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\"This book explores the history of leisure in Chinese culture by tracing the development of Chinese philosophy and leisure values in Chinese tradition and civilization. It addresses the tremendous changes in Chinese society brought about by the country's rapid economic development and the impact on Chinese culture and leisure. It considers the social, political and economic challenges facing China, from corruption to sharpening inequalities, from ecological crisis to the need for a revival of Chinese culture and for political democratization. It suggests that leisure can exert an invisible and formative influence on people's lifestyle and value system and considers ongoing trends in the development of leisure activities as they relate to modern Chinese society and social reform.\"--Page 4 of cover.

Background Hypertension remains a major public health challenge in China. Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is critical for hypertension control. Yet its social network determinants, particularly key role models, are understudied in China’s familial-centric cultural context. Methods This sequential mixed-methods study integrated quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews among hypertensive patients in Yichang, China. A total of 2639 patients were selected from 18 primary healthcare institutions using multi-stage random sampling method. Totally, 10,550 social relationships were nominated. Quantitative data on LTPA was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Long Form, and social network characteristics (size, density, LTPA aggregation, LTPA heterogeneity, and LTPA status of specific members) was gathered through the name generator method. Generalized additive mixed models assessed nonlinear associations between social network characteristics and LTPA levels (individual-level, n =  2639); mixed-effects logistic regression analyzed member-patient LTPA linkages (relationship-level, n =  10,550). Qualitative data ( n =  37) via interviews underwent grounded theory coding to contextualize mechanisms. Results Among participants, 70.56% engaged in light intensity LTPA (L-LTPA), whereas 34.82% achieved ≥ 150 minutes/week moderate-to-vigorous intensity LTPA (MV-LTPA). Nonlinear thresholds were identified: smaller networks (≤ 4 members) with higher kinship density (≥ 65%) significantly increased MV-LTPA adherence ( P  < 0.001). Network-level LTPA aggregation demonstrated linearly positive with MV-LTPA ( P  < 0.001) but triphasic associations (i.e., increase then decrease to steady) with L-LTPA ( P  = 0.006). Critically, having a physically active spouse was the strongest predictor of MV-LTPA adherence ( OR  = 1.967, 95% CI : 1.571–2.463, P  < 0.001). Qualitative themes revealed that kinship networks fostered LTPA through shared norms and social support. Conclusions Social networks represent modifiable factors that influence LTPA behaviors. Integrating network-driven strategies into hypertension management and prioritizing spouses as “exercise advocates” could promote LTPA for middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients in China. This study advances cross-cultural behavioral theory and offers actionable solutions for pragmatic solutions for global hypertension management in aging populations under similar social context.

Background Existing studies in developed countries show that social participation has beneficial effects on the functional ability of older adults, but research on Chinese older people is limited. This study examined the effects of participating in different types of social activities on the onset of functional disability and the underlying behavioral and psychosocial mechanisms among older adults aged 65 and older in China. Methods The 2005, 2008, and 2011 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Study were used. Life table analysis and discrete time hazard models were adopted to examine the relationship between social participation and functional disability. Social participation was defined as the frequencies of engaging in group leisure-time activities (i.e., playing cards/mahjong) and organized social activities, involving in informal social interactions (i.e., number of siblings frequently visited), and participating in paid jobs. Extensive social participation was measured by a composite index by adding up the four types of social activities that an older person was engaged in. Results After controlling for the effect of socio-demographic characteristics, health status, and health behavioral factors, extensive social participation is associated with a significant reduced risk for the onset of functional disability (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.92, p  < 0.001). Different types of social participation affect the risk of functional decline through different mechanisms. Frequent playing of cards/mahjong is a protective factor for functional decline (HR = 0.78, p  < 0.001), and the relationship is partially mediated by cognitive ability and positive emotions (accounting for 18.9% and 7.0% of the association, respectively). Frequent participation in organized social activities is significantly related to a reduced risk of functional decline (HR = 0.78, p  < 0.001), and the association is mediated by physical exercises and cognitive ability (accounting for 25.7% and 17.7% of the association, respectively). Frequent visits from siblings has a strong inverse relationship with functional decline (HR = 0.75, p  < 0.001). However, no significant association between paid job and functional decline is observed. Conclusion Extensive social participation, regular engagement in group leisure-time activities, organized social activities, and informal social interactions in particular may have beneficial effects on the functional health of older adults through behavioral and psychosocial pathways. The findings shed light for the importance of promoting social participation among older adults.

Background Investigating the relationship between cultural leisure activities participation and subjective well-being (SWB) in older adults not only deepens our understanding of their cultural needs and leisure activities participation but also provides a scientific basis for enhancing their SWB and promoting active aging. Methods Data from the 2021 China General Social Survey (CGSS) was used in this study. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model was employed to examine how participation in cultural leisure activities influences the subjective well-being of older adults. Results The study revealed that cultural leisure activities participation was significantly positively associated with SWB among older adults. This conclusion remained robust even after addressing endogeneity concerns using the propensity score matching method. Heterogeneity analysis indicated that the associations between cultural leisure activities participation and SWB were most pronounced among older adults in rural areas, with lower levels of education, and living in western regions. Mediation analysis further demonstrated that cultural leisure activities participation enhanced SWB by improving self-reported health and mental health. Conclusions It was recommended that relevant authorities encourage older adults to participate in cultural leisure activities through favorable policies and improved cultural facilities, enhance the age-friendliness of cultural services, increase cultural investments in rural areas, and promote social engagement and community connections to boost the SWB of older adults.

In the beginning, the World Wide Web was exciting and open to the point of anarchy, a vast and intimidating repository of unindexed confusion. Into this creative chaos came Google with its dazzling mission--\"To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible\"--and its much-quoted motto, \"Don't be Evil.\" In this provocative book, Siva Vaidhyanathan examines the ways we have used and embraced Google--and the growing resistance to its expansion across the globe. He exposes the dark side of our Google fantasies, raising red flags about issues of intellectual property and the much-touted Google Book Search. He assesses Google's global impact, particularly in China, and explains the insidious effect of Googlization on the way we think. Finally, Vaidhyanathan proposes the construction of an Internet ecosystem designed to benefit the whole world and keep one brilliant and powerful company from falling into the \"evil\" it pledged to avoid.

Background We examined the prospective associations of changes in lifestyle behaviors before/during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely physical activity and screen time, with mental health. Furthermore, the impacts of physical activity and screen time on mental health during the pandemic were examined cross-sectionally. Methods A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 2423 children and adolescents in Shanghai, China. Lifestyle behavior variables (physical activity and screen time) and psychological variables (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress) were measured using a self-reported questionnaire in January and March 2020. A series of multivariable logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between changes in lifestyle behaviors in two waves and psychological problems. The combined associations of physical activity and screen time with psychological problems were also explored using the second wave data. Results Compared to students with persistently short screen time before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, those with prolonged screen time (OR = 1·36 for depression, OR = 1·48 for anxiety) and those with persistently long screen time (OR = 1·70 for depression, OR = 2·13 for anxiety) reported a higher risk of psychological symptoms. The association between changes in physical activity and psychological symptoms was not statistically significant after adjustment for demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and screen time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging in longer screen time (OR = 1·44 for depression, OR = 1·55 for anxiety) was associated with worsened psychological conditions, while engaging in increased physical activity (OR = 0·58 for depression, OR = 0·66 for anxiety) was associated with better psychological conditions. Conclusions Our study suggests that promoting physical activity and limiting leisure screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic are important to prevent and mitigate psychological problems in children and adolescents. Therefore, effective interventions targeting lifestyle behaviors are needed to protect children and adolescents’ physical and mental health.

Background Few studies examined socio-ecological factors and leisure time physical activities (LTPA) and rarely focused on self-regulation and social capital, which might play a significant role in impacting people’s physical activity behavior. This study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of individual level (perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy), interpersonal level (self-regulation), social level (social capital), and environmental level factors (perceived physical environment) on LTPA among older adults. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 737 older adults from Sichuan, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was used to examine the associations of individual, interpersonal, social, and environmental level factors with LTPA. Results The mean age of all participants was 71.22 (range, 60–97), and 56.1% of them were women. The SEM results showed that individual level variables (β = 0.32, ρ < 0.001), self-regulation (β = 0.18, ρ < 0.001) and social capital (β = 0.14, ρ < 0.001) could all directly affect LTPA while there was no significant association of perceived physical environment with LTPA. Self-regulation served as a bridge linking social capital and LTPA. Individual level variables contributed the largest total effect (0.32) on LTPA. Self-regulation and social capital had the same total effect (0.18) on LTPA. Conclusions Factors on three levels were all significantly associated with LTPA. Interventions that incorporate individual, interpersonal, social factors may be considered to promote LTPA in older adults. Self-regulation should receive more attention in future interventions.

In the context of increasing competition, the phenomenon of individuals experiencing guilt or anxiety at rest has become more pronounced, particularly among Chinese university students. While previous research has primarily explained this phenomenon from the perspective of collectivist cultures, this study posits that vertical individualism may offer a more compelling explanation. A sample of 550 Chinese university students was surveyed to collect data on vertical/horizontal individualism-collectivism, status anxiety, and rest intolerance. A partial correlation network analysis, controlling for demographic covariates, was conducted to explore the psychological structure of these constructs. The results identified Vertical Individualism (VI) and Status Anxiety (SA) as the core bridge nodes connecting the community of cultural values to the dimensions of rest intolerance. Subsequent mediation analyses confirmed that SA partially mediated the relationship between VI and overall rest intolerance. This indirect effect was particularly pronounced for the affective and social-comparative components of the phenomenon. These findings challenge traditional collectivist frameworks and reveal a nuanced psychological mechanism: competitive cultural values exacerbate rest intolerance through the pathway of status anxiety. This provides novel theoretical insights for psychological interventions and cultural adaptation education in higher education settings.

Background It is critical to age successfully for general health considering the aging of the global population. Successful aging is an important indicator to assess whether older individuals are experiencing a healthy life and high-quality aging. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationship between the frequency and number of participation in leisure activities and the maintenance of successful aging. Methods This longitudinal study included a total of 1,828 Chinese adults aged 60 years or older. The following six activities were gathered to reflect leisure activities: reading books or newspapers, gardening work, playing mahjong or cards, listening to radio or watching TV, raising pets or domestic animals, and engaging in social activities. We evaluated successful aging using a multidimensional model which includes the following five components: better self-reported health, good psychological status, high cognitive function, free of disability, and better physical activity level. Results This study showed a retention rate of 58.4% for successful aging during a 4-year follow-up. Participants who frequently engaged in reading books or newspapers, gardening work, playing mahjong or cards, and listening to radio or watching TV, had higher rates of future successful aging maintenance (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.04–2.22 to 1.89, 95% CI: 1.26–2.812) than those who never participated in these activities. Compared to those with 0 leisure activity, participants with 3 (OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.14–2.77) and 4–6 (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.01–2.71) leisure activities had a greater probability of maintaining successful aging. Conclusions These findings suggest that individuals who participated more frequently in more leisure activities had a higher chance of the maintenance of successful aging in older adults. Encouraging older people to frequently participate in a greater variety of leisure activities may be an effective way to maintain successful aging over time.

Current research has not fully explored how streetscape elements in different street spaces affect long-distance, high-speed recreational cycling. As a result, the applicability of existing findings across different street environments is limited, hindering their practical value in urban street design. To address this issue, this study focuses on the core urban area of Hangzhou, China. Streets are functionally categorized based on Point of Interest (POI) data, and Strava crowdsourced data are used to obtain cycling activity trajectories. Streetscape indicators that may influence recreational cycling paths are calculated using streetscape imagery and machine learning techniques. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models are employed to identify significant streetscape indicators that impact cycling, and spatial heterogeneity in cycling route preferences is analyzed at different scales across street types. The results indicate that: (1) Recreational cyclists prefer mixed-use and scenic streets, particularly those along river corridors or within and around large green spaces. (2) Among the streetscape indicators, safety isolation degree has the most positive impact, followed by facility diversity, motorization level, and green view index, all of which positively influence cycling traffic to varying extents. Interface transparency and disorder negatively affect cycling, with transparency having the strongest influence. (3) In mixed-use, commercial, and life service streets, the effect of streetscape indicators on cycling route preferences varies by spatial location, exhibiting both promoting and inhibiting effects. In scenic streets, streetscape indicators show stronger positive or negative impacts, while in industrial streets, their influence is weaker. Based on these findings, the study proposes strategies for creating cycling-friendly environments tailored to different street types. The results validate and extend existing theories on the interaction between street environments and cycling behavior, offering valuable insights for diagnosing problems and implementing effective interventions to promote cycling-friendly environments, thus contributing to urban health, equity, and sustainable development.