Keeping the mind active and challenged may be particularly more important.
A study conducted by Monash University has revealed that certain activities are more effective in helping older individuals avoid dementia than others.
The research, published in JAMA Network Open, provides robust evidence that could assist older individuals and aged care professionals in developing targeted approaches to reduce dementia risk.
The study analyzed data from 10,318 Australians aged 70 and above who participated in the ASPREE project and the ALSOP sub-study. The findings indicated that engaging in activities that promote adult literacy and mental acuity, such as education classes, journaling, and solving crosswords, reduced the likelihood of developing dementia by 9-11 percent compared to peers.
Creative hobbies like crafting, knitting, and painting, as well as more passive activities like reading, were associated with a 7 percent reduction in dementia risk. In contrast, social network size and frequency of outings to the cinema or restaurant did not contribute to dementia risk reduction.
The results remained significant even after considering factors like education level and socioeconomic status, with no notable differences observed between men and women.
The lead author, Associate Professor Joanne Ryan, emphasized the importance of identifying strategies to prevent or delay dementia as a global priority.
“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.
“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 evaluated a range of leisure activities, including adult literacy tasks like taking classes and using computers, mental acuity tasks like quizzes and chess, creative hobbies like woodworking and painting, passive activities like reading and listening to music, social network interactions, and planned excursions to restaurants, museums, or cinemas.
Associate Professor Ryan acknowledged that individuals naturally inclined towards activities promoting cognitive health might also possess beneficial personality traits or engage in healthier behaviors. While engaging in literacy and mental acuity activities may not guarantee complete dementia avoidance, the research strongly suggests that these activities are most likely to support long-term cognitive health.
Associate Professor Ryan also emphasized the importance of social connections for cognitive health and mental well-being, despite the lack of a clear link with dementia risk in the study. The participants were initially cognitively healthy and already led socially active lives, which may have made the cognitive benefits of strong social networks less evident compared to the general population.
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