The Association between Social Support Sources and Cognitive Function among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A One-Year Prospective Study

Taiji Noguchi, Ippei Nojima, Tomoe Inoue-Hirakawa and Hideshi Sugiura
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Taiji Noguchi: Department of Social Science, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi 474-8511, Japan
Ippei Nojima: Department of Health Sciences, Shinshu University Graduate School, Nagano 390-8621, Japan
Tomoe Inoue-Hirakawa: Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Aichi 461-8673, Japan
Hideshi Sugiura: Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Aichi 461-8673, Japan

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-9

Abstract: There is evidence that social relationships may modify cognitive decline in older people. We examined the prospective association between social support and cognitive function among community-dwelling older people. Japanese adults recruited at health checkups in suburban towns were surveyed at baseline and one-year follow-up. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Japanese version (MoCA-J). Social support from coresiding family, non-coresiding family, and neighbors/friends was assessed using self-administered questionnaires. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the effects of social support on MoCA-J scores at follow-up. Data were analyzed from 121 older people (mean age (standard deviation): 73.86 (4.95) years). There was a positive association between social support exchanges with neighbors and friends and MoCA-J scores at follow-up after covariate adjustment (unstandardized β = 1.23, p = 0.006). Social support exchanges with coresiding family and non-coresiding family and relatives were not associated with MoCA-J scores at follow-up (coresiding family: Unstandardized β = 0.28, p = 0.813, non-coresiding family and relatives: Unstandardized β = 0.51, p = 0.238). The provision of emotional support to neighbors and friends had the largest effect on MoCA-J scores. Our findings suggest that social support exchanges with neighbors and friends are protective against cognitive decline.

Keywords: cognitive function; community-dwelling older adults; prospective study; social support; Japanese (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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