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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Aging Neurosci.
Sec. Neurocognitive Aging and Behavior
Volume 16 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1495694

Association between social networks and cognitive impairment among older Chinese adults: the mediating effect of depression

Provisionally accepted
ZHUO ZHANG ZHUO ZHANG 1Ying Bian Ying Bian 2*
  • 1 Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
  • 2 University of Macau, Taipa, Macau Region, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objectives: This study aimed to explore the rationality of the social networks-depression-cognitive impairment pathway and to provide recommendations for the development of mild cognitive impairment intervention strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2021. Sixteen urban communities in Xi 'an, Shaanxi China were selected as sample sites. The cognitive function, social networks and depression were measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) and the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), respectively. The generalized linear model was used to analysis the impact of social networks on cognitive impairment, and further analysis the mediating effect of depression. Results: A total of 745 elderly people aged 60 and above was included in this survey, with an average age of 68.90±6.00 years. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 18.52%, and the prevalence of cognitive impairment increased with age. According to the generalized linear model, poor social networks (relative network, friend network) was associated with higher risk of cognitive impairment (OR=2.08, 95%CI: 1.27-3.41), and this association was more significant in women and older adults <70 years of age. Mediation analysis results showed that depression was the mediating path between social networks and cognitive impairment, with the indirect effects accounting for 34.44%. Conclusion: Social isolation increases the risk of cognitive impairment and depression has a significant mediating effect on the relationship between social isolation and cognitive impairment.

    Keywords: social networks, cognitive impairment, Depression, Mediating effect, Older Chinese adults

    Received: 16 Sep 2024; Accepted: 20 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 ZHANG and Bian. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ying Bian, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macau Region, China

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