Effects of leisure activities and general health on the survival of older people: a cohort study in China

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

Background

As China's population ages, intellectual sports have become a key leisure activity with a significant impact on the subjective wellbeing of middle-aged and older adult individuals. These activities promote social engagement, counteract the "empty nest" phenomenon, and offer a pathway to successful aging.

Methods

This study utilized mixed cross-sectional data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), encompassing 36,934 adults aged 45 and above. The relationship between intellectual sports, such as mahjong and bridge, and subjective wellbeing was analyzed using ordinal logistic regression modeling.

Results

Participation in mahjong and bridge was positively associated with subjective wellbeing, a finding that remained consistent across multiple regression tests. Social interaction and cognitive ability emerged as critical mediators, enhancing wellbeing through increased social engagement and cognitive stimulation. Retirement status moderated this relationship, with retired individuals showing a stronger propensity to engage in these activities, thereby boosting their wellbeing. It is noteworthy that this positive impact was more pronounced among women and rural and eastern participants.

Conclusion

This study elucidates the mechanisms through which mahjong and bridge influence the subjective wellbeing of middle-aged and older adult Chinese individuals. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, suggesting that promoting diverse cultural and sports activities within older adult communities could foster socialization, prevent cognitive decline, and ultimately enhance wellbeing.

Impact of lifestyle and psychological resilience on survival among the oldest-old in China: a cohort study

Introduction

Healthy lifestyles and psychological resilience are important factors influencing the life expectancy of the oldest-old (≥80 years). Stratified by urban and rural groups, this study used a 10-year cohort to examine the mechanism of lifestyle and psychological resilience on the survival of the oldest-old in China.

Methods

This study used the China Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey datasets spanning from 2008 to 2018, and 9,250 eligible participants were included. The primary outcome variable was all-cause mortality, and independent variables included healthy lifestyle index and psychological resilience. Six covariates were included in the survival analysis and moderation-mediation model, such as gender and annual household income.

Results

This study found that the oldest-old with five healthy lifestyles had the longest survival time, averaging 59.40 months for urban individuals and 50.08 months for rural individuals. As the lifestyle index increased, the survival rate significantly increased. The Cox regression showed that for the urban oldest-old, the lifestyle index served as a protective factor for survival outcomes. However, this effect lost statistical significance among rural oldest-old individuals. For urban oldest-old individuals, psychological resilience significantly mediated and moderated the effect of the lifestyle index on survival status, but the moderating effect was not statistically significant for the rural ones.

Discussion

Overall, healthy lifestyles and psychological resilience can be effective in enhancing the survival of the oldest-old, and there are differences between urban and rural population, so different interventions should be adopted for urban and rural areas to achieve longer life in China.