Not Just How Much, But How Many: Overall and Domain-Specific Activity Variety and Cognitive Functioning in Adulthood

Abstract

Objectives Active lifestyles are related to higher levels of cognitive functioning. Fewer studies have examined the importance of engaging in different activities (activity variety) for cognitive functioning. Moreover, it is unclear whether activity variety in specific domains (i.e., cognitive, physical, or social) is important for cognitive health. The current study examined whether overall activity variety as well as variety in specific domains relates to cognitive functioning. Method In Waves 2 and 3 of the Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), 3,337 adults reported their activity engagement and completed a cognitive battery. For longitudinal analyses, 2,049 participants were classified into four groups based on their rank-ordering of activity variety across nine years (remained high, increased, decreased, or remained low). Results Cross-sectional analyses revealed that overall activity variety was related to higher cognitive functioning over and above activity frequency; physical and social activity variety each contributed significantly and uniquely to this association. Longitudinal analyses revealed that those with consistently low overall activity variety at both waves had lower cognitive functioning at Wave 3 than those with high activity variety at either wave, after adjusting for cognitive functioning at Wave 2. Those with consistently high or increasing social activity variety had higher cognitive functioning at Wave 3 than participants with low activity variety at both waves. Discussion Findings suggest that activity variety, particularly in the social domain, is related to concurrent and future cognitive function across adulthood.

Subjective Functional Difficulties and Subjective Cognitive Decline in Older-Age Adults: Moderation by Age Cohorts and Mediation by Mentally Unhealthy Days

“…This finding is consistent with previous findings that the oldest-old (≥80) age cohort report more psychopathology with advancing age, given their less frequent negative emotions and more positive affect than their middle-old and younger-old counterparts [ 46 , 47 ]. Accumulated empathy [ 48 ], gratitude [ 49 ], or varied social activity [ 18 ] may buffer their negative emotions to decrease functional abilities.…”

“…Nevertheless, evidence suggests that the average levels of negative affect people experience in responding to minor daily events reflect the wear-and-tear stress response [ 11 , 16 ], increasing risks of cognitive decline changes [ 17 ]. While past studies have suggested that engagement in physical and social activities may buffer emotional distress [ 11 , 18 ], fewer studies have examined different levels of functional difficulties affecting psychological distress measured by MUDs.…”

“…However, more recent findings are mixed on the functional difficulties and SCD by age cohort [ 2 , 7 , 27 , 29 ], given other confounders. Personal resources, such as adequate assistance with ADLs [ 30 ], access to a healthcare professional [ 13 , 19 ], and varied social activity [ 18 ], may vary the levels of functional disability in old age. For example, psychological factors, such as a history of depressive disorders, often compound SCD [ 2 , 7 , 27 , 29 ].…”

Social and Emotional Loneliness: Their Relationship to Multiple Domains of Cognition in Later Life

“…There is much work on the importance of an engaged lifestyle in maintaining and enhancing cognitive functioning in later life (see Stine-Morrow, 2007; Stine-Morrow et al, 2008, 2022). Key to such engagement is an openness to new experiences and an attitudinal predisposition toward engaging in a variety of cognitive activities (Jackson et al, 2020; Jeon et al, 2022). Not only do positive attitudes toward leading an engaged lifestyle to enhance the choices to do so, but a willingness to meet one's needs to be mentally stimulated and one's belief that such involvement will have cognitive benefits are each key to understanding each's the relationship to cognitive functioning in later life.…”

Switching it up: Activity diversity and cognitive functioning in later life.

“…A few studies have already sought to distinguish activity variety from overall activity, with mixed results. Some studies indicate that greater variety in activities has unique associations with better cognitive health beyond the overall frequency of activities (Carlson et al, 2012; Jeon et al, 2022). Yet, other findings suggest that more varied engagement may be synonymous with simply being more active (Bielak, Mogle & Sliwinski 2019a).…”