Childhood socioeconomic status and social integration in later life: Results of the Japan gerontological evaluation study

Childhood sports club experiences mitigate the association between childhood socioeconomic disadvantage and functional disability in older Japanese men

This study examined whether childhood sports club experiences mitigate the association between childhood socioeconomic disadvantage and later life functional disability among older adults using a population-based study in Japan in a moderation analysis (n = 16,095, average age = 73 years). Functional disability was assessed using a 13-item measure of higher-level functional ability; scores below the 10th percentile indicated functional disability. Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) at age 15 years was assessed according to time-appropriate standards. Childhood sports club experiences were assessed according to the extent of club/group sports experience during different age periods. For both sexes, lower childhood SES was associated with higher functional disability risk, and longer cumulative childhood sports club experience was associated with lower risk. Childhood sports club experiences modified the association between childhood SES and functional disability in men. Among men with low childhood SES, those with two or more periods of childhood sports club experience had substantially lower functional disability risk than those with no experience (adjusted odds ratio = 0.32, 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.50). In women, childhood sports club experience did not modify the association with functional disability, but it modified the association with impaired intellectual activity, a subscale of higher-level functional ability.

Impact of social isolation on change in brain volume in community-dwelling older Japanese people: The NEIGE Study

BACKGROUND

Several studies have shown that social isolation is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia; however, its neurological mechanisms are not fully understood. Using longitudinal data, this study examined the effects of social isolation on hippocampal and total gray matter volumes in community-dwelling older Japanese individuals.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the Neuron to Environmental Impact Across Generations (NEIGE) Study conducted in Tokamachi City (Niigata Prefecture, Japan), including 279 community-dwelling persons aged 65-84 years who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging in 2017 and 2021 (male: 47.6 %; mean age: 73.0 years). We investigated two dimensions of social isolation: poor social networks and solitary living.

RESULTS

Multiple regression analysis with inverse probability weighting showed that individuals with a social contact frequency of <1 time/week had a greater decrease in hippocampal volume than those with a contact frequency of more than or equal to 4 times/week, whereas those who lived alone tended to have a smaller decrease in hippocampal volume than those who lived with others. We found no association between the frequency of social contact, living alone, and total gray matter volume. Furthermore, there was no interaction between sex and age for any of the outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Our longitudinal analysis suggested that the relationship between social isolation and dementia onset may be mediated by hippocampal atrophy; however, the direction of the influence depends on the isolation type. These findings are expected to contribute to the elucidation of the social mechanisms underlying dementia onset.

Social Relationships and Tooth Loss in Adults Aged 60 Years and Older: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To systematically assess current evidence on the extent to which social relationships are associated with tooth loss in adults aged 60 years and older.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library databases to identify relevant studies published from 1966 up to March 2024. Cross-sectional or cohort studies investigating the association between structural, functional and/or combined (structural and functional) components of social relationships and the number of remaining teeth or edentulism among community-dwelling or institutionalised older adults were included. Data were extracted on participants' and study characteristics, including study design, the type of measures used to assess social relationships (structural, functional, and combined), outcome measures and association estimates. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cohort studies and the adapted NOS for cross-sectional studies. The reported association between social relationships and the number of remaining teeth or edentulism was summarised using meta-analysis with robust variance estimation.

RESULTS

Twenty studies were included in the review and 12 studies (125 553 participants) in the meta-analysis. Across the 12 studies, the average odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.15 (1.01-1.32), indicating a 15% higher likelihood of having a lower number of teeth or edentulism for those with weaker social relationships. The GRADE certainty of the body of evidence was low.

CONCLUSIONS

Weak social relationships were associated with a lower number of teeth or edentulism in older adults. Our findings may inform potential public health approaches that target and modify social relationships to prevent and address older adults' oral diseases. Still, the directionality and the underlying mechanisms connecting social relationships and tooth loss need to be further explored by longitudinal studies with follow-up long enough for oral health outcomes or changes in social relationships to occur.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Protocol Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023417845).

More adverse childhood experiences are associated with increased social thinning and severe psychological distress

Adverse childhood experiences have been linked to psychopathology due to reduced social networks or social thinning. However, evidence of the temporal associations between adverse childhood experiences, social networks, and psychopathology was lacking, as few studies assessed social networks repeatedly. Further, their underlying neurocognitive and biological mechanisms related to hypervigilance and inflammation remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify these associations using a three-wave population-based cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 465), where we leveraged repeated social network assessments. Self-reported questionnaires assessed adverse childhood experiences, social network size and diversity, psychological distress, and hypervigilance regarding COVID-19. Blood tests were conducted to measure inflammation markers. Individuals with more adverse childhood experiences demonstrated lesser increases in their social networks than those without adverse childhood experiences. Decreased network sizes were associated with severe psychological distress, but this association did not remain after adjusting for baseline distress. On the other hand, reduced network diversities were associated with increased psychological distress. We did not find any paths through hypervigilance regarding COVID-19 and inflammation that explain associations between adverse childhood experiences, social thinning, and psychological distress. These findings emphasize the significant social network changes in the associations between adverse childhood experiences and psychopathology.

Childhood adversities and memory function in later life: the mediating role of activity participation

BACKGROUND

Childhood adversities may lead to decreased activity participation in later life, impacting memory health in ageing adults. Childhood adversities related to deprivation and threat, as conceptualized by the Dimensional Model of Adversity, can exhibit distinct impacts on cognitive and emotional outcomes in children and younger adults. This study examined the potential influence of childhood deprivation and threat on memory function in later life and the mediating role of activity participation in these relationships.

METHODS

This study used data from the first wave of Panel Study of Active Ageing and Society (PAAS), a representative survey of Hong Kong residents aged 50 or above (N = 1,005). Key variables included late-life memory function measured by delayed recall test, deprivation- and threat-related childhood adversities, and the frequency of participation in informal and formal types of activities. Mediation tests were used for analysis.

RESULTS

Childhood deprivation was associated with a lower late-life memory function, whereas threat was not. The negative effects of childhood deprivation and its subdomain, economic hardship, on memory function were mediated by activity participation. Total participation scores presented the strongest mediating effect (17.3-20.6%), with formal activities playing a more substantial mediating role than informal activities in mitigating the effect of childhood deprivation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings expand the applicability of the Dimensional Model of Adversity to ageing populations, highlighting the influence of deprivation on life-long cognitive development. Furthermore, this study revealed an indirect mechanism by which childhood deprivation affects memory health in old age through diverse activity participation.

Effects of Economic Status on Changes in Social Networks and Mental Health after Using Hearing Aids

OBJECTIVES

Hearing impairment affects social networks and mental health. Hearing aids (HA) can improve these deficits. However, their effects might be affected by various factors such as economic status (ES). This study aimed to identify how ES could moderate the effects of HA on social networks, depressive mood, and cognition.

METHODS

A prospective cohort for new HA users was established and classified into two groups based on their ES: a low ES group (LES group) and a medium to high ES group (MHES group). Audiological examination, Lubben social network scale-18 (LSNS-18), Short form of Geriatric Depression Score, Mini-Mental State Examination in the Korean version of the CERAD Assessment Packet, and surveys for satisfaction with HA were conducted before and at six months after wearing HA.

RESULTS

Post-HA application LSNS-18 scores were not improved in the LES group whereas they revealed significant improvement in the MHES group (p = 0.003). The LES group showed lower LSNS-18 score (p = 0.020) and its change (p = 0.042) than the MHES group. Additionally, patients with depressive moods in the MHES group showed better improvements than those in the LES group (p = 0.048). The effects of wearing HA on cognition and satisfaction with HA were not significantly different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

HA did not improve social relationships and depressive moods in the LES group. Comprehensive and multidirectional support as well as hearing rehabilitation may be important for patients with LES.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 (Nonrandomized controlled cohort/follow-up study) Laryngoscope, 134:2387-2394, 2024.

Social integration and utilization of national basic public health services among China's internal migrants with chronic diseases: A structural equation modelling approach

Internal migrants with chronic diseases (IMCDs) are a specific subgroup of the internal migrants, but few studies have focused on health service utilization among this group. Social integration is an essential element in the maintenance of health and well-being in migrants. However, the measurement of social integration remains inconsistent. This study aimed to measure social integration more comprehensively and evaluate the association between social integration and National Basic Public Health Services (NBPHS) utilization among IMCDs in China, thereby providing theoretical support for health promotion among IMCDs. The data of this study were obtained from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) in 2017. A total of 9272 internal migrants who self-reported hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes were included in the analysis. Four factors were extracted through exploratory factor analysis to measure the social integration of IMCDs: psychological identity, community involvement, social security, and sociocultural adaptation. The results show the IMCDs underutilized NBPHS, with 26.80 % stating that they have not used any of the services in the NBPHS. We confirmed the positive association between social integration and NBPHS use among IMCDs. The social integration of IMCDs in developed regions was relatively worse than in developing regions, further exacerbating the underutilization of NBPHS in developed regions. Therefore, targeted government measures and supportive policies are necessary, especially in developed regions, to encourage IMCDs to participate in social organizations and community activities and stimulate their active participation in the NBPHS.