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What is fun? How is it distinct from happiness or pleasure? How do we know when we are having it? This book is the first to provide a comprehensive sociological account of this taken for granted social phenomenon. Fincham investigates areas such as our memories of fun in childhood, the fun we have as adults, our muted experiences of fun at work and our lived experiences of having fun. Using first-hand accounts and a new approach to interpreting fun, the paradox of fun as not serious or unimportant whilst at the same time essential for a happy life is exposed. Addressing questions of control, transgression and the primacy of social relationships in fun, The Sociology of Fun is intended to provoke discussion about how we want to have fun and who determines the fun we have.

ABSTRACTBackgroundAs life expectancies continue to rise, modifiable lifestyle factors that may prevent cognitive decline and dementia in later life become increasingly important in order to maintain quality of life in old age. MethodsFive meta-analyses were conducted on data from papers identified in a systematic review. Studies were grouped according to outcomes (dementia, cognitive impairment including amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and cognitive decline) and output (risk (RR), odds (OR), or hazard ratios (HR)). ResultsNineteen studies met our inclusion criteria and quality assessments. Four of five meta-analyses showed significant associations between participation in cognitive leisure activities and reduced risk of cognitive impairment (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.56–0.85) and dementia (HR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.46–0.74; RR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.42–0.90; OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.67–0.90). However, one pooled analysis of cognitive impairment studies did not reach significance (HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.71–1.02). Mentally stimulating leisure activities were significantly associated with later life cognition (β = 0.11, p = 0.05), better memory (β = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.11–0.29), speed of processing (β = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.29–0.45), and executive functioning (β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.15–0.29), and less decline in overall cognition (β = −0.23, p < 0.01), language (β = −0.11, p < 0.05), and executive functioning (β = −0.13, p < 0.05). Activities were also shown to reduce rate of cognitive decline (estimate = 0.03, SE = 0.01, p = 0.00). ConclusionsThere is increasing evidence that participation in cognitively stimulating leisure activities may contribute to a reduction of risk of dementia and cognitive impairment in later life. Promoting involvement in such activities across lifespan could be an important focus for primary prevention strategies for governments and health services.

Aging is a pressing concern worldwide, particularly in rural communities characterized by a high aging index and an exodus of young individuals. Physical and mental well-being play key roles in older adults’ overall health. COVID-19 has resulted in limitations on the outdoor activities of older adults, negatively affecting their social interactions and health. In this study, we designed an intervention to investigate the effects of indoor leisure activities on successful aging. Three types of activities were selected: horticultural, handicraft, and baking activities, each lasting 4 weeks. 82 older adults were randomly assigned to perform the activities and completed self-reported measures regarding their activities of daily living, depression, and mental and social health. Our results indicated horticultural activities to reduce depression and significantly improve physical, mental, and social health; handicraft activities likewise significantly improved physical, mental, and social health. Thus, indoor leisure activities can enhance the physical and mental health of older adults.

The objective of the present study was to give a detailed overview on the leisure behavior of adolescents (frequency, differences between gender, age groups and social class, time trends, and inter-relations). In total, 1449 10- to 18-year-old German adolescents were included in the study. Participants answered questionnaires about their media use, physical activity, outdoor time, engagement in choir/orchestra and theater/dancing, social life and socio-economic status (SES). The results revealed that girls, children with lower SES as well as older children reported to use screen-based media more often and that girls, older children and children with lower SES were less physically active. In addition, boys and children with lower SES engaged less frequently in choir/orchestra and theater/dancing, while children with higher SES met their friends more often. The time trend analysis showed that mobile phone use increased drastically from 2011 to 2017, while engagement in choir/orchestra and theater/dancing decreased. Regarding the inter-relation between leisure activities, high screen times were significantly associated with less physical activity and less outdoor time. Physical activity, in contrast, was significantly related to better social life and more outdoor time. These findings highlight the growing importance of electronic media in adolescents’ lives and their tendency to displace other leisure activities.

Physical activity (PA) may delay the onset of age‐related diseases by decelerating biological aging. We investigated the association between leisure‐time physical activity (LTPA) and metabolomics‐based aging markers (MetaboAge and MetaboHealth) in late midlife and during 16 years of follow‐up. At the 16‐year follow‐up, we also investigated the association between device‐based PA and MetaboAge and MetaboHealth. We included 1816 individuals (mean age 61.6 years) from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study at baseline and followed them up for 5 (n = 982) and 16 years (n = 744), respectively. LTPA was assessed via questionnaire at baseline and 16 years later and device‐based PA with ActiGraph accelerometer at the 16‐year follow‐up. Fasting blood samples were applied to calculate MetaboAge acceleration (ΔmetaboAge) and MetaboHealth at baseline and at both follow‐ups. Covariate‐adjusted multiple regression analyses and linear mixed models were applied to study the associations. A higher volume of LTPA at baseline was associated with a lower MetaboHealth score at the 5‐year follow‐up (p < 0.0001 for time × LTPA interaction). No associations were detected at the 16‐year follow‐up. An increase in LTPA over 16 years was associated with a decrease in MetaboHealth score (p < 0.001) and a decrease in LTPA with an increase in MetaboHealth score. Higher device‐based PA was associated with a lower MetaboHealth score, but not with ΔmetaboAge. In conclusion, higher LTPA in late midlife and device‐based PA in old age were associated with improved MetaboHealth. Increasing LTPA with age may protect against MetaboHealth‐based aging. The results support the importance of PA for biological aging in later life. PA may delay the onset of age‐related diseases by decelerating biological aging. We found that higher self‐reported amounts of PA in late midlife and device‐based PA in old age were associated with improved MetaboHealth and that reaching twice the amount of the current PA recommendations in late midlife may lead to decelerated biological aging. In addition, increasing LTPA from late midlife to old age may protect against metabolomics‐based biological aging.

Physical activity may help maintain cognitive function and decrease dementia risk, but epidemiological findings remain controversial. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between leisure-time physical activity at midlife and the subsequent development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Participants were randomly selected from the survivors of a population-based cohort previously surveyed in 1972, 1977, 1982, or 1987. 1449 persons (72·5%) age 65–79 years participated in the re-examination in 1998 (mean follow-up, 21 years). 117 persons had dementia and 76 had AD. Multiple logistic regression methods were used to analyse the association between leisure-time physical activity and dementia or AD. Leisure-time physical activity at midlife at least twice a week was associated with a reduced risk of dementia and AD (odds ratio [OR] 0·48 [95% CI 0·25–0·91] and 0·38 [0·17–0·85], respectively), even after adjustments for age, sex, education, follow-up time, locomotor disorders, APOE genotype, vascular disorders, smoking, and alcohol drinking. The associations were more pronounced among the APOE ɛ4 carriers. Leisure-time physical activity at midlife is associated with a decreased risk of dementia and AD later in life. Regular physical activity may reduce the risk or delay the onset of dementia and AD, especially among genetically susceptible individuals.

ABSTRACTBackgroundWe examine the association between leisure-time activities and the risk of developing cognitive impairment among Chinese older people, and further investigate whether the association varies by educational level. MethodsThis follow-up study included 6,586 participants (aged 79.5 ± 9.8 years, range 65–105 years, 51.7% female) of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey who were aged ≥65 years and were free of cognitive impairment in 2002. Incident cognitive impairment was defined at the 2005 or 2008/2009 survey following an education-based cut-off on the adapted Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Participation in cognitive activities (e.g. reading) and non-exercise physical activity (e.g. housework) was assessed by a self-reported scale. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to examine the association of leisure activities with incident cognitive impairment while controlling for age, gender, education, occupation, residence, physical exercise, smoking, drinking, cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, negative well-being, and physical functioning, and baseline MMSE score. ResultsDuring a five-year follow-up, 1,448 participants developed incident cognitive impairment. Overall, a high level of participation in leisure activities was associated with a 41% decreased risk of cognitive impairment compared to low-level engagement in leisure activities after controlling for age, gender, education, and other confounders. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between leisure activity and educational level, such that the beneficial effect of leisure activities on cognitive function was larger in educated elderly than their uneducated counterparts, and only educated elderly benefited from cognitive activities. ConclusionsLate-life leisure activities protect against cognitive impairment among elderly Chinese people, and the protective effects are more profound for educated elderly.

This study aims to explore interrelationships among leisure activities and depression and the mediating roles of activities of daily living (ADL) and self-reported health (SRH) among older adults in China. Data were extracted from 9,893 participants aged 50 and older from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) conducted in 2018. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regression analysis were conducted by using SPSS, and the mediating effect was tested using the Process plugin. Leisure activities were negatively correlated with depression ( r  = − 0.169, P  < 0.001), and positively correlated with ADL and SRH ( r  = 0.223, r  = 0.123, P  < 0.001). ADL and SRH were negatively correlated with depression ( r  = − 0.120, − 0.376, P  < 0.001). Leisure activities can not only directly and negatively affect depression, but also can indirectly affect depression through positive effects on ADL and SRH. The mediating effect accounts for 30.79% of the total effect. ADL and SRH play mediating roles in the relationship among leisure activities and depression. The participation of elderly people in leisure activities reduces the risk of depression by increasing their level of daily activity ability and perceived health.

Summary Background In an effort to identify factors associated with frailty transitions that trigger a significant difference in preventing and postponing the progression of frailty, questions regarding the role of cognitive leisure activities on various aspects of older adults’ health were raised. However, the relationship between cognitive leisure activities and frailty transitions has rarely been studied. Methods A total of 5367 older Chinese adults aged over 60 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were selected as participants. The 2nd wave of the CHARLS in 2013 was selected as the baseline, and sociodemographic and health-related status baseline data were collected. The FRAIL Scale was used to measure frailty, while cognitive leisure activities were measured by the Cognitive Leisure Activity Index (CLAI) scores, which consisted of playing mahjong or cards, stock investment, and using the internet. After two years of follow-up, frailty transition from baseline was assessed at the 3rd wave of the CHARLS in 2015. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between cognitive leisure activities and frailty transitions. Results During the two-year follow-up of 5367 participants, the prevalence of frailty that improved, remained the same and worsened was 17.8% (957/5367), 57.5% (3084/5367) and 24.7% (1326/5367), respectively. Among all participants, 79.7% (4276/5367), 19.6% (1054/5367), and 0.7% (37/5367) had CLAI scores of 0, 1, and 2 to 3, respectively. In the univariate analysis, there was a statistically significant association between a score of 2 to 3 on the Cognitive Leisure Activity Index and frailty transitions (odds ratio [OR] = 1.93, 95% CI 0.03 to 1.29, p  = .04), while all other covariates were not significantly different across the three groups. After adjusting for covariates, participants with more cognitive leisure activities had a higher risk of frailty improvement than those without cognitive leisure activities (odds ratio [OR] = 1.99, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.76, p  = .04). Conclusions Cognitive leisure activities were positively associated with the risk of frailty improvement in older adults, mainly when participating in multiple such activities. Older adults may be encouraged to participate in a wide variety of cognitive leisure activities to promote healthy aging.

Objectives\\nThis study aimed to investigate longitudinal relations between leisure and social activities and mental health status, considering the presence or absence of other persons in the activity as an additional variable, among middle-aged adults in Japan. This study used nationally representative data in Japan with a five-year follow-up period.\\n\\nMethods\\nThis study focused on 16,642 middle-aged adults, age 50–59 at baseline, from a population-based, six-year panel survey conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. To investigate the relations between two leisure activities ('hobbies or cultural activities' and 'exercise or sports') and four social activities ('community events', 'support for children', 'support for elderly individuals' and 'other social activities') at baseline and mental health status at follow-up, multiple logistic regression analysis was used. We also used multiple logistic regression analysis to investigate the association between ways of participating in these activities ('by oneself', 'with others', or 'both' (both 'by oneself' and 'with others')) at baseline and mental health status at follow-up.\\n\\nResults\\nInvolvement in both leisure activity categories, but not in social activities, was significantly and positively related to mental health status in both men and women.\\n\\nFurthermore, in men, both 'hobbies or cultural activities' and 'exercise or sports' were significantly related to mental health status only when conducted 'with others'. In women, the effects of 'hobbies or cultural activities' on mental health status were no differences regardless of the ways of participating, while the result of 'exercise or sports' was same as that in men.\\n\\nConclusions\\nLeisure activities appear to benefit mental health status among this age group, whereas specific social activities do not. Moreover, participation in leisure activities would be effective especially if others are present. These findings should be useful for preventing the deterioration of mental health status in middle-aged adults in Japan.