title: Leisure activities and depressive symptoms in older adults with cognitive complaints.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depressive symptoms are common in older adults and associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. Leisure activities are often promoted for individuals with mood symptoms but few studies compare the effects of different types of leisure activities on reducing depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were analyzed from participants enrolled from 2008-2009 in the Mental Activity and eXercise (MAX) Trial, which examined the effects of physical plus mental activity over 12 weeks in inactive older adults with cognitive complaints. There were no significant differences between intervention groups on the primary outcome of cognitive function or the secondary outcome of depressive symptoms; therefore, all participants were combined for the current analyses in which we examined changes in leisure activity engagement (Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS)), and changes in depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)) as a function of changes in leisure activity engagement from baseline to post-intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants' mean age was 73.0 years, 61.6% were female, and 63.6% were non-Hispanic white. There was a significant change in total hours per week engaged in leisure activities from baseline (36.7 hours, SD = 12.7) to post-intervention (40.4 hours, SD = 15.7; paired t-test p = 0.02), and mean change in depressive symptoms was significantly inversely correlated with change in leisure activity hours such that increases in total leisure activity were associated with decreases in depressive symptoms (r = -0.21, p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing the total amount of leisure activity levels may help lower depressive symptoms in inactive older adults with cognitive complaints.
authors: University of California,San Francisco,San Francisco VA Medical Center,CA,USA.
authors: Gina
authors: G
authors: Poelke
authors: University of California,San Francisco,San Francisco VA Medical Center,CA,USA.
authors: Maria I
authors: MI
authors: Ventura
authors: University of California,San Francisco,San Francisco VA Medical Center,CA,USA.
authors: Amy L
authors: AL
authors: Byers
authors: University of California,San Francisco,San Francisco VA Medical Center,CA,USA.
authors: Kristine
authors: K
authors: Yaffe
authors: University of California,San Francisco,San Francisco VA Medical Center,CA,USA.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Sudore
authors: University of California,San Francisco,San Francisco VA Medical Center,CA,USA.
authors: Deborah E
authors: DE
authors: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report
keywords: aging; depressive symptoms; leisure activities; mild cognitive impairment