Health & Medicine, Australia (Commonwealth Union) – A study conducted by Monash University has discovered that activities such as computer use, crosswords, and chess have a stronger connection to dementia prevention in older individuals compared to knitting, painting, or socializing. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, provides highly reliable insights into this matter, potentially aiding older individuals and aged care experts in devising more focused strategies to minimize the risk of dementia.
The research team collected data from 10,318 Australians aged 70 and above who were part of the ASPREE, project and its sub-study called ALSOP (ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons).
The study revealed that individuals who regularly participated in activities like adult literacy and mental sharpness, such as attending educational classes, maintaining journals, and solving crosswords, had a 9-11% lower likelihood of developing dementia compared to their peers.
Engaging in creative hobbies like crafting, knitting, and painting, as well as more passive activities like reading, reduced the risk by 7 percent. When compared, the size of one’s social network and the frequency of external outings to places like cinemas or restaurants were not linked to a reduction in dementia risk.
These findings remained statistically significant even after accounting for factors such as prior education level and socioeconomic status. Moreover, there were no significant differences observed between men and women in terms of the association between these activities and dementia risk reduction.
With a growing aging population across the globe particularly in East Asia, Europe and North America the growing aging population is likely to come with more dementia cases hence this study along many other studies focusing on neurodegenerative disorders will have a significant impact on dealing with the condition.
Senior author Associate Professor Joanne Ryan, of the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, indicated that marking strategies to avoid or put off dementia was a major priority across the world.
“We had a unique opportunity to close a gap in knowledge by investigating a broad range of lifestyle enrichment activities that older adults often undertake, and assess which of those were most strongly aligned with avoiding dementia,” explained Associate Professor Ryan.
“I think what our results tell us is that active manipulation of previously stored knowledge may play a greater role in dementia risk reduction than more passive recreational activities. Keeping the mind active and challenged may be particularly important.”
The study examined a wide range of leisure activities, including adult literacy activities such as attending adult education classes, using computers, and maintaining a journal. It also assessed mental acuity tasks like solving quizzes and crosswords, playing cards or chess, as well as creative hobbies like woodworking, knitting, or painting. In addition, more passive activities such as staying updated with the news, reading, or listening to music were considered. Social network activities involving meeting and interacting with friends, as well as planned excursions like visiting restaurants, museums, or cinemas, were also included in the analysis.
Associate Professor Ryan noted that the results did not dismiss the possibility that individuals naturally inclined towards leisure activities associated with cognitive health might possess specific personality traits that contribute to overall well-being. It was also plausible that they generally adopted healthier behaviors that positively impacted their cognitive health.
According to Associate Professor Ryan, while the study did not establish a direct association between social connection and dementia risk reduction, it should not undermine the significance of social interaction for cognitive health and mental well-being. Social connections may still hold considerable importance, even if their impact on dementia risk was not clearly evident in the study’s findings.
She further explained that the participants included in the study were already leading cognitively healthy lives and were likely engaged in social activities. As a result, the cognitive benefits derived from strong social networks may have been less pronounced in this specific group compared to the broader population.
