scholarly journals Social Participation and Cognitive Decline Among Community-dwelling Older Adults: A Community-based Longitudinal Study

2016 ◽  
pp. gbw059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimiko Tomioka ◽  
Norio Kurumatani ◽  
Hiroshi Hosoi
Author(s):  
Fereshteh Mehrabi ◽  
François Béland

This research investigated the effects of social isolation on frailty and health outcomes and tested whether these associations varied across different levels of frailty. We performed a multivariate analysis of data from the first wave of the FRéLE study among 1,643 Canadian older adults aged 65 years and over. We assessed social isolation using social participation, social networks, and support from various social ties, namely, friends, children, extended family, and partner. Frailty predicted disability, comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline. Less social participation was associated with IADLs, depression, and cognitive decline. The absence of friends was associated with depression and cognitive impairment. Less social support from children and partner was related to comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline. Overall, social isolation is linked to mental health, rather than physical health. The associations of having no siblings, receiving less support from friends, and participating less in social activities with ADL limitations, depression, and cognitive decline were higher among frail than pre-frail and robust older adults. This study corroborates the pivotal role of social connectedness, particularly the quality of relationships, on the mental health of older adults. Public health policies on social relationships are paramount to ameliorate the health status of frail older adults.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 173-174
Author(s):  
Fereshteh Mehrabi ◽  
François Béland

Abstract Social isolation and frailty are global public health issues that may lead to poor health outcomes. We tested the two following hypotheses: 1) changes in social isolation and frailty are associated with adverse health outcomes over two years, 2) the associations between social isolation and health vary across different levels of frailty. We estimated a series of latent growth models to test our hypotheses using data from the FRéLE longitudinal study among 1643 Canadian community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and over. Missing data were handled by pattern mixture models with the assumption of missing not at random. We measured social isolation through social participation, social networks, and social support from different social ties. We assessed frailty using Fried’s criteria. Our results revealed that higher frailty at baseline was associated with a higher rate of comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline over two years. Less social participation at baseline was associated with comorbidity, depression, and changes in cognitive decline. Less social support from friends, children, partner, and family at baseline was associated with comorbidity, cognitive decline, and changes in depression. Fewer contacts with grandchildren were related to cognitive decline over time. The associations of receiving less support from partner with depression and participating less in social activities with comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline were higher among frail or prefrail than robust older adults over time. This longitudinal study suggests that intimate connectedness and social participation may ameliorate health status in frail older populations, highlighting the importance of age-friendly city policies.


Author(s):  
Fereshteh Mehrabi ◽  
François Béland

This research investigated the effects of social isolation on frailty and health outcomes and tested whether these associations varied across different levels of frailty. We performed a multivariate analysis of the first wave of Frailty: A longitudinal study of its expressions (FRéLE) among 1643 Canadian older adults aged 65 years and over. We assessed social isolation using social participation, social networks, and support from various social ties, namely, friends, children, extended family, and partner. Frailty was associated with disability, comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline. Less social participation was associated with limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), depression, and cognitive decline. The absence of friends was associated with depression and cognitive impairment. Less social support from children and partner was related to comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline. Overall, social isolation is linked to mental health rather than physical health. The associations of having no siblings, receiving less support from friends, and participating less in social activities with ADL limitations, depression, and cognitive decline were higher among frail than prefrail and robust older adults. This study corroborates the pivotal role of social connectedness, particularly the quality of relationships, on the mental health of older adults. Public health policies on social relationships are paramount to ameliorate the health status of frail older adults.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2308
Author(s):  
Pascale Heins ◽  
Lizzy M. M. Boots ◽  
Wei Qi Koh ◽  
An Neven ◽  
Frans R. J. Verhey ◽  
...  

Social isolation in community-dwelling older adults with dementia is a growing health issue that can negatively affect health and well-being. To date, little attention has been paid to the role of technology in improving their social participation. This systematic review aims to provide a systematic overview of the effects of technological interventions that target social participation in community-dwelling older adults with and without dementia. The scientific databases Medline (PubMed), PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched and independently screened by two reviewers. Results were synthesized narratively. The methodological quality of included studies was independently assessed by two reviewers. In total, 36 studies of varying methodological quality were identified. Most studies evaluated social networking technology and ICT training programs. Three studies focused on people with dementia. Quantitative findings showed limited effects on loneliness, social isolation, and social support. Nevertheless, several benefits related to social participation were reported qualitatively. Social interaction, face-to-face contact, and intergenerational engagement were suggested to be successful elements of technological interventions in improving the social participation of community-dwelling older adults. Rigorous studies with larger sample sizes are highly needed to evaluate the long-term effects of technology on the multidimensional concept of social participation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Dimitra Savvoulidou ◽  
Efthymia Totikidou ◽  
Chariklia Varvesiotou ◽  
Magda Iakovidou ◽  
Ourania Sfakianaki ◽  
...  

Olfactory impairment in older adults is associated with cognitive decline. This study describes the development of a Brief Odor Detection Test (B-ODT), and its pilot administration in community-dwelling older adults. The study aimed at examining whether the test could differentiate older adults with very mild cognitive impairment from their cognitively healthy counterparts. The sample consisted of 34 older adults (22 women), aged from 65 to 87 years. Participants were divided into two groups according to their general cognitive functioning. Odor detection was measured via vanillin solutions at the following concentrations: 150 mg/L, 30 mg/L, 15 mg/L, 3 mg/L, and .03 mg/L. The first condition of the test involved a scale administration of vanillin solutions. The second condition examined the change in air odour and it required vanillin solution of 30 mg/L and a metric ruler of 30 cm. The examiner had to place the solution at a specific distance point from each nostril. Odour identification sensitivity was secondarily measured. The results showed statistically significant differences in odour detection threshold between the two groups. In the unirhinal testing, left nostril differences of the two groups were definite. Hence, the B-ODT seems a promising instrument for very early cognitive impairment screening in older adult population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 987-999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yana Suchy ◽  
Emilie I. Franchow ◽  
Madison A. Niermeyer ◽  
Rosemary E. Ziemnik ◽  
Paula G. Williams ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 ◽  
pp. 104161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Mello Porto ◽  
Natália Camargo Rodrigues Iosimuta ◽  
Renato Campos Freire Júnior ◽  
Roberta de Matos Brunelli Braghin ◽  
Érika Leitner ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Yuko Yamaguchi ◽  
Masako Yamada ◽  
Elsi Dwi Hapsari ◽  
Hiroya Matsuo

This study aimed to examine the relationship between one’s physical status related to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and social isolation, and to identify lifestyle behaviors for the prevention of NCDs associated with social isolation among community-dwelling older adults in Japan. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate lifestyle behaviors for NCD prevention associated with social isolation in Japanese adults aged 60 years and above in a community setting. Out of 57 participants, 17.5% were not socially participative, 66.7% hardly ever, 29.8% sometimes, and 3.5% often felt loneliness. Non-social participation and loneliness were negatively related to the frequency of vegetable and fruit intake. Additionally, loneliness was positively associated with one’s duration of smoking and current smoking habits, and negatively associated with the frequency of moderate-intensity activities, with marginal significance. Those with non-social participation or loneliness were less likely to eat a healthy diet and live a smoke-free lifestyle. The findings of this study suggest that a mutual health support system in the community and the development of community-based approaches for the prevention of NCDs among Japanese older adults are needed.


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