Leisure activities and instrumental activities of daily living: A 3-year cohort study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

Aim We prospectively examined the association between leisure activities and changes in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among participants of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). Methods We analyzed data collected from 49 732 JAGES participants (23 359 men and 26 373 women), aged >= 65 years, from 24 municipalities in Japan. Measurements Baseline data were obtained for 25 types of leisure activities in which the cohort members participated. Baseline (2010) and follow-up (2013) data on IADL were collected - the outcome indicated changes in IADL scores from 2010 to 2013. We regressed changes in IADL scores from the 2010 to 2013 to the number of leisure activities. Results Older adults who engaged in more leisure activities had higher changes in IADL scores than those who engaged in fewer leisure activities: the beta values (95% confidence interval [CI]) of the IADL scores were 0.001 [-0.04-0.04], 0.04 [0.01-0.08], 0.09 [0.05-0.13], 0.09 [0.05-0.14], 0.08 [0.02-0.13], and 0.13 [0.07-0.18] for having one, two, three, four, five, and more than six types of leisure activities (P for trend <0.001), respectively. Similar associations were found for different types of leisure activities, including predominantly physical and cultural activities. Statistically significant linear trends were obtained among the group, solitary, and other leisure activity subgroups (P for trend <0.05). Conclusions Encouraging engagement in leisure activities may promote maintenance of IADL among older populations. Different types of leisure activities appear to have similar positive impacts on IADL. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; center dot center dot: center dot center dot-center dot center dot.

Automated summary

The study examined the association between leisure activities and changes in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among older adults in Japan. Engaging in more leisure activities was linked to higher changes in IADL scores. Different types of leisure activities were found to have similar positive impacts on IADL, suggesting that promoting engagement in leisure activities could help maintain functional independence in older populations.