Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adults

Life-course social participation and physical activity in midlife: longitudinal associations in the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70)

A hypothesized benefit of social participation is that it encourages people to be more physically active. However, limited evidence exists on the association between social participation over the life-course and physical activity in midlife. We sought to apply a life-course framework to examine the association of social participation and device measured physical activity in midlife in the UK. We used the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study (BCS70), which includes all people born in Britain during a single week in 1970. Social participation was assessed at ages 16, 30, 34 and 42. Physical activity was measured by accelerometery at age 46, as mean daily step count and time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The associations of social participation and physical activity were tested using two different life-course models: the sensitive period model and the accumulation model. Individuals with medium and high participation compared to no social participation over their life-course had higher mean daily step count and MVPA in midlife, supporting the accumulation model. In the sensitive period model, only those that actively participated at age 42 had higher mean daily steps and MVPA compared to those who did not participate. Our study provides empirical evidence on the importance of sustaining social participation at all ages over the life-course rather than at a particular timepoint of someone's life. If our findings reflect causal effects, interventions to promote social participation throughout the life-course could be an avenue to promote physical activity in middle life.

Transforming leisure time physical activity into a habit through social institutions

Physical activity is a positive health behavior that has been shown to reduce the risk of physical and mental illnesses; There's strong evidence suggesting that Physical activity, as one of the components of a healthy lifestyle, if transformed into a consistent behavior or habit early in life, becomes easier to sustain throughout the lifecycle and leads to valuable outcomes for the society's health in various physical, mental, and social dimensions. Each social institution, considering its unique role and characteristics, can contribute to shaping individuals' behaviors in societies. Consequently, identifying the role of social institutions in the development of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) as a regular activity and a behavioral habit can result in the selection and implementation of highly effective intervention strategies. Therefore, this research aimed to present a model of the role of social institutions in institutionalizing leisure-time physical activity among Iranian adolescent girls. To collect data, the questionnaires were employed, and for presenting the model, structural equation modeling was utilized. Data analysis showed that the role of three social institutions in the institutionalization of physical activities including habituation, objectification and sedimentation was confirmed, although sedimentation was confirmed in all three institutions at the 0.05 level, which indicates that factors in this area can be investigated. Examining the role of social institutions in institutionalizing behaviors may vary across different ages and genders, which is open to investigation in future studies.

Association between commuting time and work-related low back pain with respect to sports and leisure activities in Korean workers

Long commuting times can induce work-related low back pain (LBP), which can be exacerbated by reduced sports and leisure activities. However, there is a lack of empirical research on commuting time and work-related LBP in Korea. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between commuting time and work-related LBP as well as the effect of sports and leisure activities on Korean workers. We utilized data from the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey to analyze the relationship between commuting time and work-related LBP using multivariable logistic regression. The total number of included workers was 28,202. Workers without sports and leisure activities, and long commuting times (40-59, 60-79, and ≥80 min) showed significantly higher odds ratios for work-related LBP (1.29 [95% Confidence intervals=1.12-1.49], 1.42 [1.22-1.65], and 1.96 [1.68-2.28], respectively). However, in workers with sports and leisure activities, the results were significant only for commuting times of 60-79 and ≥80 min (1.41 [1.13-1.75], 1.60 [1.28-1.99], respectively). Long commuting times were associated with work-related LBP, and engagement in sports and leisure activities was found to play a role in mitigating the impact among Korean wage workers.

What will you do with all that time? Changes in leisure activities after retirement are determined by age-related self-views and preparation

Retirement is a normative life transition that liberates the individual from the external obligations of employment, being a catalyzer of leisure activity engagement. However, the individual's motivations to engage in leisure activities in the time that is gained after retirement may depend on their future self-views (i.e., views of their own ageing) as well as on their levels of preparation for age-related changes. In this study, therefore, we aim to examine longitudinal changes in levels of engagement in leisure activities that occur around the age of retirement as being influenced by views on ageing and preparation for old age. The sample consisted of 451 persons aged 50-65 years at baseline who participated in the Ageing as Future study at two time points 5 years apart. Participants were split in three age-matched groups: recently retired (in between baseline and follow-up), already retired (at baseline), and individuals who were still working (at follow-up). Findings indicated that changes in levels of leisure differed between groups. Compared to both already retired and still working participants, recently retired participants increased their levels of engagement in leisure activities. Positive views on ageing in the leisure domain (at baseline) predicted subsequent increases in activity levels but group and levels of preparation qualified this effect. A combination of positive views on ageing and preparation for age-related changes is needed for one to make use of the time that is gained with retirement, highlighting their role as determinants of behavior in response to normative life events in later life.