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Gooderham, Geoffrey Kyle

University of British Columbia

Physical activity, diet, and sleep are modifiable lifestyle behaviours that impact cognitive function. My dissertation was designed to examine the association between lifestyle behaviours and cognitive function in younger adults, and in particular, whether it shows a sensitivity to one's pattern of physical activity, diet, and/or sleep. In addressing this question, my work was motivated by an emerging pattern of cognitive-lifestyle behaviour relationships identified across the adult lifespan –– whereas more healthy physical activity levels, sleep levels, and dietary habits have all been consistently linked to improved cognitive function in older adults, these effects appear to be less robust or apparent in younger adults. My dissertation examines this issue by assessing the potential impacts of physical activity, diet, and sleep on three core measures or aspects of cognition in young adults that have yet to be rigorously explored -- intraindividual variability in objective cognitive function, subjective cognitive function, and metacognitive function. In Chapter Two I assessed if intraindividual variability in cognition was related to physical activity. I found that physical activity predicted intraindividual variability in objective measures of attention, with moderate intensity physical activity associated with greater variability and vigorous intensity physical activity with less variability. Chapter 3 sought to understand if the subjective experience of cognition is linked to physical activity, diet, or sleep. Analyses of the association between lifestyle behaviours and subjective cognitive function revealed links between subjective experiences of cognition and modifiable lifestyle behaviours. Finally, Chapter 4 addressed if the ability to monitor and control cognitive processes was associated with lifestyle behaviours. Results from these studies indicate that lifestyle behaviours contribute to the metacognitive processes that monitor and control cognitive functioning. In conclusion, I find that cognition is related to lifestyle behaviours such that young adults with healthier lifestyles report enhanced cognitive functioning. In addition, my research indicates that lifestyle behaviours affect different aspects of cognitive functioning. Not only does this demonstrate that young adults’ cognitive functioning is susceptible to lifestyle behaviours, but that physical activity, diet, and sleep can be leveraged to support cognitive functioning.

Text

2024-08-15

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88948

Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/