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Association between the Frequency of Individual Outdoor Activity and Risk of Incident Dementia in an Elderly Population in China: A National Cohort Study
Yizhu Song, Zihan Yu, Shiyu Lou, Dechen Liu. Neuroepidemiology, 2025-09-25
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Over a median follow-up period of 4.33 years, 637 participants (7.27%) developed dementia. Compared with those who almost never engaged in outdoor activities, participants who engaged almost daily had a reduced risk of incident dementia by approximately 25% (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62-0.92). Subgroup analyses showed significant associations in females and participants living in cities and towns, whereas no significant differences were observed between age groups. The sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the primary analysis. Frequent participation in individual outdoor activity may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia among the elderly in China. These findings support outdoor activity as a potential non-pharmaceutical strategy to delay cognitive decline and prevent dementia.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Song, Y., Yu, Z., Lou, S., & Liu, D. (2025). Association between the Frequency of Individual Outdoor Activity and Risk of Incident Dementia in an Elderly Population in China: A National Cohort Study. Neuroepidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000548330
Vancouver
Song Y, Yu Z, Lou S, Liu D. Association between the Frequency of Individual Outdoor Activity and Risk of Incident Dementia in an Elderly Population in China: A National Cohort Study. Neuroepidemiology. 2025. doi:10.1159/000548330. PMID: 40996936.
BibTeX
@article{song2025-40996936,
author = {Song, Yizhu and Yu, Zihan and Lou, Shiyu and Liu, Dechen},
title = {{Association between the Frequency of Individual Outdoor Activity and Risk of Incident Dementia in an Elderly Population in China: A National Cohort Study}},
journal = {Neuroepidemiology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1159/000548330},
pmid = {40996936},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000548330}
}
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Key findings
- Over a median follow-up period of 4.33 years, 637 participants (7.27%) developed dementia.
- Compared with those who almost never engaged in outdoor activities, participants who engaged almost daily had a reduced risk of incident dementia by approximately 25% (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62-0.92).
- Subgroup analyses showed significant associations in females and participants living in cities and towns, whereas no significant differences were observed between age groups.
- The sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the primary analysis.
- Frequent participation in individual outdoor activity may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia among the elderly in China.
Why it matters
In this cohort, people who engaged in outdoor activities almost daily had about a 25% lower risk of developing dementia than those who almost never did. This observational link supports outdoor activity as a possible way to reduce dementia risk, but it cannot prove that activity itself causes the lower risk.
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants8,758
- Effect size7.27%; HR: 0.75
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuroepidemiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Neuroepidemiology: journal h-index 125 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 8,758 participants |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Dechen Liu: h-index 32 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine: institution h-index 123 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40996936) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
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