Abstract
Dementia is a growing medical and social problem with a devastating impact on the people affected and their respective families/care-takers. Therefore, having knowledge of the relationship between leisure activities with the dementia framework may be of extreme importance in early preventative diagnosis. In this project, by means of a transversal design, an empirical study was carried out to evaluate the principal effects of leisure in dementia development. The project included the participation of 61 elderly persons, 23 clinically diagnosed with dementia and 38 without a clinical diagnosis of dementia. This research takes into consideration one moment of the evaluation; the information having been gathered using evaluation instruments selected to this effect: Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Mini Mental State Exam, Portuguese Version, and Clinical Dementia Rating, Portuguese Version. From the results, it is highlighted that 1) leisure activities seem to be a protection factor in the development of dementia; and 2) leisure emerges as a predictor variable. The interpretation of the results, as well as their possible implications with regard to prevention and treatment, are discussed in light of the relevant literature.
Highlights
The health of the elderly, real and perceived, is a key aspect when we consider optimal aging
This research takes into consideration one moment of the evaluation; the information having been gathered using evaluation instruments selected to this effect: Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Mini Mental State Exam, Portuguese Version, and Clinical Dementia Rating, Portuguese Version
Dementia is among the disorders that most compromise the quality of life of the elderly since it increases the probability of the development of functional incapacity triggering thereby an important public health problem
Summary
The health of the elderly, real and perceived, is a key aspect when we consider optimal aging. Dementia is among the disorders that most compromise the quality of life of the elderly since it increases the probability of the development of functional incapacity triggering thereby an important public health problem. Several epidemiological and biological studies indicate that specific factors acting at different times throughout life, factors which include intellectually stimulating activities, can contribute to an increase of cognitive reserves and, promote a more efficient functioning of cognitive networks dealing with cerebral pathologies, and delay the onset of clinical manifestations of dementia These factors include education, hobbies, and leisure activities
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