Factors related to low social participation in older adults: findings from the Fibra study, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the factors related to low social participation in older adults. Method: A hierarchical model was drawn using data from 2,251 participants of the Fibra study, aged 65 years or more, without cognitive impairment suggestive of dementia, who were living in seven Brazilian cities. Older adults with those conditions have higher odds to be less socially engaged than their counterparts. Conclusion: Personal conditions, such as socioeconomic and health status were predictors of low social participation in older adults. Initiatives aiming at active aging promotion should focus primarily on vulnerable elderly, especially those with health and/or social disadvantages.Keywords: health of the elderly; aging; social behavior; socioeconomic factors; social support.

Cognitive impairment and fear of falling in elderly with different social support levels: Findings from a community survey in Central Vietnam

“…This was also in line with a prior finding in an Asia setting of a positive relationship between better cognitive function and a higher social support level [14]. On the other hand, a high level of concern for falls is also known to be associated with a lower perceived level of social support [7], presumably by restricting the elderly from leaving their homes [35] and taking part in social activities [7,10]. Additionally, in the current era of social transformation of Thua Thien Hue province, construction of many roads and facilities has increased from year to year, and together with the long rainy season, this may also contribute to a risk of falls and an intense FoF among the elderly when they leave their homes, especially for those who already have cognitive impairment [5] and limited social support [14].…”

“…Fear of falling (FoF), defined as a lasting concern about falling that leads to avoidance of daily activities [2], is also a highly prevalent problem [3]. FoF increases with age and is associated with adverse consequences among the elderly, including a poor quality of life [4], mental and functional decline [4][5][6][7][8], a lower level of satisfaction with life [9], and restricted social interactions [7,10]. As falls and FoF are closely linked with each other by virtue of each increasing the risk of the other [11], recent research has been focused on investigating the determinants of FoF, in an effort to prevent both FoF and falls in the community-dwelling elderly.…”

Social participation is associated with better functionality, health status and educational level in elderly women

“…(Who, 2001) Social participation has been related to heath status, mobility limitations, mental and cognitive impairment which might explain further engagement in social organizations. (Cimarolli et al, 2017;Pinto & Neri, 2017) In addition, individuals who have more social relationships and social support are characterized by lower disability, frailty and mortality. (Holt-Lunstad et al, 2010;Wallace, Theou, Pena, Rockwood, & Andrew, 2015) Indeed, social participation has been associated with higher levels of physical activity and health status.…”

“…(Takagi et al, 2013) Depression has been associated to cognitive process, social interactions and motivation to engage in social activities, leading to a lower social participation. (Pinto & Neri, 2017) Therefore, higher education could be a protective factor in older women who participate in community organizations. (Pinto & Neri, 2017) Although, in this study, no difference was observed between the mental status of SNA and SA, in the literature the social participation have showed an important role in cognitive functioning and successful aging.…”

Fear of falling and cognitive impairment in elderly with different social support levels: findings from a community survey in Central Vietnam

“…Fear of falling (FoF), defined as a lasting concern about falling that leads to avoidance of daily activities [2], is also a highly prevalent problem [3]. FoF increases with age and is associated with adverse consequences among the elderly, including a poor quality of life [4], mental and functional decline [4][5][6][7][8], a lower level of satisfaction with life [9], and restricted social interactions [7,10]. As falls and FoF are closely linked with each other by shared predictors, each is a risk factor for the other, and FoF was reported to be an independent predictor of falls [11], recent research has been focused on investigating the determinants of FoF, in an effort to prevent both FoF and falls in the community-dwelling elderly.…”