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Updated: Jun 27, 2025

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Published on: February 14, 2014
Is Formal Social Participation Associated with Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults? A Systematic
Cláudia Cunha1, Gina Voss2, Renato Andrade3,4,5
1Communication and Society Research Centre, Institute of Social Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
Abstract:
This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between formal social participation and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults using data from longitudinal studies. A comprehensive search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science for longitudinal studies that assessed the association between formal social participation and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults published between January 2010 to 19 August 2022. Risk of bias was judged using the RoBANS tool. Meta-analysis using a random-effects model was computed with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for cognitive decline probability. Sensitivity analyses were made to explore any changes to the pooled statistical heterogeneity and pooled effect size. Certainty of evidence was judged using the GRADE framework. We included 15 studies comprising 136,397 participants from 5 countries. Meta-analyses showed that formal social participation was associated with reduced cognitive decline (OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.75-0.82, p < 0.001), with very low certainty of evidence. Formal social participation appears to enhance cognition in middle-aged and older adults, but further high-quality research is needed given the very low certainty of evidence.
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