Psychological benefits of hobby engagement in older age: a longitudinal cross-country analysis of 93,263 older adults in 16 countries

Abstract The growing ageing population has begun to pose a threat to global health due to social and psychological challenges experienced by older adults. To mitigate this, many countries promote hobby engagement to support and improve mental health. Yet, it remains unclear whether there is consistency in benefits across different cultural settings. We harmonised measures of hobby engagement and multiple aspects of mental health across 16 nations represented in five cohort studies. Fixed effects models and multi-national meta-analyses were applied to compare the longitudinal associations between hobbies and mental health internationally. Independent of confounders, having a hobby was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, and higher levels of self-reported health, happiness and life satisfaction. But prevalence of engagement and benefits correlated with macro-level factors such as life expectancy and national happiness levels. Consequently, ensuring equality in hobby engagement within and between countries should be the priority.