Association of Leisure Activities With Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older Adults in Colombia: A SABE-Based Study

Abstract

Observational and interventional studies suggest that participation in leisure activities may help protect against cognitive decline in older people. This study aimed to examine the association between participation in leisure activities and cognitive impairment in older adults in Colombia. Data for this study were derived from the Colombian National Survey of Aging (SABE 2015), a cross-sectional survey with a sample size of 23,694 older adults representing the total population (mean age, 70.8 years; 57.3% females). Cognitive impairment was classified as cognitive impairment without dementia (CIWD) and dementia, according to the revised version of the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination and the Lawton and Brody functional scale. Leisure activities were evaluated using six items of a questionnaire. Sex-stratified multinomial regression models were used to analyze the association of leisure activities with CIWD and dementia after adjusting for educational attainment, literacy, and other potential confounders. In adjusted models for men, leisure activities in later life were associated with a decreased risk of CIWD (odds ratio [OR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68–0.78) and dementia (OR, 0,52; 95% CI, 0.48–0.58). For women, leisure activities in later life were associated with a decreased risk of CIWD (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.66–0.78) and dementia (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.43–0.53). The findings suggest that greater participation in leisure activities in later life may act as a protective factor against CIWD and dementia among older adults in Colombia, independent of educational attainment and literacy.

Association of Lifelong Cognitive Reserve with Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment among Older Adults with Limited Formal Education: A Population-Based Cohort Study

“…Most of the previous studies have investigated individual CR proxies (e.g., education, leisure activity, and social engagement) in middle age or late life in association with cognitive outcomes [26][27][28]. By contrast, our study used the composited CR capacity derived from lifelong cognitively stimulating factors, which could represent the CR capacity accumulated over the life course.…”

Relationship between specific leisure activities and successful aging among older adults

“…Guerrero Barragán and colleagues’ cross-sectional study of older Colombian adults found that greater participation in cognitive and physical activities in later life was positively associated with cognitive impairment and dementia, independent of literacy and education level. 16 Additionally, frequent participation in leisure activities has also been reported to associate with lowered all-cause mortality among older adults. 17 , 18 , 19 …”

Editorial: Reducing health disparities: promoting vulnerable older adults' psychological health

“…Through a prospective study, Ren et al (2022) reported that participation in leisure activities (including keeping domestic animals or pets, taking part in social activities, reading books or newspapers and playing cards, or mahjong) was moderately associated with an increase in cognitive function. An analysis from a national survey including 23,694 older adults also supported that leisure activities functioned as a protective factor against cognitive impairment without dementia and dementia (Guerrero Barragan et al, 2021). Therefore, further studies are needed to clarify the relationships between types of leisure activities and cognitive decline in older individuals.…”