ArticleFrontiers in public health2024
Longitudinal associations between the frequency of playing Mahjong and cognitive functioning among older people in China: evidence from CLHLS, 2008-2018.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Individual sedentary activities and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults: A systematic review.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2026Pooled it
- A study on Mahjong intervention to improve cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia: a pilot, single-blind, randomized, controlled trial.BMC psychiatry · 2025Trial
- Association of playing cards/mahjong with all-cause mortality in older adults: a cohort study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- The effect of mahjong/bridge intellectual sports on the subjective wellbeing of middle-aged and older adults: an empirical analysis from the mixed cross-section data of CHARLS in China.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Leisure Activity Interventions on Cognition in Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients: A Meta-Analysis.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Cognitive decline is prevalent among older adults, often resulting in decreased capabilities for self-care and a diminished quality of life. Mahjong, a culturally cherished and extensively played intellectual game in China, demands considerable cognitive function. While the cognitive benefits of playing Mahjong have been widely accepted, this study investigates an under explored aspect and aimed to ascertain the game's potential contributions toward bolstering self-care abilities, enhancing overall quality of life, and mitigating against rising societal healthcare costs. Methods: The data analyzed in the study is collected from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) with cognitive functioning being assessed through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The frequency of playing Mahjong was measured through a self-reported questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models, latent variable growth models, and cross-lagged models were used to investigate the longitudinal relationship between game frequency and cognitive function in older people. Results: Of the 7,535 participants, the mean (SD) age was 81.96 (10.53) years. There were 7,308 (97%), 4,453 (59%), and 1,974 (26%) participants in 2011, 2014, and 2018, respectively. The results showed that Mahjong players had significantly higher MMSE scores compared to non-players from 2008 to 2018 ( Conclusion: Playing Mahjong has a positive influence on the cognitive functioning among older people. It can help buffer against the decline in cognitive function and maintain cognitive function levels. The higher frequency of playing Mahjong is associated with improved reaction, attention and calculation, and self-coordination. A decline in the frequency of playing Mahjong was associated with a declining rate of cognitive function. The higher frequency of playing Mahjong among older people unilaterally influenced the improvement of cognitive function levels in older people in China.
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