title: Leisure activity in old age and risk of dementia: a 15-year prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether leisure activity is associated with incident dementia in an older sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined a sample of 1,475 elderly (≥ 65 years) who were dementia free at baseline over a follow-up period of up to 15 years. In addition to analyses involving the total time period, separate analyses of three time periods were performed, 1-5, 6-10, and 11-15 years, following baseline measurement of leisure activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for a variety of potential confounders, analyses of data for the total time period revealed that higher levels of "Total activity" and "Social activity," but not "Mental activity," were associated with decreased risk of dementia. However, analyses of the separate time periods showed that this association was only significant in the first time period, 1-5 years after baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study provide little support for the hypothesis that frequent engagement in leisure activities among elderly serve to protect against dementia diseases across a longer time frame. The finding of a relationship for the first time period, 1-5 years after baseline, could indicate short-term protective effects but could also reflect reverse causality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, daniel.erikssonsorman@psy.umu.se.
authors.forename: Daniel Eriksson
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sörman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Centre for Population Studies/Ageing and Living Conditions, and.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sundström
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rönnlund
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adolfsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University and Stockholm Brain Institute, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars-Göran
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Nilsson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Cognitive aging; Dementia; Leisure activities; Lifestyle; Longitudinal.