Living arrangement and cognitive decline among older people in Europe

Mazzuco, Stefano; Meggiolaro, Silvia; Ongaro, Fausta; Toffolutti, Veronica

doi:10.1017/s0144686x16000374

Cited by 46 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(49 reference statements)

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“…Further empirical studies, in alignment with the cognitive reserve hypothesis have supported the proposition of relationships (e.g., marriage) acting as protective factors against age-associated cognitive decline, in comparison to living alone (Håkansson et al, 2009;Mousavi-Nasab et al, 2012). In accordance with these findings are the results from a longitudinal study by Mazzuco et al (2017), whose sample comprised of Northern Europeans (N = 1276). The researchers showed that co-residence with a partner or with adult children reduced cognitive decline in older adults in comparison to those living alone, even if their cognitive status was already being compromised.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 57%

The Impact of Age, Gender, and Marital Status on Age-Associated Cognitive Decline

MacKinnon-Lee¹,

Bahr²

2020

PSYCH

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Age-associated cognitive decline is a normal, non-pathological and inevitable human occurrence. Therefore, it remains a research priority to assess the role of certain protective factors, such as age, gender, and marital status, that influence age-associated cognitive decline to intervene in the stemming of its progress and guide theory, policy, and practice. The study used a dissociative paradigm, using two measures to assess both short-term and visuo-spatial memory, to clarify the unestablished results of whether cognitive ageing occurs in one subsystem (i.e., modular) or across the whole brain (i.e., generalised). Participants (N = 126; 79 females and 46 males) from Sydney, New South Wales were recruited and divided into three age groups: 18-27, 27-62, and 62+. Participants completed an online questionnaire, with computer administered tasks, assessing visuo-spatial and short-term memory. A Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) revealed no significant covariate effects; covariates entered included participants' total scores from psychometrically established measures addressing engagement with social networks, depressive symptomology, personal wellbeing, and resilience. Consistent with previous findings, results from a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) supported the notion that being married is a protective factor in slowing down the progression of age-associated cognitive decline (i.e., visuo-spatial memory), in comparison to being single or in a de facto relationship. Older adults who were married performed lower on visuo-spatial memory tasks than younger adults. Support for the generalised model of ageing was revealed. Future directions and implications of the study's findings indicate the need to maximise protective interventions for those who are single or in a de facto relationship, and the brain as a whole system, to prevent unwarranted cognitive decline.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 57%

The Impact of Age, Gender, and Marital Status on Age-Associated Cognitive Decline

MacKinnon-Lee¹,

Bahr²

2020

PSYCH

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“…Potential confounders were identified and selected based on theoretical assumptions and empirical findings of past literature [3,20]. The socioeconomic covariates included sex (male or female), age (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34) or 60-64 years), spatial residence (rural or urban), employment status (unemployed or employed) and level of education (primary school/no attendance, secondary education or higher) and individual monthly income.…”

Section: Confounding Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Between 2015 and 2050 the global population of people aged 60 + years is projected to almost double, reaching around 2.1 billion [1]. The number of older people residing in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to reach 161 million by 2050 [1] and the majority of these individuals are most likely to live alone and perhaps, socially isolated usually because they have outlived a partner or faced with intractable life circumstances such as retirement, functional impairment and gradual social change [2,3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Does Neighborhood Engagement Affect the Association of Living Alone with Mental Disorder Risks in Older People?

Gyasi

Abass

Adu-Gyamfi

2020

Preprint

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Background: Social isolation has been increasingly recognized as a strong risk factor for health-related outcomes, yet, there is limited knowledge about the pathways linking living alone to later life psychological disorders. This study examines the influence of living alone on older people’s psychological disorders and explores the protective role of neighborhood engagement such as social participation and physical activity. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from a 2016/2017 Aging, Health, Psychological Wellbeing and Health-seeking Behavior Survey involving nationally representative sample of 1200 adults aged 50+ years in Ghana. The study focused on a latent measure of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and on the General Practice Physical Activity Scale. Ordinary Least Squares models assessed the effect of living alone interactively with neighborhood characteristics on the indicator of mental disorder. Results: The results showed that living alone was independent predictor of poor mental disorder in the overall sample, among females, urban dwellers and all age groups. However, physical activity and social participation significantly buffered against these associations. In the stratified analysis, physical activity moderated the association for males, rural-dwellers and those 65+ years whilst social participation modified the association for females, urban-dwellers and those 50-64 years. Conclusions: Neighborhood characteristics strongly attenuate the positive association of living alone with mental disorders. These findings may inform intervention initiatives targeted at improving mental health of older people living alone.

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“…Potential confounders were identified and selected based on theoretical assumptions and empirical findings of past literature [3,20]. The socioeconomic covariates included sex (male or female), age (50-64 years or ≥65 years), spatial residence (rural or urban), employment status (unemployed or employed) and level of education (primary school/no attendance, secondary education or higher) and individual monthly income.…”

Section: Confounding Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…these individuals are most likely to live alone and perhaps, socially isolated usually because they will outlive their partners or faced with intractable life events such as retirement, daily activity limitations and gradual social change [2,3].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How does neighborhood psychosocial interventions affect the link between living alone and psychological disorders in later life?

Gyasi¹,

Abass²,

Adu-Gyamfi³

2020

Preprint

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Background: Social isolation is widespread and strongly associated with deleterious health-related outcomes across the life course in low- and middle-income settings. Despite this broad base of knowledge, there is little reported research on the pathways linking living alone to later life psychological state. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of living alone on psychological disorder in middle- aged and older people and to explore the protective role of potential psychosocial strategies such as social participation and physical activity. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from a 2016/2017 Aging, Health, Psychological Wellbeing and Health-seeking Behavior Survey involving nationally representative sample of 1200 adults aged 50+ years in Ghana. The study focused on a latent measure of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and on the General Practice Physical Activity Scale (GPPAS). Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models evaluated the effect of living alone interactively with neighborhood engagement measures on the indicator of mental disorder. Results: The results showed that living alone was independent predictor of psychological distress in the overall sample, among females, urban dwellers and all age groups. However, physical activity and social participation significantly buffered against these associations. In the stratified analysis, physical activity moderated the association for males, rural-dwellers and those 65+ years whilst social participation modified the association for females, urban-dwellers and those 50-64 years. Conclusions: Psychosocial mechanisms strongly attenuate the positive association of living alone with the risk of psychological distress in older age. These findings may inform intervention initiatives targeted at improving mental health of chronically detached and isolated older people.

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Living arrangement and cognitive decline among older people in Europe

Cited by 46 publications

References 42 publications

The Impact of Age, Gender, and Marital Status on Age-Associated Cognitive Decline

The Impact of Age, Gender, and Marital Status on Age-Associated Cognitive Decline

How Does Neighborhood Engagement Affect the Association of Living Alone with Mental Disorder Risks in Older People?

How does neighborhood psychosocial interventions affect the link between living alone and psychological disorders in later life?

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