@article {PPR:PPR314453, title = {Engagement in leisure activities and depression in older adults in the United States: Longitudinal evidence from the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Social Science \& Medicine}, volume = {294}, year = {2022}, pages = {114703}, abstract = {Objectives: Receptive cultural engagement, such as going to the theater and museums, has been shown to reduce depression in older adults. However, whether more active engagement in artistic and creative activities is associated with lower rates of depression remains unknown. We aimed to test whether active arts engagement was associated with concurrent and subsequent depression. Methods: Using longitudinal data from 19,134 participants aged over 50 in the Health and Retirement Study, arts engagement was measured every four years, and depression every two years, between 2008 and 2016. A score of three or more on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale indicated depression. We fitted population-averaged panel data models using generalized estimating equations with a logit link. Results: Engaging in artistic and creative activities, such as clubs, hobbies, and baking/cooking was associated with reduced depression, independent of confounders. Concurrently, spending time on hobbies (monthly OR=0.80, 95\% CI=0.72-0.88; weekly OR=0.81, 95\% CI=0.73-0.89) and clubs (monthly OR=0.85, 95\% CI=0.77-0.94; weekly OR=0.78, 95\% CI=0.69-0.88) was associated with lower odds of depression versus not engaging. Longitudinally, the odds of depression two years later were reduced amongst people engaging in weekly baking/cooking (OR=0.85, 95\% CI=0.75-0.95), hobbies (OR=0.81, 95\% CI=0.71-0.92), and clubs (OR=0.82, 95\% CI=0.71-0.94). Writing, reading, sewing, and attending non-religious organizations were not consistently associated with depression. Discussion: Active engagement in artistic and creative activities is associated with reduced odds of depression. We should consider how older adults can be supported to actively engage in the arts as a health-promoting behavior.}, keywords = {activities, Arts, depression, Leisure}, doi = {10.1101/2021.04.15.21255495}, author = {Bone, Jessica and Feifei Bu and Meg Fluharty and Paul, Elise and Jill Sonke and Fancourt, Daisy} } @article {12105, title = {Engagement in leisure activities and depression in older adults in the United States: Longitudinal evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Social Science \& Medicine}, volume = {294}, year = {2022}, pages = {114703}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Receptive cultural engagement (e.g. attending theaters and museums) can reduce depression in older adults. However, whether specific participatory leisure activities are associated with lower rates of depression remains unknown. We aimed to test whether engagement in a diverse range of leisure activities, all of which could involve artistic or creative elements, was associated with concurrent and subsequent depression.

METHODS: Using longitudinal data from 19,134 participants aged over 50 in the Health and Retirement Study, engagement in leisure activities was measured every four years, and depression every two years, between 2008 and 2016. Leisure activities included: reading books, magazines, or newspapers; writing; baking/cooking something special; making clothes, knitting, or embroidery (sewing); working on hobbies/projects; going to sport, social, or other clubs; and attending non-religious organization meetings. A score of three or more on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale indicated depression. We fitted population-averaged panel data models using generalized estimating equations with a logit link.

RESULTS: Engaging in some leisure activities, such as clubs, hobbies/projects, and baking/cooking was associated with reduced depression, independent of confounders. Concurrently, spending time on hobbies/projects (monthly OR~=~0.80, 95\% CI~=~0.72-0.88; weekly OR~=~0.81, 95\% CI~=~0.73-0.89) and clubs (monthly OR~=~0.85, 95\% CI~=~0.77-0.94; weekly OR~=~0.78, 95\% CI~=~0.69-0.88) was associated with lower odds of depression versus not engaging. Longitudinally, the odds of depression two years later were reduced amongst people engaging in weekly baking/cooking (OR~=~0.85, 95\% CI~=~0.75-0.95), hobbies (OR~=~0.81, 95\% CI~=~0.71-0.92), and clubs (OR~=~0.82, 95\% CI~=~0.71-0.94). Writing, reading, sewing, and attending non-religious organizations were not consistently associated with depression.

CONCLUSIONS: Engagement in some leisure activities is associated with reduced odds of depression. We should consider how older adults can be supported to actively participate in leisure activities as health-promoting behaviors.

}, keywords = {Aging, Creative activities, depression, Leisure}, issn = {1873-5347}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114703}, author = {Jessica K Bone and Feifei Bu and Meg Fluharty and Paul, Elise and Jill Sonke and Fancourt, Daisy} } @article {11609, title = {Difference in predictors and barriers to arts and cultural engagement with age in the United States: A cross-sectional analysis using the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {16}, year = {2021}, pages = {e0261532}, abstract = {Introduction: Arts and cultural engagement are associated with a range of mental and physical health benefits, including promoting heathy aging and lower incidence of age-related disabilities such as slower cognitive decline and slower progression of frailty. This suggests arts engagement constitutes health-promoting behaviour in older age. However, there are no large-scale studies examining how the predictors of arts engagement vary with age. Methods: Data from the Health and Retirement Study (2014) were used to identify sociodemographic, life satisfaction, social, and arts appreciation predictors of (1) frequency of arts engagement, (2) cultural attendance, (3) difficulty participating in the arts, and (4) being an interested non-attendee of cultural events. Logistic regression models were stratified by age groups [50-59, 60-69, 70] for the frequency of arts participation outcome and [50-69 vs 70] all other outcomes. Results: Findings indicated a number of age-related predictors of frequent arts engagement, including gender, educational attainment, wealth, dissatisfaction with ageing, and instrumental activities of daily living (iADL). For cultural event attendance, lower interest in the arts predicted lack of engagement across age groups, whereas higher educational attainment and more frequent religious service attendance became predictors in older age groups (> 70). Adults in both age groups were less likely to report difficulties engaging in the arts if they had lower neighbourhood safety, whilst poor self-rated health and low arts appreciation also predicted reduced likelihood of this outcome, but only in the younger (50-69) age group. Adults in the older (> 70) age group were more likely to be interested non-attendees of cultural events if they had higher educational attainment and less likely if they lived in neighbourhoods with low levels of safety. Conclusions: Our results suggest that certain factors become stronger predictors of arts and cultural engagement and barriers to engagement as people age. Further, there appear to be socioeconomic inequalities in engagement that may increase in older ages, with arts activities overall more accessible as individuals age compared to cultural engagement due to additional financial barriers and transportation barriers. Ensuring that these activities are accessible to people of all ages will allow older adults to benefit from the range of health outcomes gained from arts and cultural engagement.}, keywords = {Arts, cross-sectional, Culture, health, Well-being}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0261532}, author = {Meg Fluharty and Paul, Elise and Jessica K Bone and Feifei Bu and Fancourt, Daisy} }