干家務(wù)很累人，但是研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，干家務(wù)并不是全無好處。新加坡的一個研究團(tuán)隊(duì)指出，常做家務(wù)的人，到了老年以后認(rèn)知功能和記憶力更強(qiáng)，跌倒風(fēng)險也更低。

Household chores might seem a drag, but researchers have suggested tasks like dusting, scrubbing floors and washing the windows might help adults to stay healthy into old age.

家務(wù)活也許看似累贅，但是研究人員指出，打掃灰塵、拖地、擦窗等家務(wù)活可能有助于人們到老年以后保持身體健康。

Writing in the journal BMJ Open, a Singapore-based team of researchers said regular physical activity “improves physical and mental health, mitigates the risks and effects of chronic diseases, and reduces falls, immobility, dependency and mortality among older adults”.

研究報告指出，常做體力活動可以“改善身心健康，減輕慢性病的風(fēng)險和影響，降低老年人跌倒、臥床不起、失去獨(dú)立生活能力和死亡的幾率”。該研究結(jié)果由一個新加坡研究團(tuán)隊(duì)發(fā)表在《英國醫(yī)學(xué)雜志》上。

The team randomly recruited adults from the town of Yishun in Singapore, and asked them to complete cognitive function tests as well as activities to assess their physical capabilities, such as standing up from a chair as quickly as they could.

該團(tuán)隊(duì)從新加坡義順鎮(zhèn)隨機(jī)招募了一組成年人，請他們完成認(rèn)知功能測試，并通過體力活動來評估他們的體能，比如用最快的速度從椅子上站起來。

Participants were also quizzed on their levels of physical activity, including the amount of light housework (such as dusting) and heavy housework (such as floor-scrubbing) they did, and were assessed for their risk of having a fall based on measures such as knee extension strength.

研究人員還通過問卷調(diào)查了參與者的體力活動水平，包括他們做多少輕度家務(wù)（比如打掃灰塵）和重度家務(wù)（比如拖地），并基于膝關(guān)節(jié)伸展力等衡量標(biāo)準(zhǔn)對他們跌倒的風(fēng)險進(jìn)行了評估。

The study involved 249 participants aged 21-64 and 240 participants aged 65-90. Most of those who reported doing high levels of heavy or light housework were women.

該研究涵蓋了249名21至64歲的參與者和240名65至90歲的參與者。大多數(shù)報告稱自己做了大量重度或輕度家務(wù)的參與者為女性。

After taking into account factors including age and sex, the team found cognitive scores and attention scores were 8% and 14% higher respectively for older adults doing high amounts of heavy housework – on average 131 minutes a week – compared with low levels, which appeared to amount to none at all.

在考慮了年齡、性別等因素后，研究團(tuán)隊(duì)發(fā)現(xiàn)，做大量重度家務(wù)（每周平均131分鐘）的老年人認(rèn)知功能和注意力得分比很少做家務(wù)的老年人分別高出8%和14%。

Sit-to-stand times were lower for older adults reporting high amounts of heavy housework compared with low amounts, while they were also assessed as being at lower risk of having a fall.

相比很少做家務(wù)的老年人，做大量重度家務(wù)的老年人報告的從椅子上站起來的時間更短，與此同時評估顯示他們跌倒的風(fēng)險也更低。

The team also found cognitive scores were 5% higher for older adults who reported high levels of light housework – on average doing 902 minutes a week – and memory scores were also higher, compared with those undertaking low levels of such tasks, averaging 89 minutes a week.

研究團(tuán)隊(duì)還發(fā)現(xiàn)，報告稱做大量輕度家務(wù)（每周平均902分鐘）的老年人認(rèn)知功能得分比做少量輕度家務(wù)（每周平均89分鐘）的老年人高出5%，記憶力得分也更高。

Dr Shiou-Liang Wee, the co-author of the research, from the Singapore Institute of Technology and Geriatric Education and Research Institute said health messaging on staying active should not just be about recreational physical activities.

該研究的合著者、新加坡科技學(xué)院和老年醫(yī)學(xué)教育與研究學(xué)院的韋修良（音譯）博士表示，關(guān)于保持活躍的保健宣傳不應(yīng)該只專注于休閑運(yùn)動。

"Housework is a purposeful activity performed by many older adults. Independent of recreation, [commuting] and other work-related physical activity, heavy housework is linked to sharper memory and better falls protection in older adults,” he said.

他說：“家務(wù)活是很多老年人從事的有明確目標(biāo)的活動。重家務(wù)活獨(dú)立于娛樂、通勤和其他工作相關(guān)的體力活動之外，可以增強(qiáng)老年人的記憶力，減少老年人跌倒的風(fēng)險。”

Gill Livingston, professor of psychiatry of older people at University College London, who was not involved in the work, said the study was interesting but had little meaning as people who are not so well may be expected to do less housework.

沒有參與該研究的倫敦大學(xué)學(xué)院老年人精神病學(xué)系教授吉爾·利文斯頓表示，這一研究很有趣，但沒什么意義，因?yàn)樯眢w不太好的人做的家務(wù)活也少。

"I think the advice would be that housework can be good exercise, which is good for your heart and brain. We cannot draw any conclusions from this study that it is specifically protective,” she said.

她說：“我認(rèn)為這一研究給出的建議應(yīng)該是，干家務(wù)是不錯的鍛煉方式，對心臟和大腦都有益。但是我們無法從這項(xiàng)研究得出結(jié)論，認(rèn)為干家務(wù)能起到特別的保護(hù)作用。”

Charlie Foster, professor of physical activity and public health at the University of Bristol, also urged caution, noting the study relied on self-reported levels of household chores, which may be inaccurate, and did not fully take into account other factors which may influence the results.

布里斯托大學(xué)身體活動與公共健康系教授查理·福斯特也勸大家保持謹(jǐn)慎，并指出該研究的家務(wù)活數(shù)據(jù)是參與者自己報告的，可能并不準(zhǔn)確，而且該研究也沒有充分考慮其他可能影響結(jié)果的因素。

英文來源：衛(wèi)報

翻譯&編輯：丹妮