Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1511611

The influence of middle-aged and older adults' social capital and education on physical function: Evidence from the China Health And Retirement Longitudinal Study

Provisionally accepted
Tingfai Man Tingfai Man 1,2Yongze Zhao Yongze Zhao 2Huaxin Mai Huaxin Mai 2Ying Bian Ying Bian 1,2*
  • 1 Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macao, SAR China
  • 2 Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China

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

    Background: Population aging is a major global trend with significant social, economic, and health implications. In China, the increasing aging population presents challenges, including increased chronic diseases and disabilities. Social capital has emerged as vital in determining health outcomes for middle-aged and older adults. This study seeks to examine the impact of social capital and educational attainment on physical functioning in middle-aged and older adults, with particular emphasis on the moderating effect of education within this relationship.Methods: This study utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2018 to 2020, involving 9,497 participants aged 45 and older. Physical function was assessed using the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scales. Social capital was measured in four dimensions: social trust, social support, social participation, and reciprocity. Educational attainment was categorized into four levels: below primary school, primary school, middle school, and high school or above. Cox proportional hazards regression and moderating effect models were used for data analysis, adjusting for demographic and health-related variables.Results: Our findings highlight the significant roles of social participation (aHR = 0.856, 95%CI: 0.675-0.809) and reciprocity (aHR = 0.700, 95%CI: 0.626-0.784) in improving physical function. Education enhanced the positive effects of social participation (aHR = 0.923，95%CI：0.840-0.980). Subgroup analyses showed that social support was a protective factor for females (aHR = 0.857, 95% CI: 0.737-0.998), while social trust negatively affected urban residents (aHR = 1.330, 95%CI: 1.135-1.560).The findings underscore the importance of social participation, reciprocity, and education in enhancing physical function among middle-aged and older adults. Tailored interventions addressing gender and residential differences are essential to meet the unique needs of various subgroups. Understanding the relationship between social capital, education, and health can inform strategies to improve this population's well-being.

    Keywords: Middle Aged, Aged, social capital, Education, physical function, CHARLS

    Received: 15 Oct 2024; Accepted: 25 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Man, Zhao, Mai 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, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macao, SAR China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.