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Social Support and Functional Decline in the Oldest Old.

André Hajek1, Christian Brettschneider1, Marion Eisele2

  • 1Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

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Summary

A decrease in social support is linked to functional decline in older men. Maintaining social connections may help older adults preserve their functional abilities.

Keywords:
Functional abilitiesFunctional declineFunctional impairmentFunctional statusInstrumental activities of daily living scaleSocial exclusionSocial isolationSocial networkSocial support

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Sociology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Limited longitudinal research exists on social support and functional decline in the oldest old (≥85 years).
  • Understanding factors influencing functional status in advanced age is crucial for maintaining independence and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal association between changes in social support and functional decline among the oldest old.
  • To identify if social support impacts Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) over time.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized longitudinal data from 3 waves of a multicenter prospective cohort study (n=624, aged ≥85 years).
  • Assessed functional status using the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale and the Barthel Index (ADL).
  • Measured social support using the Lubben Social Network Scale and employed fixed effects (FE) regression models, controlling for confounders.

Main Results:

  • A decrease in social support was significantly associated with functional decline in men for both IADL and ADL.
  • No significant association was found between social support changes and functional decline in women.
  • Functional decline was consistently linked to increasing age, cognitive decline, and depressive symptoms in both sexes, with some variations based on sex and functional measure.

Conclusions:

  • Social support plays a significant role in maintaining functional status among the oldest old, particularly for men.
  • Interventions aimed at sustaining social support in advanced age may be a viable strategy to postpone functional decline.