Topical Review of Hobbies and Cognitive Health.

BACKGROUND: Establishing preventive measures to improve cognitive health of the growing older adult population is a public health priority. Though, the links between low-cost non-pharmacologist interventions that target activities like hobbies and cognitive health remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a topical review of extant literature to characterize prior findings in context and identify potential research opportunities. METHODS: Search criteria was conducted with search terms "Hobbies and Dementia", "Hobbies and Cognitive Health," "Leisure Activities and Dementia," and "Leisure Activities and Cognitive Health". From the initial 383 articles, 25 articles were selected for review by using broad inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: Of the 25 articles included in this review, 19 were longitudinal cohort, 1 was a retrospective cohort, 2 were case-control, and 3 were cross-sectional. These studies classified hobbies as leisure activities that were cognitive/intellectual, cultural, religious, social, gardening, traveling, or physical. These studies were conducted in the United States (9), United Kingdom (3), Sweden (3), France (5), Finland (1), Korea (1), Japan (2), and China (1). The associations of different types of hobbies with dementia from these studies were not consistent. Inconsistencies could be due to limitations of study design, lack of standardized methods, sample diversity, and differences in factors like social/cultural environment across the study populations. CONCLUSION: This review examined existing evidence for the association between engagement in different types of hobbies and dementia and identified key knowledge gaps and promising approaches for future research.

Social participation patterns and the incidence of functional disability: The Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study.

AIM: To examine whether patterns of social participation vary in their associations with functional disability. METHODS: Data from 44 978 participants (22 750 men and 22 228 women) who participated in the 2010 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study were analyzed; a study of those aged ≥65 years from 23 municipalities in eight prefectures. Social participation information was obtained at baseline with an eight-item questionnaire. Incidence of functional disability from 2010 to 2013 was defined as a new certification of eligibility for municipal public long-term care insurance. Social participation patterns were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and participants were classified into quartiles of factor scores of social participation patterns. A competing risk model was used to calculate the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the incidence of functional disability in 3 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Two social patterns were identified: sports groups/clubs and hobby groups, and political groups/organizations and industry/trade associations. For both patterns, compared with participants in the lowest quartile, participants in the highest quartile were more likely to be male, college educated, high-income and current drinkers. Both patterns were associated with reduced incidence of functional disability (adjusted hazard ratios for top quartile of sports and hobby pattern: 0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.59, 0.74; for political and industry/trade pattern: 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.72, 0.90; P for trend <0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Those whose social participation patterns were characterized by frequent participation in sports groups/clubs and hobby groups or political groups/organizations and industry/trade associations were less likely to develop a functional disability. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 765-772.

Making time for hobbies.

Finding space for hobbies amid the often stressful unpredictability of veterinary practice is a challenge. But Nat Scroggie has found some techniques to ensure she finds time in her life for running - and most will work for any pastime you want to make work. Claire Read reports.

Effect of Long Working Hours on Depression and Mental Well-Being among Employees in Shanghai: The Role of Having Leisure Hobbies.

Our aim is to examine the associations between long working hours and depression and mental well-being among the working population in Shanghai, as well as to identify the impact of having hobbies on these relationships. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shanghai, with depression assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and mental well-being assessed by the World Health Organization five-item Well-Being Index (WHO-5) scale. The phenomenon of long working hours (69.3%) was quite common among employees in Shanghai, and the rate of working over 60 h was 19.3%. Those who worked over 60 h had the highest prevalence of poorer mental health compared with individuals working ≤40 h per week. After adjustment in the logistic regression model, those who reported weekly working time over 60 h were 1.40 (95%CI: 1.03-1.90) and 1.66 (95%CI: 1.26-2.18) times more likely to have depression and poor mental well-being (PMWB), respectively. Adjusted ORs for having hobbies were 0.78 (95%CI: 0.62-0.97) and 0.62 (95%CI: 0.51-0.75), respectively. Meanwhile, having hobbies could significantly lower the mean score on the PHQ-9 and elevate the mean score on the WHO-5 in each working time group, with no interaction effect. Long working hours could have a significantly negative impact on workers' psychological health. Importantly, having hobbies in their daily lives might help to mitigate the adverse effects of long working hours on workers' depression and mental well-being.

"I just love it": Avid knitters describe health and well-being through occupation.

BACKGROUND.: Examining craft-based occupations is necessary to explicate the relationship between occupation and well-being. PURPOSE.: This study aimed to understand the role of knitting in the lives of passionate knitters and their experience of how knitting contributes to health, well-being, and occupational identity. METHOD.: Principles of phenomenology guided interviews with 21 knitting-guild members (with and without health conditions) and observations at seven guild meetings as well as guided the data analysis. Eight interviewees and 24 additional guild members confirmed key findings in writing. FINDINGS.: Five main themes capture how knitting (a) "makes me happy," (b) is "the mental challenge I need," (c) is "a hobby that joins" through social connections and skill development, (d) sustains identity such that "I can't imagine life without knitting," and (e) is a creative outlet "reflecting my personality." IMPLICATIONS.: This in-depth description of how knitters experience their craft in daily life bolsters the philosophical assumption that favoured occupations have the power to promote health and well-being.

The Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities: Assessing and understanding restricted interests in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Restricted interests are an established diagnostic symptom of autism spectrum disorder. While there is considerable evidence that these interests have maladaptive consequences, they also provide a range of benefits. This article introduces a new instrument, the Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities, and uses it to examine the nature of restricted interests in autism spectrum disorder. Respondents report substantial benefits of restricted interests as well as areas of difficulty. The Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities assesses Social Flexibility, Perseveration, Respondent Discomfort, Adaptive Coping, and Atypicality. All scales have Cronbach's α > 0.70. Age and socioeconomic status have little effect on Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities scales; nor does gender with the exception of interest Atypicality. The expected pattern of correlations with existing scales was found. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

The knitting community-based trial for older women with osteoarthritis of the hands: design and rationale of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hand osteoarthritis (HOA) has been reported to be higher amongst women over 50 years old (66%) compared to men of the same age (34%). Although exercise therapy has been shown effective in reducing symptoms and disability associated with HOA, adherence to treatment programs remains low. The primary objective of this RCT is to examine the effectiveness of a 12-week knitting program for morning stiffness (primary outcome) and pain relief (secondary outcome) 2 h post-wakening in females (aged 50 to 85 years old) with mild to moderate hand osteoarthritis (HOA). METHODS/DESIGN: A single-blind, two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a parallel group design will be used to reach this objective and compare results to a control group receiving an educational pamphlet on osteoarththritis (OA) designed by the Arthritis Society. The premise behind the knitting program is to use a meaningful occupation as the main component of an exercise program. The knitting program will include two components: 1) bi-weekly 20-min knitting sessions at a senior's club and 2) 20-min home daily knitting sessions for the five remaining weekdays. Participants assigned to the control group will be encouraged to read the educational pamphlet and continue with usual routine. Pain, morning stiffness, hand function, self-efficacy and quality of life will be measured at baseline, six weeks, 12 weeks (end of program) with standardized tools. We hypothesize that participants in the knitting program will have significant improvements in all clinical outcomes compared to the control group. A published case study as well as the preliminary results of a feasibility study as examined through a 6-week pre-post study (n = 5 women with HOA) involving 20-min daily knitting morning sessions led to this proposed randomized controlled trial research protocol. This article describes the intervention, the empirical evidence to support it. DISCUSSION: This knitting RCT has the potential to enhance our understanding of the daily HOA symptoms control and exercise adherence, refine functional exercise recommendations in this prevalent disease, and reduce the burden of disability in older women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (ACTRN12617000843358) registered on 7/06/2017.

Neural correlates of preferred activities: development of an interest-specific go/nogo task.

The activities we choose to spend our leisure time with are intrinsically motivating and vary across individuals. Yet it is unknown how impulse control or neural activity changes when processing a preferred stimulus related to a hobby or interest. Developing a task that assesses the response to preferred interests is of importance as it would be relevant to a range of psychiatric disorders that have hyper- or hypo-arousal to such cues. During functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), 39 healthy adults completed a novel task to test approach behavior and cognitive control to cues that were personalized to the participants' interests compared to stimuli the participants identified as being of non-interest and colored shapes. fMRI results showed that cues of one's interest elicited activation in the anterior insula compared to colored shapes. Interests did not change inhibition compared to non-interests and colored shapes and all stimuli equally engaged a frontostriatal circuit. Together the results suggest that adults were sensitive to their interests but were effective at regulating their impulses towards these cues, a skill that is critical for navigating the temptations and distractions in our daily environment.

Knitters in a Day Center: The Significance of Social Participation for People With Mild to Moderate Dementia.

This article explores how people with dementia interact and solve problems while participating in social activities. The present article highlights social participation and interaction among elderly women with mild dementia who engaged in knitting as their main activity. The data were collected through participant observation at a day center in a Norwegian city, and the analysis revealed that the social activity of knitting facilitated conversations about different topics, required various forms of memory and problem solving, and involved different participant statuses. Being part of the knitting group appeared to help the participants maintain their skills and facilitated sociability.

Quilting as a generative activity: Studying those who make quilts for wounded service members.

A qualitative study of 24 quilters examined their experiences creating and delivering quilts to wounded service members who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Using Erikson's (1963) perspective on generativity and Baumeister and Vohs's (2002) theory of motivation as theoretical frameworks, along with McCracken's (1988) five-step analysis model, we looked at the part motivation played in this process. The results were that respondents wanted to supply quilts in response to their own family histories of military involvement, to support friends/acquaintances with family in the military, and to make a difference to those who seemed young and badly wounded. Some respondents described being affected by the reactions of quilt recipients and of healing from their own traumas and grief.

Effects of Outreach on the Prevention of Aquatic Invasive Species Spread among Organism-in-Trade Hobbyists.

Releases of aquatic organisms-in-trade by aquarists, water gardeners, and outdoor pond owners have been identified as aquatic invasive species vectors within the Laurentian Great Lakes region. The trademarked U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitattitude campaign was developed in 2004 to encourage self-regulation by these groups, but little is known about its effects. We surveyed organisms-in-trade hobbyists in the eight Great Lakes states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, USA) to assess their recognition of the Habitattitude campaign and their compliance with the campaign's recommended behaviors for organism purchase and disposal. Awareness of the Habitattitude campaign was low, but hobbyists that identified as both water gardeners and aquarium hobbyists were more aware of the campaign than individuals who participated in one of those hobbies. Engaged hobbyists (high aquatic invasive species awareness, concern, and knowledge) were significantly more likely than passive hobbyists (low aquatic invasive species awareness, concern, and knowledge) to make decisions about disposal of live organisms with the intention of preventing aquatic invasive species spread, were more likely to contact other hobbyists for disposal and handling advice, and were less likely to contact professionals, such as retailers. On the basis of our results, we suggest that compliance with recommended behaviors may be increased by fostering hobbyist networks; creating materials that both explain tangible, negative environmental impacts and list specific prevention behaviors; and disseminating these materials through trusted information sources and venues.

Social participation and the onset of functional disability by socioeconomic status and activity type: The JAGES cohort study.

The impact of social participation on older adults' health may differ by individual socioeconomic status (SES). Consequently, we examined SES effect modification on the associations between types of social activity participation and incident functional disability. Cohort data from the 2003 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) was utilized. This included individuals who were aged 65 or older and functionally independent at baseline. Analysis was carried out on 12,991 respondents after acquisition of information about their long-term care (LTC) status in Japan. Incident functional disability was defined based on medical certification and LTC information was obtained from municipal insurance databases. Cox proportional hazard regression was conducted for analysis. Results indicated that participants in a sport (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51, 0.85) or hobby group (HR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.87), or who had a group facilitator role (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.02) were less likely to be disabled. While men with 13 or more years of education were less likely to become disabled if they held facilitator roles, this association was weak among men with 0-5years of education (HR of interaction term between 0 and 5years of education and facilitator role dummy variable=3.95; 95% CI: 1.30, 12.05). In conclusion, the association between group participation and smaller risk of the functional disability was stronger among highly educated older adults. Intervention programs promoting social participation should consider participants' socioeconomic backgrounds.

How Possibly Do Leisure and Social Activities Impact Mental Health of Middle-Aged Adults in Japan?: An Evidence from a National Longitudinal Survey.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate longitudinal relations between leisure and social activities and mental health status, considering the presence or absence of other persons in the activity as an additional variable, among middle-aged adults in Japan. This study used nationally representative data in Japan with a five-year follow-up period. METHODS: This study focused on 16,642 middle-aged adults, age 50-59 at baseline, from a population-based, six-year panel survey conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. To investigate the relations between two leisure activities ('hobbies or cultural activities' and 'exercise or sports') and four social activities ('community events', 'support for children', 'support for elderly individuals' and 'other social activities') at baseline and mental health status at follow-up, multiple logistic regression analysis was used. We also used multiple logistic regression analysis to investigate the association between ways of participating in these activities ('by oneself', 'with others', or 'both' (both 'by oneself' and 'with others')) at baseline and mental health status at follow-up. RESULTS: Involvement in both leisure activity categories, but not in social activities, was significantly and positively related to mental health status in both men and women. Furthermore, in men, both 'hobbies or cultural activities' and 'exercise or sports' were significantly related to mental health status only when conducted 'with others'. In women, the effects of 'hobbies or cultural activities' on mental health status were no differences regardless of the ways of participating, while the result of 'exercise or sports' was same as that in men. CONCLUSIONS: Leisure activities appear to benefit mental health status among this age group, whereas specific social activities do not. Moreover, participation in leisure activities would be effective especially if others are present. These findings should be useful for preventing the deterioration of mental health status in middle-aged adults in Japan.