Effects of Transient Versus Chronic Loneliness on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Findings From the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

Objective:To investigate the relationship between late-life duration of poverty exposure and cognitive function and decline among older adults in China.Methods:Data were from 3,209 participants aged ≥64 in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Duration of poverty, defined according to urban and rural regional standards from the China Statistical Yearbook, was assessed based on annual household income from 2005-2011 (never in poverty; 1/3 of the period in poverty; ≥2/3 of the period in poverty). Cognitive function was measured by the Chinese Mini Mental State Exam (CMMSE) from 2011-2018. We used attrition-weighted, multivariable mixed-effects Tobit regression to examine the association of duration of poverty with cognitive function and rate of decline.Results:A total of 1,162 individuals (36.21%) were never in poverty over the period from 2005-2011, 1,172 (36.52%) were in poverty 1/3 of the period, and 875 (27.27%) were in poverty ≥2/3 of the period. A longer poverty duration was associated with lower subsequent CMMSE scores with a dose-response relationship (1/3 vs. never in poverty: β = -0.98; 95% CI: -1.61 to -0.35; ≥2/3 vs. never in poverty: β = -1.55; 95% CI: -2.29 to -0.81). However, a longer duration of poverty was associated with a slower rate of CMMSE score decline over time from 2011-2018.Conclusion:These findings provide valuable evidence on the role of cumulative late-life poverty in relation to cognitive health among older adults in a rapidly urbanizing and aging middle-income country. Our findings may support a compensation hypothesis for cognitive reserve in this setting.

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Longitudinal association between home and community‐based services provision and cognitive function in Chinese older adults: Evidence from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

Health & Social Care in the Community ◽

10.1111/hsc.13353 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yushan Yu ◽

Changzheng Yuan ◽

Qi Zhang ◽

Chao Song ◽

Shichen Cui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Community Based ◽

Chinese Older Adults ◽

Healthy Longevity ◽

Longitudinal Association ◽

Community Based Services

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Association between residential greenness and cognitive function: analysis of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health ◽

10.1136/bmjnph-2019-000030 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 72-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Anna Zhu ◽

Chenkai Wu ◽

Lijing L Yan ◽

Chih-Da Wu ◽

Chen Bai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Linear Regression ◽

Mmse Score ◽

Mixed Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Linear Mixed Effects ◽

Healthy Longevity ◽

Sectional Analysis

IntroductionProximity to vegetated green space has been linked to better physical and mental health. However, the relationship between residential greenness and cognitive function and its decline among older adults is not clear in large cohort studies.MethodsOur study used the 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2011 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. We calculated the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using a 500 m radius around participants’ residential addresses. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was applied to measure cognitive function. Our study included the cross-sectional analysis using the linear regression, and logistical regression, and also the longitudinal analysis using the linear mixed effects regression, and mixed effects logistic regression. Our study also conducted a sensitivity analysis using the survey-weighted regression. Additionally, our study participants were categorised into those living in areas of positive and negative changes in NDVI in relation to MMSE. All regression models were adjusted for a range of covariates.ResultsAmong 38 327 participants at baseline, the mean MMSE score was 21. Annual average NDVI ranged from −0.11 to 0.76. In the cross-sectional analysis, each 0.1-unit increase in NDVI was associated with a 0.23-point increase in MMSE score (95% CI 0.16 to 0.29) in the linear regression, and an OR of 0.94 (95% CI 0.92 to 0.96) of having cognition impairment in the logistic regression. In the second analysis, looking at changes in NDVI and MMSE score, compared with the participants living in areas with an increase in NDVI, those living in areas with a decrease in greenness had an OR of 1.25 (95% CI 1.18 to 1.34) of a decrease in MMSE, and an OR of 0.90 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.96) of an increase in MMSE. In the longitudinal analysis, we found a significantly weak association (coefficient 0.069, 95% CI 0.0048 to 0.13) in the linear mixed effects regression, but not in the mixed effects logistic regression.ConclusionWe found evidence of an association between higher residential greenness and better cognitive function among older adults. Our finding provides insight into neurodegeneration and has implications for preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in China.

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Loneliness and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Findings From the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbw037 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 72 (1) ◽

pp. 120-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

Bao-Liang Zhong ◽

Shu-Lin Chen ◽

Xin Tu ◽

Yeates Conwell

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Healthy Longevity

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Transition of Living Arrangement and Cognitive Impairment Status among Chinese Older Adults: Are They Associated?

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina57090961 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (9) ◽

pp. 961

Author(s):

Yen-Han Lee ◽

Chia-Hung Lin ◽

Jia-Ren Chang ◽

Ching-Ti Liu ◽

Mack Shelley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Filial Piety ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Living Arrangement ◽

Living Alone ◽

Chinese Older Adults ◽

Healthy Longevity ◽

Household Members

Background and Objectives: Living arrangement is a crucial factor for older adults’ health. It is even more critical for Chinese older adults due to the tradition of filial piety. With the aging of China’s population, the prevalence of cognitive impairment among older adults has increased. This study examines the association between living arrangement transition and cognitive function among Chinese older adults. Materials and Methods: Using three waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS; 2008–2009, 2011–2012, and 2014), we analyzed data for older adults (age ≥ 65) who lived with other household members and reported good cognitive function or mild cognitive impairment when they participated in the survey. Multistate Cox regression was employed to study changes in cognitive function. Results: Older adults who transitioned to living alone had lower risk of cognitive impairment (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.83; p < 0.01), compared with those who continued to live with other household members. Moving into an institution was also not associated with cognitive impairment. Conclusions: With older adults’ transition to living alone, public health practitioners or social workers might educate them on the benefits of such a living arrangement for cognitive function.

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Place of Residence and Cognitive Function in Older Adults in China: The Mediating Role of Social Participation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19010013 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 13

Author(s):

Le Yang ◽

Jingmin Cheng ◽

Hongman Wang

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Social Participation ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Mediation Effect ◽

Place Of Residence ◽

Suppression Effect ◽

Healthy Longevity ◽

Negative Effect

Background: Cognitive impairment is a severe health problem faced by older adults and their families, as well as the countries in which they live. Differences in place of residence may contribute to differences in the cognitive function of older adults, and the mediating effect of social participation has rarely been studied in China. Methods: A total of 10,014 older adult participants were included, using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Place of residence was described as either a city, town, or rural area. The frequency of participation in organized social activities and visits and interactions with friends was used to assess both formal and informal social participation. The Chinese version of a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used as a measure of cognitive function. The mediation analysis was conducted using Hayes’ process version 3.4 on SPSS (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Place of residence had a negative effect on cognitive function in older adults. The mediating functions of both informal (a1b1 = 0.199) and formal (a2b2 = −0.056) social participation indicate a suppression effect on the part of informal social participation and a partial mediation effect on the part of formal social participation in terms of the association between place of residence and cognitive function in older adults. Promoting both informal and formal social participation seems to be an important strategy for preventing a decline in the cognitive function of older adults, especially for those living in rural areas.

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Denture Use and Cognitive Decline in Chinese Older Adults: A Propensity Score Analysis

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.114 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 31-32

Author(s):

Bei Wu ◽

Xiang Qi

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Tooth Loss ◽

Propensity Scores ◽

Propensity Score Analysis ◽

Healthy Longevity ◽

The Difference ◽

Using Data ◽

Matched Data

Abstract Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2011 to 2018), we examined the effect of denture use on cognitive decline (assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]) among 1,316 cognitively normal older adults with severe tooth loss (≤9 remaining teeth) at baseline. We generated propensity scores for weighted and matched analyses using 18 covariates, classified as socio-demographics, health-related behaviors, health status, and oral health conditions. The results show that non-denture users had worse cognitive decline than denture users. In the kernel-based matched data, the difference in the declined score of cognitive function between denture and non-denture users was 2.25 (95%CI=1.37 to 3.13). In the weighted data, the difference in cognitive function score was 2.14 (95% CI=1.35 to 2.94). Using dentures is beneficial for cognitive health in older adults with severe tooth loss, suggesting that prosthodontic rehabilitation with dentures might have benefits beyond restoring oral functioning.

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