Page 61 - IJPS-8-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Cognitive functioning and active life engagement

Table 4. Estimates of OLS regression for intensity of six types of activities in 2018
Variables Economic Household Recreational Physical Sedentary Social
work work activity activity time connection
Intensity of activities in 2015 0.16*** 0.07 + 0.17*** 0.08 0.12** 0.07 +
Gender (Women for reference) 0.05 −0.46*** 0.13* 0.07 −0.01 −0.08
Age −0.03*** 0.01 + 0.01 + 0.00 0.01** 0.01**
Marital status (Single for reference) 0.11 0.14 + 0.08 −0.03 0.12 + −0.00
Education (Illiterate for reference) 0.08 −0.06 0.07 −0.19* −0.00 0.06
Annual income 0.01 0.02 −0.04* −0.05 −0.01 −0.04*
Living alone −0.10 −0.04 0.11 −0.07 0.11 + 0.13
Social support 1 −0.01 0.00 −0.01 0.00 −0.03** −0.02
Social support 2 0.02 0.01 −0.01 −0.00 0.01 −0.00
Social support 3 −0.01 −0.01 0.01 −0.01 −0.01 −0.00
Having diabetes 0.10 −0.06 0.03 −0.02 0.07 −0.10
Having hypertension −0.06 0.07 0.04 0.03 −0.02 0.11 +
Having cardiovascular disease −0.05 0.07 0.06 −0.02 0.04 −0.01
ADLs 0.01 + 0.01 0.00 −0.01 −0.02*** 0.01
Cognitive function −0.01 0.00 −0.00 0.01 −0.01 0.01 +
Cognitive decline 0.02 −0.03 −0.06 −0.01 0.04 −0.14*
Constant 2.97*** 0.54 0.97* 1.27* 1.94*** 0.72
F 11.84 7.78 3.59 0.46 8.11 2.30
R square 0.2544 0.1428 0.0736 0.0422 0.1286 0.0756
N 572 764 740 380 896 468
Significance levels: +P < 0.1, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.

that the majority of rural Chinese older adults may need a decline in functional capacity was associated with lower
to participate in economic activities until their health rates or ceasing of participation in some leisure activities
deteriorates due to the lack of financial security (Zhang, and social connecting (Janke, Davey, and Kleiber, 2006;
2010; Zhou, 2012). In a systematic review, estimated Lefrancois, Leclerc, and Poulin, 1997; Strain, Grabusic,
sedentary time which include sitting time and sedentary Searle, et al., 2002). Our study provide evidence that
recreational activities, is half of that measured objectively cognitive functioning is also a significant factor that affects
(Harvey, Chastin, and Skelton, 2015). The self-reported individual’s time-use pattern or life engaging behaviors in
dairy data in this study may underestimate the actual time rural China.
in sedentary time. Overall, the participants exhibited low Acting as a basic function or ability for maintaining
levels of active life engagement. personal autonomy and independence, cognitive
The present study found that lower level of cognitive functioning is a precondition for older adults to actively
functioning and its decline was associated with lower participate in most categories of physical, productive, or
likelihood of engaging in many activities, such as household social-engaged activities. The significant effects of cognitive
work, recreational activity, physical activity, and socially functioning on household work, recreational activity, and
connected activity, and associated with a lower intensity socially connected activity suggest that a threshold in
of socially connected activity among Chinese older adults. cognitive ability is required for some kinds of activities,
Our study extends the previous findings on the association which are usually less physical demanding but need more
between cognitive functioning and active life engagement skills in comprehension, decision-making, and organizing.
from those with impairments or chronic disease to More importantly, though our findings are consistent with
general community-dwelling older adults. In addition, in previous studies that cognitive functioning is positively
line with previous evidence that limitations in physical associated with frequency of reading newspapers, books,
functioning predicted lower participation across domains and magazine (Chou, Chow, and Chi, 2004), we found that
of leisure activities (Janke, Davey, and Kleiber, 2006) and both cognitive functioning and cognitive decline were not

Volume 8 Issue 1 (2022) 55 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.v8i1.1301