[Relationship between the type and number of social participation events and the cognitive function in older diabetics].

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between the type and number of social participation events and the cognitive function in elderly patients with diabetes.

METHODS

The subjects were diabetic outpatients of ≥60 years of age who were managed at Ise Red Cross Hospital. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia were assessed using a self-administered dementia checklist. Six types of social participation activities and the number of participants were investigated. A logistic regression analysis with MCI and dementia as dependent variables, social participation as an explanatory variable, and adjustment variables was used to calculate the odds ratios for social participation according to the presence of MCI and dementia.

RESULTS

In total, 352 patients were included in the analysis. Volunteer activities (P=0.012), hobbies (P=0.006), activities to share skills and experiences (P=0.026), and work (P=0.003) were significantly associated with dementia. Regarding the association between the amount of social participation and dementia, there was a decrease in the risk of dementia when the number of social participation was 2. However, social participation was not significantly associated with MCI in this study.

CONCLUSION

The type and number of social participation events were found to be associated with the risk of dementia in elderly patients with diabetes.