title: Examining the association between late-life leisure activity participation and global cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong Kong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examines the association between late-life leisure activity participation and global cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred and five participants, not clinically demented at the baseline, were analysed in the follow-up study of a population-based community survey among Hong Kong Chinese aged 60 and over. Information regarding leisure activity participation, global cognitive function and important sociodemographic variables was collected. Late life leisure activity profiles were classified into intellectual, social, physical and recreational categories, and were measured by total hours per week, total frequency and total number of subtypes. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between leisure activity participation at the baseline and the incidence of global cognitive decline at the 22-month follow-up. The incidence of global cognitive decline was defined as a one-point drop in z-score of the Cantonese version of the mini-mental state examination (CMMSE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the follow-up, a higher level of participation in intellectual activities was significantly associated with a lower incidence of global cognitive decline as measured by both the total hours per week (multivariate-adjusted OR 0.97 (95% CI 0.94-0.99, p=0.003)), and the total number of subtypes (multivariate-adjusted OR 0.74 (95% CI 0.58-0.95, p=0.018)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A higher level of late-life intellectual activity participation was associated with less global cognitive decline among community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong Kong.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tai Po Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Grace Tak Yu
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Ada Wai Tung
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Cindy Woon Chi
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Victor Wing Cheong
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: Helen Fung Kum
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Wai Man
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Linda Chiu Wa
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011998:Recreation; D012919:Social Behavior