Variable Details
Cognitive activity - late life
Frequency of participation in cognitively stimulating activity in late life - Average of 7 items
Late life cognitive activity is a composite measure of frequency of participation in 7 cognitively stimulating activities during the past year. Activities include reading, writing letters, visiting a library, and playing games such as chess or checkers. These items involve information processing or retention and have relatively few barriers to participation.
Participants are asked to rate each item on a 5-point scale. Values for items 2-7 are flipped so that higher values indicate more frequent participation (see table below). The variable ranges from 1 to 5 and is calculated by averaging the individual item scores.
Participants are asked the following questions:
- About how much time do you spend reading each day?
- In the last year, how often did you visit a library?
- Thinking of the last year, how often do you read newspapers?
- During the past year, how often did you read magazines?
- During the past year, how often did you read books?
- During the past year, how often did you write letters?
- During the past year, how often did you play games like checkers or other board games, cards, puzzles, etc.?
Response choices for each item:
| Value | Item 1 | Items 2-7 (flipped) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | None | Once a year |
| 2 | Less than one hour | Several times a year |
| 3 | One to less than two hours | Several times a month |
| 4 | Two to less than three hours | Several times a week |
| 5 | Three or more hours | Every day/almost every day |
Note: At baseline interview, item #2 reads, "In the last ten years, how often did you visit a library?"
The variable is calculated if at least half of the items are non-missing.
The baseline version of this variable is available upon request.