Longitudinal Associations Between Contact Frequency with Friends and with Family, Activity Engagement, and Cognitive Functioning

Abstract

Objectives: Social engagement may be an important protective resource for cognitive aging. Some evidence suggests that time spent with friends may be more beneficial for cognition than time spent with family. Because maintaining friendships has been demonstrated to require more active maintenance and engagement in shared activities, activity engagement may be one underlying pathway that explains the distinct associations between contact frequency with friends versus family and cognition. Methods: Using two waves of data from the national survey of Midlife in the United States (n = 3707, Mage = 55.80, 51% female at baseline), we examined longitudinal associations between contact frequency with friends and family, activity engagement (cognitive and physical activities), and cognition (episodic memory and executive functioning) to determine whether activity engagement mediates the relationship between contact frequency and cognition. Results: The longitudinal mediation model revealed that more frequent contact with friends, but not family, was associated with greater concurrent engagement in physical and cognitive activities, which were both associated with better episodic memory and executive functioning. Conclusion: These findings suggest that time spent with friends may promote both cognitively and physically stimulating activities that could help to preserve not only these social relationships but also cognitive functioning.

Social Relationships and Adaptation in Later Life

“…For example, in a cross-sectional study of Swiss older adults, higher engagement in leisure activities mediated the association between a higher number of close friends and higher cognitive functioning ( Ihle et al., 2018 ). Similarly, evidence from a longitudinal study of U.S. adults showed that higher contact frequency with friends, but not family, was associated with higher engagement in cognitive and physical activities, both of which were associated with higher episodic memory and executive functioning ( Sharifian et al., 2020 ). This pattern of findings has also been demonstrated when examining socioemotional outcomes.…”

Positive Psychosocial Factors and Cognitive Decline in Ethnically Diverse Older Adults

“…Friendships may be particularly beneficial for cognitive aging because they require more active maintenance (i.e., communication and shared activities) than family relationships, which can be more obligatory (Roberts & Dunbar, 2011. Indeed, data from the Survey of Midlife in the United States indicate that the greater engagement in cognitively stimulating leisure activities mediated the positive association between contact frequency with friends and subsequent changes in both episodic memory and executive functioning (Sharifian et al, 2020a). In addition, friendships have been shown to provide a greater source of immediate joy (Larson, Mannell, & Zuzanek, 1986) and a greater sense of companionship (Huxhold, Miche, & Schüz, 2014) than family relationships for older adults.…”

Benefits of Computer Engagement in Older Adults with Dementia

“…Prior research has consistently demonstrated that cognitively stimulating activities ( Akbaraly et al, 2009 ; Rebok et al, 2014 ) and social engagement ( Jao et al, 2018 ; Litwin & Shaul, 2019 ; Litwin & Stoeckel, 2016 ; Sharifian et al, 2020 ) have been linked to improved cognition and behavioral health outcomes in older adults. When older adults are faced with situations in which they are required to socially isolate (e.g., due to medical conditions or during pandemics, such as COVID-19 outbreak in 2019–2020), adequate social engagement, and cognitive stimulation may become rather limited, as the elderly constitute a vulnerable group during outbreaks of infectious disease and are often required to self-isolate to protect their health.…”

“…These applications may allow older adults to socially engage with their families and friends without increasing the risk of transmission of an infectious disease. Given the benefits of continued social engagement to older adults’ mental health and cognition (e.g., Jao et al, 2018 ; Sharifian et al, 2020 ), it is recommended that they regularly engage with loved ones through technology in times of social distancing.…”