ArticleSocial science & medicine (1982)2022
Engagement in leisure activities and depression in older adults in the United States: Longitudinal evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.
Article in Social science & medicine (1982), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 121 citations in OpenAlex.
- Shared reading interventions to promote psychosocial well-being in older adults: a systematic review.Health promotion international · 2025Pooled it
- Hobby engagement and mental wellbeing among people aged 65 years and older in 16 countries.Nature medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Changes in leisure activities of the elderly due to the COVID-19 in Korea.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Aging in rural communities: Engagement in indoor leisure activities and older adult health.PloS one · 2025Trial
- Association of the red blood cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio with incident depression and depressive symptom trajectories in older adults.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026Article
- Association between hobby engagement and frailty among adults aged 65 years and older in 15 countries: findings from four prospective cohort studies.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- Leisure Activities in Very Old Age: Prevalence and Links to Well-Being in (Near-)Centenarians.Gerontology · 2026Article
- Effects of Non-Pharmacological Interventions on the Biopsychosocial Health of Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Chronic Heart Failure: An Integrative Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Leisure Activities are Associated with Physical and Mental Health.Current research in behavioral sciences · 2026Article
- Social and digital engagement associated with reduced depressive symptoms in adults aged 50 and older: a multi-country cohort study.BMC medicine · 2026Observational
- Intentional Recreational Activities of Daily Living and Well-Being in the General Population and in Psychosomatic Patients, Before and After Treatment.Scandinavian journal of psychology · 2026Article
- The effect of retirement experiences on depression and life satisfaction in the older adults: roles of social participation and grandparental childcare.BMC public health · 2026Article
- The potential impacts of regional artificial intelligence development on depressive symptoms in older adults: evidence from China.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Community environmental assessment for migrant seniors' mental health: a multi-attribute decision-making model.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Cognitive and behavioral benefits of newspaper reading in community-dwelling older adults: a feasibility randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in aging · 2026Article
- Association between cognitive leisure activities and symptoms of depression in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: A CHARLS cohort study from 2011 to 2018.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Article
- Impact of changes in leisure activities on incident disability among older adults: a nationwide cohort study.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- Leisure activity and daily mood across adulthood: results from the Korean Time Use Survey.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- Leisure Activities of Service Users in Psychiatric Rehabilitation- An Overlooked Avenue for Social Inclusion? Results from a Comparative Cross-Sectional Survey.Community mental health journal · 2025Article
- Anticipation and Motivation as Predictors of Leisure and Social Enjoyment and Engagement in Young People With Depression Symptoms: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.JMIR mental health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundReceptive cultural engagement (e.g. attending theaters and museums) can reduce depression in older adults. However, whether specific participatory leisure activities are associated with lower rates of depression remains unknown. We aimed to test whether engagement in a diverse range of leisure activities, all of which could involve artistic or creative elements, was associated with concurrent and subsequent depression.
methodsUsing longitudinal data from 19,134 participants aged over 50 in the Health and Retirement Study, engagement in leisure activities was measured every four years, and depression every two years, between 2008 and 2016. Leisure activities included: reading books, magazines, or newspapers; writing; baking/cooking something special; making clothes, knitting, or embroidery (sewing); working on hobbies/projects; going to sport, social, or other clubs; and attending non-religious organization meetings. A score of three or more on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale indicated depression. We fitted population-averaged panel data models using generalized estimating equations with a logit link.
resultsEngaging in some leisure activities, such as clubs, hobbies/projects, and baking/cooking was associated with reduced depression, independent of confounders. Concurrently, spending time on hobbies/projects (monthly OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.72-0.88; weekly OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.73-0.89) and clubs (monthly OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.77-0.94; weekly OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.69-0.88) was associated with lower odds of depression versus not engaging. Longitudinally, the odds of depression two years later were reduced amongst people engaging in weekly baking/cooking (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.75-0.95), hobbies (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.71-0.92), and clubs (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.71-0.94). Writing, reading, sewing, and attending non-religious organizations were not consistently associated with depression.
conclusionsEngagement in some leisure activities is associated with reduced odds of depression. We should consider how older adults can be supported to actively participate in leisure activities as health-promoting behaviors.
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