Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, USA.
Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA.
Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2019 Sep;19(9):918-923. doi: 10.1111/ggi.13749. Epub 2019 Jul 31.
Social engagement is known to serve an important role in cognitive health, but there has been limited information on the role of online engagement. The present study aimed to identify the benefits of different online activities for the cognitive function of older adults.
Data came from the National Health and Aging Trend Study, Round I-V (2011-2015), with >8000 respondents from Medicare beneficiaries. Cognitive function was measured by the Clock Drawing Test and immediate 10-word recall. The respondents were also asked if they carried out any of the online activities listed.
Some online activities, such as email, texting and seeking medical information, can reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Whereas contacting a medical provider using online can increase the risk of cognitive decline.
Given the findings, the development of new technologies for online social engagement needs to be one of the priorities for researchers and policymakers in the field of aging and dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 918-923.
社会参与对认知健康起着重要作用，但有关在线参与作用的信息有限。本研究旨在确定不同在线活动对老年人认知功能的益处。
数据来自国家健康老龄化趋势研究，第 1 轮至第 5 轮（2011-2015 年），来自医疗保险受益人的 8000 多名受访者。认知功能通过画钟测试和即时 10 字回忆来衡量。还询问受访者是否进行了列出的任何在线活动。
一些在线活动，如电子邮件、短信和搜索医疗信息，可以降低认知能力下降的风险。而使用在线联系医疗服务提供者会增加认知能力下降的风险。
鉴于这些发现，研究和政策制定者在老龄化和痴呆症领域需要将开发用于在线社交参与的新技术作为优先事项之一。老年医学杂志 2019；19：918-923.
