title: Social and leisure activities and risk of dementia: a prospective longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between social and leisure activities and risk of subsequent dementia in older community residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort study of people aged 65 and older were followed-up 1 and 3 years after a baseline screening (the Paquid study).
  
  
  METHODS
  2040 older subjects living at home in Gironde (France) were randomly selected and followed for at least 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about social and leisure activities was collected during the baseline screening with an interview by a psychologist. Incident cases of dementia were detected during the first and third year follow-up screenings according to the DSM-III-R criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All but one of the social and leisure activities noted were significantly associated with a lower risk of dementia. Only golden club participation was not significantly associated with this risk. After adjustment for age and cognitive performance measured by the Mini-Mental State Exam, visual memory test, and verbal fluency test, only traveling (Relative risk (RR) = .48,95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) = .24-.94), odd jobs or knitting (RR = .46,95% CI = .26-.85), and gardening (RR = .53, 95% CI = .28-.99) remained significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regular participation in social or leisure activities such as traveling, odd jobs, knitting, or gardening were associated with a lower risk of subsequent dementia.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U 330, Université de Bordeaux II, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabrigoule
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Letenneur
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dartigues
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarrouk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Commenges
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barberger-Gateau
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003704:Dementia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors