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Association of Social Support and Cognitive Aging Modified by Sex and Relationship Type: A Prospective Investigation in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

ABSTRACT: We examined whether between-persons differences and within-person changes in levels of social support were associated with age-related cognitive decline and whether these associations varied by sex and by relationship type. Executive function and memory scores over 8 years (2002-2010) were analyzed by mixture models among 10,241 adults aged ?50 years in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Between-persons differences and within-person changes in positive social support and negative social support were independently associated with cognitive decline in different ways according to sex and relationship type. Among men, higher-than-average positive social support from a spouse/partner was associated with slower cognitive decline (for executive function, ?person-mean×time-in-study = 0.005, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.010; for memory, ?person-mean×time-in-study = 0.006, 95% CI: 0.000, 0.012); whereas high negative social support from all relationship types was associated with accelerated decline in executive function (for all relationships combined, ?person-mean×time-in-study = -0.005, 95% CI: -0.008, -0.002). For women, higher-than-average positive social support from children (? = 0.037, 95% CI: 0.010, 0.064) and friends (? = 0.115, 95% CI: 0.081, 0.150)-but not from a spouse/partner (? = -0.034, 95% CI: -0.059, -0.009) or extended family (? = -0.035, 95% CI: -0.064, -0.006)-was associated with higher executive function. Associations between social support and age-related cognitive decline vary across different relationship types for men and women.

SUBMITTER: Liao J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5860624 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Association of Social Support and Cognitive Aging Modified by Sex and Relationship Type: A Prospective Investigation in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Liao Jing J Scholes Shaun S

American journal of epidemiology 20171001 7

We examined whether between-persons differences and within-person changes in levels of social support were associated with age-related cognitive decline and whether these associations varied by sex and by relationship type. Executive function and memory scores over 8 years (2002-2010) were analyzed by mixture models among 10,241 adults aged ≥50 years in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Between-persons differences and within-person changes in positive social support and negative social s ...[more]

PMID: 28520853

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Project description:BackgroundHaving a network of close relationships may reduce the risk of developing dementia. However, social exchange theory suggests that social interaction entails both rewards and costs. The effects of quality of close social relationships in later life on the risk of developing dementia are not well understood.ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of positive and negative experiences of social support within key relationships (spouse or partner, children, other immediate family, and friends) on the risk of developing dementia in later life.MethodsWe analyzed 10-year follow up data (2003/4 to 2012/13) in a cohort of 10,055 dementia free (at baseline) core participants aged 50 years and over from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Incidence of dementia was identified from participant or informant reported physician diagnosed dementia or overall score of informant-completed IQCODE questionnaire. Effects of positive and negative experiences of social support measured at baseline on risk of developing dementia were investigated using proportional hazards regression accommodating interval censoring of time-to-dementia.ResultsThere were 340 (3.4%) incident dementia cases during the follow-up. Positive social support from children significantly reduced the risk of dementia (hazard ratio, HR?=?0.83, p?=?0.042, 95% CI: 0.69 to 0.99). Negative support from other immediate family (HR?=?1.26, p?=?0.011, CI: 1.05 to 1.50); combined negative scores from spouse and children (HR?=?1.23, p?=?0.046, CI: 1.004 to 1.51); spouse, children, and other family (HR?=?1.27, p?=?0.021, CI?=?1.04 to 1.56); other family & friends (HR?=?1.25, p?=?0.033, CI: 1.02 to 1.55); and the overall negative scores (HR?=?1.31, p?=?0.019, CI: 1.05 to 1.64) all were significantly associated with increased risk of dementia.ConclusionPositive social support from children is associated with reduced risk of developing dementia whereas experiences of negative social support from children and other immediate family increase the risk. Further research is needed to better understand the causal mechanisms that drive these associations.

Dataset Information

Association of Social Support and Cognitive Aging Modified by Sex and Relationship Type: A Prospective Investigation in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Publications

Association of Social Support and Cognitive Aging Modified by Sex and Relationship Type: A Prospective Investigation in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

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