Relationship between Social Capital and Cognitive Functions among Community-Based Elderly

Abstract

The concept of social capital encompasses all relationships and networks among people in a local community or society as a whole. It has been found to be associated with the health and daily living status of people. Furthermore, an association between social capital and cognitive functions among the elderly has been suggested in recent years. However, the number of such reports is very few. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the relationship between social capital and cognitive functions among the elderly living in a local community in Japan. A questionnaire survey was administered to 192 elderly individuals belonging to 10 neighborhood elderly groups. A regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between cognitive functions and the level of engagement with the local community, after adjusting for age, gender, and symptoms of depression. Valid responses were collected from 145 participants (mean age: 75.3 years). An analysis of the data concerning the level of engagement with the local community revealed a significant difference in the cognitive function scores between the group of people who indicated that they had someone they could consult (n = 69) and the group that indicated they had no one to consult (n = 76) (regression coefficient: −0.61, p = 0.0038, 95% confidence interval: −1.02 to −0.20). This result indicates the existence of a significant correlation between social capital and cognitive functions of the elderly living in a local community. In future studies, we need to investigate the same with a larger number of participants from a wider geographical area, and by incorporating more indicators for a comprehensive evaluation of social capital.

Neighborhood‐based social capital and cognitive function among older adults in five low‐ and middle‐income countries: Evidence from the World Health Organization Study on global AGEing and adult health

“…Lastly, consistent with previous findings from high‐income countries, we found community participation was associated with higher level of cognitive function . It is possible that by encouraging more social participation within the neighborhood, the active ingredient of “doing” could prevent cognitive decline.…”

“…Lastly, consistent with previous findings from high-income countries, we found community participation was associated with higher level of cognitive function. 6,16,19,22,23,28,39,43 It is possible that by encouraging more social participation within the neighborhood, the active ingredient of "doing" could prevent cognitive decline. Active participation in the neighborhood provides older adults with emotional support and resources for handling stressful life events.…”

“…Demographics included age (as a continuous variable), gender (male or female), education (less than primary school, primary school, secondary school, college and above), marital status (married or not married), employment status (yes or no), income (tertile), and residence (urban or rural). 16,19,22,28,29,39…”

Educational Elements for Healthy Aging

“…As proposed Takechi et al (2017), it is important to prevent memory and cognitive loss with more intervention with social capital, because in research the " […] result indicates the existence of a significant correlation between social capital and cognitive functions of the elderly living in a local community", more so in Alzheimer's Syndrome.…”

Age-specific changes in cognitive function

“…A systematic review of studies of older people has shown a positive correlation between "social capital" and mental health [3]. The quality of "social capital", social activity, participation in decision-making in society, lack of need for care in everyday life, the depth of social relations are associated with the quality of cognitive functions of older people [4,5,6,7]. Cognitive disorders limit the ability of an aging person to participate in socio-industrial processes and require additional expenses from family members, society, social services and health care, the state for the maintenance and treatment of an elderly person [8].…”