Zhong Bao-Liang, Chen Shu-Lin, Tu Xin, Conwell Yeates
Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York.
Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2017 Jan;72(1):120-128. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbw037. Epub 2016 Mar 24.
To examine the relationship between loneliness and cognitive function and to explore the mediating role of physical health on the loneliness-cognition relationship in Chinese older adults (OAs).
Data came from a nationally representative sample of 14,199 Chinese OAs (aged 65+) from 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2011 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. A latent variable cross-lagged panel model combined with mediation analysis was used to determine the relationship between loneliness and cognitive function and the mediating effect of increase in the number of chronic conditions (ΔNCCs) on the ascertained loneliness-cognition relationship.
Severe loneliness at prior assessment points was significantly associated with poorer cognitive function at subsequent assessments, and vice versa. The ΔNCCs partially mediated this prospective reciprocal relationships, accounting for 2.58% of the total effect of loneliness on cognition and 4.44% of the total effect of cognition on loneliness, respectively.
Loneliness may predict subsequent cognitive decline, and vice versa. This loneliness-cognition relationship is partially explained by their impact on physical health. Multidisciplinary interventions aimed at reducing loneliness and cognitive decline per se and their associated risk factors as well as improving chronic illness management would be beneficial for emotional well-being and cognitive health in OAs.
探讨中国老年人孤独感与认知功能之间的关系,并探究身体健康在孤独感与认知关系中的中介作用。
数据来自中国健康与养老追踪调查2002年、2005年、2008年和2011年四轮全国代表性样本中的14199名65岁及以上中国老年人。采用潜在变量交叉滞后面板模型结合中介分析来确定孤独感与认知功能之间的关系,以及慢性病数量增加(ΔNCCs)对已确定的孤独感与认知关系的中介作用。
在前评估点的严重孤独感与后续评估中较差的认知功能显著相关,反之亦然。ΔNCCs部分介导了这种前瞻性相互关系,分别占孤独感对认知总效应的2.58%和认知对孤独感总效应的4.44%。
孤独感可能预示着随后的认知衰退,反之亦然。这种孤独感与认知的关系部分可由它们对身体健康的影响来解释。旨在减少孤独感和认知衰退本身及其相关风险因素以及改善慢性病管理的多学科干预措施,将有利于老年人的情绪健康和认知健康。