The promotion of healthy aging represents a major public priority, as highlighted by the WHO: If in 2020 the global population aged 65 years and older reached 727 million, this figure is projected to more than double by 2050. Therefore, the examination of the relationship between biomarkers associated with cognitive efficiency, physical activity (PA), and sleep of older adults residing in areas characterized by exceptional longevity —the so-called Blue Zones — may help identify functional and psychological factors involved in optimal aging. The primary aim of this study was to examine cognitive efficiency, amount and intensity of PA, and sleep patterns in a sample of individuals aged 65–99 years (M = 79.2 years, SD = 8.4 years) recruited in the Sardinian Blue Zone, Italy. Participants individually completed a battery of tests assessing executive functions and psychological well-being, while hourly and daily trends of sedentary behaviour, PA performed at different levels of intensity, and sleep parameters were objectively measured 24h/day for 7 days through a clinically validated accelerometer. Significant associations emerged between several PA metrics, sleep time, and cognitive flexibility. Furthermore, participants who did not regularly engage in moderate-to-vigorous PA activities such as gardening reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, slower processing speed and reduced cognitive flexibility, and tended to experience more fragmented sleep. In conclusion, these findings suggest that an active lifestyle involving regular PA makes a substantial contribution to the preservation of physical and psychological health in the later decades of life.

Authors:
Maria Chiara Fastame, University of Cagliari, Italy
Benedetta Brandas, University of Cagliari, Italy
Massimiliano Pau, University of Cagliari, Italy

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. M.C. Fastame is a full professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Cagliari, Italy. Her research interests concerns the role of psychological factors on successful aging of older adults of the Sardinian Blue Zone

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/M-Chiara-Fastame?ev=hdr_xprf

Additional website of interest
https://web.unica.it/unica/en/ateneo_s07_ss01_sss01.page?contentId=SHD30400

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