ArticleBMC geriatrics2022
Association between childhood friendship and cognitive ageing trajectory in later life: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed.
- Association between adverse childhood experiences and accelerated aging of middle-aged and older Chinese: based on the China health and retirement longitudinal study.BMC public health · 2026Observational
- The association between cognitive function trajectories and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older Chinese adults with cardiovascular disease: A longitudinal study from CHARLS.International journal of cardiology. Cardiovascular risk and prevention · 2026Article
- Association of family and friend relationship satisfaction with incident dementia: A prospective cohort study of 104,093 participants.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Article
- The life course impact of adverse childhood experiences on chronic pulmonary disease: the roles of inflammatory response and social buffering.Innovation in aging · 2026Article
- The long shadow of family-internal and -external adverse childhood experiences: associations with mental functioning in middle-aged and older cancer survivors.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2025Article
- Adverse childhood friendship and depression in later life: findings from a national survey in China.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Association of smoke exposure with cognitive function trajectories among middle and old-aged adults: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- Family function and health self-management ability among older adults from mountainous areas in China: moderated mediation model in a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Social Activities and Cognitive Functioning Across Mid- and Late Life: Evidence From China.The Gerontologist · 2025Article
- The long-term impact of childhood peer relationships on disability in later life: Causal mediation evidence from older Chinese adults.SSM - population health · 2025Article
- Article
- Childhood Parental Emotions and Depression Among Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese: The Mediating Role of Adverse Childhood School Neighborhood Friendship Experiences.Depression and anxiety · 2025Article
- Longitudinal association of adverse childhood experiences with cognitive function trajectories among middle-aged and older adults: group-based trajectory modeling.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
- Are adverse childhood experiences associated with trajectories of healthy aging? Evidence from China.SSM - population health · 2023Article
- New evidence of trends in cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults in China, 2011-2018: an age-period-cohort analysis.BMC geriatrics · 2023Article
- Long-Term Impact of Domestic Violence on Individuals-An Empirical Study Based on Education, Health and Life Satisfaction.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Association between Sarcopenia and Cognitive Trajectories among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2023Article
- Evaluating Associations Between Friendship Characteristics and Mental, Physical, and Cognitive Health.Research on agingArticle
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundChildhood experience has been suggested to affect cognitive function in later life. However, the association between childhood friendship status and cognitive ageing trajectory in middle-aged and older adults has not been fully assessed. This study examined the association between childhood friendship status and cognitive ageing trajectory and identified factors modifying this association.
methodsWe used four waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a national representative longitudinal study of adults aged 45 years or older, 2011-2018. The CHARLS included surveys on childhood friendship and cognitive assessments. Childhood friendship status was categorised as poor, fair, and good. To examine the association between childhood friendship and cognitive ageing trajectory in later life, we applied multilevel linear regression models, and explored potential influences of sociodemographic factors, health status and behaviours, and childhood conditions on this association.
resultsOf the 4,350 participants, 1,919 (44.1%) were women. The mean age was 56.29 ± 7.80 years. We found childhood friendship was significantly associated with cognitive ageing trajectory in later life, with a dose-response relationship. After adjusting for covariates, comparing to participants with poor childhood friendships, those with better childhood friendships had lower rates of cognitive decline (β = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03 to 0.22 [interaction term of fair friendship and time]; β = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.28 [interaction term of good friendship and time]) and higher level of cognitive functions (β = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.58 [fair friendships]; β = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43 to 0.79 [good friendships]). These associations were stronger for those who were female, less educated, and had experienced more adverse childhood experiences.
conclusionsChildhood friendship is associated with cognitive ageing in later life. Enhancing childhood friendships can play an important role to promote healthy ageing in the future.
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