Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adults
Abstract Rationale Leisure activities have wide-ranging benefits for physical and mental health. However, previous studies have often focused on “leisure” as a homogeneous group of activities. This study was therefore designed to take a prospective and comparative approach exploring different types...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13670-3 |
| _version_ | 1828335318332342272 |
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| author | Esme Elsden Feifei Bu Daisy Fancourt Hei Wan Mak |
| author_facet | Esme Elsden Feifei Bu Daisy Fancourt Hei Wan Mak |
| author_sort | Esme Elsden |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Rationale Leisure activities have wide-ranging benefits for physical and mental health. However, previous studies have often focused on “leisure” as a homogeneous group of activities. This study was therefore designed to take a prospective and comparative approach exploring different types of leisure activities, as well as investigating whether frequency of engagement is associated with strength of benefits. Method Data from the 1970 British Cohort Study Waves 9 (age 42) and 10 (age 46) were analysed (N = 5,639). Eight domains derived from the SF-36 health survey questionnaire were used to measure health functioning (general health, vitality, bodily pain, social functioning, physical functioning, mental health, role limitations due to emotional, and role limitations due to physical problems). Leisure activities included physical activity, culture engagement, arts participation, volunteering or community engagement, and literature activities. Both ordinary least squares and logistic regressions were applied. Results Physical activity was associated with greater levels of physical functioning, general health, and vitality at higher frequencies, while cultural engagement was associated with social functioning and physical functioning when engaged in several times a year. Arts participation and literature activities had a general negative association with health functioning. Engagements in volunteering/community groups showed varying associations with health functioning (both positive and negative) depending on the levels of engagements. Conclusion This research suggests that the types of leisure activities and levels of engagement can have differential associations with health amongst middle-aged adults. This may be helpful for public health initiatives and programmes such as social prescribing schemes when formulating programmes, especially regarding ‘dosage’ of engagement. Further, the overall benefits of high engagement frequency suggest that increasing leisure engagement could play an important role in supporting improving health and wellbeing at a population level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:44:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bdad4cf6b41f4ccd9233ceef92a88670 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:44:40Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-bdad4cf6b41f4ccd9233ceef92a886702022-12-22T02:28:37ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582022-06-0122111210.1186/s12889-022-13670-3Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adultsEsme Elsden0Feifei Bu1Daisy Fancourt2Hei Wan Mak3Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College LondonDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College LondonDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College LondonDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College LondonAbstract Rationale Leisure activities have wide-ranging benefits for physical and mental health. However, previous studies have often focused on “leisure” as a homogeneous group of activities. This study was therefore designed to take a prospective and comparative approach exploring different types of leisure activities, as well as investigating whether frequency of engagement is associated with strength of benefits. Method Data from the 1970 British Cohort Study Waves 9 (age 42) and 10 (age 46) were analysed (N = 5,639). Eight domains derived from the SF-36 health survey questionnaire were used to measure health functioning (general health, vitality, bodily pain, social functioning, physical functioning, mental health, role limitations due to emotional, and role limitations due to physical problems). Leisure activities included physical activity, culture engagement, arts participation, volunteering or community engagement, and literature activities. Both ordinary least squares and logistic regressions were applied. Results Physical activity was associated with greater levels of physical functioning, general health, and vitality at higher frequencies, while cultural engagement was associated with social functioning and physical functioning when engaged in several times a year. Arts participation and literature activities had a general negative association with health functioning. Engagements in volunteering/community groups showed varying associations with health functioning (both positive and negative) depending on the levels of engagements. Conclusion This research suggests that the types of leisure activities and levels of engagement can have differential associations with health amongst middle-aged adults. This may be helpful for public health initiatives and programmes such as social prescribing schemes when formulating programmes, especially regarding ‘dosage’ of engagement. Further, the overall benefits of high engagement frequency suggest that increasing leisure engagement could play an important role in supporting improving health and wellbeing at a population level.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13670-3Leisure activitiesSF-361970s British birth cohortHealth functioningFrequency of engagement |
| spellingShingle | Esme Elsden Feifei Bu Daisy Fancourt Hei Wan Mak Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adults BMC Public Health Leisure activities SF-36 1970s British birth cohort Health functioning Frequency of engagement |
| title | Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adults |
| title_full | Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adults |
| title_fullStr | Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adults |
| title_short | Frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4-year period: a population-based study amongst middle-aged adults |
| title_sort | frequency of leisure activity engagement and health functioning over a 4 year period a population based study amongst middle aged adults |
| topic | Leisure activities SF-36 1970s British birth cohort Health functioning Frequency of engagement |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13670-3 |
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