Abstract
Previous research in Western academia suggests that involvement in social activities helps preserve cognitive functions of the elderly. For Chinese society, where the social relations of the elder generation are more family-centered, to what extent does this correlation hold? This study thus examines the relationship between social participation and the cognitive capacity of the Chinese elderly and compares the effect of social participation with that of family interaction. This study is based on the data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The respondents’ cognitive abilities at the baseline (2011) and cognitive declines over four years (2011-2015) are assessed with adjusted Mini-mental State Examination scales. Effects of participation in social activities and interaction with families concerning cognitive functions are estimated by multiple linear regression and time series model after controlling gender, age, education, occupation, marriage status, and health conditions. Regression models reveal that the frequency of social participation has a significantly positive correlation with the cognitive capacity of the elderly. Among various types of social activities, engaging in voluntary social work and recreational social activities have higher correlation coefficients with cognitive abilities than other activities. Compared to social contacts with families and relatives, participation in outside-family activities also better protects the elderly from cognitive decline. These findings suggest the potential value of future research and practice on promoting social participation and engagement to protect people from cognitive decline in their older age.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2018 Special Focus: Aging, Health, Well-Being, and Care in a Time of Extreme Demographic Change
KEYWORDS
Social Support, Cognition
