A study published in the scientific journal The Lancet revealed that individuals working in jobs requiring significant physical effort may be more prone to dementia and cognitive decline. The study, conducted by the Norwegian National Centre for Aging and Health, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and the Butler Columbia Center on Aging, found that people engaged in physically demanding jobs for long periods could be at greater risk for memory-related diseases.
The researchers provided examples of jobs that require physical effort, including:
- Sales representatives
- Retail workers
- Nursing assistants
- Care aides
- Farmers
- Livestock producers
The study's authors wrote: "Consistently working in a profession with moderate to high physical activity is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, highlighting the importance of developing strategies for individuals in physically demanding professions to prevent cognitive decline."
The team categorized physically demanding jobs as those "requiring significant use of arms and legs and whole body movement, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, bending, and handling materials."
This follows research indicating that spending more than 10 hours a day sitting increases the risk of dementia. Utilizing one of the largest population studies on dementia in the world (the HUNT4 70+ study), researchers examined how occupational physical activity between ages 33 and 65 correlates with the risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment after the age of seventy.
The team analyzed data from 7,005 participants, of which 902 were diagnosed with dementia as they aged. An additional 2,407 were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment.
They found that those engaged in physically demanding jobs had a 15.5% higher risk of developing dementia or cognitive impairment, but the risk decreased to 9% for those in jobs with lower physical demands.
