Centre for Evaluation and Analysis of Public Policies, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.
Front Public Health. 2023 Feb 17;11:1117822. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1117822. eCollection 2023.
This study examines prospective associations within a 6-year perspective between three mind-stimulating leisure activities (relaxed and solitary: reading; serious and solitary: doing number and word games; serious and social: playing cards and games) and 21 outcomes in (1) physical health, (2) wellbeing, (3) daily life functioning, (4) cognitive impairment, and (5) longevity domains.
Data were obtained from 19,821 middle-aged and older adults from 15 countries participating in the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Temporal associations were obtained using generalized estimating equations. All models were controlled for prior sociodemographic, personality, lifestyle factors, health behaviors, and pre-baseline leisure activity values and all outcome variables. The Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple testing. E-values were calculated to examine the sensitivity of the associations to unmeasured confounding. Secondary analyses (1) under the complete case scenario, (2) after excluding respondents with health conditions, and (3) using a limited set of covariates were conducted to provide evidence for the robustness of the results.
The relaxed solitary activity of reading almost daily was prospectively associated with a lower risk of depression, experiencing pain, daily functioning limitations, cognitive impairment, lower loneliness scores, and more favorable wellbeing outcomes. Engaging in serious solitary leisure activities almost daily was prospectively associated with a lower risk of depression, feeling full of energy, and a lower risk of death by any cause. Occasionally engaging in these activities was prospectively associated with greater optimism and a lower risk of cognitive impairment. Engaging in serious social activities was prospectively associated with greater happiness, lower scores on the loneliness scale, a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, and an increased risk of cancer. Additionally, occasionally engaging in serious social activities was associated with greater optimism and lower risk of depression, pain, and mobility limitations. These associations were independent of demographics, socioeconomic status, personality, history of diseases, and prior lifestyle. The sensitivity analyses provided substantial evidence for the robustness of these associations.
Mind-engaging leisure activities can be considered a health and wellbeing resource. Practitioners may consider them tools that help middle-aged and older adults maintain their health and quality of life.
本研究在 6 年的时间内，从前瞻性角度研究了三种刺激思维的休闲活动（放松且独处：阅读；认真且独处：做数字和文字游戏；认真且社交：玩纸牌和游戏）与（1）身体健康、（2）幸福感、（3）日常生活功能、（4）认知障碍和（5）长寿领域的 21 种结果之间的关系。
数据来自参与欧洲健康、老龄化和退休调查（SHARE）的来自 15 个国家的 19821 名中老年成年人。使用广义估计方程获得时间关联。所有模型均控制了先前的社会人口统计学、个性、生活方式因素、健康行为以及基线前休闲活动值和所有结果变量。采用 Bonferroni 校正法对多重检测进行校正。计算 E 值以检查关联对未测量混杂因素的敏感性。进行了二次分析（1）在完整病例情况下，（2）排除有健康状况的受访者后，以及（3）使用有限的一组协变量，以提供对结果稳健性的证据。
几乎每天进行放松的独自阅读活动与较低的抑郁、疼痛、日常生活功能障碍、认知障碍、较低的孤独感评分和更有利的幸福感结果风险相关。几乎每天进行严肃的独自休闲活动与较低的抑郁、精力充沛感和任何原因导致的死亡风险相关。偶尔进行这些活动与更乐观和较低的认知障碍风险相关。参与严肃的社交活动与更高的幸福感、孤独感评分较低、阿尔茨海默病风险较低以及癌症风险增加相关。此外，偶尔参与严肃的社交活动与更乐观和较低的抑郁、疼痛和行动能力受限风险相关。这些关联独立于人口统计学、社会经济地位、个性、病史和先前的生活方式。敏感性分析为这些关联的稳健性提供了实质性证据。
思维刺激的休闲活动可以被视为健康和幸福感的资源。从业者可以考虑将其作为帮助中年和老年人保持健康和生活质量的工具。
