Cognitive and behavioral benefits of newspaper reading in community-dwelling older adults: a feasibility randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

Introduction: There are reports suggesting that reading newspapers is an accessible daily intellectual activity that may help prevent neurocognitive disorders, while no prospective studies have accurately investigated its effectiveness on cognitive function.

Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to explore the effects of reading newspapers on cognitive function and activity levels in community-dwelling older adults. The study included 163 non-subscribers aged 60 years or older; after screening, 64 participants were selected. Participants were randomly assigned to either the newspaper reading group (n = 31) or the non-reading group (n = 32), and a 26-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. One person was disqualified because they could not be contacted. The newspaper reading group was instructed to read the newspaper at least four days a week, and compliance was verified by checking entries on activity log sheets. In addition, both groups were assessed before and after the trial. The primary outcome was cognitive function assessed using the Japanese Version of the MONTREAL COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT (MoCA-J). Secondary outcomes included the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE-J), the Japanese version of the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15-J), the Life-Space Assessment (LSA), and the Vitality Index.

Results: When comparing the changes in these test items after 26 weeks, the newspaper reading group showed significantly better results than the non-reading group for the MoCA-J (difference: 1.47 [95% CI: 0.31-2.63], p = 0.013), GDS-15-J (difference: -1.85 [95% CI: -3.01 to -0.68], p = 0.002), and LSA (difference: 14.74 [95% CI: 7.13-22.35], p < 0.001). A significant trend was also observed in the newspaper reading group for the MMSE-J (difference: 2.46 [95% CI: 1.34-3.58], p = 0.065).

Discussion: These findings suggest that reading newspapers is a low-cost, self-directed intervention that can be easily incorporated into preventive care for community-dwelling older adults and may have beneficial effects on cognitive function and activity levels.