 24-hour activity cycle. We propose that individuals who have favourable 24-hour activity profiles (i.e., physically active, low sedentary behaviour, and good amount of sleep) will have better cognitive health over time versus those who have less favourable profiles (i.e., low physical activity, highly sedentary, and insufficient sleep). Socioeconomic status (SES), such as income and education, can affect one's physical activity levels, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. Individuals with low SES are at greater risk for dementia than those with high SES. Thus, low SES may impact, or minimize, the benefits of a favourable 24-hour activity profile on cognitive health. However, no study to date has examined this potential impact of SES. Effective dementia prevention likely requires social and economic changes. However, we must first advance our understanding of the role of SES in promoting cognitive health. We aim to examine the impact of SES on the effects of 24-hour activity profiles on changes in cognitive function over time using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).