LIFESTYLE AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING OF SENIOR CITIZENS AS

BASIS FOR COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

by
Agnes E. Santos,PhD Psychology and Guidance and Dorothea Dela Cruz, PhD

Abstract

The study assessed lifestyle activities/cognitive functioning of Filipino Senior

Citizens and the relation. Afterwards, senior citizens cognitive enhancement
program was made. Descriptive design and purposive sampling were used to
select 142 educated seniors ,60 years and above, of NCR/CALABARZON.
Survey questionnaire and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 3rd edition were
used. Around 72.53 % of the respondents are 60 to 69 ; 66% are female;
62% are married; 85.9% had finished college; 46.4% earned an income.
Physical, emotional and spiritual lifestyle activities were often performed
while mental and social lifestyle activities were sometimes performed.
Around 51.4% have low average to extremely low levels of cognitive
function/verbal function; 52.1% have low average to extremely low level of
perceptual organization; 52.7% were assessed to have average to very
superior working memory; and 48.5% have average to very superior processing
speed. Physical activities and perceptual organization had significant
relation to perceptual organization. Social lifestyle activities had significant
relation to processing speed. Mental, emotional and spiritual lifestyle activities
had no significant relation to cognitive functioning. Age was significantly
related to perceptual organization and to processing speed. Civil status had
very significant relation to working memory and processing speed.
Gender/highest educational attainment had no significant relation to
cognitive functioning.

Conclusions: 1. Senior citizens had capacity to engage in the cognitive

enhancement program because processing speed and working memory still
function. 2. Meaningful conversation had impact on processing speed.
3.Physical activities maintained verbal comprehension skill. 4. Age could
be criterion for judging seniors cognitive function, for enhancement program.
5. Civil status had significant impact on processing speed of information.

Key Words: Lifestyle, Cognitive Functioning, Senior Citizens, Wechsler

Adult Intelligence Scale
Keywords: Lifestyle Activities, Cognitive Functioning