ArticleInnovation in aging2020
Pathways From Social Activities to Cognitive Functioning: The Role of Physical Activity and Mental Health.
Article in Innovation in aging, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 71 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of neighborhood built environment on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review.BMC geriatrics · 2024Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of age-related cognitive decline reveals a novel locus for the attention domain and implicates a COVID-19-related gene for global cognitive function.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2023Pooled it
- Moral decision-making in real and sacrificial contexts: a pilot study on social cognition in mild cognitive impairment.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Number of living siblings, social engagement, and cognitive decline among older Mexican adults.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2026Observational
- Changes in social health among older adults: a random intercept latent transition analysis from China.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Exploring Factors Associated with Physical Exercise Participation Among Chinese Adults Based on Explainable Machine Learning Methods.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Household fuel use, social engagement, and cognitive decline in older Chinese adults: a prospective cohort study based on CHARLS.BMC geriatrics · 2026Observational
- Latent profile analysis of depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults with disabilities and associated factors.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- The neuro-immuno-metabolic axis of exercise: a unified mechanistic framework for exercise-induced cognitive enhancement and psychological resilience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- Article
- Mindfulness exercise and mental health among university students: the sequential mediating roles of sleep regularity and self-control.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Internet Usage, Social Participation, and Depression Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Adult Chinese Individuals Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Observational Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Observational
- Family availability and memory function and decline among adults aged ≥51 in England and the United States, 2004-2019.SSM - population health · 2025Article
- Social Engagement, Depressive Symptoms, and Loneliness, and Longitudinal Cognitive Decline in a Population-Based Cohort of Older Adults.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry. Open science, education, and practice · 2025Article
- Critical reflections on the impact of late-life social activity on dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025Article
- Neighborhood environment associations with cognitive function and structural brain measures in older African Americans.BMC medicine · 2025Article
- Exploring self-rated health, physical activity, and social anxiety among female Chinese university students: a variable- and person-centered analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Effects of vision impairment on cognitive function: the bidirectional chain mediating role of sleep quality and psychological disorders.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Types of Social Group Participation and Long-Term Cognitive Preservation in Older Ages.Innovation in aging · 2025Article
- Interaction effects of exposure to air pollution and social activities on cognitive function in middle-aged and older Chinese adults based on a nationwide cohort study.BMC public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
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Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesOne of the greatest challenges of old age is the risk of cognitive decline. Engagement in social activities has been identified as a possible protective factor. However, it is not yet clear what are the mechanisms underlying this association. This study aims to elucidate the pathways through which social activities impact cognitive functioning, focusing on physical activity and mental health as possible mediators. RESEARCH DESIGN AND
methodsThe study utilized 3 waves of data-the fourth, fifth, and sixth waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, collected in 2011, 2013, and 2015, respectively. It focused on respondents aged 60 and older. Cognitive functioning was assessed via immediate recall, delayed recall, and fluency. Social activities were measured by volunteering and attending social clubs. Data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach.
resultsThe results indicated a significant direct effect of social activities on cognitive functioning. That is, being socially active at baseline was related to better cognitive function 4 years later. The results also indicated the existence of indirect effects. Engaging in social activities was related to better mental health and more physical activities 2 years later, which were related to better subsequent cognitive performance. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings highlight the mediating roles of physical activity and mental health in the effects of social activities on cognitive functioning. Understanding these mechanisms can help optimize social activity interventions to improve cognitive aging.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.