Social Activities and Cognitive Functioning Across Mid- and Late Life: Evidence From China

Social engagement is positively associated with cognitive health, yet the role of these activities across the lifespan and in different contexts remains underexplored. This study investigates the association between social activities and two domains of cognitive functioning among middle-aged and older Chinese individuals, a population with the highest number of dementia cases in the world. We pay particular attention to the unique role of activities in midlife on cognitive decline in the later years.

Using longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011-2018), we conducted mixed-effects linear models to determine the intra- and interindividual variation on the relationship between social activity and cognitive functioning (N = 26,622 observations nested within 8,089 individuals).

Across domains (episodic memory, mental intactness, and total cognition), more social activities in a given year are associated with increased cognitive functioning, independent of age. Independent of these within-individual changes, participation in social activities in midlife predicts better cognitive function across mid- and later life across all domains, controlling for childhood adversities, friendship, and self-rated health. However, midlife social activities do not significantly predict a slower rate of cognitive decline.

Midlife social engagement has a lasting association with cognitive health in later life, yet it is important to recognize that changes occurring throughout both midlife and later life are associated with changes in cognition. This highlights the potential for modification and improvement during this period in the lifespan for aging Chinese.