The relationship of individual social activity and cognitive function of community Chinese elderly: a cross-sectional study

Figures & data

Figure 1 Flow chart outlining the study.

Table 1 Characteristics of the participants

Characteristics	Mean (SD)/n (%)
Age (years)	73.8 (6.5)
Education (years)	5.9 (3.1)
CIRS score	3.0 (0.8)
HAMD score	4.3 (0.6)
Female (%)	398 (71.5%)
Married	308 (55.3%)
Living with relatives	460 (82.6%)
Current smoker	48 (8.6%)
Current drinker	83 (14.9%)
Main occupation in life^a
Professional, company director, artist, or similar occupation	28 (5.0%)
Self-employed, highly skilled, or management occupation	27 (4.8%)
Skilled worker or small tradesman	92 (16.5%)
Semiskilled worker (including housewife)	384 (68.9%)
Unskilled worker	26 (4.8%)
CMMSE	28.8 (2.5)
Word list learning test	5.5 (1.4)
Delayed recall test	5.2 (2.3)
CVFT	36.8 (8.1)
Trail making test	104.4 (49.0)
Digit vigilance test	188.9 (14.8)
Stroop test	4.4 (3.2)
HAMD	4.5 (2.2)
CIRS	3.5 (1.8)

Note: The classification of the occupation is referred to in studies by Schmand et al⁴⁸ and Leung et al.¹

Abbreviations: CIRS, Cumulative Illness Risk Scale; CMMSE, Cantonese version of Mini Mental State Examination; CVFT, Category Verbal Fluency Test; HAMD, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.

Table 2 Social activity profiles of participants

Individual activity	Total (n)	Percentage
Singing	92	16.5
Cantonese opera	7	1.3
Attending an interest class	116	20.8
Religious activity	48	8.6
Joining a social center	152	27.3
Meeting friends or relatives	140	25.1
Volunteer work	99	17.8

Table 3 Correlation between leisure activity and cognitive performancea

Leisure activity	CMMSE	Word list learning test	Delayed recall test	CVFT	Trail making test	Digit vigilance test	Stroop test
Physical activity (n)	0.07	0.06	0.13*	0.15	0.02	0.06	−0.05
Physical activity (h)	0.05	0.02	0.05	0.05	−0.03	0.04	−0.05
Intellectual activity (n)	0.33**	0.31**	0.26**	0.26	−0.14*	0.28**	−0.09
Intellectual activity (h)	0.22**	0.19**	0.17*	0.17	−0.10*	0.19**	−0.04
Social activity (n)	0.04	0.17**	0.10*	0.1	0.03	−0.01	−0.06
Social activity (h)	0.05	0.14*	0.12**	0.12	−0.01	−0.01	−0.06
Recreational activity (n)	0.09	0.15**	0.11*	0.11	0.10*	0.04	−0.08
Recreational activity (h)	0.07	0.14*	0.08	0.08	0.12*	0.04	−0.05

Notes:

a Correlation coefficient was calculated using the Pearson correlation test.

* P<0.01.

** P<0.001.

Abbreviations: CMMSE, Cantonese version of Mini Mental State Examination; CVFT, Category Verbal Fluency Test; h, total hours per week; n, total number of individual items.

Table 4 The association between leisure activity and cognitive function of the participants

Leisure activity	Adjusted beta	P-value	95% CI
CMMSE
Total number of intellectual activity	0.32	<0.001	(0.59, 1.24)
Word list learning test
Total number of intellectual activity	0.28	<0.001	(0.24, 0.59)
Total number of social activity	0.10	0.06	(0.01, 0.26)
Total number of recreational activity	0.13	0.02	(0.05, 0.58)
Delayed recall test
Total number of intellectual activity	0.34	<0.001	(0.58, 1.13)
Total duration of recreational activity	0.1	0.08	(−0.003, 0.05)
CVFT
Total number of intellectual activity	0.33	<0.001	(1.75, 3.64)
Trail making test
Total number of recreational activity	0.11	0.06	(−0.36, 21.05)
Digit cancellation test
Total number of intellectual activity	0.22	0.001	(1.39, 4.99)
Total number of social activity	−0.12	0.04	(−2.71, 0.22)
Stroop test
Total number of intellectual activity	−0.16	0.01	(−0.90, −0.12)

Abbreviations: CMMSE, Cantonese version of Mini Mental State Examination; CVFT, Category Verbal Fluency Test.

Table 5 The association between individual leisure activity and cognitive function of the participantsa

Item	Adjusted beta	P-value	95% CI
CMMSE
Kung Fu	−0.17	0.03	(−10.18, 0.61)
Reading	0.31	<0.001	(−1.0, 2.43)
Playing instrument	0.17	0.02	(−0.55, 7.17)
Attending an interest class	0.19	0.002	(−0.46, 1.97)
Word list learning test
Tai chi	−0.11	0.04	(−0.76, 2.02)
Reading	0.18	0.002	(−0.20, 1.90)
Writing	0.13	0.02	(−0.21, 2.27)
Calligraphy	0.15	0.01	(−0.24, 1.72)
Mahjong	0.19	<0.001	(−0.40, 1.34)
Poker	0.17	0.002	(−0.28, 1.14)
Attending an interest class	0.17	0.005	(−0.17, 1.95)
Religious activity	0.12	0.02	(0.08, 1.88)
Delayed recall test
Reading	0.18	0.001	(−0.37, 1.52)
Word puzzle	0.12	0.04	(−0.25, 9.01)
Poker	0.15	0.01	(−0.26, 1.84)
Attending an interest class	0.15	0.01	(−0.23, 1.53)
Surfing internet	0.15	0.01	(−0.23, 2.12)
CVFT
Swimming	0.15	0.01	(−1.44, 10.05)
Reading	0.16	0.01	(−0.61, 4.56)
Calligraphy	0.29	<0.001	(−6.72, 14.98)
Playing chess	0.15	0.01	(−1.51, 10.34)
Mahjong	0.13	0.02	(−0.53, 6.05)
Bridge	0.12	0.03	(−0.82, 21.16)
Singing	−0.15	0.02	(−4.99, 1.55)
Trail making test
Calisthenics	0.14	0.01	(−4.35, 33.80)
Reading	−0.14	0.03	(−29.19, 1.74)
Singing	−0.12	0.04	(−30.84, 1.11)
Training course	−0.12	0.04	(−0.97, 26.02)
Attending an interest class	−0.15	0.01	(−5.0, 31.39)
Digit vigilance test
Reading	0.25	<0.001	(−3.88, 11.09)
Religious activity	0.20	<0.001	(−11.61, 3.32)

Notes:

a The dependent variables were the scores of cognitive test. The independent variables were the individual social activity items. The individual items of the other three categories were entered in the linear regression models as covariates. Potential confounders, including age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, living arrangement, drinking status, smoking status, HAMD score, and CIRS score, were also adjusted. Only significant results are shown here.

Abbreviations: CIRS, Cumulative Illness Risk Scale; CMMSE, Cantonese version of Mini Mental State Examination; CVFT, Category Verbal Fluency Test; HAMD, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.

SchmandBSmitJHGeerlingsMILindeboomJThe effects of intelligence and education on the development of dementia: a test of brain reserve hypothesisPsychol Med1997276133713449403905

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LeungTYFungWTTamWCExamining the association between participation in late-life leisure activities and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong KongInt Psychogeriatr201022111319943994

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