The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms
Abstract Background Although the majority of existing literature has suggested positive effects of housework on older adults’ health and survival rate, the underlying mechanisms of such effects remain unclear. To address potential mechanisms, the present study examined the association between older...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Geriatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04039-1 |
| _version_ | 1797806486938714112 |
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| author | Li Chu Xianmin Gong Jennifer C. Lay Fan Zhang Helene H. Fung Timothy Kwok |
| author_facet | Li Chu Xianmin Gong Jennifer C. Lay Fan Zhang Helene H. Fung Timothy Kwok |
| author_sort | Li Chu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Although the majority of existing literature has suggested positive effects of housework on older adults’ health and survival rate, the underlying mechanisms of such effects remain unclear. To address potential mechanisms, the present study examined the association between older adults’ housework engagement and days of survival across 14 years and tested three potential mediation pathways in this association. Methods Four thousand Hong Kong older adults (50% female; aged between 65 and 98 years) participated in a longitudinal study in which they reported initial housework engagement and health status across three domains (cognitive functioning, physical health, and mental health) at the baseline, and the numbers of days they survived over the subsequent 14-year period were recorded. Linear regression, Cox proportional hazard, and parallel mediation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between housework engagement and days survived, and the mediating effects of these three health factors. Results The results showed a positive association between housework engagement and days survived after controlling for demographic variables (age, sex, education, marital status, subjective social status, and living alone). Physical health and mental health, but not cognitive functioning, partially mediated the relationship between housework engagement and days survived. The findings suggest that doing housework may contribute to longer survival by improving older adults’ physical and mental health. Conclusion The current study confirms positive relations of housework with health and mortality among Hong Kong older adults. As the first study examining the relationships and mediation pathways between doing housework and survival in later life, the findings advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the positive association between housework and mortality and provide insights for future daily-life health-promotion interventions for older adults. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:08:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1f37182af9884d09b6350bd2b0fbdf43 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:08:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Geriatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-1f37182af9884d09b6350bd2b0fbdf432023-06-11T11:24:50ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182023-06-0123111110.1186/s12877-023-04039-1The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanismsLi Chu0Xianmin Gong1Jennifer C. Lay2Fan Zhang3Helene H. Fung4Timothy Kwok5Department of Psychology, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong KongDepartment of Psychology, University of ExeterDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan UniversityDepartment of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong KongDepartment of Medicine and Therapeutic, The Chinese University of Hong KongAbstract Background Although the majority of existing literature has suggested positive effects of housework on older adults’ health and survival rate, the underlying mechanisms of such effects remain unclear. To address potential mechanisms, the present study examined the association between older adults’ housework engagement and days of survival across 14 years and tested three potential mediation pathways in this association. Methods Four thousand Hong Kong older adults (50% female; aged between 65 and 98 years) participated in a longitudinal study in which they reported initial housework engagement and health status across three domains (cognitive functioning, physical health, and mental health) at the baseline, and the numbers of days they survived over the subsequent 14-year period were recorded. Linear regression, Cox proportional hazard, and parallel mediation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between housework engagement and days survived, and the mediating effects of these three health factors. Results The results showed a positive association between housework engagement and days survived after controlling for demographic variables (age, sex, education, marital status, subjective social status, and living alone). Physical health and mental health, but not cognitive functioning, partially mediated the relationship between housework engagement and days survived. The findings suggest that doing housework may contribute to longer survival by improving older adults’ physical and mental health. Conclusion The current study confirms positive relations of housework with health and mortality among Hong Kong older adults. As the first study examining the relationships and mediation pathways between doing housework and survival in later life, the findings advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the positive association between housework and mortality and provide insights for future daily-life health-promotion interventions for older adults.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04039-1Healthy agingHousekeepingCognitive functionMental healthExercise |
| spellingShingle | Li Chu Xianmin Gong Jennifer C. Lay Fan Zhang Helene H. Fung Timothy Kwok The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms BMC Geriatrics Healthy aging Housekeeping Cognitive function Mental health Exercise |
| title | The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms |
| title_full | The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms |
| title_fullStr | The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms |
| title_full_unstemmed | The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms |
| title_short | The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms |
| title_sort | perks of doing housework longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms |
| topic | Healthy aging Housekeeping Cognitive function Mental health Exercise |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04039-1 |
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