Community support and promoting cognitive function for the elderly

Neighborhood effects on the health of elderly persons: evidence from China

BACKGROUND

Presently, global aging has become increasingly serious, whereas the health concerns brought by aging have become a public issue that warrants an urgent solution from all countries across the world. Therefore, this research paper discusses the influence of neighborhood health on elderly individuals' health, and extending a realistic basis for the other economies to improve the neighborhood environment and promote the health of the elderly.

METHODS

Based on the data of CHARLS2018, this research paper adopts the samples that fulfill the study requirements (N = 7326). we constructed a comprehensive research framework integrating oprobit regression model, heterogeneity analysis, conditional mixed process(CMP)robustness testing, Furthermore, the KHB decomposition method is implemented to ascertain the influential mechanism of NMH and NPH on the mental- and physical health of elderly persons.

RESULTS

The oprobit regression model analysis indicates that NMH 0.434 and NPH 0.550 exert positive influences on the elderly's mental- and physical health. Meanwhile, the effects of conditional mixed process on NMH and NPH stand at 0.381 and4.372, which are different from the oprobit regression results; thereby, indicating the existence of endogeneity. Afterward, KHB mediating effect confirms that Internet use, gift reciprocity, and charity activity contribute 30.21% and 16.83% to mental- and physical health, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Firstly, the NMH and NPH demonstrate a positive influence on the mental- and physical health of the elder population. However, there exist heterogeneous differences. Secondly, the conditional mixed process deals with the endogeneity of NMH and NPH. Thirdly, social integration, social interaction, and social engagement serve as significant transmission mechanisms for the influences of NMH and NPH on the health of elderly persons.

Association between loneliness and its components and cognitive function among older Chinese adults living in nursing homes: A mediation of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the associations between loneliness and its components and cognitive function among older Chinese adults living in nursing homes and to test whether depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances mediate these associations.

METHODS

The sample comprised 228 Chinese individuals aged ≥ 65 years living in nursing homes who were free of dementia and psychiatric or serious somatic diseases. Loneliness was evaluated using the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Global cognitive function was assessed using the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between loneliness and its components and global cognitive function. A mediation analysis was used to test the potential mediating effects of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) age of the participants was 80.8 (6.3) years, and 58.3% were women. Compared with the lowest quartile of loneliness degree, the multivariable-adjusted beta coefficient (95% confidence interval [95% CI]) for the highest quartile was -1.32 (-2.61 to -0.02) (P for trend = 0.03). Loneliness components, personal feelings of isolation and the lack of relational connectedness but not the lack of collective connectedness, were also inversely associated with cognitive function. Significant indirect effects on cognitive function were observed for loneliness and its two components (personal feelings of isolation and the lack of relational connectedness) in mediating pathways via depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A higher degree of loneliness and its two components, personal feelings of isolation and the lack of relational connectedness, are associated with worse cognitive function among Chinese residents in nursing homes. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances may at least partially mediate these associations.

Comparing the impact of social support on the life satisfaction of widowed and non-widowed elders

Aim

To compare differences in life satisfaction between widowed and non-widowed elders based on social support.

Methods

A total of 4,560 widowed and 3,655 non-widowed elders were selected from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS-2018). Ordinal logistic regression models and t-tests were performed using SPSS v20.

Results

Both widowed and non-widowed elders had high levels of life satisfaction. Personal characteristics had a significant impact on the life satisfaction of both widowed and non-widowed elders. Endowment insurance, social trust, residence, self-rated health, and living with family had a significant impact on the life satisfaction of widowed elders (p &lt; 0.001), while endowment insurance, government subsidy, and self-rated health significantly impacted non-widowed elders (p &lt; 0.001). Self-rated health had the greatest impact on the life satisfaction of widowed and non-widowed elders (OR = 4.62/4.45), followed by endowment insurance (OR = 1.24/1.32).

Conclusion

Social support can significantly improve life satisfaction, but its impact is heterogeneous. Informal social support plays a greater role in improving the life satisfaction of widowed elders, but formal social support plays a greater role in the life satisfaction of non-widowed elders.