Physical fitness and cognitive function: a cross-sectional study among adults in Qatar.

Lower physical fitness capacity was significantly associated with lower psychomotor coordination in females but not in males.

• Female association: OR=1.57, p=0.040
• Male association: OR=1.65, p=0.062 (not statistically significant)
• Study population: 1000 adults aged 40 years and older from the Qatar Biobank
• Logistic regression was used to measure the association

Lower physical fitness capacity was significantly associated with lower short-term visual memory in females but not in males.

• Female association: OR=1.68, p=0.042
• Male association: OR=1.58, p=0.062 (not statistically significant)
• Cognitive function was assessed through tests of short-term visual memory and psychomotor coordination
• Cross-sectional design limits causal inference

Greater muscle strength in males was associated with approximately half the likelihood of having lower psychomotor coordination.

• OR=0.48, p=0.04 for males with greater muscle strength
• This protective association was observed specifically in males
• No comparable significant association was reported for muscle strength in females
• Muscular strength was among the physical fitness measures included in the study

Higher body fat percentage in females was associated with poorer cognitive function across both cognitive domains.

• Each 1% increase in body fat was linked to 6% higher odds of low short-term visual memory (p=0.02)
• Each 1% increase in body fat was linked to 6% higher odds of low psychomotor coordination (p=0.006)
• This association was specific to females
• Body composition was one of the physical fitness measures assessed

Cardiorespiratory fitness showed no statistically significant association with short-term visual memory or psychomotor coordination in either sex.

• No significant association was found for cardiorespiratory fitness in males or females
• Cardiorespiratory fitness was one of the physical fitness components measured in the study
• This null finding applied to both cognitive outcomes assessed
• The study used data from 1000 adults aged 40 and above from the Qatar Biobank