An Instrument to Measure Engagement in Life: Factor Analysis and Associations with Sociodemographic, Health and Cognition Measures
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that active engagement with life may protect against cognitive decline. However, existing instruments for measuring life engagement have covered limited domains. OBJECTIVE: To present a new instrument to measure engagement with life; the RIASEC Activities List draws on activities categorised according to interest categories previously developed by Holland: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional (RIASEC). METHODS: Participants in a longitudinal, community-based survey were drawn from 3 age groups: 2,404 participants aged 20-24; 2,530 aged 40-44, and 2,551 aged 60-64 years. They provided information on which of 54 selected activities they had performed in the 6 months prior to their survey interview. Other information obtained from participants included measures of sociodemographic characteristics, personality attributes and mental and physical health. Two measures of cognition were also examined. Analyses were conducted separately for men and women in each of the 3 age groups. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses identified six scales of activity types corresponding to Holland's six interest categories. The number of activities of any type undertaken in the past 6 months was significantly associated with cognitive measures, better physical health, and better mental health although these findings varied for men and women across the 3 age groups. Further, for both men and women in all age groups, performing activities of any type was associated with having higher extraversion and mastery scores, and lower levels of neuroticism. Associations were also found between performing specific types of activities and cognitive measures. CONCLUSIONS: This instrument has the potential to identify more clearly types of activities that may offer cognitive benefits and warrants further testing in longitudinal studies.
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Variability in the ways activity and 'engagement in life' are operationalised and measured makes interpretation of the literature problematic.
“Variability in the ways activity and 'engagement in life ' are operationalised and measured makes interpretation of the literature problematic (Mendes de Leon 2005; Parslow et al. 2006 ;Ritchey, Ritchey and Diaz 2001).”
From A critical review of the literature on social and leisure activity and wellbeing in later life (2011) · cites this paper as Parslow et al. 2006
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- Authors
- Parslow, R. A., Jorm, A. F., Christensen, H., & Mackinnon, A.
- Affiliations
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Australian National University (AU)
- Venue
- Gerontology
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Published
- 2006
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 188-198
- ISSN
- 0304-324X (ISSN-L)
- 1423-0003
- OpenAlex
- W2024998389
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Gerontology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Keywords
- life engagement, cognitive decline, cognitive function, physical health, mental health, personality traits, extraversion, neuroticism, mastery, activities of daily living, older adults, young adults, sex differences
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Exploratory Behavior, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Human Activities, Life Style, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Processes, Middle Aged, Personality, Social Behavior
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