Hobby engagement, disability transitions, and life expectancy: a multinational longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Hobby engagement is a modifiable factor in healthy aging.
• Previous research links hobbies to reduced mortality and better cognitive function.
• The impact of hobbies on functional disability and life expectancy across cultures needs further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between hobby engagement and functional disability transitions in middle-aged and older adults.
• To quantify the impact of hobby engagement on life expectancy in diverse cultural settings.
• To analyze data from Mexico, UK, China, USA, and Europe.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study utilizing harmonized data from five major longitudinal aging surveys.
• Inclusion of 127,650 participants aged over 50 from 24 countries.
• Analysis using continuous-time multi-state Markov models to assess transitions between disability states and mortality.

Main Results:

• Hobby engagement prevalence varied significantly by region (25.2-83.3%).
• Hobby participation correlated with reduced risk of disability progression, improved recovery from severe disability, and lower mortality.
• Significant increases in functional and total life expectancy were observed, ranging from 2.46-5.17 years at age 50, persisting through age 90 in most regions.

Conclusions:

• Hobby engagement is consistently linked to positive functional disability transitions and extended life expectancy globally.
• Findings support the integration of hobby engagement into healthy aging strategies.
• Associations between hobbies and life expectancy were robust across sensitivity analyses and varied by demographic factors.