Hobby Groups Research Articles

Factors associated with loneliness in rural Australia: A web-based cross-sectional survey

BackgroundLoneliness affects approximately 35% of rural Australians with detrimental impacts on physical, emotional, and social health. This study aims to identify the factors associated with loneliness among adults in a rural Australian population. MethodsThe study was a web-based cross-sectional survey conducted between February and April 2023 among adults living in a rural Australian population. The survey, which was distributed using social media, consisted of 37 items including demographic information (17 items) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 (20 items). Collected data were analysed using univariate and multivariable analysis to identify the factors associated with loneliness in this population. ResultsA total of 225 respondents, mostly aged 30–49yrs (42.7%) participated in this study. The majority were Australia-born (88.4%), females (79.6%), employed (70%) and a third of participants were married (34.7%) at the time of this study. The median loneliness score (55 [IQR 47.0–61.0]) was significantly lower among participants who took part in community, sporting or hobby groups (36.2%) compared to those who abstained from these activities (51.5, [IQR 45.3–58.0] vs 56.0 [IQR 48.0–62.0]; p = 0.037). However, this association was nullified, after adjusting for covariates. Those who rated their overall health as worse (i.e., ‘poor’ 62.5 [IQR 54.8–64.0]) had significantly higher median loneliness scores than those who self-rated their overall health as ‘excellent’ (46.0 [IQR 32.3–54.3]; p < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, poorer self-rated overall health remained significantly associated with loneliness, in contrast to ratings of ‘good’, ‘very good’ and ‘excellent’. ConclusionsResults indicate that in this rural Australian population, loneliness is associated with worse self-reported overall health, whilst participation in social groups appear to ameliorate loneliness. Policy aimed at reducing loneliness should therefore facilitate measures that improve this population's physical and mental health.

Implementation Chatbot on Discord for Information Assistance and Conflict Prevention

Discord, which was originally created for the gamer community, can now be found used by hobby groups and communities that are used for shared learning purposes. But the downside is the gamer culture that comes with it. Rude and toxic words that are synonymous with the gamer community should be avoided in study group communities. Meanwhile, the facilities for minimizing harsh and toxic words are still limited to word filters that can be tricked so that they can still be sent to the chat room. This can trigger conflict and interfere with learning activities together. This paper proposed an information assistance chatbot that is able to answer question, and conflict prevention with detection toxic sentences using pre-processing from NLP (Natural Language Processing) and text classification so that the chatbot is able to limit toxic sentences a little more accurately than the word filter feature alone. Also, Chatbots are given the ability to determine the value / level of toxic conversations so that they are had been able to determine the punishment action to be carried out by warning, suspending, or even being issued for the most severe cases. In addition, by looking at the frequency of sending messages from several senders, which indicates toxic, it was able to determine when the conflict occurs. The result shows that chatbot can work fine to answer question and detecting toxic include do punishment to toxic sender. With 10% error on detecting conflict and 30% error on answer question. That 30% error false positive on make an answer that should not be answered.

Participation in Community Gathering Places and Subsequent Health and Well-Being: An Outcome-Wide Analysis

Abstract Background and Objectives Evidence remains inadequate regarding the benefits of participation in community gathering places, which is Japan’s primary strategy for preventing functional disability in older adults, in other domains of health and well-being. This longitudinal study examined the associations of participation in community gathering places with an array of subsequent health and well-being outcomes among older adults. Research Design and Methods We used 3-wave data (2013, 2016, and 2019) from Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (n = 5 879 or 4 232 depending on the outcome). Our exposure was participation in community gathering places in 2016. We assessed 34 health/well-being outcomes in 2019 across 6 domains. We adjusted for pre-baseline covariates including prior outcome values in 2013. Results Compared with nonparticipation, participation in community gathering places was associated with some outcomes in the following 3 domains: physical/cognitive health (better higher-level functional capacity), social well-being (more frequent participation in hobby groups, senior citizens clubs, learning or cultural groups, and seeing more friends within a month), and prosocial/altruistic behaviors (more frequent participation in volunteering; after Bonferroni correction as p &amp;lt; .0015, .05/34). Discussion and Implications Evidence was mixed and more modest for the outcomes in three other domains, mental health, psychological well-being, and health behaviors. Promoting participation in community gathering places may not only fulfill its original goal (ie, preventing functional disability) but also enhance other domains of human well-being, potentially by increasing social interactions.

Regional Agriculture and Social Capital after Massive Natural Disasters: The Case of Miyagi Prefecture after the Great East Japan Earthquake

This study aimed to clarify how local agriculture and social capital in disaster-affected areas were transformed by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 and to identify the factors that influenced the transformation of social capital—especially trust—after the disaster. A questionnaire survey was conducted in the Miyagi prefecture’s disaster-affected areas. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis with ordinary least squares; the trust index was used for explained variables and personal-attribute disaster-related variables as explanatory variables. The results indicate that regional agriculture was integrated into agricultural corporations or communal management as individual farmers were unable to recover their disaster-related losses. After the disaster, participation in collaborative efforts to manage community resources decreased, while participation in community activities, such as volunteering, increased. Respondents lost trust in the people around them owing to relocation after the disaster and exposure to crime. Steps necessary to maintain or improve social capital in disaster areas include maintaining public safety in the disaster area, securing sources of income, and providing people with interaction opportunities, such as hobby groups. The findings offer practical applications for post-disaster agricultural resource management in developed countries.

Association between social participation and frailty among older adults: a longitudinal study from Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

Objective In Japan, measures to prevent frailty among older adults have been implemented. Promotion of social participation is a key measure, but few longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between the types and number of social participation and frailty onset. In this study, we aimed to clarify the relationship between the types and number of social participation and frailty onset using longitudinal data from a large sample of older adults in municipalities in Japan.Methods We used the 2016 and 2019 panel survey data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). The analysis included 59,545 individuals from 28 municipalities who responded to the JAGES survey in both 2016 (at baseline) and 2019 (at follow-up). We excluded individuals who were dependent on activities of daily living at baseline and non-responders, and those who were frail or with no information about frailty. The dependent variable was frailty onset (≥8 out of 25 points on the basic checklist) at follow-up, and the independent variables were the types and number of types of social participation at baseline. We included 11 variables as potential confounders. We used multiple imputations to complete the missing values and used modified Poisson regression to examine the association between social participation and risk of frailty onset.Results Of the 59,545 participants, 6,431 (10.8%) were frail onset at follow-up. After multiple imputations (minimum 64,212, maximum 64,287), the risk of frailty onset at follow-up was lower for eight types of social participation, excluding senior citizens' clubs, (nursing care [risk ratio; 0.91], paid work [0.90], volunteer groups [0.87], neighborhood associations [0.87], learning or cultural groups [0.87], activities intended to teach skills or pass experiences to others [0.85], hobby groups [0.81], and sports groups or clubs [0.80]; P<0.05), than no social participation. Additionally, individuals who participated in more types of social participation were at a lower risk of frailty than those with no social participation (P for trend <0.001).Conclusions The risk of frailty onset was lower among individuals who participated in eight types of social participation at baseline and among those who participated in more types of social participation than those with no social participation. The results suggest that social participation is a useful measure to prevent frailty for extending healthy life expectancy.

Social participation and incident disability and mortality among frail older adults: A JAGES longitudinal study.

Frailty is the highest risk factor for incident disability and mortality. Social participation is a modifiable factor for reducing adverse outcomes among independent older adults. However, the association between social participation and incident disability and mortality among frail older adults remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the association between various social activities and incident disability and mortality. This nationwide prospective cohort study (The Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study) recruited older adults with frailty, aged 65 years and older (N=9090) who were followed up for 6 years (2010-2016). We examined incident disability and all-cause mortality at the end of the follow-up period. Frailty was assessed using the Kihon Checklist. The independent variable was social participation in 2010, grouped into the following seven categories: hobby groups, sports groups or clubs, volunteer groups, senior citizens' clubs, industries, neighborhood communities, and paid work. The incidence of disability among participants was 19.5% (1770) and that of mortality was 19.2% (1753). Belonging to sports groups or clubs (Hazard Ratios [HR]=0.74; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=0.57, 0.98) or hobby groups (HR=0.77; 95% CI=0.60, 0.98) was significantly associated with a lower risk of incident disability. Meanwhile, hobby groups (HR=0.68; 95% CI=0.56, 0.83), sports groups or clubs (HR=0.71; 95% CI=0.57, 0.88), volunteer groups (HR=0.69; 95% CI=0.54, 0.88), and senior citizens' club (HR=0.75; 95% CI=0.61, 0.90) were associated with lower risk of incident mortality. Social participation was associated with a lower risk of incident disability and mortality, not only in healthy older adults but also in frail older adults who are at higher risk of incident disability and mortality. This suggests that frail older adults should be encouraged to participate in all the seven types of social participation examined in this study, as this may lower the risk of subsequent disability and mortality.

Learning, Practicing, and Developing Traditional Handicrafts in Latvia Today

AbstractLatvian folk crafts are characterized by a predominance of women's handicrafts: weaving, knitting, embroidery, and so on, which are practiced both in groups and individually. This article focuses on the interaction between cultural heritage and creative trends in folk crafts in Latvia, examining the way in which artisans learn traditional crafts and the main areas of their activity. Given the context, the aim of this paper is to provide an overview on the development of Latvian handicrafts today based on empirical study which relied on information found on social networks about the latest activities of craftspeople. In addition to personal observations, publications dedicated to the development of folk art in Latvia during the Soviet period and today were also used as sources for the study. In recent years, the growing popularity of the Latvian national costume has stimulated the desire of many people to not only wear the costume but also learn how to make their own version. The Latvian national costume is a combination of various types of handicrafts, and some elements of folk costumes are also used in modern clothing. Nowadays, learning crafts in studios and hobby groups has become the main way to acquire handicraft skills. Training in these settings is based on ethnographic research and information available from modern sources. Works created in handicraft studios and hobby groups are regularly exhibited at local and national exhibitions. Craftspeople in modern-day Latvia merge the study of traditional, ethnographic material with creative self-expression in the production of objects for modern use. Creativity and inherited traditions are therefore combined to various extents depending on the type of objects and their use. Masters of traditional handicrafts participate in the annual public workshop series called Meet Your Master!, which has become a well-known event for popularizing folk crafts in Latvia.

Neighborhood effect of geographical distribution of urban facilities on older adults' participation in hobby and sports groups

Understanding the effect of neighborhood facilities on older adults' participation in hobbies and sports activities can provide solid evidence for effective health promotion policies. However, few studies have considered the relationship between the geographic accessibility of neighborhood facilities and their degree of spatial clustering with changes in group participation over time. This study examined whether the geographical distribution of neighborhood facilities—their geographic accessibility and degree of spatial clustering—can facilitate older adults' group participation. Longitudinal data of 20,151 older adults living in 339 elementary school districts were collected through the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. The findings within the Japanese context show that high geographic accessibility of neighborhood facilities and their spatially clustered patterns are related to an increase in group participation. Meanwhile, for older adults who have close ties with neighbors, an increase in sports group participation can be negatively impacted despite the great geographic accessibility to city parks. Spatially dispersed eating facilities are also related to good relationships with neighbors, facilitating participation in sports groups. Therefore, policymakers should carefully consider the various dynamics in the effect when discussing the choice of facility location to facilitate older adults' participation in hobbies and sports groups.

Non-participation in social activities of rural older adults: Results from the Toyama dementia survey

Objective Social activities play an important role in the maintenance of health and well-being of the older adults. The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of the rural older adults who do not participate by type of social activities.Methods This survey examined 1,537 older adults randomly selected at a sampling rate of 0.5% from among those living in Toyama prefecture of Japan, in 2014. Of the total, 947 ambulatory older adults living in their own homes were analyzed using Poisson regression. Results were presented as prevalence ratio (PR). The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05 (two-sided test).Results The participants included 426 men (mean age 73.9 ± 6.5 years) and 521 women (mean age 74.8 ± 7.0 years). In terms of work, both men and women did not work at an older age (men PR 1.15 over 75 years old, women PR 1.11 over 70 years old). Men did not work during outpatient treatment (PR 1.09) and the Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-R) 21-25 points (PR 1.09) and 20 points or below. Women who did not drink alcohol did not work (PR 0.93). Both men and women did not participate in residential activities at older ages (men PR 1.12 over 70 years old, women PR 1.11 over 80 years old). Men with 20 points or below on HDS-R (PR 1.16) and with work history of only physical labor (PR 1.12), and women living with family (PR 0.92) were less likely to participate in residential activities. In the hobby group, both men and women with work history of only physical labor were less likely to participate (men PR 1.05, women PR 1.08). Men with education of 9 years or below (PR 1.05) and women living alone (PR 1.07) were less likely to participate. Hobby groups did not relate with age and cognitive decline. In the senior citizens' club, men and women who did not drink alcohol were less likely to participate (men PR 0.91, women PR 0.89). Men who smoked (PR 1.06), men with psychological symptoms (PR 1.09), and women with 20 points or below on HDS-R (PR 1.13) were less likely to participate.Conclusion Factors related to non-participation of older adults in rural cities depended on the type of social activities. In order to promote social activity among the older adults in rural cities, it is important to consider specific measures taking into account the type of social activities.

Influence of social networks on cancer survivors' self-management support: A mixed methods study.

ObjectiveThe role of social networks, especially weaker ties (e.g. casual acquaintances and hobby groups), in self‐management of long‐term consequences of cancer is unexplored. This study aimed to explore the structure of cancer survivors' social networks and their contribution to self‐management support and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL).MethodsThe study used a sequential, exploratory mixed methods design. Phase 1 surveyed 349 lymphoma, colorectal, breast and prostate cancer survivors. Phase 2 analysed 20 semi‐structured interviews with respondents recruited from Phase 1.ResultsPhase 1 results suggested participants' HRQoL increased if they participated in an exercise group, if their self‐management skills increased, and social distress and negative illness perception decreased (p < 0.0005 adj. R 2 = 0.631). These findings were explored in Phase 2, identifying underlying mechanisms. Four themes were identified: disrupted networks after cancer treatment; navigating formal support and building individual capacity; peer networks and self‐management knowledge and linking networks to enable adaptation in recovery.ConclusionsThis study suggests engagement with community groups, particularly those not directly related to illness management and social interaction with weak ties, make a valuable contribution to self‐management support, increase HRQoL and enhance well‐being.

Formation of a Philosophical Canon in Religious-idealistic Samizdat

As a product of hobby groups, religious and philosophical samizdat was the practice of an entire cycle of intellectual content production: from the search for sources to their adaptation and pragmatization. At the same time, pragmatization determined the future projects and the organization of circles as communities. A wary attitude towards the transformations of the world demanded among supporters of religious philosophy reflection on the life-building and social potential of the community. This cautious attitude determined the composition of the canon, the features of which are determined by the specifics of intellectual production in these circles. Thus, Berdyaev was accepted into the canon as the inventor of the aphoristic mode of thought production. Sergei Bulgakov was an extra-Soviet non-conformist thinker whose sophiology corresponds to social constructivism in contemporary scholarship and, at the same time, allows the meta criticism of church habitus. The canon was built as actual: the works of religious philosophers of the twentieth century were perceived as part of current philosophy, not because of a lack of newer sources, but because of the understanding of their work as avant-garde and their social program as not yet put into circulation, and therefore belonging to the future projects. The expansion of the canon could occur only if the philosophical fiction, from Dostoevsky to Solzhenitsyn, was accepted into the canon, which made it possible to concretize the intellectual phenomena of the 19th century. Thus, inclusion in the canon meant recognition, not so much of the author's philosophical merits as to his or her ability for a polemical gesture but also for grounding the circles' autonomy. The disintegration of this circle organization of the “second culture” coincided with the ontologization of the problematics of Russian idealistic philosophy, which (ontologization) became normative in Russian higher education.

Association between Social Activity and Development of Dementia in Hearing Impairment: A Cohort Study in Japan from Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study.

We aimed to clarify the association between social activity and the development of dementia in older adults by hearing-impaired (HI) status. We applied a community-based prospective cohort study over 6 years as part of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. The study included 53,549 participants aged 65 years and older who did not require long-term care. A baseline questionnaire survey was conducted; explanatory variables included physical and social activities, and the objective variable was dementia onset assessed by standardized protocol. Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for dementia stratified by HI status. During the follow-up period, 6013 (11.2%) participants developed dementia. Analyses revealed increased dementia risk for participants with HI who participated in the following activities less than once a month: sport groups (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.53-3.08), hobby groups (HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.34-2.17), going out (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.51-3.17), and meeting with friends (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.06-1.53). HI and lack of social activity increase the risk of dementia. The study results indicate that there is an association between low social activity and the development of dementia in people with HI; the strongest associations were found for low participation in sports and hobby groups.

Community-level social participation and functional disability among older adults: A JAGES multilevel longitudinal study

PurposeThis study investigates the contextual association between types of community-level social participation and functional disability. MethodsWe used 6-year prospective cohort data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study 2010–2016, a nationwide survey of 35,519 functionally independent older adults (mean age: 73.30 ± 5.91 years, 49.6% females). The incidence of functional disability was obtained from municipal long-term care insurance databases. Social participation was assessed at individual and community levels and was categorized as: volunteer, sports, hobby and neighborhood groups, and senior citizen clubs. We calculated the 95% confidence interval (CI) and the hazard ratio (HR) by applying a three-level multilevel survival analysis. ResultsDuring the 6-year observation period, the onset of functional disability occurred among 3473 adults. A higher prevalence of sports (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.96) and hobby group participation (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.96) showed significant contextual relationships with functional disability after adjusting for potential confounders. Among females, community-level neighborhood group participation significantly lowered the incidence of functional disability (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.998). ConclusionsWe found a beneficial effect of a contextual relationship between community-level sports and hobby group participation and functional disability among older adults. Moreover, females benefited a lot from community-level social participation. We propose that promoting sports and hobby groups in a community may help to prevent functional disability among older adults.

Solidarity in diversity: online petitions and collective identity in Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Bill Movement

AbstractCollective identity is a key catalyst of protest mobilization. How does collective identity come into existence among strangers with diverse backgrounds, especially in movements without a centralized leadership? Although collective identity is often seen as something constructed by movement organizations or out of established networks, we describe a more bottom-up and decentralized process in which movement collective identity is created through the horizontal mobilization of intermediate identities, which leverage pre-existing social identifications to induce commitment among individuals. Focusing on Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Bill Movement of 2019, we argue that online petitions against the controversial bill created intermediate group identities among myriad social groups, such as alumni, professions, hobby groups, and residential communities. These intermediate identities provided rich discursive resources for previously disconnected individuals to collectively perceive the threat of the bill and see the obligation to act, which, in turn, shaped a strong collective identity early on in the protests. Our findings may help contribute to a more nuanced understanding of collective identity formation in contemporary leaderless movements.

Theoretical principles of health-improving and recreational activities in the structure of leisure for the elderly

The life expectancy of the population in all countries of the world has been steadily increasing over the last century and there are many social problems associated with the adaptation of a person of the elderly age in society. The tendency of increasing the number of elderly people in the population structure of many countries requires awareness of old age as a new fairly long season of life. Therefore, it is very important to focus leisure time on the formation of active ageing, which will affect the quality of life and involvement of a person of the elderly age in social, professional life. The goal of our research was to theoretically substantiate the principles of health-improving and recreational motor activity in the structure of leisure for the elderly. To achieve this goal, research methods were used: analysis of scientific literature and normative legal documents, comparison and analogy. Research findings. The paper reveals the main factors influencing the organization of leisure services for the elderly; the most common gaps of the modern network of health-improving and recreational services for the elderly are identified; strategically important directions for the organization of health-improving and recreational activities for the elderly are singled out; the main components in the successful organization of health-improving and recreational activities for the elderly within leisure are identified; the principles and factors of health-improving and recreational activities with the elderly are revealed. Conclusions. Therefore, for the successful organization of health-improving and recreational activities of the elderly within the leisure one should take into consideration the main factors, areas and principles of health-improving and recreational activities. The main components of a good organization are: health and fitness activities, the creation of "hobby groups" and meeting the needs of human communication, which are based on the essence of health-improving and recreational activities for this age group.

SECONDARY SOCIALIZATION OF CHILDREN FROM HOME EDUCATION

The aim of this paper is to find out how the secondary socialization of children from home education takes place and to map the personal experiences and opinions of parents educating their children at home. The paper is divided into theoretical and empirical parts. The theoretical part deals with the socialization as a necessary process in the life of each individual, we describe the various types of socialization, we deal with a different concept of socialization according to where it takes place, i.e. in the home and school environment. The theoretical part forms the basis for the empirical part. For the implementation of the research, we chose qualitative research using semi-structured interviews, which were conducted with parents who currently have a child or children in home education. According to the results of the research, home schooled children are secondarily socialized in regular and sporadic meetings with other home schooled children, either as part of celebrations and other social events or for the purpose of learning together in a small group of children. Another way are friends with whom they see each other several times a week in hobby groups or visit each other. Furthermore, the family and siblings, play an important role in the socialization process. Due to age differences, siblings can help each other in many ways, learn from each other and spend free time together. The limit of the presented work is a small sample of respondents and the associated impossibility to generalize the results. However, the research went into depth on the topic and brings forward the subjective opinions and experiences of parents. Another limit is the implementation of the interviews through the telephone, which does not allow for the observation of non-verbal expressions of the respondents during the interview, which can reveal a lot.

Urban-rural differences in the association between social activities and depressive symptoms among older adults in China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundParticipation in social activities has positive health effects among older adults; however, few studies have investigated the association between social activity and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults. This study aimed to examine the association between social activities and depressive symptoms among older adults in China regarding urban-rural differences.MethodsData were collected from 8255 respondents from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Type and frequency of social activities were collected via a questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between social activities and depressive symptoms.ResultsIn our study, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was lower in urban older adults compared with rural older adults (25.2% vs. 40.7%). After adjustment for all covariates, our results indicated that interacting with friends almost weekly or almost daily (almost weekly: OR = 0.568, 95%CI: 0.337–0.955; almost daily: OR = 0.664, 95%CI: 0.453–0.973) and participating in community organizations almost daily were inversely associated with depressive symptoms among urban older adults (OR = 0.107, 95%CI: 0.012–0.952). Interacting with friends almost daily (OR = 0.847, 95% CI: 0.720–0.996) and participation in hobby groups either almost every week or almost daily were both inversely associated with depressive symptoms among rural older adults (almost weekly: OR = 0.683, 95%CI: 0.518–0.902; almost daily: OR = 0.567, 95%CI: 0.440–0.731). Participating in sports groups almost daily was inversely associated with depressive symptoms among both urban and rural older adults (urban: OR = 0.664, 95%CI: 0.445–0.991; rural: OR = 0.506, 95%CI: 0.366–0.700).ConclusionsOur findings indicated that there is a cross-sectional association between participation in social activities and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults, and the association differed between urban and rural older adults. This implies that participation in social activities may be significant for alleviating depressive symptoms of older adults. When encouraging older adults to participate in social activities, the government should consider urban-rural differences and take effective measures accordingly. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the causal relationships between social activities and depressive symptoms among older adults.

Identifying the specific associations between participation in social activities and healthy lifestyle behaviours in older adults

ObjectivesTo examine the longitudinal association between participation in social activities and healthy lifestyle behaviours. Study designThis 2-year follow-up study used data from 6168 older adults (73.5 ± 5.3 years; 49% men). We studied participation in five types of social activities at baseline: participation in volunteer, sports, hobbies, senior clubs, and neighbourhood-association groups. Main outcome measuresThe healthy lifestyle behaviours were physical activity (time spent walking: ≥150 min/week; or less), eating habits (dietary variety score: ≥4 points; or less), and intellectual activity (subcomponents of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence: 4 points; or less). ResultsIn the follow-up survey, 19% of participants were physically inactive, 53% had unfavourable eating habits, and 34% had diminished intellectual activity. Multilevel modified Poisson regression analysis showed that participation in sports groups was associated with a lower relative risk (RR) of physical inactivity (RR=0.82 [0.72, 0.93]) and unfavourable eating habits (RR=0.95 [0.90, 1.00]). Participation in hobby groups reduced the RR of unfavourable eating habits (RR=0.93 [0.90, 0.97]) and diminished intellectual activity (RR=0.90 [0.85, 0.96]). Participation in volunteering was associated with a lower RR of diminished intellectual activity (RR=0.84 [0.75, 0.95]). Relative to non-participation, participating in two or more social activities was associated with a 9% (95% CI: 0.83, 1.00) lower RR for physical inactivity, a 12% (95% CI: 0.82, 0.95) lower RR for unfavourable eating habits, and a 17% (95% CI: 0.77, 0.89) lower RR for diminished intellectual activity. ConclusionsBoth the nature and the number of social activities determine the longitudinal effects of social participation on healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Impact of Different Type and Frequency of Social Participation on Depressive Symptoms Among Older Chinese Adults: Is There a Gender Difference?

Objectives: Social participation may prevent depressive symptoms in older adults. But research to date ignores gender differences in the associations between social participation and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different type and frequency of social participation on depressive symptoms, as well as if there is a gender difference in these correlations among older Chinese adults.Methods: Data was obtained from adults aged 60 years or above in the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, a nationally representative sample of older adults in China. Depressive symptoms were measured using CESD-10. Social participation included participation in social groups, hobby groups, sports groups, and community-related organizations. The independent relationships between each type of social participation and depressive symptoms were assessed using multiple linear regression models.Results: A total of 6,287 older adults were included in this analysis, of whom 49.69% were women. Participating in social groups, sports groups, and community-related organizations with a frequency of one or more per week was all linked to better mental health. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the positive relationship between participation in social groups, hobby groups, and community-related organizations and depressive symptoms is more flexible for older men than for women.Conclusions: Older individuals who participate in social participation at a high frequency may have better mental health. The findings provide novel insights into mental health from the standpoint of social participation in older adults. Gender differences in the associations between social participation and depressive symptoms need to be considered when formulating interventions to prevent depression.

The phenomenon of loneliness among senior citizens: subject of discussion

The subject of this research is the phenomenon of loneliness among senior citizens. The goal lies in examination of the problems of loneliness among senior citizens. The article reviews such aspects as alienation from the society, feeling useless and helpless; gives the key characteristics of loneliness &amp;ndash; assessment of social status, type of inferiority, type of temporal perspective, models of loneliness.&amp;nbsp;The types of loneliness are divided into situational, chronic, recurrent, as well as emotional and social isolation. Research methodology employs the ideas of phenomenological, systemic, and activity approaches in the context of studying the problems of loneliness among senior citizens and effective ways of their solution. The survey revealed that senior citizens quite often feel lonely, which is reflected in the distorted interaction with other people, experiencing psychological problems, difficulties in self-organization, and the need for assistance of the social workers.&amp;nbsp;The author empirically proves that the developed program &amp;ldquo;Young at Heart&amp;rdquo;, through creating hobby groups, helps senior citizens to feel needed in the society, improves their psychoemotional state, and allows overcoming loneliness. The article examines the theoretical approaches towards comprehension of the problem of loneliness among senior citizens. The author formulates the original definition of the concept of &amp;ldquo;loneliness&amp;rdquo; in the context of socio-psychological aspect, determines the causes of the phenomenon of loneliness among senior citizens within the framework of their interaction with society, develops a questionnaire aimed at studying the factors of socio-psychological loneliness of senior citizens, offers the ways for overcoming loneliness through active social life, such as &amp;nbsp;creation of the hobby group &amp;ldquo;Young at Heart&amp;rdquo;, which includes the three types of activity: leisure and creative-applied, health promotion, &amp;nbsp;and garden therapy.&amp;nbsp;It is substantiated that maintenance of zest for living among senior citizens would be effective by creating a socially favorable, psychoemotional and health-preserving environment in the society.