Page 55 - IJPS-8-1

International Journal of

Population Studies

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Association between cognitive functioning and

active life engagement: A time-use study of
older adults in rural China

Huijun Liu , Yaolin Pei *, and Bei Wu 2
2
1
1 School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
2 Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York City, New York, USA

Abstract
This study aimed to examine the pattern of active life engagement and the
association between cognitive functioning and active life engagement among
older adults in rural China. Two waves of panel data with the previous day’s
activities in a time-use survey were collected among older adults age 60 and older
in rural China. Logistic and OLS regressions were used to examine the impacts of
cognitive functioning on participation and intensity in six types of activities. The
overall active life engagement level of older adults in rural China was relatively low.
Cognitive functioning and its decline significantly associated with the active life
engagement. Older adults with higher cognitive functioning were more likely to
engage in household work, recreational activity, and socially connected activity, and
the decline in cognitive functioning was also significantly associated with the lower
likelihood of engaging in household work, recreational activity, physical activity, and
*Corresponding author:
Yaolin Pei lower intensity of socially connected activity. Participation in diverse life activities is
(yp22@nyu.edu) an important component of successful aging. The findings of this study suggest the
Citation: Liu H, Pei Y, Wu B. need for increasing awareness of the influence of cognition on daily activities. Future
(2022). Association between interventions need to consider cognitive health to maximize active life engagement
cognitive functioning and active in Chinese rural older adults.
life engagement: A time-use study
of older adults in rural China.
International Journal of Population Keywords: Cognitive functioning; Decline; Time-use; Active life engagement; Successful aging
Studies, 8(1):49-58.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.v8i1.1301
Received: March 17, 2022
Accepted: June 13, 2022 1. Introduction
Published Online: June 27, 2022 Active life engagement which has been defined as having two major components
Copyright: © 2022 Author(s). “remaining involved in activities that are meaningful and purposeful” and “maintaining
This is an Open-Access article close relationships” (Rowe and Kahn, 1998) – is a useful umbrella under which to
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution categorize productive activities, socially connected activity, recreational activity, and
License, permitting distribution, physical activity. Although opportunities for active life engagement may decline with age,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is continuing participation in diverse life activities is an important component of successful
properly cited. aging and can promote the health and well-being of older adults (Dong, Li, and Simon,
Publisher’s Note: AccScience 2014; Rowe and Kahn, 1997; Rowe and Kahn, 1998). However, the ability to perform
Publishing remains neutral with daily activities such as cognitive functioning may determine the kind of activities that
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional older adults can participate. Identifying which types of activities are mostly determined
affiliations. by the cognitive functioning is critical for interventions of promoting successful aging.

Volume 8 Issue 1 (2022) 49 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.v8i1.1301