By using meta-analysis method, researchers found that social connections notably decreased the risk of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and death among older adults globally. Social connections include interacting with family or friends, engaging in community activities, having a close or trusted friend, living conditions, relationship satisfaction, level of social support and loneliness. These findings suggest that middle-aged and older adults should maintain social connections for better quality of life and healthy aging. 

Meta-analysis is a statistical method that combines and analyses research studies that answer a specific research question to guide future studies, treatment guidelines, and policy-making. Previous meta-analyses have shown that good social connections relate to lower risks of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and death. However, those studies analysed data mainly from countries in North America and Europe. 

To investigate the same question in more diverse populations globally, the researchers also included data of individuals from Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia. They analysed 13 aging-related studies with a total of over 35,000 older participants. 

To assess the social connection levels of the participants, the researchers assessed three social connection markers – structure, function, and quality. The structure includes relationship status, living situation, community group engagement, and interactions with family or friends. Function means whether the participant has a close or trusted friend, and how much social support she or he gets. Quality is the participant’s relationship satisfaction and that they never feel lonely.

By analysing the participants’ data of cognitive ability, the researchers identified individual’s condition of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Cognitive ability included memory, thinking, language skill, ability to plan and make decisions, attention or brain processing speed.   

Being married or in a relationship, interacting with family or friends, engaging in community activities weekly, and never feeling lonely notably decreased individuals’ risk of mild cognitive impairment. This may be partially due to that these activities increase individuals’ levels of physical activity, or create a space for them to manage stress. 

The researchers also found that interacting with family or friends weekly reduced the participants’ risk of developing dementia by 44%. Monthly interactions lowered the risk by 51%.

The older adults who were living with others, having a close or trusted friend had significantly lower risk of death. Engaging in community activities every week reduced the risk of death by 42%. 

For good cognitive ability and quality of life, the researchers suggest that middle-aged and older adults should interact with their families or friends, or participating in group activities weekly. 

This also echoes the key finding from the 85-year study about happiness from Havard University – the people who stayed healthiest and lived longest were the people who had the strongest connections to others. 

This study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Image credit: Canva

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