幹家務很累人，但是研究發現，幹家務並不是全無好處。新加坡的一個研究團隊指出，常做家務的人，到了老年以後認知功能和記憶力更強，跌倒風險也更低。
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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、擦窗等家務活可能有助於人們到老年以後保持身體健康。
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，減輕慢性病的風險和影響，降低老年人跌倒、臥床不起、失去獨立生活能力和死亡的機率”。該研究結果由一個新加坡研究團隊發表在《英國醫學雜誌》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.
該團隊從新加坡義順鎮隨機招募了一組成年人，請他們完成認知功能測試，並透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.
研究人員還透過問卷調查了參與者的體力活動水平，包括他們做多少輕度家務（比如打掃灰塵）和重度家務（比如拖地），並基於膝關節伸展力等衡量標準對他們跌倒的風險進行了評估。
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。大多數報告稱自己做了大量重度或輕度家務的參與者為女性。
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、性別等因素後，研究團隊發現，做大量重度家務（每週平均131分鐘）的老年人認知功能和注意力得分比很少做家務的老年人分別高出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.
相比很少做家務的老年人，做大量重度家務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.
研究團隊還發現，報告稱做大量輕度家務（每週平均902分鐘）的老年人認知功能得分比做少量輕度家務（每週平均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、新加坡科技學院和老年醫學教育與研究學院的韋修良（音譯）博士表示，關於保持活躍的保健宣傳不應該只專注於休閒運動。
"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：“家務活是很多老年人從事的有明確目標的活動。重家務活獨立於娛樂、通勤和其他工作相關的體力活動之外，可以增強老年人的記憶力，減少老年人跌倒的風險。”
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學院老年人精神病學系教授吉爾·利文斯頓表示，這一研究很有趣，但沒什麼意義，因為身體不太好的人做的家務活也少。
"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：“我認為這一研究給出的建議應該是，幹家務是不錯的鍛鍊方式，對心臟和大腦都有益。但是我們無法從這項研究得出結論，認為幹家務能起到特別的保護作用。”
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.
布里斯托大學身體活動與公共健康系教授查理·福斯特也勸大家保持謹慎，並指出該研究的家務活資料是參與者自己報告的，可能並不準確，而且該研究也沒有充分考慮其他可能影響結果的因素。
英文來源：衛報
翻譯&編輯：丹妮
來源：中國日報網
