Does Education Moderate the Relationship between Social Capital and Cognitive Function among Older Adults? Evidence from Suzhou City, China

While social capital is recognized as an important protective determinant of cognitive function in later life, there is a lack of research examining the potential moderators and mediators in the mechanisms linking social capital to cognitive function. This study investigated the moderating role of education on the relationship between social capital and cognitive function among older adults in urban Chinese communities. Data were derived from a community survey conducted in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, in late 2015. A quota sampling method was applied to recruit respondents aged 60 years or older from 16 communities in the Gusu district. The final analytic sample size was 446. Multiple group analysis was applied to test the proposed model. The results show that cognitive social capital was significantly associated with cognitive function in the high education group only. Structural social capital was not significantly associated with cognitive function. The findings highlight the important role of social capital in influencing cognitive function in later life. Social capital interventions could be particularly useful as a preventive approach to help older adults sustain their cognitive function levels. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.

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Cognitive Social Capital and Formal Volunteering Among Older Adults in Urban China: Does Gender Matter?

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464818765279 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 404-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nan Lu ◽

Changmin Peng ◽

Nan Jiang ◽

Vivian W. Q. Lou

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Capital ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Moderating Effect ◽

Urban China ◽

Formal Volunteering ◽

Multiple Group ◽

Quota Sampling ◽

Cognitive Social Capital ◽

The Relationship

This study examined the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between cognitive social capital and formal volunteering among older adults in urban China. Cognitive social capital refers to individuals’ perceptions of their social relationships in local communities. We used quota sampling to recruit 456 older adults aged 60 years and older from 16 communities of Gusu district, Suzhou city, in late 2015. Multiple group analysis was used to examine the proposed model. Gender had a moderating effect on the relationship between cognitive social capital and volunteering. The associations between cognitive social capital and volunteering were higher among older men than older women. The findings highlight the important role of cognitive social capital in influencing formal volunteering among older adults in urban Chinese contexts. The findings are particularly important for enhancing volunteering among older adults across different social and economic backgrounds. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.

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Does Gender Moderate the Relationship Between Social Capital and Life Satisfaction? Evidence From Urban China

Research on Aging ◽

10.1177/0164027517739032 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 40 (8) ◽

pp. 740-761 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Nan Lu ◽

Nan Jiang ◽

Vivian W. Q. Lou ◽

Yue Zeng ◽

Meng Liu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Capital ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Older Men ◽

Urban China ◽

Helping Others ◽

Suzhou City ◽

Quota Sampling ◽

The Relationship

The present study aimed to test the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between social capital and life satisfaction among older adults in urban China. A quota sampling method was used to select 456 older adults aged 60 and older from 16 local communities in Suzhou city in 2015. Hierarchical multiple regression was employed to test the proposed models. The associations between family social capital and life satisfaction were higher among older men than women. Trust and helping others were stronger predictors of older women’s life satisfaction than their male counterparts. Citizenship activities affected life satisfaction among older men only. The findings highlight the important role of social capital in sustaining and/or improving life satisfaction among both older women and men. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.

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Research on the Association Between Perceived Neighborhood Environment and Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in Shanghai, China: Do Social Capital And Gender Matter?

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1069471/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nan Lu ◽

Bei Wu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Capital ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Neighborhood Environment ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Multiple Group ◽

Multiple Group Analysis ◽

Perceived Neighborhood Environment

Abstract This study examined the mediator role of social capital on the association between perceived neighborhood environment and life satisfaction among older adults in urban China, and further tested the moderating effect of gender in the above paths (i.e., from neighborhood environment to life satisfaction; from neighborhood environment to social capital; from social capital to life satisfaction). We used quota sampling approach to recruit 472 respondents aged 60 years old or older in Shanghai in 2020. From the perspective of structural equation modeling, multiple group analysis was conducted to examine the proposed hypotheses. The measurement model of social capital was well established in urban Chinese community contexts. Based on the whole sample, the results of the mediation model showed that social capital played a mediation role in the association between neighborhood environment and life satisfaction. Furthermore, the results of multiple group analysis showed that the association between neighborhood environment and cognitive social capital was only significant among older women. The findings highlight the role of neighborhood environment and social capital in building age-friendly communities.

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Early Child–Parent Relationship Quality and Cognitive Function in Older Rural Chinese Adults: The Mediating Role of Educational Attainment

Journal of Aging and Health ◽

10.1177/0898264321996562 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089826432199656

Author(s):

Changmin Peng ◽

Jeffrey A. Burr ◽

Dong Yang ◽

Nan Lu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Educational Attainment ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Later Life ◽

Life Course Perspective ◽

Early Child ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Parent Relationship

Objectives: Framed within a life course perspective and cognitive reserve theory, this study examined the mediating role of educational attainment for the association between child–parent relationships during childhood and cognitive function among older adults in rural China. Methods: Data were obtained from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study ( N = 9809). We employed latent growth curve modeling to test the association among early child–parent relationship quality, educational attainment, and cognitive function in later life. Results: Early child–mother relationship quality was associated with the level and change in cognitive function. Early child–father relationship quality was only related to baseline cognitive function. Educational attainment mediated the relationship between early child–parent relationship quality with mothers and fathers and cognitive function. Discussion: Parental relationship experience in childhood was one distal factor related to cognitive function among older adults. The findings supported the long-term impacts of childhood conditions for later life health consequences.

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The role of social capital in the relationship between physical constraint and mental distress in older adults: a latent interaction model

Aging & Mental Health ◽

10.1080/13607863.2016.1247431 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 245-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Sok An ◽

Yuri Jang

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Capital ◽

Mental Distress ◽

Interaction Model ◽

Physical Constraint ◽

The Relationship

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Community-Based Cognitive Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults in Urban China: The Moderating Role of Family Social Capital

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.1177/0091415019848202 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 90 (3) ◽

pp. 297-316

Author(s):

Jingyue Zhang ◽

Nan Lu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Capital ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Urban China ◽

Community Based ◽

Family Social Capital ◽

Cognitive Social Capital ◽

The Relationship ◽

Moderating Role

The present study examined the moderating role of family social capital in the relationship between community-based cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in urban China. Cross-sectional data were derived from a community survey conducted in Suzhou, China, in late 2015. Data from 441 respondents were included in the final analysis. Multiple group analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The latent construct of community-based cognitive social capital was based on trust and reciprocity indicators. Measurement invariance was established across groups with high or low family social capital. The results show that family social capital had a moderation effect on the relationship between community-based cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms. The effects of community-based cognitive social capital on depressive symptoms were higher among those with low family social capital. The findings demonstrate the interplay between family and community-based cognitive social capital. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.

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There Is Still Time to Be Active: Self-Perceptions of Aging, Physical Activity, and the Role of Perceived Residual Lifetime Among Older Adults

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.2018-0380 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 807-815

Author(s):

Ann-Kristin Beyer ◽

Maja Wiest ◽

Susanne Wurm

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Later Life ◽

Residual Lifetime ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Perceptions Of Aging ◽

Health Promotion Interventions ◽

The Relationship

Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) are a resource in later life. As aging is accompanied with perceptions of the finitude of life, it is assumed that perceived residual lifetime may play a role in the relationship between SPA and health behavior. Among older adults aged 65 years and older, the present study tested whether the relationships between gain- and loss-related SPA and two kinds of physical activity are moderated by perceived residual lifetime. Data were based on 2.367 participants over a 3-year period. Participants with less gain-related SPA were less likely to walk on a regular basis; however, a longer residual lifetime compensated for this negative effect. In addition, participants did sports more often if they not only held less loss-related SPA but also perceived a longer residual lifetime. These results emphasize the importance of perceived residual lifetime in health promotion interventions targeting physical activity in older adults.

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The Moderating Role Of Diet Patterns In The Relationship Between Perceived Stress And Cognitive Function In Older Adults

10.32920/ryerson.14645715.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Danielle D'Amico

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Western Diet ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Effect Modifier ◽

The Relationship ◽

Prudent Diet ◽

Moderating Role

The current study examined the moderating role of adherence to a healthy prudent diet and an unhealthy Western diet in the relationship between perceived stress and cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults. It was hypothesized that the association between perceived stress and cognition would be buffered by prudent diet and exacerbated by Western diet intake. 201 adults aged 60 and older participated in the study. Prudent diet was a significant effect-modifier, such that higher perceived stress was associated with poorer executive functioning at low levels of prudent diet. Prudent diet did not moderate the association between perceived stress and episodic memory. Western diet was not a significant effect-modifier in the perceived stress-cognition relationship. These findings provide preliminary evidence that a healthy diet may buffer the association between perceived stress and executive function in older adults. Future research with a more diverse sample is needed to confirm these findings.

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