Quality of life as a mediator of leisure activity and perceived health among older women

The mediating role of individual evaluation, anxiety, and depression in the association between leisure activity and cognitive function among Chinese older adults

The purpose of this research was to investigate the association between leisure activity and cognitive function in Chinese older adults, and to explore the mediating role of individual evaluation, anxiety and depression. Using cross-sectional data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), Pearson correlation analyses were employed to examine the relationships among various indicators. A multiple mediation model was constructed to investigate the mediating pathways through which leisure activities impact cognitive function in elderly individuals. Leisure activities, individual evaluation, anxiety, and depression were significantly correlated with cognitive function (p < 0.01). Leisure activities not only directly positively impacted cognitive function in elderly individuals (effect = 0.3780; 95% CI = [0.3459, 0.4101]), but also exerted indirect effects through five pathways. Individual evaluation, anxiety, depression, they plays a mediating role in the association between leisure activity and cognitive function in older adults in China. Leisure activities can positively impact cognitive function in elderly individuals by enhancing individual evaluation and subsequently reducing anxiety and depression.

Developing and validating the Taiwan version of the meaningful activity participation assessment (T-MAPA) with Rasch analysis

BACKGROUND

Meaningful activity participation has shown good predictability for healthy ageing in older adults, and their participation can be assessed using the Meaningful Activity Participation Assessment (MAPA). However, the MAPA has never been validated in any Taiwanese population. Moreover, different cultures may interpret meaningful activity participation differently. This study thus aimed to cross-culturally adapt the MAPA into a Taiwan version (i.e., the T-MAPA) and to investigate the psychometric properties of the T-MAPA in older adults in Taiwan.

METHODS

This study consisted of 3 phases. First, the original MAPA was cross-culturally adapted in 6 stages, including forward, synthesis of, and back translations, cognitive debriefing, expert review, and pilot testing on 18 older adults. Second, a Rasch-Andrich rating scale model was applied to evaluate the psychometric properties (including category function, unidimensionality, item functioning and targeting, and reliability) of the adapted version in a sample of 146 older adults. Lastly, the convergent validity and test-retest reliability were examined on 120 and 49 older adults, respectively.

RESULTS

After cross-cultural adaptation, the first version of the T-MAPA contained 29 items. Optimal category function was obtained by reducing the response categories of the frequency subscale to 4 and retaining a 5-point rating for the meaningfulness subscale. After the removal of 1 misfit item, a 28-item T-MAPA was generated. This version demonstrated unidimensionality, measurement invariance among different subgroups (regarding sex and education), acceptable item targeting (< 1 logit) and negligible floor and ceiling effects (1.37%; 0.68%), high reliability (person reliability coefficient = 0.86; small standard error < 0.5 with large test information > 4), confirmed convergent validity (absolute r = .49-0.54 with psychological well-being, depressive symptoms, and mental and physical health), and excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.94).

CONCLUSION

The cross-culturally adapted 28-item T-MAPA is suitable for application to the older population in Taiwan to measure meaningful activity participation. Future examinations of the T-MAPA in other populations with specific clinical features are warranted to extend its utility in practice.

The mediating role of psychological resilience between social participation and life satisfaction among older adults in China

BACKGROUND

A significant correlation has been discovered between social participation and older adults' life satisfaction, but the relationships among social participation, psychological resilience, and life satisfaction remain to be confirmed. Therefore, this study aims to identify the relationship between social participation and life satisfaction for Chinese older adults and to analyse the possible mediating role of psychological resilience between these two aspects.

METHODS

Data on 15,779 people aged 65 years and above were extracted from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Social participation was classified into two levels: low-level involvement activities and high-level involvement activities. Hierarchical regression analysis was applied to analyse the correlations between the two levels of social participation and older adults' life satisfaction as well as the mediating effects of psychological resilience on this association.

RESULTS

The results indicate that two levels of social participation were each positively correlated with life satisfaction. Specifically, high-level involvement activities (β = 0.070, P < 0.001) were more strongly associated with life satisfaction than low-level involvement activities (β = 0.051, P < 0.001). Moreover, psychological resilience was found to partially mediate the association between low-level involvement activities and high-level involvement activities and life satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

A higher level of life satisfaction for older adults is related to participation in high-level involvement activities. Psychological resilience has a mediating effect on the association between two levels of older adults' social participation and life satisfaction. These findings suggest that the government and society should establish a more concrete understanding of the psychological resilience of older adults.

Self-assessment of the health status and leisure activities of individuals on haemodialysis

Self-assessment of health status is an important marker of social and health aspects. Haemodialysis is an option for renal replacement therapy that alters daily life and impacts social participation and the performance of tasks that give the subject a socially accepted role. In this scenario, leisure activities have the potential to generate well-being and are associated with several aspects of daily life, but few studies have analysed their relationship with the self-assessment of health status. This is a cross-sectional, census study with 1024 individuals from haemodialysis units of a Southeast Brazilian region, with the application of a questionnaire in 2019. We calculated the difference between the proportions of self-assessment of health status (positive and negative) and the two logistic regression models. The chances of individuals on haemodialysis negatively evaluating their health increase when they do not perform artistic leisure activities (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.35-3.43), physical and sports activities (OR 3.20; 95% CI 1.86-5.52), intellectual (OR 2.21; 95% CI 1.44-3.41), manuals (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.22-2.72), social (OR 2.74; 95% CI 1.74-4.31), tourist (OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.37-3.17) and idleness and contemplative (OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.29-2.85). Negative health self-assessment is associated with not practicing artistic, manual, physical and sporting, social, intellectual, tourist, and contemplative leisure activities, which have the function of providing social participation and giving meaning to life.

Resilience Among Residents from the Areas First Affected by COVID-19 in South Korea

Purpose

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the resilience of residents of South Korea, from areas where the coronavirus disease of 2019 outbreak first occurred.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was used, with a convenience sample of 212 residents from Daegu and Gyeongbuk, areas that were first affected by COVID-19 in South Korea. Data were collected through a structured self-administered survey from September 3 to September 5, 2020. The questionnaire included general characteristics, post-traumatic stress, perceived health status, family history, and resilience. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression.

Results

Resilience was correlated with post-traumatic stress, perceived health status, and family hardiness. Factors influencing resilience were family hardiness, economic status, and residence.

Conclusion

There is a need for strategies and intervention programs that aim to improve family resilience and reduce the impact of economic losses caused by pandemics.

A Study of Differences in Leisure Satisfaction of Leisure Activity Patterns for South Korean Adults

The purpose of this study was to analyse differences in leisure satisfaction among leisure activity participants according to the type of activity including differences by gender. The study subjects were 448 adult men and women who were participating in leisure activities in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Gangwon-do, Korea. Frequency analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and latent mean analysis were applied to the data collected from the participants. First, the form, measurement, and intercept uniformity were verified to check that the study scale could be used equally with men and women. Second, it showed that leisure satisfaction was higher in sports activity of leisure activity patterns than hobbies, watching, socializing, tourism and games. It is concluded that infrastructure for sports should expand and that policy support is needed to increase leisure satisfaction in other leisure activities.

Cognitive leisure activity and all-cause mortality in older adults: a 4-year community-based cohort

BACKGROUND

Cognitive leisure activity, such as reading, playing mahjong or cards and computer use, is common among older adults in China. Previous studies suggest a negative correlation between cognitive leisure activity and cognitive impairment. However, the relationship between cognitive leisure activity and all-cause mortality has rarely been reported.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to explore the relationships between cognitive leisure activity and all-cause mortality in a community-based older people cohort in China.

METHODS

The current study sample comprised 4003 community residents aged ≥60 y who were enrolled in June 2015, and were followed up every year from 2015 to 2018. Reading, playing mahjong or cards and computer use were measured by questionnaires and summed into a cognitive leisure activity index (CLAI) score. Time-Dependent Cox Regression Model and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to examine the association of cognitive leisure activity with all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

During the 4-year follow-up of 4003 participants, 208 (5.2%) deaths were registered. Of all participants, 66.8, 26.7, 6.1 and 0.35% reported CLAI scores of 0, 1, 2 and 3, respectively. A strong association was noted between the CLA score and all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.72, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.54-0.97, P = 0.028). Stratified analysis suggested that a higher CLAI score was significantly associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality mainly among those who were male, aged ≥80 y, cognitively impaired, and not diagnosed with cancer (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Cognitive leisure activity was positively associated with reduced risk of death from all cause among the older people in major city of China, which helped promote a comprehensive understanding of health characteristics at advanced ages.

"If you can breathe, you can dance": Fine lines contemporary dance for mature bodies in Melbourne, Australia

Older women ballet and contemporary dancers resist the pervasive stereotypes of the dancing body as young, graceful, and athletic. They embody and enact a generative habitus, resisting cultural socialization that would deny them voice, visibility, and validation. This study explores the understandings of a group of older women dancers who are members of the Fine Lines contemporary dance ensemble for mature bodies, Melbourne, Australia. The data for this phenomenological study were gathered in 2017 and employ Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as an analytic strategy. Our findings are reported under three overarching themes: Dance as a Community, Older Women Dancing, and Learning: Choreography and Improvisation.