Impact of apathy on physical activity in community-dwelling elderly

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of apathy on physical activity in community-dwelling elderly. Subjects: The subjects were Three hundred and twenty-eight community-dwelling older adults living in Kasama City. Methods: Apathy, physical activity, depression, and social network were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. In addition, we measured physical performance (grip strength, five-times sit-to-stand test, one leg stand, sit and reach distance, timed up and go test) and cognitive function (5 cognitive tests, Trail Making Test). Results: Seventy-six participants (23.2%) showed apathy in the absence of depression, forty participants (12.2%) had depression but no apathy, fifty participants (15.2%) had both apathy and depression. The results of the multiple regression analyses were revealed that apathy, social network, sit and reach distance, 5 cognitive tests, and Trail Making Test had significantly impact on physical activity. In contrast, depression had not impact on physical activity. Conclusion: Our data suggest that apathy and depression exist independently, and apathy is one of the multiple factors affecting physical activity.