Mao Li, Tian Yu, Zhang Ling, Lei Fang, Wang Guoying, He Jinxing, Lin Lijin, Peng Defeng
Gannan Innovation and Translational Medicine Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery and Development for Major Diseases, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.
Department of Obstertrics, Huanggang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Huanggang, Hubei, China.
BMC Geriatr. 2025 May 29;25(1):384. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06025-1.
Although studies have demonstrated associations between social support and frailty in older adults, the direction and underlying mechanisms of this relationship are yet to be better delineated. We aimed to investigate the association between different forms of social support and frailty, as well as the mediating role of physical and mental health in this association.
Participants were adults aged ≥ 60 from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Social support (including formal and informal support), physical health, and mental health were the main variables. Frailty was evaluated using the Physical Frailty Phenotype (PFP) scale, and the relationships among these variables were examined using a structural equation model (SEM).
The final analysis included 4,511 participants, with a median age of 66.0 years. And the prevalence of frailty was 7.7%. Frailty was found to be influenced by both formal (β = -0.221, P < 0.001) and informal social support (β = -0.221, P < 0.001). Moreover, formal and informal social support demonstrated positive associations with mental and physical health (β = 0.720, 0.347, 0.679, and 0.484, respectively, all P < 0.001). Mental and physical health were negatively associated with frailty (β = -0.374, -0.202, respectively, both P < 0.001).
The relationship between social support and frailty appears to be mediated by mental and physical health, primarily through psychological pathways. Therefore, comprehensive interventions aimed at improving social support and mental and physical health are recommended to prevent frailty.
尽管研究已证明老年人的社会支持与衰弱之间存在关联，但这种关系的方向和潜在机制仍有待更清晰地界定。我们旨在研究不同形式的社会支持与衰弱之间的关联，以及身心健康在这种关联中的中介作用。
参与者为来自2011年中国健康与养老追踪调查（CHARLS）的60岁及以上成年人。社会支持（包括正式和非正式支持）、身体健康和心理健康是主要变量。使用身体衰弱表型（PFP）量表评估衰弱情况，并使用结构方程模型（SEM）检验这些变量之间的关系。
最终分析纳入4511名参与者，中位年龄为66.0岁。衰弱患病率为7.7%。发现正式（β = -0.221，P < 0.001）和非正式社会支持（β = -0.221，P < 0.001）均会影响衰弱。此外，正式和非正式社会支持与身心健康呈正相关（分别为β = 0.720、0.347、0.679和0.484，均P < 0.001）。身心健康与衰弱呈负相关（分别为β = -0.374、-0.202，均P < 0.001）。
社会支持与衰弱之间的关系似乎由身心健康介导，主要通过心理途径。因此，建议采取综合干预措施来改善社会支持以及身心健康，以预防衰弱。
