The Relationship between Social Participation and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Activities of Daily Living

Abstract

Abstract Background Cognitive impairments are commonly observed in older adults, and there is an increasing number of older adults experiencing cognitive difficulties. Social participation plays a crucial role in promoting active aging, but its relationship with the cognitive function of older adults still needs further confirmation. Methods Based on the panel data from the 5 waves of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), this study uses fixed-effect model, propensity score matching and mediation analysis to explore the relationship between social participation and cognitive function in older adults Results After adjusting the confounders, social participation is positively associated with cognitive function in older adults (β = 1.65, P < 0.001). Specifically, self-entertainment-type social participation shows the strongest positive association (β = 1.09, P < 0.001), followed by household labor-type social participation (β = 0.58, P < 0.001), while the impact of group interaction-type social participation is the weakest (β = 0.47, P < 0.001). Activities of daily living (ADL) mediates the relationship between social participation and cognitive function in older adults, with the strongest mediating effect in the impact of household labor-type social participation. Limitations Our study focuses on Chinese participants, so the findings may not apply globally due to varying social habits. The research doesn't account for potentially confounding factors that affect cognitive function. The survey's limited social participation questions may not accurately depict daily life. Conclusions Research suggests that social participation significantly predicts cognitive function in older adults. Thus, encouraging various social activities may effectively prevent cognitive decline.