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66/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 66 out of 100. Prevention and risk

Reviewed as evidence on: Everyday cognitive leisure (reading, puzzles, socialising, active vs passive sitting) and preserved cognition 4 studies (what the news said). Being listed means the study bears on the question, not that it agrees with the news.

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Background As 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. Methods Five 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)). Results Nineteen 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 Conclusions There 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.

Key findings

Results Nineteen 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).
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).

Why it matters

Four of five meta-analyses found that taking part in cognitive leisure activities was linked to lower risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. One pooled analysis of cognitive impairment studies did not reach significance, so the evidence is not uniform.

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Study details

Study designsystematic review
Effect sizeOR = 0.69; HR = 0.58; RR = 0.61
Evidence strengthHigh

How this study scored 66/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size and studied in people because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International psychogeriatrics)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	International Psychogeriatrics: journal h-index 161 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	12 / 12	A systematic review of all the studies on the question
Strength of evidence	5 / 5	Rated “high” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	3 / 3	Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar)
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 322 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	26.8 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 2.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 17 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 93 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Martin William Orrell: h-index 88 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 27502691)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	66 / 100	—

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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

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APA 7th

Yates, L. A., Ziser, S., Spector, A., & Orrell, M. (2016). Cognitive leisure activities and future risk of cognitive impairment and dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis. International psychogeriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610216001137

Vancouver

Yates LA, Ziser S, Spector A, Orrell M. Cognitive leisure activities and future risk of cognitive impairment and dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis. International psychogeriatrics. 2016. doi:10.1017/s1041610216001137. PMID: 27502691.

BibTeX

@article{yates2016-27502691,
  author  = {Yates, L. A. and Ziser, S. and Spector, A. and Orrell, M.},
  title   = {{Cognitive leisure activities and future risk of cognitive impairment and dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis}},
  journal = {International psychogeriatrics},
  year    = {2016},
  doi     = {10.1017/s1041610216001137},
  pmid    = {27502691},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610216001137}
}

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