scholarly journals Social contact and inequalities in depressive symptoms and loneliness among older adults: A mediation analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 100726
Author(s):  
Michael J. Green ◽  
Elise Whitley ◽  
Claire L. Niedzwiedz ◽  
Richard J. Shaw ◽  
S. Vittal Katikireddi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
English Longitudinal Study

scholarly journals Social contact and inequalities in depression and loneliness among older adults: A mediation analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Green ◽  
Elise Whitley ◽  
Claire L Niedzwiedz ◽  
Richard J Shaw ◽  
S Vittal Katikireddi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Depression Score ◽  
List Type ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Partner Status ◽  
English Longitudinal Study

AbstractBackgroundSocial contact, including remote contact (by telephone, email, letter or text), could help reduce social inequalities in depression and loneliness among older adults.DesignCross-sectional survey.Participants8th wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (2016/17), stratified by age (n=1,635 aged <65; n=4,123 aged 65+).MethodsInverse probability weighted estimation of average effects of weekly in-person and remote social contact on depression (score of 3+ on 8-item CES-D scale) and two measures of loneliness (sometimes/often feels lonely vs hardly ever/never; and top quintile of UCLA loneliness scale vs all others). We also estimated controlled direct effects of education, partner status, and wealth on loneliness and depression under two scenarios: 1) universal infrequent (<weekly) in-person social contact; and 2) universal weekly remote social contact.ResultsWeekly in-person social contact was associated with reduced odds of depression and loneliness, but associations with remote social contact were weak. Lower education raised odds of depression and loneliness, but differences were attenuated with infrequent in-person contact. Respondents living alone experienced more depression and loneliness than those living with a partner, and less wealth was associated with more depression. With universal infrequent in-person contact, differences narrowed among those aged under 65 but widened among those aged 65+. Universal weekly remote contact had little impact on inequalities.ConclusionsReduced in-person social contact may increase depression and loneliness among older adults, especially for those aged 65+ who live alone. Reliance on remote social contact seems unlikely to compensate for social inequalities.KeypointsIn-person social contact is associated with stronger decreases in depression and loneliness than remote contact.Universal infrequent in-person social contact could reduce educational inequalities in depression and lonelinessAdults aged 65+ who lived alone or were less wealthy were especially at risk with universally infrequent in-person contactUniversal weekly remote social contact had little impact on inequalities in depression and loneliness.

scholarly journals Social Contact Mode and 15-Year Episodic Memory Trajectories in Older Adults With and Without Hearing Loss: Findings From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snorri Bjorn Rafnsson ◽  
Asri Maharani ◽  
Gindo Tampubolon
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Contact Mode ◽  
English Longitudinal Study

Abstract Objectives Frequent social contact benefits cognition in later life although evidence is lacking on the potential relevance of the modes chosen by older adults, including those living with hearing loss, for interacting with others in their social network. Method 11,418 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing provided baseline information on hearing status and social contact mode and frequency of use. Multilevel growth curve models compared episodic memory (immediate and delayed recall) at baseline and longitudinally in participants who interacted frequently (offline only or offline and online combined), compared to infrequently, with others in their social network. Results Frequent offline (B = 0.23; SE = 0.09) and combined offline and online (B = 0.71; SE = 0.09) social interactions predicted better episodic memory after adjustment for multiple confounders. We observed positive, longitudinal associations between combined offline and online interactions and episodic memory in participants without hearing loss (B = 0.50, SE = 0.11) but not with strictly offline interactions (B = 0.01, SE = 0.11). In those with hearing loss, episodic memory was positively related to both modes of engagement (offline only: B = 0.79, SE = 0.20; combined online and offline: B = 1.27, SE = 0.20). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Discussion Supplementing conventional social interactions with online communication modes may help older adults, especially those living with hearing loss, sustain, and benefit cognitively from, personal relationships.

scholarly journals Haemoglobin A1c, fasting glucose and future risk of elevated depressive symptoms over 2 years of follow-up in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 1889-1896 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hamer ◽  
G. D. Batty ◽  
M. Kivimaki
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Glucose Metabolism ◽  
Fasting Glucose ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
English Longitudinal Study ◽  
Hba1c Levels

BackgroundThe cross-sectional association between impaired glucose/diabetes and depression is inconsistent. We examined the longitudinal associations between diabetes, indicators of glucose metabolism and depressive symptoms over 2 years of follow-up.MethodParticipants were 4338 men and women from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a prospective study of community-dwelling older adults [aged 62.9 (s.d.=9.0) years, 45.2% men]. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up using the eight-item Centre of Epidemiological Studies – Depression (CES-D) scale. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, fasting glucose and other biological and behavioural risk factors were also assessed at baseline.ResultsApproximately 11.5% of the sample were categorized with elevated depressive symptoms at follow-up (a score ⩾4 on the CES-D). There was an association between HbA1c and depressive symptoms at follow-up [per unit increase, odds ratio (OR) 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.33] after adjustment for age and baseline CES-D. Cross-sectionally, the probability of depressive symptoms increased with increasing HbA1c levels until the value of 8.0% after which there was a plateau [p(curve)=0.03]. Compared with those with normal fasting glucose, participants with diabetes (confirmed through self-report or elevated fasting blood glucose) at baseline had an elevated risk of depressive symptoms at follow-up (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.01–2.30) after adjusting for depressive symptoms at baseline, behavioural and sociodemographic variables, adiposity and inflammation.ConclusionsThese data suggest that poor glucose metabolism and diabetes are risk factors for future depression in older adults. There was no evidence of a U-shaped association.

scholarly journals The dynamic relationship between hearing loss, quality of life, socioeconomic position and depression and the impact of hearing aids: answers from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dialechti Tsimpida ◽  
Evangelos Kontopantelis ◽  
Darren M. Ashcroft ◽  
Maria Panagioti
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Psychosocial Wellbeing ◽  
English Longitudinal Study

Abstract Purpose The adverse impact of hearing loss (HL) extends beyond auditory impairment and may affect the individuals' psychosocial wellbeing. We aimed to examine whether there exists a causal psychosocial pathway between HL and depression in later life, via socioeconomic factors and quality of life, and whether hearing aids usage alleviates depressive symptoms over time. Methods We examined the longitudinal relationship between HL and depressive symptoms (CES-D) applying dynamic cross-lagged mediation path models. We used the full dataset of participants aged 50–89 years (74,908 person-years), from all eight Waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Their quality of life (CASP-19) and their wealth were examined as the mediator and moderator of this relationship, respectively. Subgroup analyses investigated differences among those with hearing aids within different models of subjectively and objectively identified HL. All models were adjusted for age, sex, retirement status and social engagement. Results Socioeconomic position (SEP) influenced the strength of the relationship between HL and depression, which was stronger in the lowest versus the highest wealth quintiles. The use of hearing aids was beneficial for alleviating depressive symptoms. Those in the lowest wealth quintiles experienced a lower risk for depression after the use of hearing aids compared to those in the highest wealth quintiles. Conclusion HL poses a substantial risk for depressive symptoms in older adults, especially those who experience socioeconomic inequalities. The early detection of HL and provision of hearing aids may not only promote better-hearing health but could also enhance the psychosocial wellbeing of older adults, particularly those in a lower SEP.

scholarly journals Multimorbidity patterns and memory trajectories in older adults: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Bendayan ◽  
Yajing Zhu ◽  
A D Federman ◽  
R J B Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Class 1 ◽  
English Longitudinal Study ◽  
Psychiatric Problems

Abstract Background We aimed to examine the multimorbidity patterns within a representative sample of UK older adults and their association with concurrent and subsequent memory. Methods Our sample consisted of 11,449 respondents (mean age at baseline was 65.02) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). We used fourteen health conditions and immediate and delayed recall scores (IMRC and DLRC) over 7 waves (14 years of follow up). Latent class analyses were performed to identify the multimorbidity patterns and linear mixed models were estimated to explore their association with their memory trajectories. Models were adjusted by socio-demographics, BMI and health behaviors. Results Results showed 8 classes: Class 1:Heart Disease/Stroke (26%), Class 2:Asthma/Lung Disease (16%), Class 3:Arthritis/Hypertension (13%), Class 4:Depression/Arthritis (12%), Class 5:Hypertension/Cataracts/Diabetes (10%), Class 6:Psychiatric Problems/Depression (10%), Class 7:Cancer (7%) and Class 8:Arthritis/Cataracts (6%). At baseline, Class 4 was found to have lower IMRC and DLRC scores and Class 5 in DLRC, compared to the no multimorbidity group (n=6380, 55.72% of total cohort). For both tasks, in unadjusted models, we found an accelerated decline in Classes 1, 3 and 8; and, for DLRC, also in Classes 2 and 5. However, it was fully attenuated after adjustments. Conclusions These findings suggest that individuals with certain combinations of health conditions are more likely to have lower levels of memory compared those with no multimorbidity and their memory scores tend to differ between combinations. Socio-demographics and health behaviours have a key role to understand who is more likely to be at risk of an accelerated decline.

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