Aims: Social isolation has been implicated in the development of cognitive impairment, but research on this association remains limited among racial-ethnic minoritized populations. Our study examined the interplay between social isolation, race-ethnicity and dementia.
Methods: We analyzed 11 years (2011-2021) of National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data, a prospective nationally representative cohort of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. Dementia status was determined using a validated NHATS algorithm. We constructed a longitudinal score using a validated social isolation variable for our sample of 6,155 community-dwelling respondents. Cox regression determined how the interaction between social isolation and race-ethnicity was associated with incident dementia risk.
Results: Average longitudinal frequency of social isolation was higher among older Black (27.6%), Hispanic (26.6%) and Asian (21.0%) respondents than non-Hispanic White (19.1%) adults during the 11-year period ( = -7.35, < .001). While a higher frequency of social isolation was significantly associated with an increased (approximately 47%) dementia risk after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.47, 95% CI [1.15, 1.88], < .01), this association was not significant after adjusting for health covariates (aHR = 1.21, 95% CI [0.96, 1.54], = .11). Race-ethnicity was not a significant moderator in the association between social isolation and dementia.
Conclusions: Older adults from racial-ethnic minoritized populations experienced a higher longitudinal frequency of social isolation. However, race-ethnicity did not moderate the positive association observed between social isolation and dementia. Future research is needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms contributing to racial-ethnic disparities in social isolation and to develop targeted interventions to mitigate the associated dementia risk.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S204579602400060X | DOI Listing |
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Prim Care
January 2025
Centre for Primary Health Care, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
January 2025
School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
Objectives: The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between loneliness and socioeconomic status and social networks in older adults with activity of daily living (ADL) disabilities in China and investigate people who are more likely to feel lonely.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: This study was conducted in six districts of Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
J Med Internet Res
January 2025
Graduate School of Health Science and Technology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) social chatbots represent a major advancement in merging technology with mental health, offering benefits through natural and emotional communication. Unlike task-oriented chatbots, social chatbots build relationships and provide social support, which can positively impact mental health outcomes like loneliness and social anxiety. However, the specific effects and mechanisms through which these chatbots influence mental health remain underexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Med Internet Res
January 2025
School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Background: Increasing life expectancy has led to a rise in nursing home admissions, a context in which older adults often experience chronic physical and mental health conditions, chronic pain, and reduced well-being. Nonpharmacological approaches are especially important for managing older adults' chronic pain, mental health conditions (such as anxiety and depression), and overall well-being, including sensory stimulation (SS) and therapist support (TS). However, the combined effects of SS and TS have not been investigated.
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