Author Information
Mylene G. Sacro, Universiti Putra Malaysia, MalaysiaAsmidawati Ashari, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Zainal Madon, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Abstract
Healthy aging activities, including physical, social, cognitive, and recreational, have been shown to have a protective effect on depression in older adults. However, little is known about how these activities function in rural areas. Therefore, the main objective of this scoping review is to systematically map existing research on healthy aging activities and their association with depression among older adults. A scoping review was performed on studies retrieved from databases such as Google Scholar, Embase, CINAHL, and PubMed published from 2015 to 2025. The researchers used Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Inclusion criteria were studies examining the connection between depression and activity engagement, rural populations, and older adults (≥ 60 years old) living in the community. Out of 2,400, only five articles satisfied the inclusion requirements. The results consistently showed that older adults who participated in family, social interaction, outdoor activities, physical exercise, and religion had fewer depression symptoms. Furthermore, it was discovered that socially integrated and structured activities were more protective than solitary or self-directed exercise, and that engaging in various activity domains improved mental health over time. Overall, the findings emphasized that healthy ageing activities, especially those that are varied and socially embedded, act as protective factors against depression among community-dwelling older adults. The results highlight the need to create community initiatives that support socially integrated and easily accessible activities for the elderly, particularly in rural communities.
Paper Information
Conference: AGen2026Stream: Lifespan Health Promotion
This paper is part of the AGen2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Sacro M., Ashari A., & Madon Z. (2026) Healthy Aging Activity as a Protective Factor Against Depression Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Rural Areas: A Scoping Review ISSN: 2432-4183 The Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 63-74) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4183.2026.5
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4183.2026.5
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