Social isolation and intrinsic capacity among older Hispanic adults in the United States: Exploring associations across geographic and social contexts

Cai Xu, Juehyun Shin and Graciela Muniz-Terrera

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Objectives: We examined the association between social isolation (SI) and intrinsic capacity (IC) among older Hispanic adults in the United States and explored patterns of association across geographic and social subgroups. Methods: Using 2022 Health and Retirement Study data, we analyzed 615 Hispanic adults aged ≥60 years. IC (0–10) was derived from five domains, and SI (0–4) was measured using a composite index. Survey-weighted linear regression models were used to estimate the overall association between SI and IC. Exploratory interaction models and subgroup-specific analyses examined patterns across region of residence, community of residence, and nativity status. Results: Mean IC was 6.48 (SD = 1.68), and mean SI was 0.98 (SD = 0.91). In the overall sample, SI was not significantly associated with IC (β = −0.02, p > .05). Exploratory subgroup analyses identified several patterns. Among rural participants, higher SI was associated with lower IC (β = −0.63, p

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0357275

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0357275

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