TY - JOUR T1 - Physical, cognitive, and social activities as mediators between personality and cognition: evidence from four prospective samples. JF - Aging & Mental Health Y1 - Forthcoming A1 - Stephan, Yannick A1 - Sutin, Angelina R A1 - Luchetti, Martina A1 - Aschwanden, Damaris A1 - Terracciano, Antonio KW - activities KW - Aging KW - Cognition KW - lifestyle KW - longitudinal KW - Personality AB -

OBJECTIVES: The present study examined how activity engagement mediates the association between personality and cognition.

METHODS: Participants were middle-aged and older adults (Age range: 24-93 years;  > 16,000) from the Midlife in the United States Study, the Health and Retirement Study, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study of Aging. In each sample, personality traits and demographic factors were assessed at baseline, engagement in cognitive, physical, and social activities was assessed in a second wave, and cognition was measured in a third wave, 8 to 20 years later.

RESULTS: Random-effect meta-analyses indicated that lower neuroticism and higher extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness were prospectively associated with better cognition. Most of these associations were partly mediated by greater engagement in physical and cognitive activities but not social activities. Physical activity accounted for 7% (neuroticism) to 50% (extraversion) and cognitive activity accounted for 14% (neuroticism) to 45% (extraversion) of the association with cognition.

CONCLUSION: The present study provides replicable evidence that physical and cognitive activities partly mediate the prospective association between personality traits and cognitive functioning.

ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Hobbies Are The Secret To Happiness? Pleasurable Activities Help Older Adults Avoid Depression Y1 - 2023 A1 - Anderer, John KW - activities KW - depression KW - Happiness KW - hobbies PB - StudyFinds UR - https://studyfinds.org/hobbies-happiness-depression/ ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - The importance of activities Y1 - 2023 A1 - Bowers, Lois A. KW - activities KW - mental wellbeing PB - McKnights UR - https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/home/columns/editors-columns/the-importance-of-activities/ ER - TY - ICOMM T1 - Lifelong Enrichment: A Key to Preserving Cognitive Health Y1 - 2023 A1 - Vitelli, Romeo KW - activities KW - Cognition KW - diet KW - stress management PB - Psychology Today UR - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/media-spotlight/202306/lifelong-enrichment-a-key-to-preserving-cognitive-health ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Engagement in leisure activities and depression in older adults in the United States: Longitudinal evidence from the Health and Retirement Study JF - Social Science & Medicine Y1 - 2022 A1 - Bone, Jessica A1 - Feifei Bu A1 - Meg Fluharty A1 - Paul, Elise A1 - Jill Sonke A1 - Fancourt, Daisy KW - activities KW - Arts KW - depression KW - Leisure AB - 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. VL - 294 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Prevalence of leisure participation in older adults with and without pain: A secondary data analysis of the 2014 Health and Retirement Study JF - Chronic Illness Y1 - 2020 A1 - Feller, Haley A1 - Nancy A. Baker KW - activities KW - Aging in place KW - hobbies KW - Pain interference KW - Successful aging AB - ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of leisure activities in adults ages 50 and over and to examine if pain changes that prevalence.MethodsWe completed a secondary analysis using data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study Leave-Behind Questionnaire (n?=?7,541) to analyze frequency and 95% confidence intervals of leisure participation and its relationship to pain.ResultsThe majority of respondents reported regular participation in half of the 10 leisure activities analyzed. Watching television (98.0%) and using the computer (64.5%) had the highest reported regular participation, while volunteering and attending a club or meeting warranted less than 10% regular participation. Of the 7,541 respondents, 39.1% reported pain. For those with pain, regular participation was significantly lower than those without pain in five leisure activities, with exercise having the greatest difference.DiscussionThe results of our secondary data analysis indicate that older adults may not be regularly participating in different types of leisure activities and that they more regularly participate in passive activities, such as watching television. Older adults with pain have significantly lower reported rates of participation in leisure activities than those without pain, especially in relation to exercise. SN - 1742-3953 ER -